Yummy Side Dish Recipes for Your Memorial Day BBQ!

Sick of the same old burgers, hot dogs and potato salads that seem to pop up at every Memorial Day barbecue? Well, we have the cure for your bbq blues. Cook up some of these delicious sides and add some Latin flavor to your holiday weekend!

Aztec Corn

Ingredients
3 green poblano chiles
1/4 cup sweet butter, divided
4 ears of corn, husks removed
4 scallions, shredded
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 tbsp. lime juice
1 tbsp. polenta (or cornmeal)
2/3 cup heavy cream
3 plum tomatoes, skinned, seeded, and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation
Preheat broiler. Broil chiles about 3 to 4 inches away from heat, turning them regularly, until charred all over. Place them in plastic bag and tie it up. Leave until chiles are cool enough to handle; then peel, seed, and chop.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter and brush onto corncobs. Place them under broiler—or, better still, on barbecue—and cook, turning occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes, until tender and lightly char-grilled.

Cucumber and Chayote Slaw

Ingredients
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and halved lengthwise
1 large chayote, peeled, pitted, and halved lengthwise
2 cups peeled and diced fresh pineapple or papaya
1 tsp. chipotle purée*
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. light-flavored olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation
In small nonreactive saucepan simmer pineapple juice over medium heat until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Let cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, thinly slice cucumber halves and chayote halves crosswise. Transfer to large glass or ceramic bowl. Add fresh pineapple or papaya and toss. Whisk together remaining ingredients with reduced pineapple juice and pour over vegetable-fruit mixture. Toss well, coating evenly. Serve chilled. (Slaw can be refrigerated, covered, up to 4 hours. Mix well before serving and drain off excess liquid if necessary.) Makes 4 to 8 servings.

Heat remaining butter in pan, add scallions, and cook until softened. Stir in cilantro, chiles, lime juice, polenta, and cream, and simmer 4 to 5 minutes, until thickened. Add tomatoes and finally corn. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot. Makes 4 servings.

*To make chipotle pureé, empty contents of 1 can of chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (try La Morena brand) into blender, and process until smooth.

Patatas Catalán

Ingredients
1 red pepper, cut in half and seeded
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
3 oz. chorizo or merguez sausage, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
12 black olives
4 servings sautéed potatoes (click here)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp. chopped parsley

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place pepper halves on baking sheet, coat with 1/8 cup olive oil, and roast 20 to 25 minutes, until blistered and blackened. Let cool, then peel off skin and cut pepper into long strips.

Heat remaining oil in frying pan, add sausage and garlic, and fry 1 minute or until sausage is crisp and golden. Add red pepper and olives; toss together. Add sautéed potatoes, toss, and add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley. Makes 4 servings.