What's the perfect menu when you're without an oven?
I invited out-of-town friends over for dinner, but now my oven is broke with no hope for repair before they arrive. What's the perfect menu -- from appetizer to dessert -- that can be pulled off with only a cooktop and grill?
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12 Comments
Here are some of my favorite recipes:
http://food52.com/recipes/16328_barca_tuna_sauce - This is an amazing pasta using canned tuna. If you can't find the jar of piquillo peppers, use any spicy kind you like. And here is a great way to make bacon bits http://food52.com/recipes/14640_perfect_bacon_bits
Or there is always http://food52.com/recipes/12352_okonomiyaki, great fun to make and taste and versatile so you can go with whatever you can find
This would be great on the grill, and use whatever bread you have if you can't get to naan. If you can't find fresh cherries, which aren't around here in Seattle, you can reconstitute dried cherries
http://food52.com/recipes/13389_open_face_steak_sandwich_with_red_onion_jam_and_blue_cheese
Amazing fried chicken http://food52.com/recipes/12654_fingerlickin_finger_lakes_chicken
Amazing beef stew http://food52.com/recipes/2962_secret_ingredient_beef_stew
And this is an easy show-off dish
Mediterranean: Grilled flat bread, grilled eggplant made into a Babaganoush, Greek Grilled fish, lamb or shrimp, Stuffed grape leaves (or cabbage leaf), Green beans or Broad Beans with Greek tomato sauce. A lemony rice, Greek salad. pistachio Ice Cream. An Indian market will have frozen Naan bread that just needs a brush of Ghee and a quick grilling and the stuffed leafs, Greek tomato sauce can and babaganoush can be made ahead.
I also made a lot of frittatas/Spanish tortillas on the stove top. Pasta, too.
Agree with hla and bgcb, puddings and ice cream would be very nice.
I agree with grilled flat bread as an appetizer, or even toast up some bread on the grill (you'll get such pretty grill marks!) and make some bruschetta. Main dish, I would go with grilled lamb chops (yumm...) with a salad, or grilled egg plant. And to finish it up? Ice cream sundaes! Butterscotch and fudge sauces are easily home-made and to tie up the grilling theme, grill some pineapple or peach, even grilled apples for more toppings! And then invite me over too please...
Here's a recipe with the grilling technique: http://www.food52.com/recipes/9418_mediterranean_grilled_flatbread
Merrill's grilled flatbread looks yummy and includes a dough recipe: http://www.food52.com/recipes/5141_grilled_lemon_and_herb_flatbread