Grilled Cabbage with Smoked Paprika, Honey, Lime Juice, & Feta Cheese

I love cabbage but sometimes I find myself using it in the same ways I have for years...in slaws, salads or sautéing it.  So I set out on a mission...a cabbage mission. My goal was to be more creative with my cabbage friend and add a little more unexpected flavor. Though I had never before thought of marinating it, I decided this is how I would start.  In fact I wasn't sure how much of a marinade it would actually absorb. This being said I knew my flavors would probably need to be bold but not overpowering. 

I came up with a few ingredients that sounded great together in my mind but I suspected that after making it once I might need to make a few tweaks here and there. To my surprise my first experimentation of ingredients was amazing. I loved the flavors and the cabbage actually absorbed a good amount of the marinade. Success!! I marinated my cabbage slices with smoked paprika, lime juice, and honey, grilled them and then sprinkled a nice helping of feta cheese on top. Wow, what a change from my same old hum drum cabbage recipes that I have been using for years. This was deliciously refreshing and new! Using the smoked paprika really lent to the smokiness of BBQ-ing the cabbage steaks without overpowering them with too much heat. The honey grounds the rest of the ingredients and the feta adds a nice creamy and salty flavor to the finished dish.

Grilled Cabbage with Smoked Paprika, 
Honey, Lime Juice, & Feta Cheese

Ingredients:

1 small red cabbage

juice of 2 limes

zest of 1 lime

3 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika

salt and pepper

feta cheese

Directions:

Slice your cabbage into 3/4-1 inch thick steaks. Do not core the cabbage. Leaving the core intact will help your cabbage steaks stay together better. Place the lime juice, zest, honey, olive oil and smoked paprika into a large zip lock bag. Swish around the ingredients in the bag to help incorporate them together. Add your cabbage steaks and let marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes. Heat your grill and add your cabbage steaks cooking until the cabbage starts to char just a bit around the edges, about 10 minutes. Carefully turn over your cabbage and cook on the opposite side, about another 10 minutes. Remove your cabbage from the grill and place on a serving platter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and a nice helping of feta cheese. Enjoy!

Grilled Bread Topped with Basil, Garlic and Lemon Marinated Cheese

This is a little version of a grilled cheese that we like to make here in the Lichty family. And what sets this cheese sammie apart from any other that you have had is that it is an open faced BBQ'd grilled sandwich with marinated cheese. It is truly truly as good as it sounds and looks, if not better!!

This will most likely be the most flavorful and tasty grilled cheese you have ever had! Its actually a cross between a grilled cheese and garlic bread since the cheese is marinated with a hefty amount of minced garlic. Also adding to its divine taste is the fresh basil and lemon zest. This is the perfect appetizer to any BBQ this summer or a great side with any meal.

Grilled Bread Topped with Basil, Garlic 
and Lemon Marinated Cheese

Ingredients:

6 pieces of bread cut from 1 baguette

olive oil for drizzling

juice of 1/2 of a large lemon

salt and pepper

6 slices fresh mozzarella cheese

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

zest of half of a lemon

juice of 1/2 large lemon

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

Prepare your marinated cheese by place your cheese slices into a bowl along with the minced garlic cloves, fresh basil, lemon zest, juice of 1/2 of a large lemon and olive oil. Stir to combine and set aside.

Filet your baguette in half down its middle and cut the bread into 3-4 inch pieces. Squeeze 1/2 of a lemon over the tops of the bread slices and drizzle all with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Heat your BBQ and add your grilled bread, flat and seasoned side down until just crispy and beginning to char.

Turn over and add your cheese slices. Drizzle the bread and cheese with any reserved liquid left in the bowl. BBQ on medium low until the cheese is melty and gooey. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

BBQ'd Bell Peppers Stuffed with Marinated Cheese

I love vegetables, I always have. And I especially enjoy them in the summertime when the temperatures are scorching and all you feel like is a fresh and light meal that is still satisfying but without weighing you down. I just knew when I saw the fresh red bell peppers on sale at my grocery market that I needed to do something special with them. I decided that I would stuff these gorgeous peppers. But instead of a traditional meat or rice stuffing I opted for a lighter and much tastier, I might add, version. I marinated some fresh mozzarella and placed a slice onto each of my bell peppers. And in an effort to thwart any increased temperatures in my house I decided to BBQ them. Red bell peppers are so much sweeter than their yellow or green counterparts and BBQ-ing them really intensified the sugars and gave my peppers a lightly smokey flavor. 

The fresh mozzarella is incredibly smooth and creamy and melts perfectly into the bell pepper cups over the BBQ. The lemon juice/zest give a perfect amount of acid and tang, that compliments the heat from the red pepper flakes and earthy notes from the oregano. This is a flavor packed recipe that would be perfect as a wonderfully delicious side or even as a main dish.

BBQ'd Bell Peppers Stuffed with Marinated Cheese

Ingredients:

6 slices fresh mozzarella, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces

3 red bell peppers

juice of 1 lemon

zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1/4-1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (depends on how much heat you want)

3-4 tablespoons fresh oregano

pinch of salt

Directions:

I placed 1 piece of sliced mozzarella onto each of my halved red peppers, but depending on how much cheese you would like to stuff them with is up to you. Place your mozzarella into a small bowl and add zest of 1 lemon, juice of 1/2 of a lemon, red pepper flakes, oregano, and a pinch of salt. Stir the ingredients together and let sit to marinate while you prepare your peppers.

Prepare your bell peppers by trimming away the stem, removing the seeds and slicing them in half. Place your bell peppers in a large bowl and squeeze your other half of your lemon over the peppers and drizzle with olive oil. Rub the juice and oil all over the peppers. 

Place oiled peppers onto your BBQ face down for between 5-7 minutes depending on how much char you like on your vegetables.

Turn your peppers over and place 1 piece of marinated fresh mozzarella onto each, and BBQ for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove your peppers from your BBQ and serve immediately. Enjoy!