Sausage, Pepper and Onion Sandwiches

Last night we bought an 8 pack of sandwich buns since we needed rolls for our yummy salmon burgers.  We knew that we’d have lots of rolls left over so we planned another sandwich-centric meal for tonight with some of my favorite grilled ingredients: sausage, peppers, and onions!  It was still 70 degrees at dinnertime so we built a fire in our fire pit and spent the evening sitting out on the patio.

Sausage, Pepper and Onion Sandwiches

You will need…
1 Red Pepper, cut into thin strips
1 Yellow onion, cut into thin strips
Olive Oil
2 Sausages (Matt had Kielbasa, I had Hot Italian Sausage)
4 Sandwich Buns, sliced in half lengthwise

Directions:
Place the red pepper and yellow onion on a bowl together and drizzle with olive oil.  Toss to coat.  Transfer the peppers and onions to a grill pan and place on a preheated grill.  Cook for approximately 10 minutes until the peppers and onions are tender.  When we cook peppers and onions (or any small veggies that benefit from a good “toss” as they grill) we use a stainless steel Grill Chef’s Pan with a removable handle.

Uncooked Peppers and Onions in the Chef's Grill Pan

While the veggies cook, place the two sausages on the grill.  If you have the ability to control the heat on the sausage side of the grill, increase it to high heat (but leave the veggies at medium).  Cook the sausages over high heat for approx. 6 minutes per side (or longer if you’re using medium heat).

Sausage, Peppers and Onions Grilling

If desired, lightly toast the buns on the grill by placing them cut face down over medium heat.  Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn!

In order to fit the sausages neatly on our round sandwich buns, we sliced the cooked sausages in half and then sliced each piece lengthwise.  Place the sausage on the buns and top with grilled pepper and onion mixture.  Enjoy your completed sandwich while lounging outside by a fire pit if at all possible… it makes it taste even better!

Tequila Shrimp

We’ve had an unusually warm Winter this year.  Usually January and February are characterized by nightly (and sometimes daily) below-freezing temps, salt-brined roads, and melting snow piles in parking lots.  This year, it has hardly dipped below freezing at night and we’ve gotten a grand total of around 2 inches of snow.  It’s not all bad though because the warm temperatures mean that we can use our grill to make yummy meals like Tequila shrimp!  This recipe is from our Weber Book of Grilling with a few additions from me.

Tequila Shrimp

You will need…
1/3 cup Tequila
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Lime Juice
3-4 cloves of Minced Garlic
1 fined chopped Jalapeño Pepper
2 tablespoons chopped Cilantro
1 teaspoon ground Coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground Black Pepper
1 pound Shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions:
Place the first 8 ingredients (Tequila through Black Pepper) in a large resealable bag and ‘mix’ by squeezing/shaking the bag gently.  Add the shrimp to the bag and coat them with the marinade.  Put the bag in the fridge for approx. 30 minutes.

Preheat your grill and grill pan (we have a large wok-shaped skillet with small holes it in but a flat grill ‘tray’ works well too).  Remove the shrimp from the fridge and slide them out of the bag onto the hot grill pan.  Grill over direct heat for 3-5 minutes until they turn nice and pink.  Serve warm!

Tequila Shrimp with Cilantro-Lime Rice, Corn con Salsa Salad, and a Margarita

Delicious Sides to Serve with your Tequila Shrimp: