grilled Archives - Busy Moms Helper

Hello, and Happy Fall! This is Steph from Steph in Thyme, and today I’m sharing a healthy, yet still super delicious, approach to Game-Day snacking. This Smoky Eggplant Dip is hearty and rich in flavor, perfect for the change in seasons and when the munchies strike watching weekend football.

Another name for this dip is Baba Ganoush, a traditional Levantine dish. The base is eggplant baked, boiled, or grilled whole so the inside “meat” is soft with a deep smoky flavor.

I prefer to grill the eggplant, first pricking it all over with a fork. Set both eggplant on the grill, close the lid, and let them cook for about 30-40 minutes, rotating with tongs occasionally. You want the eggplant to blacken and collapse, like it’s about to fall apart. Once completely collapsed, open up the eggplant and scoop out the soft and tender meaty innards.

No grill? No problem. You can cook the eggplant under the broiler instead, rotating occasionally with tongs until they look like this below.

Tahini (aka sesame paste), lots of lemon juice, even more garlic, and salt and pepper finish off the dip. The result is an appetizer with a very hearty texture and rich, deep flavors.

The dip tastes best after it chills for several hours, the flavors melding and opening up to a whole new level.

Garnish the dip with chopped fresh parsley and a drizzle of olive oil and serve with warm pita triangles, fresh veggies, or hearty crackers. It goes quickly, so you may want to make a double batch!

No grill? No problem. You can cook the eggplant under the broiler, rotating with tongs until evenly cooked. The method can be different, but the result the same - eggplant that's blackened and collapsed.

Print Recipe

Game-Day Smoky Eggplant Dip

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Servings: 6 -8 servings

Ingredients

2 medium eggplant 4 lbs total
1/4 cup tahini
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic crushed
sea salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp chopped parsley
drizzle olive oil as garnish

Instructions

Rinse both eggplant and pat dry. Prick each eggplant all over with a fork.
Pre-heat grill over medium-high heat. Place the eggplant whole on the grill and close the lid. Cook for 30-40 minutes, rotating occasionally with tongs to eggplant cooks evenly, or until eggplant are blackened and collapsed.
Remove eggplant from grill and let sit for 15-20 minutes until cool enough to handle.
With your fingers, open the eggplant and scoop all the soft insides into a bowl. Mash the cooked eggplant "meat" with a fork until mashed and no large chunks remain.
Add the tahini, crushed garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to the eggplant and stir until well combined. Make sure to season well with salt, adjusting amount to taste.
Cover the dip and chill for several hours to let the flavors come together and open up. Adjust seasoning as needed after it chills, i.e. add more lemon, tahini, salt and pepper. Some like this dip more lemony, some with more tahini (me!) Adjust to your particular taste.
To serve, scoop the dip into a serving dish. Sprinkle topped parsley over top and a drizzle of olive oil.
Serve with warm pita bread, fresh veggies, or hearty crackers.

Make Grilled Teriyaki Beef Kabobs with peppers and onions for a deliciously flavorful meal the whole family will love – you can even divide and freeze part!

Grilled Teriyaki Beef Kabobs

There’s nothing better than grilling

in the summertime! No stoves on to make the kitchen unbearable, and less dishes, too. Plus somehow everything just tastes better when you eat it outdoors. These Grilled Teriyaki Beef Kabobs are an impressive dish to serve for company, but work just as well for a low-key meal for the family, or intimate dinner for two.

Print Recipe

Teriyaki Beef Kabobs

Ingredients

4 pounds boneless round steak cut into cubes
2 large green peppers
1 large vidalia onion
bamboo skewers soaked in water
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for the grill
MARINADE:
1-1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon fresh ginger chopped
3 large garlic cloves chopped

Instructions

Whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, water, vegetable oil, ginger and garlic in a large bowl.
In a resealable container, add the vegetables and 1/2 cup of the marinade mixture. Toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to assemble the kabobs.
Add the beef cubes to the remaining marinade and toss to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Marinate beef in refrigerator for 4-24 hours. (The longer it marinates, the more flavorful it will be).
Remove beef from the marinade, shaking to remove any excess liquid. Discard marinade. Repeat with the vegetables.
Thread the meat and vegetables onto the skewers. Lightly salt and pepper if desired.
Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
Cook the kabobs on preheated grill until the beef is cooked through, about 3 minutes per side to cook evenly. Remove from the heat and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

A little tip – whatever you do, don’t skip soaking the wooden skewers. This keeps them from burning while the food is cooking on the grill!

I love making this easy dish for my family. That teriyaki marinade comes together in just minutes. Now while I don’t care for the vegetables themselves, I love the flavor they add to the meat. My husband, aka Mr. Juggling Act, loves the veggies. He ends up with tons of them on his plate and is as happy as can be. Leftovers, if there are any, never go to waste. This is great with a simple pasta salad, or in a roll for quick sandwich.

If this recipe is just for two, you can also divide this recipe in half and freeze a portion for another day. Bag the vegetables and marinade, and the beef and marinade in separate freezer bags. Place the two bags inside another freezer bag, label and seal. This will keep well for 2-3 months. Allow the bags to thaw in the refrigerate overnight, which doubles as marinading time as well.

Teriyaki Beef Kabobs with peppers and onions

You can serve these Grilled Teriyaki Beef Kabobs on the stick, or take the meat and veggies off to serve it family style. Either way, it’s sure to be a big hit!

Love grilling? Me too! Check out these great grilled recipe collections:

This collection has recipes for appetizers to desserts, and everything in between!

This collection of grilled main meals will not disappoint!