It’s great that Father’s Day falls during the month of June – that’s grilling season. Most dads love it when dinner comes off the grill. What is even better for the person cooking the meal is that most of the dinner can be made on the grill. Easy clean-up. Give Dad the day off and let someone else tend the BBQ. Even though it is a special day that calls for special foods, I like to keep things somewhat on the healthy side and prepare foods with Mediterranean flavors. Don’t forget the wine. A Riesling or a fruity Sauvignon Blanc would be perfect for the appetizer. For the main course, a light red, such as Zinfandel or Syrah would be ideal for the BBQ chicken.
Appetizer
Herbed Shrimp Kabobs
6 servings Ingredients
- 3/4 cup basil leaves
- 3/4 cup flat leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon white champagne vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus extra for the grill
- 24 peeled and deveined medium shrimp (about 1 pound)
- 24 cherry tomatoes
- 24 small wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
Directions Preheat the grill to medium high. Combine basil, parsley, vinegar, salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper and 2 tablespoons of the oil in a blender and puree. In a bowl, toss the shrimp with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Thread one tomato and one shrimp on each skewer. Place skewers on a grill rack coated with oil and grill 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until the shrimp turn pink. Place the skewers on a large serving platter and brush the grilled shrimp on both sides with the herb sauce. Serve immediately.
Main Course
Spicy Grilled Chicken Thighs
6 servings Ingredients
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried crumbled sage
- 1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon powdered garlic
- 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs
Directions Coat the grill rack or grill pan with oil; heat for direct, medium-high cooking. Combine sage, paprika, salt, pepper and garlic in a bowl; dredge chicken on all sides in the mixture. Grill until browned and well marked on the undersides, about 10 minutes. Turn and cook until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the center reads 165 degrees. Move to a serving platter, cover with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
Red Cabbage Slaw
Serves 6-8 Ingredients
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 medium red cabbage (about 1 1⁄2 pounds), cored and shredded
- 2 large carrots grated
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
Directions In a large bowl, whisk together the orange and lime juices, oil, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Add the cabbage, carrots and chives. Toss to combine. Let sit, tossing occasionally, for at least 45 minutes before serving.
Grilled Corn with Herb Butter
6 servings Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh basil
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon lime zest
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 ears corn, husked
Directions Prepare grill for direct-heat grilling. Thoroughly combine the softened butter, basil, parsley, lime juice, zest and salt in a small bowl. Place each corn ear on a sheet of foil large enough to enclose the corn. Brush each ear with the herb butter on all sides. Roll the corn in the foil and secure the ends tightly. Grill over direct heat, turning occasionally, for about 12 minutes, or until corn kernels are just tender when pierced with a fork.
Grilled Zucchini Salad
This dish can be cooked first and set aside while the remaining foods are grilled. Ingredients Serves 6 Ingredients
- 2 pounds medium zucchini (about 6), halved lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 6 scallions, sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
Directions Heat grill to medium-high. Brush the zucchini with 1 tablespoon of the oil and grill until tender, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Cut the zucchini into 1-inch pieces and toss in a large bowl with the scallions, lemon juice, crushed red pepper, oregano, the remaining tablespoon of oil and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Serve at room temperature.
Dessert
Grilled Peaches with Cherry Wine Sauce
6 servings Ingredients For the sauce:
- 1 1/2 lbs fresh cherries, pitted
- 1 ½ tablespoons sugar
- 3/4 cup dry red wine
- 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons. Kirsch (cherry liqueur)
For the peaches:
- 6 medium peaches
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons. brown sugar
- Vanilla frozen yogurt
- Mint garnish, optional
Directions To make the cherry sauce: In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, combine the pitted cherries, sugar, red wine and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and purée until completely smooth. Return the mixture to the sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the Kirsch. Simmer until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. To make the grilled peaches Cut the peaches in half and remove and discard the pits. Place the halves in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter and brown sugar together. Coat the peaches with the butter mixture. Grill the peaches over direct medium heat on an oiled grill until grill marks are clearly visible and the peaches are soft, 10 to 12 minutes, turning once halfway through the grilling time. To serve: While the peaches are still warm, layer each serving dish with 2 peach halves, 1 scoop of frozen yogurt and 2 tablespoons of cherry sauce. Garnish with mint, if desired and serve immediately.
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way
Great menu! My Hubby, who is the grill master of the house, won’t let me near his grill so he’d be making his own Father’s Day Dinner but he loves doing it. I would prepare the rest — he just sticks it on the burner. I love your dessert with the addition of the balsamic vinegar. Next run to the grocery store will include peaches so I can make your recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Jovina Coughlin
Thanks Marisa. Some hubbies just love to grill. I am sure you will enjoy the peach dessert.
For the Love of Cooking
My husband would love those shrimp kebabs.
Jovina Coughlin
Great – you will have to make them for him.
Ocean Bream
Thanks Jovina, this meal looks incredible and also very healthy! I shall certainly be taking some tips from here for everyday cooking too!
Jovina Coughlin
I am so glad you like these recipes. Let me know how they turn out for you.
Ocean Bream
I certainly will do 🙂
karenpavone
Yum! Those peaches with Cherry Wine Sauce sound amazing!
Jovina Coughlin
It is a great dessert Karen. I am sure you will enjoy it.
Animalcouriers
Hope lots of lucky Dads got this kind of treatment! Like your instructions for grilling corn – it’s not something that’s done here much but I love it. Corn on the cob is even now starting to appear in the super markets – used to be considered only fit for animal fodder 😉
Jovina Coughlin
Thanks Annie. Long ago that was the case here with corn-on-the-cob, but now it is a favorite American food. I really like the way it tastes when grilled. Hope you enjoy it, also.