Grilled Artichokes with Lemon Garlic Caper Aioli | Easy Summer Entertaining Recipes

This is one of my all time favorite 'restaurant' recipes.  Anytime I go to a restaurant and I see grilled artichokes on the menu, I order them.  I've found that I like them best when simply grilled with a little bit of seasoning and a great dipping sauce.  I used to be intimidated by making a dipping sauce- especially those named 'aioli' until I discovered that 'aioli' is mayonnaise...  Now I use mayonnaise as a base to make all kinds of great dipping sauces- this lemon and caper is one of my favorites.  It is great with grilled shrimp, too- a favorite from my catering days.

Grilled Artichokes
with a Lemon Garlic Caper Aioli

3 artichokes, quartered
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon of sea salt + 2 teaspoons
1 teaspoon of cracked pepper

for the aioli:
3/4 cup of mayonnaise
1/2 cup of sour cream
1 lemon, the juice of
1 clove of garlic
2 tablespoons of capers (or more, if you'd like)
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of cracked pepper

Combine olive oil and 1 clove of garlic cut in slices.  Let the garlic infuse into the oil while you are preparing the artichokes.

Cut the artichokes in quarters, lengthwise.  Fill a medium saucepan with water with 1 tablespoon of sea salt.  Bring to a boil.  Add artichoke quarters and cook for 20-30 minutes until tender.  Remove from water and let them cool on a baking sheet.  If you are preparing these ahead of time, you can refrigerate them at this point up to over night.

Before grilling, brush the garlic infused olive oil onto all sides of the artichoke hearts.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Grill for 2-3 minutes on each side until there is a nice char on the leaves.

For the sauce, stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, garlic capers, salt and pepper.   Add more lemon, salt and/or pepper to taste.

The grilled artichokes are the perfect compliment to Grilled Prosciutto & Fresh Mozzarella toasts.

Grilled Prosciutto, Fresh Mozzarella Garlic Toasts with Fresh Basil | Easy Summer Entertaining Recipes

Prosciutto & Fresh Mozzarella
on Grilled Garlic Toasts

makes 24 toasts
1 baguette
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
3 tablespoons of olive oil
8 ounces of fresh mozzarella, sliced
6 slices of prosciutto, thinly sliced
sea salt & cracked pepper
fresh basil, chopped

Prepare the bread by slicing it into thin slices.  Grill bread just before serving.  You can do it under the broiler in your oven, or on the grill.  Brush the bread with olive oil on one side.  If broiling, place them on a sheet oiled side up and place them under the broiler for 1-2 minutes.  Be careful not to burn!  If grilling, also grill the bread for 1-2 minutes.  When you remove them from the grill or oven, let them cool slightly, then rub the raw clove of garlic on each piece.

If grilling, brush the other side of the bread with oil, the put that side down on the baking sheet or tray.  If you are broiling in the oven, just keep the toasts on the sheet with their toasted side up. Top each piece of bread with small, thin slices of prosciutto.  Then, top each with a slice of fresh mozzarella.  Grill or broil the toasts for 2 minutes, or just until the mozzarella begins to melt.  Remove from the grill or broiler and top with salt, pepper and fresh basil.

Ready to go on the grill along with some artichokes (Grilled Artichokes recipe here).

The toasts have been grilled, now I'm ready to top them with prosciutto and cheese.

Hot from the grill - these are great as an appetizer or as part of dinner... like deluxe cheese bread.  I often serve them when we're having a vegetarian soup or pasta, then Mike feels like we've had something hearty with meat.



I like to serve these with another grilled appetizer favorite - Grill Artichokes with a Lemon Caper Aioli.  Both make great appetizers or as a side with a steak, grilled fish or kebabs.

To find more of my Entertaining Essentials, stop by my store of specially selected favorites.

Formula for Fresh Dinners for Spring | Grilled + Salad + Vegetable/Pasta

So many times our dinners are just like this - an assembly of various recipes that aren't really recipes.  I find that sometimes I just need an idea of what to have for dinner - something different than Pizza, Tacos, Burgers, Spaghetti, etc... the familiar rundown.  So, I hope these snapshots of our dinner table will give you an idea of how to put together a simple, but fresh dinner this week.

Maybe it is the onset of warmer weather (or maybe that I put on shorts for the first time in a while...yikes!), but I've been craving lighter, fresher dinners.  In the cooler months we do a lot of one-pot stews, heavy pastas, braised meats and potatoes for dinner.  They are the type of dinner that makes you want to put on your PJs and settle in for the night.  Now that April is here, I want fresh, crunchy colorful dinners that don't weigh me down.  Basically, I'm trying to add more colorful vegetables and steer clear of the full (giant) plate of pasta dinners that we've been having all winter long.

This is my new (fresher) formula for dinner :
- Grilled Steak or Chicken (could also do fish or shrimp...)
- Side Salad
- Vegetable Packed Side/Pasta

This is what we had last night for dinner :

Sliced Grilled Steak

Panzanella Tomato Salad

Sliced Avocados with Sea Salt & Pepper

Wilted Lettuce Salad with Bacon  

























Potted Salad Garden

A couple of weeks ago we planted this "Salad" Garden in one of my big pots on the gravel patio.  It has been the easiest gardening adventure yet.  Emma did all of the planting and she is always eager to go and "harvest" some lettuce, spinach or arugula for dinner.  It should keep regenerating throughout the season - giving us no excuse not to enjoy a fresh salad every night.

