Gaby Dalkin fires up the grill for an over-the-top Memorial Day feast
Memorial Day Weekend is just days away and there's only one thing on our minds: Grilling! Food blogger, cookbook author and cookout connoisseur Gaby Dalkin is joining the TODAY Food team to share a few of her greatest grilled recipes from her new cookbook, "What's Gaby Cooking: Grilling All the Things." She shows us how to make grilled chicken wings with spicy chile vinaigrette, pasta salad with charred sweet corn, smoky grilled Caesar salad and smashed cheeseburgers with butter, homemade pickles and special sauce.
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Grilled Cumin Chicken Kebabs with Creamy Tzatziki by Gaby Dalkin
I couldn't write a book about grilling and not give you the ultimate kebab recipe. I love a kebab because the smaller bits of meat cook super quickly, and they're easy to load up with tons of flavor — in this case with a spiced marinade perfect for any cut of chicken. But if we're being honest, it's mainly because they're a vehicle for cool, creamy tzatziki, and it would only be right to wrap that all up in soft, doughy pita.
Sweet, Smoky Charred Peppers with Herby Whipped Feta by Gaby Dalkin
For this Southwest-meets-SoCal lady, charred peppers are life. Grilling peppers brings out their natural sweetness and accentuates their smokiness, especially if you're using varieties like poblanos and shishitos. Slather some whipped feta over a platter, heap these peppers on top and serve as a side dish. You can also add some grilled bread to make it more of an appetizer or snack. If you're using large peppers, cut out the cores and quarter the peppers. For shishitos and Padróns, leave them whole.
Crispy Grilled Wings with Calabrian Vinaigrette by Gaby Dalkin
I feel the same way about wings that I do about ribs: You can never have enough. It's not a party unless everyone's face is covered in sauce, and you have to polish off every last bit of meat or I might reconsider our friendship. When it comes to my favorite ways to cook them, the grill is at the top of my list. No more messing around with oil splatters for perfectly crispy, flavorful wings. Add this all-purpose spicy Calabrian vinaigrette for dunking, and you have yourself a cookout.
Charred Corn Pasta Salad by Gaby Dalkin
When corn is in season, you better believe it is going to show up in pretty much everything I'm cooking because there's nothing better than all that peak-sun sweetness. And if we're talking summer veg it only makes sense to talk grilling, too. Tossing corn onto the grill caramelizes its natural sugars and lends a smoky-sweet burst of flavor to this loaded pasta salad.
Grilled Caesar Salad with Garlic Croutons by Gaby Dalkin
If you love a creamy Caesar, then upping the ante with grilled lettuce is a great idea — that subtle char is a total game changer! It adds a smoky flavor to this classic salad.
Smashed Butter Burgers with Homemade Pickles by Gaby Dalkin
This is basically your classic backyard cookout burger. Except instead of an overcooked, dried-out patty, we're going for full-on juice factor. Am I grating a stick of butter into ground beef to make the patties? You bet I am. And I've never been less sorry in my life. They're salty and fatty and I love them with my whole heart. Be prepared — this is over-the-top decadence.
If you like those incredible cookout recipes, you should also try these:
Pork Souvlaki with Tzatziki by Gaby Dalkin
Sweet Tea Barbecue Chicken by Gaby Dalkin
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
