Tangerine frisée salad with grilled sweet potatoes BBQ recipe

This unique salad is a festival of contrasts in colours, flavours, and textures.

Ingreidents

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peel on

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 3 sprigs fresh parsley

• 2 heads frisée lettuce, curly endive, romaine lettuce, or a combination

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1/3 cup white wine

• 2 tablespoons honey mustard

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped chervil

• 1 teaspoon toasted poppy seeds

• 4 tangerines, peeled and sectioned

• Salt and pepper

Method

• Wash sweet potatoes and boil in water until cooked 3/4 through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool and slice 1/4" thick. Do not peel.

• For marinade, combine vegetable oil, soy sauce, garlic, sugar, and parsley sprigs in a resealable plastic bag. Add sweet potato slices, turning to coat. Close bag and marinate 6 to 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally to distribute marinade.

• Wash greens and separate from core. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. In large bowl, combine olive oil, wine, honey mustard, vinegar, chervil, and poppy seeds. Add tangerine slices and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add greens and toss.

• Remove sweet potato slices from marinade and place in centre of cooking grate. Grill until warm, about 8 minutes, turning once halfway through grilling time. Set aside and keep warm.

• Arrange salad on large platter and garnish with grilled sweet potato slices.

Makes 6 servings.

Thai cucumber salad BBQ recipe

Hot and cool, crisp and saucy, this side dish captures the intrigue of Thai cuisine.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup white vinegar

• 3 tablespoons lime juice

• 1 red finger chilli pepper, seeded, veined, and finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 cup diced onion

• 1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced

Method

• In a small saucepan combine vinegar, lime juice, chilli pepper, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add onion; simmer 30 seconds. Cool slightly.

• Place cucumber pieces in a medium bowl. Pour cooled marinade over cucumber pieces. Marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour. Serve cold.

Makes 4 servings.

Three-potato grill BBQ recipe

Forget the run-of-the-mill baked potato—mix it up!

Ingredients

• 2 medium Idaho potatoes, scrubbed, cut lengthways in half

• 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed, cut lengthways in half

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed, cut lengthways in half

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Method

• Lightly brush potatoes with oil. Position potatoes, cut side down, in centre of cooking grate. Grill 28 to 30 minutes or until tender, turning once halfway through grilling time.

• In a small bowl, combine seasoned salt, garlic powder, and pepper; sprinkle evenly over potatoes.

Makes 6 servings.

Warm beet and onion salad BBQ recipe

The grill intensifies the sweetness and flavour of beets for a result you just can’t get from a can. If the beet tops are tender and unblemished, use them as part of the greens in the salad. Otherwise, use three romaine hearts. If you can’t find golden beets, all red beets will do. Great served as a light lunch or a first course to a special dinner.

Ingredients

• 2 medium golden beets with leafy tops, about 2-1/2 inches in diameter each

• 2 medium red beets with leafy tops, about 2-1/2 inches in diameter each

• Extra-virgin olive oil

For the dressing

• 1 medium orange

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon finely sliced fresh basil

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1 large red onion, cut into four 1/2-inch slices

• 2 hearts romaine lettuce

Method

• Trim the leafy tops from the beets, leaving about 1/2 inch attached; reserve the tops. Leave the root ends intact. Scrub the beets under cold water. Lightly spray or brush with olive oil. Grill over Indirect Medium heat until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 1 to 1-1/2 hours depending on size, turning once halfway through grilling time. Remove from the grill and allow to stand until cool enough to handle. Trim the ends from the beets and discard. Rub off the skins. Cut the beets into 1/4 to 1/2-inch slices and place the red beets and the golden beets in separate bowls (to keep the red beets from dying the golden beets red).

To make the dressing

• Wash the dry the orange. With a zester, scrape off 1 tablespoon of zest. Alternatively, use a vegetable peeler to remove enough strips of zest to total 1 tablespoon when finely chopped. Reserve the zest.

• Cut the remaining skin and white pith from the orange and, working over a separate medium bowl, separate the orange into sections, letting the sections and any juice fall into the bowl. Add the reserved zest and the remaining dressing ingredients to the orange sections, including pepper to taste. Gently stir to combine.

• Lightly brush the onion slices with some of the dressing and grill over Direct Medium heat until tender, 10 to 12 minutes, turning once halfway through grilling time. Remove from the grill and allow to cool slightly, then separate into rings.

• Rinse the reserved leafy tops of the beets under cold water. Select the smallest, most tender leaves and place with the romaine lettuce in a large bowl. Add half of the dressing and toss. Divide the lettuce mixture among four salad plates. Top with the beets and the onion rings and drizzle on the remaining dressing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 4 servings.