Grilled Shrimp & Beef Kebobs with Avocado with Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients

2 pounds Top Sirloin
2 pounds Shrimp

Rub:
1T black peppercorns
2T coriander seeds
3T cumin seeds
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1T chili powder
1T salt
1 tsp. dried mustard
1 tsp. paprika

Sauce ingredients Below.

1. Cut the Top Sirloin into 1½-2 inch pieces. Place them into a medium-sized bowl and set aside.

2. Peel, remove tails, and devein the shrimp. Then set into a separate medium bowl and place in refrigerator until ready to use.

3. Rub: In a small dry skillet over low heat, add the black pepper corns, coriander, and cumin seeds. Toast until fragrant. Place in a spice grinder, or mortar and pestle, and grind until fine.

4. Place the ground spices in a small bowl. Add the garlic, chili powder, salt, mustard, and paprika. Mix until combined.

5. Set aside 3T of the spice mixture. Pour the remaining spice mixture over the meat and toss until well coated. Let marinate for at least one hour (but can be marinated and refrigerated up to 8 hours in advance. Just remove from refrigerator an hour before serving)

6. 30 minutes before grilling, remove the shrimp from the refrigerator and toss with the remaining spice mixture. After 30 minutes, pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel and thread onto skewers.

7. Preheat your BBQ grill.

8. Place the meat on a cutting board and pat dry with paper towels. Then thread onto the skewers, making sure not to overcrowd the meat on the skewers.

9. When the grill is hot, place the meat kebobs on the grill over medium heat for 3-4 minutes a side for medium rare. Remove from heat and place on a platter.

10. Place the shrimp on the grill. Grill until pink, about 3-4 minutes a side. Then place on platter.

11. Remove the meat and shrimp from the skewer and serve with sauce immediately.

SAUCE PREP:

Ingredients

2 large ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
2 tsp. lime zest
3T lime juice
½ cup Greek yogurt
1 cup Persian or English cucumber cut into ½” cubes
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
4-5 dashes hot sauce (to taste)
Salt & pepper

1. In the bowl of a food processor, place the avocados and pulse on and off until mixture is smooth. Add juice, yogurt, and pulse until smooth.

2. Add the cucumber, shallot, the lime zest, and dill. Pulse until combined, but still has some texture. If the sauce is a little too thick add ¼-½ cup of water until you reach the desired consistency.

3. Season with salt and pepper. Add a few dashes of hot sauce if desired.

4. Place in a bowl and serve with beef and shrimp kebobs.

TIPS & TRICKS

• I love this rub. I make a double or triple batch and the store it in my fridge to be used for other dishes. It is fantastic on chicken, lamb, or other beef & shrimp recipes.

• The top sirloin can be marinated for up to 8 hours. You don’t want to go much longer because the salt begins to change the texture of the meat.

• You can also leave the sirloin whole instead of cutting in to cubes.

• Some secrets to grilling: Pre heat your grill. Place you meat down on the hot grill and don’t touch it. The meat will release from the hot grill when it is ready to turn. After cooking the meat, always allow it to sit a few moments on a platter to rest before cutting and serving.

• The shrimp will turn pink as they start to cook. Turn them over and cook for another 3-4 minutes. The time will vary depending how cool your grill is (it will be cooler after cooking the meat compared to if you put the shrimp on first).

• The shrimp and sauce make a fantastic appetizer.

• Sauce can be made 2 days in advance.

Couscous with Apricots & Pine Nuts

Ingredients

3 cups couscous
4½ cups boiling water
½ cup golden raisins
1 cup apricots, cut into bite-size pieces
½ cup pine nuts toasted
*2T chopped flat parsley
Salt & pepper

1. In a large 9x11 baking dish, spread out the couscous into a thin layer. Pour the boiling water on top. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add the raisins, apricots, pine nuts, and parsley. Toss together.

3. Remove the plastic wrap. Fluff the couscous with a fork, and then gently stir in the raisin mixture. Season with salt & pepper.

4. Serve warm or cold.

TIPS & TRICKS

• To roast nuts: preheat oven 350º F. Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for 3-5 minutes. Watch carefully, they burn very quickly! Once cooled, the roasted nuts can be stored in an airtight container for several weeks.

