Outdoors… That’s the call of the winter. Shake off that summer ennui, get out into the open and breathe in the fresh winter air., camp or just cook out. Take a cue from the following feature and set out on an exploration/camping trip in the nature-soaked landscapes of Oman
Cook OUT
If camping is not on your agenda for the weekend, give outdoor cooking a try, even if it is simply grilling your dinner on your barbecue stand or grill. Here are a couple of barbecue recipes to get you started…
Tandoori Chicken Skewers
Ingredients
• Plain yogurt – 1 cup
• Red onion – 1 (finely chopped)
• Lemon – 1 (juiced)
• Ginger – 1 tablespoon minced
• Garlic – 3 cloves (crushed)
• Garam masala (a blend of ground spices) – 3/4tsp
• Ground cumin – 3/4tsp
• Cayenne pepper – 1/2tsp, or to taste
• Turmeric – 1/4tsp
• Skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – 4
• Cooking spray
Method
- Combine yogurt, red onion, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, garam masala, cumin, cayenne, and turmeric in a bowl.
- Place chicken breasts in the yogurt mixture and flip to coat; cover bowl with plastic and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
- Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and thread onto skewers. Place skewers on the grill and cook, turning every 3 to 4 minutes.
- Cook it until chicken is browned on all sides and the juices run clear – for about 15 minutes.
Grilled Veggie Skewers
Ingredients
• Cherry tomatoes – 1/2kg
• Eggplant – 1 (cut in large chunks)
• Olive oil – 3tbsp
• Tabasco red sauce – 1tsp
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• Cilantro – 3tbsp (minced)
• Skewers
Directions
- Soak wooden skewers in water and preheat grill until hot.
- In a small bowl whisk together salt, pepper, sugar, cilantro, Tabasco and olive oil.
- Place tomatoes and eggplant onto skewers with a small space between them all.
- Baste the vegetables in the marinade.
- Place on grill and turn when the eggplant is soft and grill marks are there.
- Turn over and grill until done.
- Remove from grill and serve.
Grilled Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
• Fresh lemon juice – 1/2 cup
• Soy sauce – 1/2 cup
• Ground ginger – 1/2tsp
• Ground black pepper – 1/4tsp
• Skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – 4
Method
- Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels.
- Stir together the lemon juice, soy sauce, ginger, and black pepper in a bowl; pour into a large, re-sealable plastic bag.
- Add the chicken breasts, seal the bag, and massage to evenly coat chicken with lemon juice mixture.
- Place in refrigerator to marinate at least 20 minutes or overnight.
- Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat. Lightly oil grill grate, and place about 4 inches from heat source.
- Drain the chicken and it place on preheated grill. Cook until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear – 6 to 8 minutes on each side.
BBQ Short Ribs
Ingredients
• Boneless beef short ribs – 2kgs (cut into 3-inch long pieces)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• Light brown sugar – 2/3 cup
• Paprika – 1tsp
• Garlic powder – 1/2tsp
• White vinegar – 1tbsp
• Dried ground thyme – 1/2tsp
• Ketchup – 2/3 cup
• Yellow mustard – 1tbsp
• Worcestershire sauce – 1tbsp
Method
- Preheat the grill to high heat 300 degrees F. Arrange the short ribs in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- In a small bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients and stir to incorporate.
- Pour the sauce over ribs and toss well, coating all the pieces.
- Cover with aluminium foil and roast until cooked through and tender (about 3 hours).
- Remove the foil during the last 30 minutes of cooking to brown the top.
- Transfer to a serving platter and serve.
Grilled Shrimp with Garlic & Lemon
Ingredients
• Extra-virgin olive oil – 1/4 cup
• Garlic cloves – 6 (thinly sliced)
• Celery seed – 1tsp
• Crushed red pepper flakes – 1tsp
• Whole-grain mustard – 2tbsp
• Large easy-peel shrimp – 1kg
• Lemons – 2 (1 thinly sliced and 1 halved)
• Kosher salt (to taste)
• Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• Chopped fresh chives (for serving)
Directions
- Combine oil, garlic, celery seed, and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until garlic is golden, sizzling, and fragrant (2 to 4 minutes).
- Whisk in mustard and transfer to a bowl. Let it cool completely.
- Add shrimp and sliced lemon to oil mixture. Season with salt and black pepper and toss to coat.
- Refrigerate at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Heat grill to medium-high. Grill shrimp and lemon slices until lemons and shrimp are lightly charred and shrimp are just cooked through (1 to 3 minutes per side).
- To serve, transfer to a platter, sprinkle with chives, and squeeze lemon halves over top.
