Memorial Weekend 2020 (and Chili-Red Pepper Chicken Kebabs [Tavuk Şiş])
It was a bit different of a Memorial Weekend this year. No annual Memorial Day parade. No Monday morning waffle tradition with friends. No big cookout in the afternoon. It was a much quieter and more low key weekend. I really had no plans going into the weekend, but as each day passed they filled up with small gatherings and outings with a few friends and family members. It turned into one of the most lovely and relaxing holiday weekends! And tasty, very tasty…
Friday night I had a friend over to grill out and relax in the back yard. She provided the burgers and wine, while Lara and I provided the grill and the remainder of the food. We grilled up some juicy burgers, topped them with sharp and crumbly Irish Cheddar (one of my favorites!) and garlicky red pepper sauce that is to die for. The sauce was actually made to use on chicken skewers that were on the menu later in the weekend (see below) but it is so good that I doubled the recipe and ate it on pretty much everything this week including these burgers. The juicy meat, sharp cheese, and sweet and garlicky sauce were a perfect combination that I will definitely do again!
We grilled up some asparagus to have on the side which I tossed with a super garlicky Parmesan vinaigrette. My basic go-to of lemon juice and zest, whole grain mustard, salt, garlic and olive oil. This time I added a lot of extra raw garlic, 2 full cloves (if you’re a little nervous about raw garlic then this would not have been for you… but I LOVED it!) as well as a couple of handfuls of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. The resulting dressing was almost more of a paste at this point. I tossed it together with the hot asparagus straight off the grill and it was so good.
The next day started with a lovely scone and coffee breakfast on the porch. It was the perfect weather for lounging outside for as long as I wanted. Hot coffee, buttery scone, and great company!
Later that afternoon my parents came over for a cook out. We grilled up a new chicken skewer recipe with red pepper paste with homemade Greek yogurt pita, and a fresh green salad. This red pepper paste is the sauce that I was talking about above that we also served with the burgers. Super versatile! It’s apparently a take on a Turkish red pepper paste called biber salçası. This was the first time I’ve heard of this recipe so I know nothing
about it other than that it was delicious!
We ate outside again, enjoying each others company (it had been a long while since I’d seen my dad!), and finally getting the dead branches out of the trees in the backyard. Thanks dad! :)
Finally, on Memorial Day, after another fantastic front porch scones breakfast —> (it was so lovely the day before we had to do it again!) we headed out to a nearby state park that I had never heard of to go kayaking and paddle boarding with friends.
I had never paddle boarded before so I was excited. The lake was lovely, the weather was perfect and the company was great. Since our friends provided the entertainment, Lara and I provided the food.
We thought long and hard (as always!) about what would be best for a picnic after kayaking. We ended up making chicken pesto salad wraps. We grilled up a few boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed it up, and tossed it with plenty of pesto sauce, chunks of fresh mozzarella (similar size to the chicken), and halved cherry tomatoes. It was soooooo good! I’ve made similar things, but never this exact recipe. I loved the soft fresh mozzarella that had marinated in the pesto by the time we ate it. We ate this on more of the homemade Greek yogurt pita. Served with more grilled asparagus, some cold drinks and fruit, it was a perfect picnic!
That was about it for the weekend. Other than one more simple treat, my first iced latte of the summer! What better way to end the weekend!
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Chili-Red Pepper Chicken Kebabs (Tavuk Şiş)
Recipe from 177 Milk St
Ingredients
1/2 cup drained roasted red bell peppers, patted dry (I roasted my own and used one full roasted pepper)
6 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 fresno chilies, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped (I wasn’t able to find any fresno chilies so I omitted this and the recipe was still delicious but I would love to make again with the fresnos to see what they add to the mix)
1/4 cup (50 grams) extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons dried mint
2 tablespoons aleppo pepper (or 1 tablespoon sweet paprika plus 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper) (I used the paprika + cayenne)
1 tablespoon (21 grams) honey
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1-inch strips (I bought 6 bone-in thighs and boned them myself, this was around 2 lbs)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint (I didn’t use, my mint plant isn’t big enough yet!)
Directions
In a food processor (or high-speed blender, I used my Vitamix), combine the roasted red peppers, garlic, chilies, oil, dried mint, Aleppo pepper, honey, tomato paste and 2 teaspoons salt. Process until almost smooth, 45 to 60 seconds, scraping the sides as needed. Measure 3 tablespoons of the puree into a small bowl, then stir in the lemon juice; cover and refrigerate. Transfer the remaining puree to a medium bowl, add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.
Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct, medium-high heat. For a charcoal grill, ignite a large chimney three-quarters full of coals, let burn until lightly ashed over, then distribute evenly over one side of the grill bed; open the bottom grill vents and the lid vent. For a gas grill, turn all burners to high. Heat the grill, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes; clean and oil the grate. Remove the reserved puree from the refrigerator.
While the grill heats, thread the chicken onto eight 10- to 12-inch metal skewers (I only got 6 skewers out of this, not 8), evenly dividing the pieces and scraping off excess marinade. If using a gas grill, turn all burners to medium-high. Place the skewers on the grill, on the hot side if using charcoal, and cook, uncovered, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, until evenly charred on all sides and the thickest piece is opaque when cut into, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter. Stir the fresh mint into the reserved puree and serve with the kebabs.