You may think that my favorite holiday would be in the spring or
summer months when the grilling weather is at its best. Not true.
My favorite holidays occur during the month of December. Although
December does not yield the best grilling weather, there are
options for enjoying grilled items at your holiday parties.
You may think that my favorite holiday would be in the spring or summer months when the grilling weather is at its best. Not true. My favorite holidays occur during the month of December. Although December does not yield the best grilling weather, there are options for enjoying grilled items at your holiday parties.
I do like the Fourth of July. The weather is beautiful, people show their patriotism and scents from many grills can be detected up and down every street. The feeling of warmth is different. The warm feeling during the months of summer is from the 100-degree heat. The warmth during the December holidays is a bit different. Yes, people have their fireplaces going when there isn’t a winter spare the air day, but that is a different kind of warmth. I am talking about the inner warmth that starts just about the first day of December and lasts until a few days after the New Year. Winter grilling may be difficult, but I love everything else this time of year.
Luckily, there are a few devices to continue grilling when the weather is not at its best. In this column, I previously mentioned the use of grill pans and grill presses. For anyone that wishes to grill something for a holiday party and does not want to battle bad weather, this is the best alternative. For those of you that are the die-hard grillers and grill in any weather, you will be rewarded with the extra smoky flavor you can’t achieve with the grill pan and grill press. Just for this reason, the recipes this week can be prepared on a traditional grill, a grill pan or in a grill press.
Just like last year, my grandmother will be hosting the family’s Christmas Eve gathering. Heavy appetizers worked out perfectly last year, so once again; the menu theme will remain the same. Last year, we had grilled chicken wings that were inspired by my Aunt Catherine, and grilled sausage. This year, I thought we would get back to an old Italian tradition.
Years ago, people did not eat meat on Christmas Eve. As years go by, traditions have a way of fading away and changing. I made an important decision. This year, my family would get back to some of those old traditions with inspiration from the grill. We will continue to have grilled sausage, which has been sliced into bite size pieces. This year, we will also add two fish appetizers. The two appetizers are simple, fast to prepare and can be made ahead of time.
The first appetizer is shrimp. Grilled Oregano Shrimp is an Italian inspiration I came up with this past summer.
It makes a nice summer main course, but it also works nicely as part of a winter buffet of appetizers. The oregano is subtle in this recipe, so the natural flavor of the shrimp is allowed to dominate. After grilling the shrimp, keep them warm in a covered serving dish. For a simple “do ahead” version of the same recipe, grill the shrimp earlier in the day and serve them chilled. If you choose, you may serve the shrimp with a squeeze of lemon or a quick drizzle of olive oil.
The second appetizer takes advantage of salmon and is very easy to prepare. The traditional Mexican ceviche influences this version of grilled salmon ceviche.
Instead of “cooking” the salmon in the juice of a lemon and lime, the salmon is grilled and flaked into the salsa.
This is where it becomes very simple to prepare. Instead of making your own salsa, purchase one of your favorite prepared fresh salsas and add the salmon to it.
The ceviche can be served with crackers and cream cheese or with tortilla chips.
Looking to some old traditions can be a great way to liven up your holiday parties. If you plan on attending a variety of parties or hosting a party during the winter holidays, consider one of these grilled appetizers.
They are simple to make and a surprising change from ordinary appetizers. If the weather is bad this year, I will be using my grill press to cook the shrimp and salmon too!