We planted :

Arugula
Spinach
Leaf Lettuce
Baby Micro Greens

I am looking forward to planting the rest of our garden next week.  I'm planning for tomatoes, herbs, squash and melons.  Wish us luck...!

In a month or so we will probably be adding grilled sweet corn and sliced tomatoes to this mix!

Simple Spring Supper | Brown Sugar & Sesame Marinated Pork Tenderloin

I'm re-sharing this from 2013, when we had just moved back into town.  It is still one of our favorite dinners!  Those French Tumblers full of hyacinth are tempting me to run to trader joe's this morning!!

...

Last Sunday we hosted Mike's parents for a casual Sunday Supper.  I love cooking on Sundays - it is the only day that I get to spend some alone time in the kitchen while Mike and Emma play outside.  It is so nice to be able to leisurely prepare dinner without keeping little hands entertained (which usually means she's putting them in the flour canister, then the sugar, and back again...). 

I've used this marinade several times before -it is one of Mike's Mom's signatures.  It works great with beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, vegetables... anything.  Especially on the grill.  Unfortunately, we don't have a grill right now... it had to stay in Concord, Ma. when we moved because it was the last thing packed and it wouldn't fit in the Pod!  So... I just roasted it in the oven and it worked great, too.

We're working on our outdoor grilling area + new grill this week (Mother's Day & Father's Day joint gift), so you can look forward to lots of grilling recipes soon!
 

I love using these French Tumblers as vases for small arrangements.  I found these hyacinth at the grocery store and make the perfect little bunch in these short glasses.



While I finished dinner Mike and his parents entertained (or were entertained by...?) Emma outside and sipped on this sparkling lemonade from Trader Joes.  What is it about playing outside and sipping on lemonade?!



Along with the Brown Sugar & Sesame Pork Tenderloin, I served Ina's Orange Braised Carrots and Parsnips and Green Been Gremolata. 

Brown Sugar & Sesame
Pork Tenderloin


2 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)
1 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup of brown sugar
2 tablespoons toasted (dark) sesame oil
1 teaspoons chili paste
1/2 cup sliced green onions

2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon of sesame seeds

Stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, chili paste, green onions, garlic, ginger and sesame seeds.  Put the tenderloins in a ziplock and pour in the marinade.  Marinade for 1 hour and up to over night.

If baking/roasting, remove from marinade and place on a baking sheet.  Roast at 450 degrees for 18-25 minutes until a meat thermometer reads 155 degrees.  Remove and cover with foil.  Reserve the juices in the pan from resting.   Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.  Slice, then pour juices over sliced pork.

If grilling, grill for 5-7 minutes on each side (totaling about 18-22 minutes depending on the temp of the grill) until a meat thermometer reads 155 degrees.  Remove and cover with foil.  Reserve the juices in the pan from resting.   Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.  Slice, then pour juices over sliced pork.

 

A big bountiful platter for a Sunday Supper.

This classic lemon pie with graham cracker crust topped with whipped cream is the perfect dessert, here is the recipe link.

Lemon Basil Grilled Shrimp with Pesto Pasta

When you think of backyard entertaining, burgers or steaks are usually on the menu.  If the crowd is right I like to take a fresher approach and serve pasta with Homemade Pesto Sauce
and Lemon Basil Grilled Shrimp.


I served this same shrimp as an appetizer last year at my Ladies Night Patio Party, and the year before as an entree with grilled corn on the cob and asparagus. 

You can use any pesto for the pasta that you like - it is so much easier to make than you'd think!  The basil in my garden is not quite ready to harvest, so I bought a huge bunch to use at Trader Joes for just a couple of dollars.  I like the put the hot pasta in a big bowl straight from the pasta water and toss it with the pesto - the heat takes a little bit of the edge off of the fresh basil and raw garlic.


Recipes :

Homemade Pesto Sauce

Lemon Basil Grilled Shrimp

Do you have any grilling favorites other than the standard steaks and burgers?  I'm needing inspiration... the new grill needs to be put to use!

Grilled Romaine Lettuce | Summer Grilling

When I was in college I worked at a Micro-Brewery (Flatbranch for my fellow Mizzou folks...) and there they served a grilled romaine salad.  As this was around 13 years ago, I know that grilled salads are not new to most of you... but I had never actually tried one until a few weeks ago.  We had dinner with my brother and his Claire at one of our local favorite spots - Gram and Dun.  (It is a sort of chic comfort food type place with great drinks.  You might remember, last year I shared my version of their Chorizo & Mussels.)  Along with the mussels (again!), I ordered their grilled salad that I've been anxious to recreate.

My version starts with a basting liquid with rosemary, lemon and garlic that you brush over before and after grilling.  After the grill, I squeezed with fresh lemon and topped with parmesan cheese.  Sooooo good.  The slight grilled rosemary flavor is really special with the freshness of the lemon and lettuce.

