Memorial Day Cookout Italian style!!

I love the warm weather and grilling season! Nothing is better than cooking outside on the grill and eating al fresco!! The warm sun shining down on you while you enjoy the smells of Italian sausage, peppers and onions wafting towards you making your tummy growl and mouth water! Yum! This weekend we celebrate Memorial Day! I will be celebrating my sons 15th birthday also. So the family will be over and we will be cooking outside! Here is our menu! I have a lot to do this week!

Appetizers:
Antipasto tray
grilled eggplant
grilled marinated shrimp
Bruschetta
MAIN COURSE
Chicken and Veal Speidini
Italian Sausage with peppers and onions
Grilled Veggies
Caprese Salad
DESSERT
Grilled Peaches with Raspberry Sauce
BEVERAGES:
Bellini

Bellini

1 ounce white peach puree

5 ounces chilled prosecco

Pour peach puree into a champagne flute, then add the prosecco. The peach puree can either be made from ripe fresh peaches that have been peeled and pureed or you can use a commercial peach puree.


Mixed Grilled Vegetables
Verdura Mista

3 small yellow squash (about 3/4 pound)
6 Vidalia onions or large shallots, peeled and cleaned and sliced
4 yellow and/or red bell peppers, seeded and each cut into 6 pieces
2 medium red onions, peeled and each cut lengthwise into 6 wedges with root ends intact
2 tablespoons olive oil
In a large bowl toss vegetables with oil and salt and pepper to taste. Grill vegetables in batches on a rack set about 4 inches over glowing coals turning them, 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender, transferring them to a platter as they are done.
Serves 6.

Bruschetta Grigliata

Olive oil flavored with garlic, fresh basil, or rosemary.
1 loaf of crusty Italian bread cut into 1-inch thick slices
1/4 cup extra -virgin olive oil
Prepare barbecue (medium-high-heat). Brush both sides of bread generously With oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill until golden, about 1 minute per side. 6 servings.


Scampi Grigliati

1/4 cup finely chopped garlic, mashed to a paste with 1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves plus sprigs for garnish
3 tablespoons olive oil plus oil for brushing shrimp
16 jumbo shrimp (about 10 per pound)
four 12-inch bamboo skewers
lemon wedges as an accompaniment
In a large bowl stir together garlic, chopped fresh rosemary, and 3 tablespoons oil and add shrimp. Marinate shrimp, covered and chilled, at least 8 hours or overnight.
In a shallow dish soak skewers in water to cover 60 minutes and prepare grill.
To grill, thread 4 shrimp on each skewer and brush with additional oil. Grill shrimp on an oiled rack, set about 5 inches over glowing coals, 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through.
Alternatively, brush shrimp with additional oil and grill in a hot well-season ridged grill pan, covered, over moderately high heat 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.
Garnish shrimp with rosemary sprigs and serve with lemon wedges.
Serves 4.


Pesche Dolci

5 oz raspberries,- preferably fresh (frozen will do if fresh not available)
1-1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 medium fresh peaches, peel, halved
5 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp butter
In a blender or food processor, process raspberries and lemon juice until pureed. Strain and discard seeds. Cover and chill. Place the peach halves, cut side up, on a large piece of heavy-duty foil (about 18 x 12"). Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle into peach centers. Sprinkle with vanilla; dot with butter. Fold foil over peaches and seal. Grill over medium-hot coals for 15 minutes or until heated through. You can also place in a broiler for 8-12 minutes for a similar result. To serve, spoon the raspberry sauce over peaches.