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Menu Plan for Summer I: Week 7, Saturday

Cool Carrot Soup
Lamb and Vegetable Kebabs with Minted Yogurt
Summer Couscous

Cooking time: 45 minutes for menu      Cooking schedule: see below for instructions

       Another summer barbecue classic: Kebabs (or Kebobs).  They can be made with chicken, beef, pork or seafood but the true classic is lamb.  I broke with tradition by making a simple, minted yogurt sauce rather than the traditional Tzatziki with cucumbers.  Serve the kebabs on couscous for an easy summer dinner.  The kebabs can be assembled first, then marinated, getting all the prep for the dinner out of the way early. Reserve a bit of each pepper half for the couscous.

Cool Carrot Soup

Total time: 25 minutes  
     The soup is cool but the spices add a bit of warmth.  Use hot paprika or a bit of cayenne pepper for more heat.

 Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion
• 2 medium carrots, peeled
• 1 small potato  about 2/3 cup chopped
• 1 rib celery
• 2 cups (16oz, 480ml) chicken stock
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp powdered ginger
• 1 tbs butter
• 2 tbs basil leaves
• 2 tbs plain or Greek yogurt
• Paprika

 Instructions:

• Chop onion.
• Thinly slice carrot, celery.
• Roughly chop potato.
• Heat butter in medium saucepan.  Add onion, celery and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. 
• Add spices and sauté 1 minute longer
• Add carrots, potato and stock.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until carrots are done, about 15 minutes. 
• Purée solids in blender adding as much (or all) of the stock as you like. If soup is too thick, add more stock. 
• Chill soup or allow to cool to room temperature.
• Snip basil leaves if they're large. 
• Ladle the soup into bowls, top with yogurt and basil leaves. 
• Sprinkle with a bit more paprika and serve.

Lamb and Vegetable Kebabs with Yogurt Dipping Sauce

Total time: 45 minutes
   It does look nice to have the meat and vegetable on the same skewers - and you can do that if you partially pre-cook the vegetables.  I prefer to do it all on the grill, and, as the different foods have different cooking times, arranging them on the skewers accordingly.  Serve on a bed of Summer Couscous, Minted Sauce on the side.

 Ingredients:

• lamb shoulder, 14oz  (420gr) (or pork or beef), cut into 1 1/2" (3.75cm) pieces
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1 red onion
• 1 medium zucchini (courgette)
• 8 - 12 mushrooms, large enough to be skewered
• 8 large cherry tomatoes
• 6 - 8 skewers
• Marinade:
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs red wine vinegar
• 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbs sherry
• 1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

 Instructions:

• Soak wooden skewers.
• In large, deep bowl whisk together all ingredients for marinade. 
• Cut meat and add to the marinade; let marinate for 20 - 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
• Clean peppers and cut into 1 1/2 " (3.75cm) squares, refrigerate unused halves. 
• Peel and cut onion into 8 wedges.
• Cut zucchini into thick slices, about an 3/4 inch (2cm). 
• Clean mushrooms.
• Add all vegetables to bowl with meat/marinade and stir to coat.
• Cooking:
• Thread meat, mushrooms and tomatoes on 2 - 3 skewers, alternating.
• Thread peppers, onions and zucchini on 2 - 3 skewers, alternating.
• Cook vegetable skewers on barbecue grill over direct heat for 10 - 15 minutes, turning once. 
• When vegetables start to brown move to indirect heat and cook for another 5 - 10 minutes. 
• When you move the vegetable skewers, start to cook meat skewers over direct heat.
• Cook until meat is done to your liking.  We cooked ours for about 8 minutes, turning once.
• Remove and serve on a bed of Summer Couscous. 
• Could also be cooked under the broiler (grill) for 12 - 15 minutes, or until done

Yogurt Dipping Sauce                  Time: 5 minutes  

 Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup (3oz (90gr) Greek or plain yogurt
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp snipped fresh mint leaves (spearmint)  if you don't have any, you could use 1 tsp dried mint or leave it out
• 2 tsp fresh snipped chives
• 1 tsp fresh snipped tarragon

 Instructions:

• Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.  Mix well and refrigerate until ready to use.  Serve with kebabs.

Summer Couscous

Total time: 15 minutes  
   Couscous is not a grain but a tiny semolina 'pasta'.  What is normally available is a pre-cooked product to which we just add boiling water or stock... making it very quick, perfect for summer, or anytime!

 Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (3oz, 90gr) couscous
• 3/4 cup (6oz, 180ml) chicken broth
• 1/4 cup chopped red pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped zucchini (courgette)
• 2 tbs snipped chives
• 5 - 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 tsp salad olive oil

 Instructions:

• Heat chicken broth to a boil.
• Chop pepper and courgette, snip chives and halve tomatoes. 
• Put couscous, pepper and courgette in a medium bowl. 
• When broth is boiling pour over couscous, cover and let stand for 10 minutes... Do not stir it. 
• Uncover, add chives, tomatoes and oil to couscous, fluff gently with a fork to combine and serve.

Cooking Schedule: 45 minutes Assemble all food, utensils and serving dishes Utensils: measuring cups, spoons, knives, scissors, whisk, small bowl, deep, large bowl, medium bowl with lid or plate, medium saucepan, blender, small saucepan, small skillet, skewers, barbecue grill and tools Soak skewers if wood Make marinade in large bowl Cut meat, add to marinade Trim mushrooms, add to marinade Cut zucchini, add to marinade, reserve 1/4 cup Cut peppers, add to marinade, reserve 1/4 cup Cut onion, add to marinade, set aside Chop onion for soup, sauté Chop celery, add to onion Peel, slice carrots Chop potato Add spices to saucepan, sauté Add carrots, potato, stock to saucepan, boil

Cover, simmer   Pause while stuff cooks    Can all be made ahead to this point Purée soup, finish, cool Make yogurt sauce Chop pepper, zucchini for couscous, put in bowl Add couscous to pepper, zucchini Heat stock for couscous Cut cherry tomatoes for couscous, set aside Light/turn on barbecue grill Make vegetable skewers Pour stock over couscous, peppers, zucchini, cover Make meat skewers Start to cook vegetable skewers Ladle soup into bowls, garnish, serve     Don't forget to check vegetable skewers Done?  Move vegetables off direct heat when needed Start to cook meat skewers Finish couscous, arrange on platter Remove skewers and serve, Yogurt sauce on side

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By Katie Zeller

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