Grilled Romaine Salad


1/2 cup of olive oil
1 lemon, juice & zest
1 tablespoon of rosemary, minced
1 teaspoon of garlic, minced
sea salt
cracked pepper
....
2 small-ish heads of romaine (I used the pre-packaged hearts)
1 lemon, quartered
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, fresh grated
cherry tomatoes

Start grill or prepare coals.  While the grill is heating up...

Wash and dry the romaine lettuce.  Cut in half length-wise.  Mix together the oil, lemon zest and juice, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper.  Brush mixture on the cut side of the lettuce. 



Grill lettuce, cut side down for 2-4 minutes (depending on the temp of your grill) just until grill marks appear.  Remove from grill and brush again with liquid.  Top with tomatoes, squeeze of lemon and parmesan cheese.

Grilled Tomato, Goat Cheese, Fresh Sweet Corn & Basil Appetizer

I'm always looking for new fresh ways to serve our favorites - Tomatoes, Sweet Corn & Basil.  During the summer we get tired of just sliced tomatoes and corn on the cob - somehow - though it seems impossible right now.  This little appetizer is an amazing combo of everything we love.  Grilling the tomato adds a slight smokiness, and warms the goat cheese, offset by the cold and crunchy sweet corn kernels and fresh basil.  Though I don't always serve plated starters when we have friends for dinner, sometimes I come across something so special, it is worth washing the extra dish.  You can also serve this as a traditional shared appetizer if you cut it into wedges and serve it with grilled bread... which I think I'll do for a party this Friday.  

 Grilled Tomato, Goat Cheese, 
Fresh Sweet Corn & Basil Appetizer


4 thick slices of tomato - firm enough to grill
1/2 cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
1 clove of garlic
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of cracked pepper
4 ounces of goat cheese
1 ear of sweet corn, kernels cut off
2 tablespoons of basil

Place the 4 slices of tomato on a pan or plate ready to go to the grill.  In a small bowl make the brushing liquid by stirring together oil, lemon juice, vinegar garlic salt and pepper.  Brush on both sides of the tomato.

Grill tomato for 2 minutes, then flip.  After flipping, top tomato with goat cheese (a little goes a long way...) and more of the lemon garlic oil.  Grill for 2-3 more minutes until the goat cheese is warm and soft.  Remove from the grill.  Plate and sprinkle on fresh corn cut from the cob and basil.  Drizzle on more of the lemon garlic liquid.

Summer Grilling Menu : Tomato, Goat Cheese & Corn, Grilled Romaine Salad, and Grilled Pesto Shrimp

Today, I had a little fun and prepared the freshest, most flavorful, non-traditional grilled menu.  We just set up our grill last week and after making one round of burgers, I was ready to dive into new ideas for the grilling.

I started with this appetizer that is a slice of tomato topped with goat cheese and grilled.  During the grilling process, it is drizzled with a lemon garlic olive oil.  After the grill, it is topped with fresh basil and fresh sweet corn kernels.  I LOVED this... would've been great with some crusty bread.  On the grill, of course.

I recently tried a grilled salad at one of our favorite restaurants and had to try to recreate it.  I brushed mine with an olive oil, lemon, garlic and rosemary mixture, then topped it with tons of Parmesan cheese.

And finally, my favorite grilled dinner - herb shrimp with pasta tossed in a fresh pesto sauce.

I'll post all of the recipes later this week!

Brown Sugar Chili Lime Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Kebabs

I think kebabs might be the single best Summer Entertaining recipe.  They are the perfect thing to serve at a every type of party.  Dinner party?  Make them big.  Cocktail party?  Make them small.  Vegetarian guest?  Leave off the meat.  They are made completely in advance, they are a full meal in one efficient package, and you can make them in endless varieties.  Need one more reason?  Budget friendly.  A pound of steak, chicken or shrimp can be stretched to serve 3-4 people by adding colorful (and inexpensive) summer produce like squash and peppers.  Oh, and they are healthy!

Here is one of our favorite versions... what's yours? 

Brown Sugar Chili Lime
Grilled Chicken & Vegetable Kebabs

Marinade :
1/4 cup of oil
3 limes, juiced - freshly squeezed
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons of cracked pepper

3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 2-inch cubes
2 medium zucchini, sliced
2 red peppers, 2-inch pieces
2 cups of mushrooms, thickly sliced
8 skewers

In a large bowl, combine all of the marinate ingredients.  Separate the marinade into two separate bowls.  Slice vegetables then place them in one of the bowls of marinade.  Cut the chicken into large cubes, then put them in the other bowl of marinade.  Let the vegetables and chicken marinate for 1 hour (or more, up to overnight) in the refrigerator.  Skewer the chicken and vegetables on wooden or metal skewers.  Grill for 3-5 minutes, on each side until the chicken has cooked all the way through.

For a complete grilling party menu, serve the kebabs with Grilled Artichokes with Lemon Caper Aioli and Grilled Prosciutto & Fresh Mozzarella Toasts.