Souvlaki With Merguez Sausage And Piquillo Pepper Yogurt Sauce Recipes

LAMB SOUVLAKI WITH YOGURT-GARLIC SAUCE

Steps:

• For souvlaki, mix first 5 ingredients to make a marinade and set aside. Distribute lamb, bell peppers, onion and tomatoes among 8 skewers. Place in a large shallow pan with marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours, rotating skewers once. Heat a gas grill to medium, or use a charcoal grill and allow the coals to turn a light-ash color. Coat grill with cooking spray. Grill until lamb is medium rare and lightly charred, 5 to 8 minutes. Rotate to cook evenly. To cook in oven, broil on metal skewers 6 minutes, rotating until evenly browned. Grill or toast pitas. For sauce, puree cucumbers and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Place in a fine-screen colander and squeeze out the juice. Reserve juice and discard pulp. Whisk cucumber and lemon juices in a bowl with yogurt. Mix in garlic; season with salt and pepper. Serve with pitas and skewers.

GRILLED PORTOBELLOS FILLED WITH WILD RICE-ALMOND PILAF AND PIQUILLO PEPPER VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Heat grill to high. Brush both sides of mushrooms with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill caps until golden brown on both sides and just cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Fill the caps with the wild rice pilaf, drizzle the piquillo vinaigrette and sprinkle tops with the toasted almonds.
• Place wild rice in a colander and rinse well with cold water. Combine 3 cups of the stock and the water in a large saucepan with a tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil. Add the rice and cook until the grains open and are very soft, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Drain well.
• Heat oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half. Add the cooked wild rice, thyme, rosemary and remaining 1/2 cup of stock and season with salt and pepper and cook until heated through and flavors combine, 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and fold in the parsley.
• Combine peppers, onion, garlic, vinegar, honey, mustard, and salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and blend until emulsified.

MERGUEZ BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium heat until simmering. Add pancetta and cook, stirring often, until fat has rendered, 10 to 12 minutes. Add carrot, onion, and celery and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
• Add ground beef and merguez sausage and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring to break meat into small pieces, until browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain excess fat as needed.
• Add Chianti and cook until liquid has almost evaporated. Reduce heat to medium and stir in tomato paste. Cook until sauce turns dark red, 3 to 5 minutes. Add enough milk to barely cover the meat. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until milk has evaporated and the mixture turns into a thick rich sauce, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Adjust salt and pepper, if necessary.

CHICKEN SOUVLAKI WITH TZATZIKI SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, 2 cloves minced garlic, oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large resealable bag. Add chicken, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
• Mix yogurt, cucumber, 1 tablespoon olive oil, vinegar, 1 clove minced garlic, and 1 pinch salt together in a bowl. Refrigerate tzatziki sauce for flavors to blend, 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. Soak wooden skewers in a bowl of water for about 15 minutes.
• Remove chicken from marinade and thread onto the soaked skewers. Discard unused marinade.
• Cook the skewers on the preheated grill, turning frequently until nicely browned on all sides and chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 8 minutes per side. Serve with tzatziki sauce.

TRADITIONAL SOUVLAKI

Steps:

• Mix together lemon juice, olive oil, soy sauce, oregano and garlic in a large container.
• Add Pork, onions, and peppers mixing well.
• Cover the mixture and put in refrigerator for 3 hours.
• Using skewers that have been soaked in water thread on peppers, onions, and meat.
• Preheat barbecue for medium.
• Lightly oil grate.
• Cook for 10-15 minutes, turning skewers often.
• Cook to desired doneness.