My favorite Memorial Day recipes on the BBQ and off the grill. Creative, inspiring and something for everyone! Plus Rhubarb Desserts! Fantastic, Healthy & Creative Recipes to Celebrate the Holiday with Friends & Family! Just Marvelous Memorial Day Recipes.
Let’s Get Cooking!
Celebrate Memorial Day ~ a weekend filled with family visits, gathering with friends and good eating.
BBQ Outdoors: On the Lighter Side
A special revamped spring-summer salad with smoky corn kennels off the grill with local seasonal vegetables – topped with spiked Mexican crema and cojita cheese. An Awesome Mexican Corn Salad! A party pleaser.
Easy Blackened Grilled Beans right off the BBQ are drizzled with a Zesty Blender Dressing. Toppings include Sliced Purple Scallions, Toasted Sesame Seeds and Caramelized Cashews. You’ll love these miso bbq green beans!
Alternative: See Method: Skillet Stir-Fried Blackened Green Beans
CRUNCH- FLAVOR + EASE… one of my favorite veggie dishes to make! Recipe is Vegan.
Crispy Romaine with a smoky essence – topped with Farm Fresh Veggies, Lemony Tahini Dressing and Garlic Sourdough Toasted Breadcrumbs.
A brilliant technique! Romaine Lettuce halves are grilled until slightly charred offering a gently smoky essence. Lettuce remains crispy ~ add a bevy of veggies, dressing, and crispy breadcrumbs for extra crunch & flavor.
Packed with Zesty Flavor, Crunchy Texture – a Salad to Savor! A refreshing mix of Fennel, Vadalia Onions, Fresh Peaches, Local Cucumbers & Perfect Grilled Lemony Marinated Chicken
Here is my Master Recipe: A Hearty & Zesty Marinade adds tons of tang and pungency to Chicken!
Coat chicken with this zesty marinade for 2 hours – a flavor-bomb!
I think corn is a must for an outdoor BBQ! See: The Best Way to Grill Corn + Two Slathering Butters to Choose From: Herbal Jalapeño-Lime-Cheddar AND Mango-Parsley-Hot Honey
Make ahead of time, add avocado before serving.
A special revamped summer salad with smoky corn kennels off the grill with local seasonal vegetables – topped with spiked Mexican crema and cojita cheese. An Awesome Mexican Corn Salad! A party pleaser too.
The ultimate grilled potato side dish. Perfectly seasoned with caramelized shallots and garlic… and kale that comes out crispy!
BBQ Mains:
Korean Gochugaru Marinade combines this bright red chile powder: Gochugaru – a medium-spicy coating to drench chicken prior to grilling with additional garlic & ginger. Finger-Licking Good! A REAL crowd pleasing recipe.
If you like your chicken super-flavorful, good & spicy with an eye catching color – this recipe is for you!
An amazing Smoked Vinegar Mop and Sauce with Onion and Garlic.
Baste this vinegar-based Mop on chicken as you grill… adds flavor and moisture. A wonderful layer of lingering smoky pungency.
ou might have read in many BBQ recipes “baste with sauce only at the end of cooking”. NOT with a Mop – baste often – this adds flavor and moisture!
A Restaurant Quality dish. Make delicious Pesto Compound Butter in minutes! Slice and add to just-off-the-grilled local swordfish ~ melts into a dreamy sauce! Slow Roasted Vegetables soften and are intensely sweet, adds a pop of color.
Skewered Shrimp and subtly spicy Spanish Padrón Peppers are simply grilled, inside or out with a spiked Compound Butter and topped with a Roasted Pepper Salsa.
Everyone loves Shishito Peppers – – Padróns are similar to their cousin with a smokey, earthy flavor, Shishito peppers, an East Asian variety are somewhat mild, and just a tad thinner in size.
Either one is great for skewering with the shrimp!
Ooh! A Homemade chicken burger with Homemade Zesty Ranch – “off the grill” doesn’t get better than this! A Bun-less Recipe: The Ultimate Grilled Burger Wrapped in Lettuces with Onion and Heirloom Tomatoes + the best Ranch Dressing.
Fabulous Recipes to Make Indoors:
Side Dishes:
One of my favorite recipes! Easy to make ahead of time!
Tastes like the best homemade baked beans but better! More easily digested than all beans!
No barbecue feast or picnic is complete without them! Vegan, Vegetarian & Gluten Free. A must to pair with other BBQ main dishes.
ALSO SEE: Karen’s Spanish Style Chickpea “Baked Beans”
Raw market vegetables chopped with a light, creamy dressing (non dairy) ~ perfect addition to any BBQ menu. Chopped veggies – the freshest available team with a simple, natural mayo dressing laced with celery seeds, for that old fashioned, classic flavor.
