Hot off the grill!

 A casual, simple, and yet tasty meal can be cooked up on your outdoor grill, no matter what size!  Shrimp and vegetables, seasoned very lightly so their flavors shine.  Start with the Artichokes, as they take the longest. Trim the stem, if it looks dry, then use kitchen shears to trim the points of the leaves. After grilling, wrap in foil to keep warm while grilling everything else.  You can make as much or as little of the marinade as you like, so that you may brush the other vegetables with it, and use it as a dip when you eat the artichoke.

The shrimp is very simply seasoned, although you can add salt and/or pepper as you like.  Whenever you use wood skewers, be sure to pre-soak them so they don't burn.


Grilled Artichokes
2 large artichokes
Juice of 1 lemon
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup olive oil
pepper to taste
Trim and wash artichokes, boil for 15 minutes,cut in half lengthwise, then place on hot grill, brush with olive oil mixture, turn a few times until artichokes are nicely charred, a total of about 10 minutes.

 Grilled Shrimp
1-2 lbs medium-sized shrimp, peeled and de-veined
Cayenne Pepper or Mild Chili Powder
 Juice of 1 lemon

Sprinkle shrimp with cayenne, as liberally (or not) as you like.  Thread onto skewers,place on hot grill, squeezing lemon juice as they cook, 3-5 minutes each side.

Grilled Veggies

Grape tomatoes, sweet onion, mushrooms, (or bell peppers or zucchini, use your imagination) threaded onto skewers and grilled over hot coals are a simple, tasty way to enjoy fresh veggies.  Use some of the marinade from the artichokes above, or bottled Italian Salad Dressing, or just a light brush with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and/or pepper. 

Let everyone pile their plates with the sticks of their choosing! 
It's almost all finger food! 

The Aftermath

 

Sweet and Sour Pork (with attitude)

I haven't made Sweet and Sour Pork in years, probably decades, and the last time I did I am sure I used a jarred sauce for it.  So, in researching Sweet and Sour sauces, I was surprised (and a bit disgusted) that every recipe used KETCHUP.
Blech!!
I can't do it!
Had to be Sriracha, and it turned out to be Sweet, Sour and SPICY Pork. YUM!!

As far as the veggies go, all of the recipes agreed on bell peppers (we like red around here), onion and occasionally celery.
My recipe included all three.

Here goes:


Marinate Pork

1-1/2 lb lean pork (boneless sirloin, leg or shoulder), cut in 1" cubes
1/2 tsp soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
(garlic and ginger can be powdered- 1 tsp each)
black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Toss this all together, refrigerate for at least an hour.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Sriracha (or ketchup, if you must)
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

Bring this to a simmer, then mix:

1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, then stir into sauce.

When sauce thickens, add 1 cup pineapple chunks, remove from heat.

Veggies

4 or 5 green onions, sliced thin
1 small white onion, cut in 1" chunks
1 red bell pepper, cut in 1" chunks
3 stalks celery, sliced on a diagonal

Any stir-fry vegetables will work in this!!

Put it all together

Heat 2-3 inches oil (peanut is best)
Scramble an egg, pour over the pork chunks, toss together.
Mix 1/2 cup cornstarch, 1/2 cup flour and black pepper (to taste)
Dredge the pork chunks in the flour mixture, and deep fry 4-5 minutes or until golden brown,
drain on paper towels.

Discard all but  2 tablespoons of oil, mince two cloves of garlic and saute in the oil, till slightly brown.
Add vegetables, saute for 1 minute,
add pork chunks, saute for another minute,
then add the sweet and sour sauce, stirring until it is all bubbly.

Serve over steamed rice or noodles.
Garnish with green onions and toasted sesame seeds, if you wish.