Dinner Tonight: Simple and stunning for summer

What do you want this summer? How about simple and stunning!

It’s time to fire up the grill

Jack Bishop Author, editor, and avid home cook

Two of our oldest friends are visiting this week, and we want to feed them well. Undoubtedly, Lauren will make her legendary pizzas in our outdoor pizza oven. Her sourdough crust is the best I’ve ever tasted. I don’t plan to work as hard, but I still want to impress our guests. These are my go-to gorgeous but easy grilling recipes.

First up: Grilled Balsamic Chicken with Peaches and Basil because this recipe is absolutely brilliant and gorgeous. I just won’t tell everyone it’s also ridiculously easy. Marinate boneless, skinless chicken thighs (come on, the best part of the bird) in a mix of balsamic, honey, Dijon, garlic, and thyme. Technically, this recipe doesn’t meet my usual “under 1 hour” criterion for Dinner Tonight, but the marinating time is a blessing here. Do this in the morning (or even the night before), and dinner is halfway done.

Featured Recipe

Grilled Balsamic Chicken with Peaches and Basil →

Reduce more balsamic with honey and red pepper flakes to make a glaze for the peaches and red onion. Grill, platter, and shower everything with fresh basil leaves. Pair with this five-star make-ahead orzo salad and await the accolades.

Swordfish is my favorite fish to grill and what could be better than grilled swordfish, Sicilian style. Make a lemony marinade with oregano and garlic and reserve some for serving. Fish is best marinated briefly—the time it takes to heat the grill is ideal. Parsley freshens up the reserved sauce that comes to the table. Add couscous with Sicilian flavors (orange zest, cinnamon, raisins, and pine nuts) and your guests may forget for a moment that they’re visiting your house and not the Mediterranean.

In theory spice-rubbed beef skewers are the main attraction in this superfast recipe, but I predict everyone will be talking about the Mexican-inspired corn and black bean salad. Use fresh or frozen corn here and toss with a creamy lime dressing, scallions, and cilantro. Sirloin steak tips (also known as flap meat or bavette steak) are moderately priced. The smoky chipotle chile rub beautifully accentuates the beefiness of this well-marbled cut.

This Grilled Vegetable Platter is a wonderful weeknight supper as well as a great dish for entertaining. Burrata and grilled bread transform basic grilled veggies into a meal. An easy lemon-basil vinaigrette makes everything more tasty. If you like, embellish the platter with olives, cornichons, nuts, or fruit.

Finally, tacos from the grill is a summer classic in my backyard. Grilled Pork Tacos with Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa not only calls for grilling the pork tenderloin (which is first coated with honey, lime zest, and ground coriander) but also the avocado, onion, and tomatillos that go into the salsa. Tuck the sliced pork and salsa into charred flour tortillas and add chopped onion and fresh cilantro. If you like, garnish with sliced jalapeños (fresh or pickled) and crumbled cotija. Cold cervezas required.

I grill most of the year, even when it’s quite cold. But it’s more enjoyable when everyone else is hanging outside with me. If you want to have more fun grilling this summer, check out our new grilling and barbecue cookbook. This nearly 500-page tome is packed with more than 400 recipes and so much practical information. This handsome book also makes a great Father’s Day gift.

P.S. Have comments or suggestions? Drop me a line at [email protected].