A Sauce for the Season

Grilled Kebabs with Pebre Sauce

On Monday (May 27), we Americans will be celebrating Memorial Day, a federal holiday to honor those who died in military service of the country.

Memorial Day weekend is also the traditional time that ushers in “barbecue season.”

I mean, some of us barbecue all year but many of us (me!) don’t because it’s too cold before the end of May to venture outside to cook.

And so, to begin the season, I offer a recipe for Pebre Sauce. In case you haven’t heard of it, Pebre is similar to Chimichurri. It’s originally from Chile, but well known throughout South America. I included this recipe in my first kosher cookbook, Hip Kosher, and I’ve made this sauce every summer since that book was published in 2008.

Why?

Mostly because it’s so tasty. But also: you can use it for all sorts of grilled meat, poultry or chicken (in Hip Kosher I paired it with beef kebabs) and even for vegetables, grilled or otherwise. Or use it as a marinade. And you can mix in some mayonnaise or olive oil and vinegar to use as a salad dressing (particularly delicious for potato salad).

PEBRE SAUCE

• 1 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

• 2 large garlic cloves, quartered

• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 small habanero or serrano pepper, deseeded and chopped

• 1/2 cup olive oil

Process the parsley, cilantro, garlic, oregano, lemon juice and pepper in a food processor until they are finely chopped. With the machine still on, gradually pour in the olive oil.

Makes about 1/2 cup

Mango Salsa

When the weather gets warmer I like to make foods that I can bring outside, that can sit for an hour as we nibble and sip a cocktail or two before dinner.

This salsa is a perfect example. It’s fresh fruit, citrus and a bit of heat thanks to the chili pepper. It’s colorful, so it’s nice for company. And it stays fresh for a while.

I use this salsa as an hors d’oeuvre and serve it with corn chips but it also makes and excellent side dish for burgers, grilled chicken or fish.

Remember this for summer picnics. Memorial Day weekend. Father’s Day. July 4th! Labor Day.

What I’m saying —- it’s a keeper!

Tropical Dip and Chip

• 1 large ripe mango

• 1 ripe avocado

• 1/4 cup chopped red onion

• 1 teaspoon chopped jalapeno (or other chili) pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest

• 1 tablespoon lime juice

• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro (or use parsley)

• salt if desired

• corn or plantain chips

Peel and pit the mango and avocado. Chop the fruit into small pieces (or use a food processor) and place the pieces in a mixing bowl. Add the red onion, chili pepper, lime zest, lime juice and cilantro. If using a food processor, process on pulse to desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and add salt if desired. Serve with chips.

Makes about 2 cups

Banana Chocolate Muffins

Before my cousins came for a long visit over the Memorial Day weekend I stocked up on all the foods they loved. We ate most of it, but Leslie told me that Neil also needed foods with potassium so I bought several bananas.

He ate a few.

Still. I bought too many. As usual. There were 3 left over.

So, banana muffins. These, with chocolate because, why not?

banana chocolate Muffins

• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate

• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1 large egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed

• 3/4 cup water

• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 10 muffin tins. Melt the chocolate and set it aside to cool. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set it aside. Beat the sugar and vegetable oil together in an electric mixer at medium speed for a minute or so or until well combined. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to blend ingredients thoroughly. Add the bananas and mix them in. Add the dry ingredients and beat for 1-2 minutes to blend them in thoroughly. Combine the water and cider vinegar, pour into the batter and beat the ingredients for 1-2 minutes or until thoroughly blended. Fill muffin tins with equal amounts of the batter. Spoon equal amounts of chocolate on top of each and use a knife to swirl some chocolate into each muffin. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool for 15 minutes before removing them.

Makes 10

Wheatberry Salad with Tomatoes and Olives

Can you grill dairy foods?

That’s a dilemma (sort of) this weekend as we celebrate two holidays at once! For Jews, it’s Shavuot. For all Americans, it’s Memorial Day, the unofficial start of the grilling season.

As far as the food stuff goes, Shavuot is the “dairy” holiday. When we eat all things cheese (as well as other dairy products), especially cheesecake. 

But, except for a few items, like grilled halloumi cheese, which is quite delicious (cut the cheese into strips, coat them with olive oil, stick them on a skewer and grill them until they’re crispy on the outside), we don’t grill most dairy products.

However, we can grill fish and eat them with other dairy products.

Or grill meat and eat some wonderful side dishes (and save the cheesecake for another time during the holiday).

This wheatberry salad fits perfectly into both holiday meals. It is a substantial side dish, you can make it ahead and it can be either dairy or non-dairy (leave the cheese out, substitute nothing or some other vegetable of tofu). You can make this into a meat-based salad too — add some cut up grilled chicken or beef, etc.

Matter of fact, this is a good, healthy salad choice for the entire summer.

My kids love when I make this kind of salad. This is the young generation’s way to eat now. Less meat, more whole grains and veggies. You can use this salad as part of a vegetarian meal.

Also, just as you can leave out the cheese, you can make this dish with a different grain (like barley or quinoa). Use different herbs. Play around with the recipe and invent on your own. Cook the grain according to the directions on the package. The rest, as the great sage Hillel said, “is commentary.”

Wheatberry Salad with Tomatoes and Olives

1 cup wheatberries

3 cups water

1 15-ounce can (drained) black beans

1 large avocado, cut into chunks

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 cup halved grape tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1 cup chopped cheese or meat (optional)

1 fresh serrano pepper, deseeded and finely chopped

2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine vingar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Place the wheatberries in a large saucepan and add the water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for about 50-60 minutes or until the wheat is tender. Drain any remaining liquid and place the wheatberries in a bowl to cool. Add the black beans, avocado, bell pepper, tomatoes, red onion, cheese or meat if used, serrano pepper and oregano and toss to distribute ingredients evenly. In a small bowl whisk the olive oil, wine vinegar, mustard and cumin. Pour over the salad and toss the ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let the salad stand at least 30 minutes before serving.

Makes 6-8 servings

Tequila-Lime Marinated Skirt Steak

I’ve been thinking “vegetarian” all week and this weekend my kids are coming for the Memorial Day holiday and they love “vegetarian” but I am thinking “grill” and “meat.” It’s like some food-magazine-newspaper spirit is whispering in my ear that Memorial Day means grilled meat, as if it were as sacrosanct as the Thanksgiving turkey.

My two sons-in-law sometimes kid me because I serve a lot of meat when they come. I can’t help myself. It’s something I learned from my mother and mother-in-law who would always serve dozens of different dishes so everyone would be happy when we all got together. So I figure that because they don’t eat meat much at home they probably want some here.

It’s not rational so I can’t really explain this. All I know is the meat is mostly gone when we’re done eating. Maybe this weekend I’ll try this recipe:

Tequila-Lime Marinated Skirt Steak

3 tablespoons tequila

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons grated lime peel

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1 small chili pepper (jalapeno or serrano), deseeded and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1-1/2 pounds skirt steak

Mix the tequila, olive oil, lime peel, lime juice, cilantro, chili pepper, garlic and salt and pepper to taste in a dish large enough to hold the meat. Add the meat, turn it to coat both sides. Let marinate in the mixture for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Preheat an outdoor grill (oven broiler or grill pan). Remove the meat from the marinade and grill for 2-3 minutes per side. Makes 4 servings