Articles & Recipes

Makes About 16 - 20 Skewers

A great appetizer, these steak skewers are marinated in the zingy, slightly spicy, chimichurri sauce, then grilled to perfection. We also recommend using this chimichurri sauce as a marinade or sauce for other cuts of beef, chicken, and vegetables.

Ingredients

Chimichurrri Sauce Ingredients:
2 cups fresh Italian parsley
4 tablespoons fresh oregano
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 shallot, halved
1 cup olive oil
1 small jalapeño pepper, quartered, seeds removed
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Steak Skewers:
1-1/2 lbs. top sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper mini wooden skewers, soaked for 30 minutes before grilling

Directions

1. In a powerful blender or food processor, combine all of the chimichurri ingredients and puree until smooth.

2. In a large bowl, combine the steak cubes with salt, pepper, and 1 cup of the chimichurri sauce. (Reserve the remaining sauce in a separate bowl for dipping.) Toss the beef cubes with the sauce to cover well. Cover the marinating steak pieces and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, submerge the wooden skewers in water to soak.

3. Skewer three steak bites onto each of the small skewers. Grill for 2-3 minutes on each side until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F.

4. Serve the grilled mini-skewers with a generous drizzle of the reserved chimichurri sauce.

Makes About 1/2 Cup

This spicy and herbaceous sauce transforms creamy hummus to the next level of deliciousness. Zhoug, (sounds like “zoog”), is a spicy cilantro sauce that originates from Yemen. It is a flavorful, spicy sauce that is a delicious used as a condiment. Enjoy it swirled in hummus with fresh veggies, or as a stand-alone spicy dip. It’s also wonderful drizzled over falafel, grilled meats, fish, roasted vegetables, or even as a great way to accent a baked potato.

Ingredients

1 bunch cilantro, some tender stems ok
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 jalapeños, cored, seeds removed
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup olive oil

Directions

Blend all of the ingredients together in a high-powered blender until smooth. Serve as a spicy dip or condiment. Swirl into hummus and enjoy with fresh vegetables and pita.

Makes About 1 Cup

This minty sauce is refreshing and flavorful! The herbs and aromatics are well-balanced with creamy Greek yogurt. This is an excellent dip or sauce for fried or air-fried appetizers like samosas or pakoras. It pairs wonderfully with roasted or grilled vegetables. We enjoyed it recently with grilled cauliflower steaks; every bite was a delight!

Ingredients

1 cup packed fresh mint leaves
2 cups packed fresh cilantro leaves, tender stems ok)
1/2 inch ginger, peeled and minced
1 clove garlic, peeled
4 scallions
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

Directions

Blend all of the ingredients together in a high-powered blender until smooth. Serve with cauliflower steaks.

Cauliflower Steaks:
Slice a cauliflower into 1-1/2” thick slices or “steaks.” Use any remaining florets for another recipe. Season the cauliflower steaks generously with an array of spices such as Kosher salt, pepper, curry powder, turmeric, garam masala, and garlic powder. Drizzle with olive oil. Grill on high heat until fork tender turning, as needed. Place on a generous bed of mint chutney, or drizzle on top.

Serves 4

Spaniards have perfected many things, like tapas, wine, and paella. So it’s no surprise they have also mastered gazpacho. This cold, tomato-based soup is the perfect dish to enjoy on warm summer nights — it’s delightfully bright, yet surprisingly rich.

With this recipe, we revisit the Andalusian classic, Salmorejo, which incorporates a loaf of bread into a blended tomato base. The result is creamy, refreshing, and oh, so satisfying!

Ingredients

8 large, ripe tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, stems and center removed, minced
1 red pepper, stems and seeds removed, chopped
1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 loaf day-old French bread, cut into 2" cubes

Directions

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Cut an X on the bottom of the tomatoes and boil them in the water for 2 minutes until the skin begins to separate at the cut. Place tomatoes in an ice bath until cool. Once cool, peel off the tomato skin with your fingers. Discard the skin, remove the tomato core, and chop into 1-inch pieces

2. Combine the tomatoes, garlic, onion, jalapeno, and red pepper in a high powered blender and begin to pulse. Add the vinegar and olive oil, and blend until smooth

3. Add the salt, pepper, paprika, and blend. Slowly add the cubes of bread and continue blending until the soup is creamy in consistency, adding 1-2 tablespoons of water to thin the gazpacho if necessary.

4. Pour the salmorejo into a large pitcher. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors incorporate.

5. Serve salmorejo chilled with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.

We're taking advantage of the fresh harvests found at farmers' markets, in our gardens, and at roadside stands, and are making scrumptious stuffed vegetables ready to satisfy any craving!

IN THIS ISSUE, we stuff peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini while sharing tips for cleaning veggies properly. PLUS, a bonus recipe, stuffed jalapeños!

VEGGIE PREPPING TOOLS

Fox Tail Natural Vegetable Brush Remove dirt and dust from vegetables with this ergonomic brush!

Evaco Cast Non Stick Saute Pan Cook rice and saute vegetables for stuffed peppers in a versatile saute pan

RSVP 18" Grill Tongs Long grill tongs keep veggies well-tended and hands safely away from the flame!

Chamba Roasting Pan A large roasting pan is a kitchen essential!

Kyocera Extra Wide Peeler Peel veggies quick and easy with this ceramic blade!

Kyocera 6" Santoku Ceramic Knife Get chopping with a versatile cook's knife.

Tools for Grilling Kebabs

OUTSET 4 PIECE SKEWER SET Metal skewers with rosewood handles ready to grill kebabs or toast marshmallows - all with a beautiful presentation

OUTSET LEATHER GRILL GLOVES Quickly turn kabobs with these protective leather gloves.

EPICUREAN ALL-IN-ONE CUTTING BOARD Features a juice groove and dishwasher safe for easy, fast clean up.

LOCKING TONGS Grill tongs are essential for safely managing kababs while cooking on the grill.

GLOBAL 8" CHEF'S KNIFE A sharp knife is a must for chopping veggies and cubing meat!

NORDICWARE GRILL AND SHAKE BASKET This grill basket helps prepare sides and won't let any goodies fall between grill grates!