Grilled Corn on the Cob (Chili Lime Corn Recipe)

We grilled a lot of meat and vegetables yesterday, but the star of the show was grilled corn. It was so sweet! We had several with salt and just a touch of butter, but I also made a rub of lime zest, lime juice, red chili flakes, garlic and caramelized onions to balance and enhance the sweetness. 

We're not very good about making use of our grill during the summer, but after today the whole family has been inspired to prepare barbecues more regularly. Hope everyone had a great 4th!

Happy Fourth of July!

This year's July 4th is especially meaningful to me because it's my first Independence Day as a proud US citizen. In the spirit of this patriotic holiday, I wanted to share with you a picture of my first few minutes as an American right after I took the oath last month. 

I hope everyone is having a blast. We're having a giant barbecue at our home. Here are a few dishes we're going to be eating. Enjoy the firework display and happy Fourth of July!

Tandoori Shrimp Recipe

Tandoori shrimp is a seafood dish fit for a feast. The preparation isn't all that complicated; the marinade is the same as for the similarly-named chicken dish. It consists of ginger garlic paste, yogurt, garam masala, turmeric and chili powder. I also add paprika so the color is vibrant without being too spicy. Once the marinade is complete, you can use it for meat, fish or even paneer cheese; you name it. Tandoori paste is a true culinary chameleon.

I made this dish 'way back during the summer and completely forgot to share the recipe. I've been working on an exciting photo project these days (I'll tell you the good news soon!) and found this jumbo shrimp photograph in my image organizer as I was editing my previous food photography work. We made it for a barbecue. It was a very relaxing day and I really didn't want to slave in the kitchen. I just placed the colossal  shrimp in the marinade and my husband's cousin was in charge of grilling. Of course, you don't need to wait for warmer days; simply use a griddle pan and I promise your guests will definitely be in for a treat. 

Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs

I'm a huge fan of fall-off the bone, super tender beef ribs. My trick is to marinate them overnight with (I used an Asian pear purée and ground papaya mixture) to tenderize the meat. The following day, I cooked them, wrapped in aluminum foil, for several hours in a slow cooker. Lastly, I smothered them in barbecue sauce and place them on a barbecue grill.

July 4th isn't the same without beef ribs. I don't make them that often because I find it quite time-consuming and the result is pretty meager for the amount of work. What I mean by that is that there is very little meat falling off the bone. What can I say, I'm very greedy when it comes to eating meat! Purists will probably think it's wrong to par-boil or steam the ribs in a slow cooker because flavors are lost. But the slow cooker method guarantees that they turn out very tender.

BBQ Menu for Independence Day

Grilling in not just for hot dogs and hamburgers anymore. I cook veggie dishes and even desserts on the bbq to satisfy the varying diets of my family. I've put together a list of some of my favorite dishes that go on the coals, and those that go great with them. So get your barbecue gear out and have fun!