Wait Until You Thai This!
Keeping true to my promise of summer zucchini overload, I’m still going strong. Overwhelming you with recipes for summer squash, zucchini and crook neck. I have both growing madly in my garden. I know a lot of people don’t care for summer squash, but I think it’s because it can get so boring, always served the same old way. Usually cut and steamed maybe a little herbs thrown in for good measure. That’s the way so many restaurants serve it. BORING! Summer squash needs a little extra love to show it off. When you prepare squash this way, it’s certainly anything but ho-hum. Here’s a twist on a Grilled Summer Squash, Thai Style.
Give this recipe a whirl next time you’re barbecuing (but you can make it on a indoor grill pan just as easily). The taste is amazing, especially if you’re a fan of all those delicious sweet and spicy Thai flavors. You an see by the pictures, it’s really beautiful too. This is an adaption of a recipe I first found in Bon Appetit.
Keeping Thai Tastes In Your Pantry
This dish looks as good as it tastes. It takes just a little bit of extra effort, but certainly a dinner time show stopper. Most of the ingredients you’re likely to have on hand or can pick up at your local grocery store. The sweet chili sauce is easily made at home. It’s absolutely addicting. You’ll find so many ways to use this sauce. The best part of all, you can control the amount of heat. You can make it super spicy or just mildly spicy, as you prefer. Here’s the link: https://wp.me/p9KEfL-33B
The key ingredients I keep on hand for Asian inspired meals is fish sauce, sesame oil, low sodium soy sauce and seasoned rice wine vinegar. From these few staples, you can make so many different dishes. Other ingredients I add to many Asian influenced recipes are honey, brown sugar, lime, cilantro. I also always have a few cans of full fat or lite coconut milk.
Sweet Chili SauceKeeping Asian flavors in your kitchen pantry is great motivation to change your routine. A few basic ingredients and you’re on your way.
Grilled Summer Squash Thai Style
This squash can be cooked on a barbecue grill or indoor grill pan.
Prep
Wash and trim the ends of 5-6 zucchini, about 2 lbs total. Then, split each zucchini in half. Score the zucchini with a sharp pairing knife into crosshatch pattern, carefully not to cut all the way through, but as far down as you can. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt, then let them sit in a colander to sweat off excess water, about 20 minutes.
Cutting the zucchini in this way helps reduce the excess water but also looks pretty and the squash will absorb more of the sweet and spicy sauce.
The Thai Sauce
Into a medium sized heavy bottom sauce pan, add 1/3 cup of honey with 1/3 cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar, 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce. Add 1/4 cup of the sweet chili sauce. Over medium high heat, bring the mixture to a simmer then continue to cook, stirring occasionally until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, mix well and set aside.
The Grilling
Add the drained and trimmed squash to a large bowl and toss with about 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.
Place the squash onto a baking sheet, cut side up. Brush the top with the sauce.
Place onto the grill or grill pan, cut side down, set to medium high, direct heat. Cook about 3 minutes until beginning to char on the edges. Flip each piece over, brush and cook again, another 3 minutes, flip over again, brush the top and then flip again, until slightly charred but coated with the sauce. Transfer squash to a serving platter. Drizzle with any of the left over sauce.
Into a small bowl, add the zest and juice of 1 large lime. Add 1 very thinly sliced shallot and 1/4 cup fresh and coarsely chopped cilantro leaves only, toss well.
To serve, top with the cilantro mixture and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
This tastes great served with easy to make coconut rice. Add some grilled shrimp or chicken and you’re set for a great meal.
Serve hot and Enjoy!
Grilled Summer Squash Thai Style
Notes
*Sweet chili sauce (note my recipe for easy homemade) or can be purchased in most grocery stores.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs zucchini (about 5-6 medium sized)
- Kosher salt
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce*
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
- 1 lime plus more for garnish/serving
- 1 small shallot
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro, leaves only
- 1-2 teaspoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- Wash and trim the ends of 5-6 zucchini, about 2 lbs total.
- Split each zucchini in half. Score the zucchini with a sharp pairing knife into crosshatch pattern, carefully not to cut all the way through, but as far down as you can.
- Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt, then let them sit in a colander to sweat off excess water, about 20 minutes.
- (Cutting the zucchini in this way helps reduce the excess water but also looks pretty and the squash will absorb more of the sweet and spicy sauce.)
- Into a medium sized heavy bottom sauce pan, add 1/3 cup of honey with 1/3 cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar (this is the dark vinegar, not clear), 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup of *sweet chili sauce.
- Over medium high heat, bring the mixture to a simmer then continue to cook, stirring occasionally until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and add 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, mix well and set aside.
- Add the drained and trimmed squash to a large bowl and toss with about 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.
- Place the squash onto a baking sheet, cut side up.
- Brush the top with the sauce.
- Place onto the grill or grill pan, cut side down, set to medium high, direct heat.
- Cook about 3 minutes until beginning to char on the edges.
- Flip each piece over, brush and cook again, another 3 minutes, flip over again, brush the top and then flip again, until slightly charred but coated with the sauce.
- Transfer squash to a serving platter.
- Drizzle with any of the leftover sauce.
- Into a small bowl, add the zest and juice of 1 large lime.
- Add 1 very thinly sliced shallot and 1/4 cup fresh and coarsely chopped cilantro leaves only. Toss well, then put on top of the zucchini.
- Sprinkle with 1-2 teaspoons sesame seeds.
- Serve hot and Enjoy!
- (Adapted from a recipe from Bon Appetit)
Karen Harris https://www.bittersaltysoursweet.com
