The DeLish Bite

Last Saturday was the first day of summer, so to celebrate, Simon (my hubby) and I decided to throw an impromptu dinner party with grilling as the main exhibition. The forecast suggested severe storms and the sky was threatening buckets of rain one second and then teasing us with glorious sunshine the next.

Still, we were determined to make use of our new fancy electric grill (ok, we borrowed one from my parents as payday is next week) and throw an outdoor party.

Now, since this was very last minute and the week before had been a busy one, we wanted to keep things easy and simple but we also wanted to see just how good this electric grill was in relation to its supposedly superior counterpart -- the barbeque.

Like most people, we get stuck in our food ruts and for us, grilling does not appear to be an exception (steak, chicken, grilled vegetables are our staples). We decided to something different but also make use of seasonal and local ingredients.

After a bit of research, we decided on lamb, zucchini and baby yukon gold potato kebabs for the main course. To keep things healthy and simple, and to keep with our grilling theme, we decided on grilled apricot and strawberry (yes, strawberry) kebabs, which were glorious with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and a drizzle of homemade balsamic syrup. Yum.

And yes, fruit really does hold up to grilling. In fact, there really is nothing easier (or healthier!) than slicing up some gorgeous summer fruits, brushing them with olive oil, honey or even maple syrup, sprinkling them with some cinnamon and brown sugar and slapping them on the grill. DeLish. (Check out my recipes below.)

And in case you're wondering, the electric grill did stand up well. Although in our opinion, it's still no match for the real deal.

Lamb, Zucchini, Baby Yukon Gold Potato Kebabs Makes 6-8 kebabs

Ingredients

1 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 tbsp chopped oregano

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ shallot, finely chopped

¼ cup olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

zest of 1 lemon

sea salt and cracked black pepper

8-10 long wooden skewers, soaked in water for at least an hour

2 lb boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes (ask your butcher to do this for you)

24 baby Yukon gold potatoes

4 zucchini, sliced very thinly lengthwise

Directions

Combine parsley, oregano, garlic, shallot, olive oil, lemon, lemon zest, sea salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Pour into a re-sealable plastic bag and add lamb cubes. Place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight to marinate.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add baby potatoes and boil for 10-12 minutes until tender. Drain well and allow to cool slightly.

To assemble, thread one end of a zucchini strip onto a skewer. Add a cube of lamb and then wrap the same zucchini slice around the lamb. Add a potato and then continue to weave zucchini slice around potato and the rest of the ingredients. Repeat using 2-3 zucchini slices/kebab. Brush kebabs with remaining marinade.

Preheat electric grill or barbeque to medium high. Grill kebabs for 3-4 minutes on each side until medium rare.

Serve alongside a large dollop of your fav tatziki!

Grilled Apricot + Strawberry Kebabs Makes 6-8 Ingredients

4 large ripe apricots or peaches, pitted, sliced and cut into 11/2 -inch pieces

18 large strawberries

6 long wooden skewers, soaked in water for 1 hour

olive oil

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

tub vanilla ice cream

balsamic syrup

Directions

In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and brown sugar. Set aside.

Thread one apricot segment onto a wooden skewer and follow with a strawberry. Continue to alternate using 4 apricot segments and 3 strawberries/skewer.

Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle each with brown sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Pre-heat electric grill or barbeque to medium high heat. Grill skewers on each side for 2 minutes until grill marks appear and fruit becomes slightly caramelized.

Serve with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of balsamic syrup.

DeLish Tip To make your own balsamic syrup, place 2 cups of good quality balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes until reduced and balsamic becomes thick and syrupy.