Longer days and later sunsets indicate that dinner-party season is in full swing. Summer is the perfect time to gather your loved ones, fire up the grill, and try out these delicious recipes.
Strawberry Muddle
Six servings
This drink involves little more than crushing berries at the bottom of a glass, dropping in a lemon slice, ice, and a good slosh of Prosecco. As tempting as it may be, don't stir it. The ice cubes act as a weight to hold down the berries, ensuring a fruity aroma in each sip.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups chopped, hulled strawberries
6 thin lemon slices
750ml bottle of Prosecco, chilled
Ice
Basil, optional to garnish
Directions:
Stir sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bring to a boil, creating your syrup. Allow the syrup to cool. Divide strawberries among your 6 glasses, adding 1 tablespoon of syrup to each and mashing with a muddler. Add a lemon slice to each and mash to release flavor. Add several ice cubes to each glass, then fill with Prosecco.
Mozzarella Stuffed Portobellos
Six servings
These mushrooms are slathered in a mouthwatering balsamic marinade and grilled to perfection, a wonderful addition to any dinner party.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
7 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced and divided
6 large portobello mushrooms, stemmed
1 1/2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup green onion
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 cup butter, melted
Directions:
To prepare, whisk together oil, 6 teaspoons vinegar, and 1 garlic clove in a small bowl for your marinade.
Using a spoon, scrape out the gills from your mushrooms and place the mushrooms on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush the marinade over both sides of your mushrooms, arranging for the hollow side to face up. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Preheat your grill to medium heat.
Mix Panko bread crumbs, mozzarella, parmesan, green onion, oregano, thyme, and remaining 2 garlic cloves in a medium bowl. Drizzle butter and the remaining teaspoon of vinegar over the breadcrumb mixture and toss. Divide breadcrumb mixture among the mushrooms, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edges and packing down slightly.
Place your mushrooms on the grill, stuffing side facing up. Cover the grill and cook until the cheese melts and juices bubble at the edges of the mushrooms. Rearrange mushrooms occasionally for even cooking, about 6 minutes. Do not turn over.
Grilled Gazpacho Salad with Shrimp
Six servings
Tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and bell peppers mingle to create this main-course salad that is bursting with flavor.
Ingredients:
2 medium heads of garlic, separated into cloves, peeled
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, separated
1 1/2 pounds uncooked large shrimp, deveined with shells intact
8 plum tomatoes, halved
2 bunches green onions, root ends trimmed
1 pound sweet onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 red bell pepper, quartered, cored
1 yellow pepper, quartered, cored
1 1/2 large English cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise
2 slices country bread
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
Lime wedges
Directions:
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Set aside 2 garlic cloves for bread slices and place the remaining garlic on a double layer of heavy-duty foil. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of oil over the garlic before folding up and sealing the packet. Place directly on the grill rack and cook until garlic is tender and golden, about 30 minutes. Once finished, open the packet and allow the garlic to cool.
Toss shrimp (in shells) and 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium bowl, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine plum tomatoes, green onions, sweet onion, both peppers, and 2 tablespoons of oil in a large bowl. Toss to coat. Arrange cucumber halves and bread slices on a baking sheet and brush with 2 tablespoons of oil. Sprinkle all the vegetables with salt and pepper.
Grill shrimp until just opaque, about 2 1/2 minutes per side; transfer to another bowl and cool. Grill vegetables until crisp-tender. Turn frequently, about 3 minutes for tomatoes and green onions, 5 minutes for cucumbers, and 15 minutes for sweet onion and peppers.
Transfer to a large-rimmed pan. Grill bread slices until just beginning to crisp and grill marks appear, about 2 minutes per side. Rub bread with reserved garlic cloves, then discard the garlic cloves.
Peel shrimp and transfer them to a large bowl. Cut all vegetables and bread into 1/2-inch pieces, and add them to the shrimp along with any accumulated juices.
Stir in the grilled garlic cloves and grape tomatoes. Whisk vinegar, hot pepper sauce, and remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a small bowl, pouring over the salad and tossing to coat. Stir thinly sliced basil into the salad, season with salt and pepper, and serve with lime wedges.