Burgers, hot dogs, steaks - all staples of a typical meal made on the grill. But what about some fruit cocktail, cole slaw and bananas foster? Chef Jamika Pessoa has some unique recipes that will surely have your friends and family turning heads this summer.
Ultimate Grilled Fruit Cocktail
Ingredients:
6 cups of your favorite fresh fruits, diced into 1-inch thick pieces (watermelon, strawberries, mango, honeydew melon, pineapple)
1/4 cup of torn fresh mint leaves
Juice of two limes
3 tbsps. superfine sugar
3 oz. light rum (optional)
Extra mint leaves for garnish
Pinch of salt
Directions:
Preheat indoor grill to approximately 400-450 degrees. Lightly coat grill with vegetable oil or cooking spray.
Pat fruit dry with a paper towel. Place fruit on grill. Grill for 1-2 minutes per side or just until grill marks appear. Remove from grill and set aside in a single layer to cool.
In a bowl, mix cocktail by combining mint, lime, sugar (and rum).
Add cooled fruit to a large bowl and pour cocktail over fruit and toss well. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.
To assemble, toss fruit again and spoon into cocktail glass. Make sure some of the liquid gets into each glass. Garnish with a pinch of salt on top and sprig of mint.
BBQ Cole Slaw
Ingredients:
2-3 tbsps. vegetable oil
1 head green cabbage
Salt pepper, to taste
Cole Slaw Dressing:
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsps. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
Salt pepper, to taste
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
Directions:
Pre-heat grill to approximately 400-450 degrees.
Remove outer tougher leaves of cabbage. Cut cabbage into six or eight wedges keeping the stem in tact. Place wedges on a baking sheet with a wire rack. Lightly brush each side with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Place cabbage directly on grill. Grill 3-5 minutes on each side or until grill marks appear. Remove wedges from grill, rest on baking sheet rack, and completely cool in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
To make dressing, whisk together BBQ sauce, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, and salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Using a sharp knife, thinly shred cooled cabbage (discard stem) and add to bowl. Toss cabbage with BBQ cole slaw dressing and add in sliced green onions. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Chill until ready to serve.
Grilled Bananas Foster
Ingredients:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup dark rum (optional)
1 (store bought) all butter pound cake, frozen
3-4 slightly firm bananas, sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices
Wooden skewers
Vanilla ice cream
Directions:
Pre-heat grill to 375-400 degrees. Lightly oil grill with vegetable oil or cooking spray.
In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, and water. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Stir as sauce thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat and carefully stir in rum, if desired. Return to heat to continue to thicken for two to three minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.
Remove pound cake from freezer and cut into 1-inch thick cubes. Slice bananas into 1-inch thick slices, as well. Thread banana slices and pound cake cubes on skewer alternating each one. Once all banana and cake cubes are assembled on skewer, arrange them on a baking sheet and lightly brush tops with warm sauce.
Place directly on the grill. Grill for 2-3 minutes per side or until grill marks appear and cake is lightly toasted. Remove skewers from grill and place on baking sheet and brush with more sauce. Enjoy as is or remove banana and cake from skewers and serve over vanilla ice cream. Drizzle additional sauce on top.
