Labor Day Grilling Tips & Recipes From Hampton Creek
Labor Day is here - a sign of the end of summer and one of the last chances to get out grill! Who are we kidding, it’s Miami - you can always grill, but in the event that you’ve got special grilling plans this weekend we’ve got some fun recipes from the Michelin Star chefs behind the Just. brand of healthy spreads made by Hampton Creek.
Top Grilling Tips
Before anything else: Be sure to rub your grill grate with an oiled cloth before grilling to keep the food from sticking. (Trevor Niekowal)
Savory AND sweet: Grill up summer fruits to pair with your vegetable or meat dishes. Try peaches, nectarines, or any other stone fruit. Avocados too! (Ben Roche)
Don’t fidget: Avoid moving your food around on the grill too much. Let it sit on the grate as long as possible so that it cooks through evenly and gets nice grill marks. (Nate Hereford)
Warm Summer Pasta
By Chef Richie Farina
1 lb. dried penne or fusilli pasta
1 large Italian eggplant, grilled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 cup snap peas (cut diagonally)
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (chopped)
1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
1 cup Just Caesar
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Grill your eggplant.
Chop the vegetables as directed.
Bring pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente, then pour the pasta into a colander to drain. Reserve about a cup of the hot pasta water.
Put the emptied pasta pot back over medium-low heat, and whisk together Just Caesar and about ¼ cup of reserved pasta water to make a sauce.
Add the pasta back to the pot and stir to coat with the sauce. Add an additional few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water the sauce seems too thick or isn’t fully coating the pasta.
Fold in all of the chopped vegetables and parsley, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Sauce Verte Marinade
By Chef Ben Roche
1 cup Just Mayo
⅓ cup chives or green onions
⅓ cup parsley
⅓ cup basil
1 tablespoon capers (optional)
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
Directions:
Add the chives (or green onions), parsley, basil, capers, lemon juice, water to a small food processor or blender, and blend until fairly smooth.
Pour pureed herbs into a bowl along with the Just Mayo and stir to combine.
Use as a marinade or basting sauce for grilling.
Grilled Flatbread Pizza
By Chef Nate Hereford
2 10oz. packages of flatbread dough, or rolled-out pizza dough
½ cup Just Garlic Mayo (plus additional for brushing)
½ cup pesto
1 lemon, Juice and Zest
1 sweet onion, sliced and grilled
1 red bell pepper, sliced and grilled
1 large portobello mushroom, sliced and grilled
1 bu of basil, oregano, or an assortment of herbs
Just Ranch (optional, for drizzling)
Flaky salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat your grill to medium-high.
Toss your vegetables with a little vegetable oil, sprinkle of salt, grill them, and set aside. Once they are slightly cool put them into a bowl and toss in the juice of ½ lemon. (You may grill up whichever vegetables you prefer here).
Prepare the flatbread. Brush both sides of the dough with a light layer Just Garlic Mayo.
Place the flatbread dough on the grill. After 3-4 minutes, check for grill marks on the bottom of the dough. Once marks appear and the dough is firm, use a pair of tongs to flip the dough over. If the dough sticks to the grates, don’t panic - wait for it to finish cooking and release from the grates. After another 2-3 minutes, removed the cooked flatbread from the grill.
In a medium bowl, mix together the ½ cup Just Garlic Mayo, the juice of ½ lemon and the pesto.
Spread your desired amount of the Just Mayo pesto mixture evenly over the top of the grilled flatbreads.
Next, top each flatbread with a layer of the grilled vegetables, the herbs, and lemon zest.
To finish, sprinkle the flatbreads with flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper, and drizzle with Just Ranch (optional).