Cheesy Bow Ties With Broccoli And Mozzarella Skewers Recipes

MOZZARELLA SKEWERS

Steps:

• 10-inch bamboo skewers, soaked in water at least 1 hour prior to grilling
• Stir together salad dressing, herb marinade packet, and 1/2 cup water. Set aside.
• Place cheese and vegetables in a resealable bag and pour in marinade. Seal and marinate in refrigerator for 1 to 4 hours.
• Thread the skewers by alternating vegetables, cheese, and bread.
• Brush bread with some of the leftover marinade mixture and save the rest for garnish.
• Set up grill for direct cooking over medium heat. Lightly oil the grilling grates and place the skewers on the grill. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning once. Bread should be toasted and cheese softened. Serve right off the grill drizzled with additional marinade.

BROCCOLI AND BOW TIES

Steps:

• Cook the broccoli for 3 minutes in a large pot of boiling salted water. Remove the broccoli from the water with a slotted spoon or sieve. Place in a large bowl and set aside.
• In the same water, cook the bow-tie pasta according to the package directions, about 12 minutes. Drain well and add to the broccoli.
• Meanwhile, in a small saute pan, heat the butter and oil and cook the garlic and lemon zest over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Off the heat, add 2 teaspoons salt, the pepper, and lemon juice and pour this over the broccoli and pasta. Toss well. Season to taste, sprinkle with the pignolis and cheese, if using, and serve.
• To toast pignolis, place them in a dry saute pan over medium-low heat and cook, tossing often, for about 5 minutes, until light brown.

SAUSAGE-AND-PEPPER SKEWERS

Steps:

• Soak eight 8-inch skewers in water, at least 15 minutes. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high. Prepare the couscous as the label directs.
• Meanwhile, toss the bell peppers, sausage, onion and tomatoes in a bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Thread onto the skewers, alternating the sausage and vegetables. Grill, turning, until the vegetables are slightly softened and the sausage begins to brown, 6 to 7 minutes.
• Meanwhile, puree the parsley, cilantro and scallions in a blender with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the vinegar and 2 tablespoons water. Season with salt and pepper. Brush the skewers with some of the pesto and continue to cook, turning, until the tomatoes are tender and the sausage is charred, 6 to 7 more minutes.
• Toss the couscous with half of the remaining pesto and season with salt and pepper. Serve with the skewers and the remaining pesto, for dipping.
• Photography by Antonis Achilleos

KIDS CAN MAKE: PIZZA SKEWERS

Steps:

• Soak eight 12-inch wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes. Prepare a grill for medium heat. Cut a 12-inch-square piece of aluminum foil.
• Stir together the oil, Italian seasoning and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.
• Dust a work surface with flour. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 11 by 6 by 1/4 inches. Using a pizza wheel or a knife, cut the dough into 1-inch strips, then into 1-inch squares. Add the dough squares, tomatoes and sausage to the seasoned oil, and toss gently to coat.
• Working quickly to keep the dough from getting warm, thread the skewers, alternating sausage pieces (skewer them through the casings), tomatoes and dough squares (skewer them through opposite sides of each square, keeping them as flat as possible so they cook through). Leave 1/2 inch of the skewer at both ends empty. Each skewer should have 4 pieces each of sausage and dough and about 3 tomatoes.
• Grill the skewers, covered, until the tomatoes have dark grill lines and the dough squares have started to puff, 2 to 3 minutes. Put the prepared foil square on the grill, and transfer the skewers onto the foil cooked-side up, so that they are almost touching. Top with the mozzarella, and grill, covered, until the tomatoes are soft, the dough squares have doubled in size and the mozzarella has melted, 3 minutes more.
• Divide the skewers among 4 plates. Tear the basil leaves over the tops. Serve with the marinara sauce, for dipping, and pass the Parmesan and red pepper flakes.