Grilled Cinnamon Sweet Potato Chips

There is nothing more rewarding about summer cook-outs than to be able to prepare your entire meal, start to finish, on the grill. One of my favorite side dishes that I like to make on the grill – whether I’m serving chicken, meat or fish – is a good, old-fashioned sweet potato. Now, if you’ve cooked sweet potatoes on the grill, you know that a little extra time and patience is needed. Just as if you were baking them in the oven, you are sure to be looking at a good 30-45 minutes before the potatoes are perfectly cooked and are ready to eat.

To cut back on some of cooking time, I came up with a little trick that I now use whenever we are planning to grill sweet potatoes. By slicing the potatoes first, then tossing the slices with some olive oil and spices, you end up with delicious, crispy sweet potato chips. They are easy to prepare, cook within 15 minutes, and they are a fun dish that even your kids will enjoy. I prefer using spices and flavors that really enhance the natural taste of a sweet potato – cinnamon, brown sugar and a little maple syrup are what I like best. You can serve them along side a main course, or enjoy them on their own as a crispy grilled snack!

Grilled Cinnamon Sweet Potato Chips
Makes approx. 2-3 servings

2 nice-sized sweet potatoes, scrubbed (peeled or unpeeled, your preference)
Extra virgin olive oil
1 tbspn brown sugar
1 tspn cinnamon
1/2 tspn salt
2 tbspn maple syrup

You will also need a lightly sprayed grilling basket or a grill pan, just as I suggested using in my Grilled Tomato Basil Salad recipe.

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.

Using a sharp knife, carefully slice the sweet potatoes into thin slices, about 1/8″-1/4″ thick (you do not want them to be paper-thin). Place the sliced potatoes into a large bowl. Drizzle the slices with olive oil, enough to lightly coat each of the slices. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt; stir well. Drizzle the mixture with the maple syrup; stir well again.

Place the grilling basket or pan onto the grill over direct heat. Carefully pour the chips into the basket, stir well using a wood or metal spoon or spatula. Close the grill lid, but check and stir frequently to avoid the chips from burning. Once the chips start to brown and blister, carefully move the basket to an indirect heated area of the grill. Continue to cook and stir until the chips are evenly cooked and slightly crispy, (approximately 10-15 minutes total cooking time). Carefully remove the chips from the basket with a spoon. Plate and serve.

Be sure to use a grilling basket to help evenly cook the potatoes.

Grilled Tomato Basil Salad

Looking for a quick side dish to prepare for you next cook-out? This recipe takes one of my favorite cold salad combinations – cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil, salt and pepper – and adds a hot new dimension to it. You will need a grilling basket to cook the tomatoes to prevent them from falling through your grill grates. A round or square metal basket or a disposable aluminum tray with holes will do the trick. You can use cherry or grape tomatoes, depending on what you have on hand. If you are using the larger cherry tomatoes, I suggest slicing them in half. Measurements are based on your preference and serving size, so be sure to adjust accordingly.

Simply mix together in a bowl the tomatoes and some fresh chopped basil (I always go with 1/4 cup basil per container of tomatoes, but you can adjust to your liking). Drizzle the tomatoes and basil with some extra virgin olive oil, then add some salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Mix it all up well. Place the basket or tray onto your grill, then pour the tomato mixture into the basket and cook directly over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Be sure to pour the mixture into the basket while it’s sitting on the grill, otherwise the oil will run out through the basket holes. Continue to stir until the tomatoes start to blister and slightly char. Carefully scoop the grilled tomatoes out of the basket and onto a plate, leaving the basket on the grill until cool and the oil evaporates (again, the hot oils may run through the basket holes if you remove it too soon from the grill, which could badly burn you).

Add a little additional chopped basil to the mixture for extra fresh taste. If you really want to impress your guests once you plate it, throw in a few slices of fresh mozzarella too!