A simple, quick side-dish for spring and summer with tender crisp veggies and a nice pop of color. Asparagus is IN season now – fresh corn is delivered to any market now in Spring (before it is locally grown.)
Three Oven Fry Recipes:
Crispy and Full Of Flavor – Toss with a little EVOO and my seasonings for the Ultimate Oven Fries! Option: adding Parmesan & Parsley.
A fabulous low-carb alternative with a nutty-celery flavor. Roasted to perfection with crispy edges and just the right amount of heat.
Seasoned, Roasted and Tossed in Garlic, Butter and Parsley. Not loaded with fat – these are crispy and seasoned well!
Add the Garlic-Butter Topping and Parsley just before you serve them.
Two Fabulous Rhubarb Desserts:
THE fruit to bake with right now!
Rhubarb is probably my favorite fruit ( Botanically, rhubarb is a vegetable, yet legally classified as a fruit. Rhubarb is one of those flavors that is deliciously addicting! For those of you who have experienced it’s earthy yet tangy taste – it can not be compared to any other fruit! Available Spring though early Summer.
In the spirit of the holiday – Red, White & Blue dessert!
Tender & Flaky Buttermilk Shortcakes are Split and Piled with Rhubarb and Coconut Whipped Cream with a touch of Blueberries for a Delicious Dessert.
Choose Rhubarb with a dark ruby hue! The color will really pop in the snack cake.
The perfect ending to your Memorial Day Celebration – yes, you could substitute Strawberries for Rhubarb.
A super moist cake which rises high and dotted with seasonal rhubarb and warm spices. Whisk all in one bowl… irresistible!
For the patriotic “red, white & blue” holiday – toss in some blueberries!
Want more? SEE: My Love of Rhubarb (all the recipes!)
Memorial Day means remembrance for those who fought for our freedom and country.
Enjoy the celebration ~ and the unofficial start of summer. Enjoy these Marvelous Memorial Day Recipes.
Karen
ALSO SEE: MORE Memorial Day Recipes
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Smoked Vinegar Mop and Sauce with Onion and Garlic – Great with Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
Smoked Vinegar Mop and Sauce:
- 1/2 large large onion, 1/2″ slices, skin on
- 4 very large fresh garlic cloves, cut almost in half, skin on
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon marash pepper, or your favorite ground chili peppers
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ketchup, organic (no high fructose corn syrup!)
- 14 teaspoon chipotle in adobo, or more for spicier
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar, organic
Instructions
- Place 1 1/2 T. of your desired smoking chips on the bottom of a Camerons Stove Top Smoker* In ten minutes, it will be smoking and ready. Smoke the onion and garlic on the rack for 10 – 15 minutes until softened and a nice golden color. Cool. Remove peels, coarsely chop.
- In a 2 quart non-reactive pan, add the oil, the chopped onion and garlic. Sauté over low heat for a minute then add the seasonings: Pepper, marash pepper, salt, ketchup, chipotle and maple syrup. Cook for 1 minute to blend the flavors.
- Add the vinegar, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook uncovered to reduce slightly by a fourth, about 10 minutes. Cool slightly and puree in a blender – leave a little chunky with some texture – just 10 seconds. Place in a clean glass container and refrigerate. Will last a few weeks.
How to use the Mop:
- This mop can be used to marinate, but always used to brush on top as chicken cooks. A mop, unlike bbq sauces is used to basted food often.
- Serve some Smoked Vinegar Mop on the side for dipping.
- * I highly recommend this smoker. Alternatively, sauté onion and garlic in the first step until slightly caramelized, add a pinch of smoked paprika for some smoky flavor.
Notes
For a spatchcocked (flattened) chicken with the mop as it cooks. Use as a side sauce as well. I cook skin side down until lightly charred, over high heat, then turn grill down to low and cook slowly until done – basting with the Mop. Internal temperature to 160 degrees (meat thermometer.) For chicken breasts – marinate in the Mop for up to 6 hours. Oil your grill, and cook until strong grill marks appear on the first side, turn over with tongs – turn heat down to low. Cook on the second side about 10 minutes, depending on the size, until just cooked inside – basting with the mop! Slice the chicken and top with some fresh chopped thyme, and sliced garlic chives, if available. Serve some Smoked Vinegar Mop on the side for dipping. * I highly recommend Camerons Stove Top Smoker to infuse flavor. Alternatively, sauté onion and garlic in the first step until slightly caramelized, add a pinch of smoked paprika for some smoky flavor.
This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
