Diary and Gluten Free

           Spiedini are the Italian version of kebabs (spiedino=singular form). By marinating the chicken in a flavorful bath of Sauvignon Blanc, Ancho chili powder, rosemary, and other aromatics, a sweet, spicy acidic tang infuses the thigh meat and compliments the grill’s intense heat and char. A gentle piney-herb bouquet emerges from the marinade’s chopped rosemary and its stems which act as skewers.
            In America, most outdoor picnic or dinner parties involve grilled items. Tempted with juicy burgers, beef hot dogs, hot links, and BBQ ribs, these parties can be hard to navigate if you want to follow a healthy diet. Of course, occasionally digesting these meats won’t harm your health, but if you attend these events regularly, summer after summer, they will. Instead of relying on potato salad and cole slaw in order to remain nutritionally on track, bring these easy to assemble spiedini to your next grill party.
            With spiedini, you will increase your vegetable intake, since the meat is bound between mushrooms and onions. Pair the dish with my olive and parsley sauce (http://www.gabriellemyers.com/parsley-and-olive-sauce.html), and eating spiedini becomes a nourishing dining experience.

Serves 4-5

Marinade:
1 cup red onion, small diced
3 medium garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon rosemary, roughly chopped
½ cup olive oil
½ Sauvignon Blanc
2 teaspoons Ancho chili, ground
1.5-2 pounds chicken thighs (skinless and boneless)

1. Wash and dry the chicken.

2. Prepare the marinade and place it and the chicken in a gallon size plastic bag.

3. Let the chicken marinate for about 3-5 hours in the refrigerator.

Spiedini: 
Chicken pulled from the marinade, each thigh cut into six-eight pieces
1 red onion, cut in half, cut into small wedges, then divided into two (roughly ten-twelve total wedges, divided into two small wedges each)
1 packet of crimini mushrooms, washed and stems cut*
12 rosemary stems, about ten to twelve inches long*

1. Wash the rosemary stems by submerging them in cold water for 2 minutes.

2. Lift the stems out of the water, and pull the leaves off of the stems.

3. Set the rosemary leaves aside for other uses.

4. Lift the chicken out of the marinade, and brush off any onions that cling to the meat.

5. Place the thighs one-by-one on a cutting board, and divide each thigh into six-eight rough square-like pieces (the yield depends on the size of the thigh).

6. Place the cut chicken in a stainless steel bowl. If it is hot in your kitchen, be sure to place that bowl on top of another bowl that has ice in it.

7. Turn the grill on medium heat so that it is nice and hot by the time you have assembled the spiedini.

8. Set up the bowls or plates of rosemary stems, chicken pieces, mushrooms, and onions in order.

9. Begin to assemble the spiedini. Start with a chicken piece, which the rosemary stem’s hard, thick end should easily push through. Then alternate between mushroom, onion, and chicken until the stem is filled. Do allow for an inch on each end of the stem so that you can pick the spiedino up.

10. When all of the spiedini are assembled, take them out to the grill.

11. Put about a tablespoon of olive or avocado oil on a dry paper towel or grill rag. Let the oil absorb into the rag, and then run the rag over the grill grates to season the grill.

12. Season the spiedini with salt and black pepper.

13. Place the spiedini on the grill. Cook them for about 4-5 minutes, turn slightly, and cook for another 4-5 minutes to ensure caramelization before turning over and cooking them in the same manner on the other side.

14. Once the meat is cooked through, the other ingredients will be as well. Be sure to check for doneness before serving—no one wants to eat undercooked chicken.

15. Remove the spiedini from the grill, and place them on a plate for service. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of parsley and olive sauce (http://www.gabriellemyers.com/parsley-and-olive-sauce.html),
or throw leaves of torn, fresh basil and a generous sprinkle of robust extra virgin olive oil over the spiedini and serve.

*If you don’t grow your own rosemary, you can find these long stems through vendors at local farmers’ markets. Substitute wooden skewers if you cannot locate the long rosemary stems. Be sure to soak the wooden skewers in cold water for about 5 minutes before using them, which will prevent them from burning on the grill. 

*Zucchini acts as a fine substitute for the mushrooms. Cut the zucchini in half, and then cut it into inch-thick half moons. One-two medium zucchini should suffice. 