• There are so many combinations of dried fruits and nuts to add to create multiple spins on this dish. I love adding figs, dates, currents, almonds, and hazelnuts, too.

• You can add a drizzle of olive oil to add a yummy richness to the dish.

• It’s a great way to “clean out” the fridge. Use all of your left over bits of veggies, meats, and cheese and add them to the cooked couscous.

• It’s also fantastic as a salad. Just toss it with a nice vinaigrette!

Strawberry Semifreddo

Ingredients

Berries:
2 cup strawberries, washed, hulled & cut in half
3T granulated sugar

Cream:
1cup heavy whipping cream
1tsp. vanilla

Zabaglione:
4 egg yolks, room temperature
4T granulated sugar

Meringue:
4 egg whites, room temperature
pinch of salt
¼ tsp. cream of tartar
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup water
1 bar semisweet chocolate

1. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with a 12x20-inch piece of plastic wrap; the wrap should hang over the long edges by 4 inches, and it will not completely cover the short ends. Press the plastic into the corners. Set aside.

2. Berries: Place the berries and sugar into the bowl of the food processor and process until puréed. Strain the purée though a medium strainer into a small bowl, set aside.

3. Cream: In a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment beat the heavy whipping cream over high speed until the cream forms stiff peaks, about 4-6 minutes. Gently fold in the vanilla. Place back in the refrigerator.

4. Zabaglione: Place a medium saucepan filled with about 2 inches of water on the stove and brings to a boil. In a heat resistant medium-size bowl, beat the egg yolks and 4 tablespoons of sugar with a whisk or hand mixer until combined.

5. Place this bowl on top of the water-filled saucepan, turn the heat to medium (water should not touch the bottom of the bowl). Beat continuously until mixture is thick, pale yellow, and the batter should make ribbons as it falls off beater/whisk, about 5 minutes. (You may need to remove the bowl occasionally from the heat to prevent the eggs from scrambling).

6. Remove the zabaglione from heat and gently fold in the strawberry purée. Set aside.

7. Meringue: In a clean mixing bowl with the whisk attachment, slowly beat the egg whites until foamy, about a minute, then add the salt and cream of tartar; increase the speed slightly and beat until soft peaks are formed, about 3-4 minutes. Turn off the mixer.

8. In a small saucepan with a lid, over medium-high heat, add the granulated sugar and water. Bring the mixture to a boil, swirling the pan until the sugar is dissolved. Do not stir! Cover with the lid and boil to the thread stage*, about 5 minutes, to make a sugar syrup.

9. Turn the mixer back on low and slowly add the sugar syrup. Once the syrup is incorporated, increase the speed to high and beat until the mixture is cool and shiny, stiff peaks are formed.

10. Using a large spatula, gentle fold in ¼ of the meringue into the zabaglione. When almost completely incorporated add the remaining meringue, continue folding the mixture until fully incorporated. Fold in the whipped cream.

11. Place the mixture into the prepared loaf pan, smooth out the top with an off set spatula: cover the top with the plastic wrap and place in freezer for 8 hours.

12. To serve, unwrap the loaf and invert the loaf pan on to a platter. Pull down slightly on the plastic wrap as you lift the loaf pan. Remove the plastic wrap. If there are wrinkles, dip a knife or offset spatula into a little warm water and run over the surface to smooth out any wrinkles

13. Garnish with chocolate curls.

14. Cut into slices and serve immediately.

TIPS & TRICKS

• *We are cooking the sugar and water together to make sugar syrup. To test if your syrup has cooked it enough, take a small amount of the syrup and drop it into a cup of cold-water. Little threads should appear. Of if you have a candy temperature cook until 230°

• Carefully add the sugar to you egg whites, trying not to hit the beaters as you add the hot syrup.

• You can test the temperature of the meringue by placing your hand on the bottom of the mixing bowl. When it is cool to the touch, the meringue is ready.

• This is called an Italian meringue. It also makes a fantastic icing for cakes & cup cakes.

• The semifreddo can be made several days in advance. Store in your freezer until ready to serve.

• Use the freshest sweetest strawberries, or you can substitute frozen. You can also make the with raspberries or a combo of berries.

• To make chocolate curls, place bar of chocolate in microwave for just a few seconds. Then using a potato peeler make the curls. You can make them ahead and top semifreddo before serving