Pumpkin Pecan Patties with Maple Vinaigrette

While doing research for this recipe, I found that there are actually a handful of pumpkin burger patty recipes available on various food websites, and they all use white beans as the key ingredient along with pumpkin puree. However, none of the recipes utilized traditional pumpkin spices. Instead, most rely on corn, peppers and other usual suspects found in a veggie patty. Because I wanted to stay true to the pumpkin taste, yet have it hold up as burger patty, I put together my own version, using pumpkin puree, chickpeas (any white bean would work well), traditional pumpkin spices, and some tarragon to add a little savory flavor. To keep with the pumpkin theme, I also cut back heavily on the recommended amount of breadcrumbs and compensated with ground pecans – which, of course, goes well with any pumpkin dish! I also substituted traditional condiments with a maple dressing…again, to compliment the spicy pumpkin taste.

Whether you are a fan of pumpkin, or just a lover of veggie burgers, I suggest you give this one a try. And while the upcoming autumn season is the optimal season, I’m sure that you’ll enjoy these any time of the year!

Pumpkin Pecan Patties with Maple Vinaigrette
Makes 4 to 6 burgers
1 15.5 oz can chick peas (or any type of white bean)
1-1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tspn allspice
1/2 tspn nutmeg
1/2 tspn ginger
1 tspn cinnamon
1 tspn tarragon
1 tbspn chives
1 egg
1-1/2 cups finely grounded pecans
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375˚. Combine beans, pumpkin, spices, tarragon, chives and egg in a food processor. Mix until well combined. Fold in pecans and breadcrumbs, season with salt and pepper. Place the mixture  in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. After you remove mixture from the fridge/freezer, gently scoop a generous handful and shape into a patty (makes a total of 4 to 6 patties).

Place the patties on a lightly sprayed baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes, flipping once halfway through baking.

Serving suggestions:
plated with a side of vegetables or rice, on a bun with a side of chips, or over a salad.

Drizzle with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 tbspn balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tspn dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper into a bowl, whisk together. Slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream with continuing to whisk.

Summer Stuffed Tomatoes

Earlier this month, my daughter Julianna’s softball team made all of the cheering parents proud when they battled it out in extra innings and took home their division championship trophy. This, of course, was followed up last week with a celebration barbecue hosted by the coaches. What started out simply as “burgers, dogs, beer, and whatever you would like to contribute” quickly spiraled into a full-blown Hawaiian-themed luau….coconut bras and grass skirts included.

My first intentions were to bring a nice seasonal appetizer, planning to somehow use tomatoes, which are one of my favorite summer foods. When the party turned Hawaiian, my thought was “how do I add a Hawaiian spin to this?” The answer…add some pineapple! Borrowing some inspiration from Hawaiian-style pizza, I came up with cherry tomatoes stuffed with pineapple, feta and prosciutto, drizzled with a balsamic reduction.

I am happy to say that this appetizer went over really well. The dish is very easy to make (ok, you are putting in some effort when stuffing, but the end result is worth the time), and it compliments any summer cook-out. We enjoyed them so much, that we also made them a few days later for our annual family birthday cook-out.

So if you are looking for a fun recipe to bring to a cook-out this summer that is both delicious and impressive, give this one a try! The ingredients are listed below without actual measurements, you can easily adjust according to how many you are planning to make.

Summer Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients
(adjust the ingredients according to amount needed)
Cherry Tomatoes (not to be mistaken with the smaller grape tomato)
Crumbled soft cheese (such as bleu cheese, feta or gorgonzola)
Prosciutto
Chopped pineapple
Balsamic vinegar

Directions
Cut the stem off of the tomatoes. Using a small knife, gently scoop out the pulp of the tomato, being careful not to tear or puncture the skin. Next, slice a piece of prosciutto into quarters. Use one of the quarter pieces to wrap around a small amount of cheese and a small piece of pineapple. Gently stuff the wrapped cheese and pineapple into a tomato. As you stuff more tomatoes, you will get a better feel of how much cheese and pineapple will fit into a tomato without tearing the tomato skin. Secure each tomato with a toothpick (this will serve a dual purpose: to help keep the tomato from falling apart, and to allow your guests to easily pick up the tomato). Plate the stuffed tomatoes, then drizzle with a balsamic reduction.*

*To make a quick balsamic reduction, simply pour 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar into a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the vinegar has reduced to 1/4 cup. Set aside, and cool to room temperature.