Diary and Gluten Free

            Cornmeal’s golden crispness edges the delicate, almost creamy inside of this savory black bean cake. A lemon-basil aioli matches the cornmeal’s firm texture with a rich unctuous and acidic kick. 
            Most batters or dredges for fritters or savory cakes contain wheat flour and buttermilk or milk. Your friends who need to avoid gluten and dairy will be thankful for this crunchy and filling dish. 
             With a thin layer of healthy avocado or olive oil, this dish will please those who hesitate to eat fried foods, but honestly love and miss the crispness of fried goodies. 
             The combination of black beans, egg, and chickpea flour make this a high-protein alternative to meat-based entrees, with two cakes providing a generous and satisfying meal for those with hearty appetites.

Serves 3-4 people as an entrée; 5-6 as an appetizer

3 cups cooked black beans, drained (rinse and drain if using canned beans)
1 ½ cup zucchini, grated
3 medium garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon lemon zest, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
½- ¾ teaspoon salt, to taste
1 cup of chickpea flour
1 cup cornmeal, medium-ground
2 eggs, mixed with 1 tablespoon cool water (if you’re worried about cholesterol and saturated fat, skip the egg yolks and use three egg whites instead)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Make sure the beans are drained of any excess water. In a large bowl, mash the black beans with a potato masher. This will take around 2-3 minutes—the goal is to get most of the beans crushed. It’s fine if there are a few beans that are still whole.

3. Place the grated zucchini, black & red pepper, salt, cumin, lemon zest, sage, and garlic in the bowl with the black beans, and fold the ingredients until evenly mixed. (If you are using home-cooked beans, which tend to be firmer than canned, add one egg white to the mixture to help the cakes hold their shape.)

4. Prepare the dredging bowls: fill one small bowl with half a cup of the chickpea flour, another with two eggs whisked with 1 tablespoon cool water, and a third bowl with ½ cup of cornmeal.

5. For entrée size cakes*, mold roughly 3 ounces of the mixture into a hamburger-size patty. Be gentle with each cake as you place it in the chickpea flour, dust it to cover, and then carefully submerge it in the egg wash. Next, place the cake in the bowl of corn meal and coat it in the golden grains. If the cake has deformed through the dredging process, reform it into a neat little puck of love, adding more cornmeal as needed to maintain a robust crust. (If the bean-base is too moist, the cake might be a little too fragile. To correct this, place the cakes in the freezer for 15-20 minutes, and then reform and pack them with corn meal as needed.)

6. Place the cakes on a sheet tray or plate with a dusting of cornmeal.

7. When you are finished forming the cakes, put 2 tablespoons of avocado or olive oil in a heavy-bottom glass baking dish. Put the pain in the oven for about 2 minutes, or until the oil is heated.

8. Lay the cakes in the baking dish, and place the dish in the oven. Cook for about 45-60 minutes, or until golden brown on each side. After 20-25 minutes, check the bottom of each cake for caramelization. Once a golden brownness covers the bottom the each cake, flip them over, add two tablespoons of avocado oil in the spaces between the cakes, and let them cook for another 20-25 minutes, or until the other side matches the colorful crust of the first side.

8. While the cakes are cooking, get to work on the aioli!

9. Once they’re cooked, keep the cakes warm until ready to consume by placing them on top of the oven and covering them with a tent of aluminum foil.

            *For small, appetizer-size cakes, form 1.5 ounce round balls and dredge as described above. Line a sheet tray or glass baking dish with unbleached paper muffin cups, pour about 1 tablespoon of avocado or olive oil into each cup, and place the cakes in the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.  

Lemon-Basil Aioli

1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon zest, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh squeezed
1 egg yolk
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon, chopped basil
salt, to taste

1. Place the minced garlic, a pinch of salt, and lemon zest and juice in a large stainless steel bowl. Let these ingredients mingle for 10 minutes.

2. Place a wet towel under the bowl. Whisk the egg yolk into the mixture. Whisk for about 1 minute, or until the mix froths.

3. Start by adding the olive oil drop-by-drop while vigorously whisking the aioli base. Before adding any more oil, make sure what you’ve added emulsifies with the base. Once you add about half of the olive oil, you can begin to add a little more at a time, but make sure you don’t add too much at once, and keep whisking your heart out (you can tell that you are whisking vigorously enough when your hand and wrist start to ache about ¾ of the way through the cup of olive oil). If the aioli appears too tight, add another drop or two of lemon juice or cool water.

4. Check the aioli for salt and acidity. You may need to add a drop of lemon juice and another pinch of salt.

5. Add the chopped basil and set the aioli aside. If it will be longer than 30 minutes before you consume the aioli, store it in the refrigerator.