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Shish Kebabs over Rice and Grilled Melon with Honey-Mint Sauce by Jes Mostek

Recipes:

Grilled Melon with Honey-Mint Sauce by Jes Mostek serves: 4

Ingredients:

1/2

canteloupe

cooking oil

1/4 c.

honey

1/4 c.

fresh mint leaves, loosely packed

1/4 c.

water

1 pt.

ice cream (optional)

Directions:

Cut the melon in half, and remove the seads from the middle. Cut the rind away from half of the melon and slice the melon-half into 8-10 long slices. Wrap up the other half of the melon to use at some later date.

Heat up the grill and brush the grill-rack clean. Rub one side of each slice of melon with cooking oil. Place the melon slices, oil-side-down directly on the grill rack. Grill for 2-4 minutes (just until the grill-marks are visible).

Use a mortar and pestle to mash the mint leaves, or cut them into small pieces with a sharp knife (the more you bruise the leaves, the more flavor you'll taste).

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, whisk together the honey, mint, and water just until the honey is completely dissolved in the water. Transfer honey-mint sauce to a small pitcher, creamer, or gravy boat.

Pour the honey-mint sauce over each serving of the grilled melon.

Rice by Jes Mostek serves: 4

This is a recipe for simple cooked rice. Feel free to spice it up, literally, to suit your personal taste.

1 c. uncooked rice will yield about 2 1/2 c. cooked rice, that's 4 - 3/4 c. servings.

Brown rice has more health benefits than its white counterpart. But if your goal is to cook authentic Japanese or Chinese cuisine, sticky white rice is your objective.

Ingredients:

1 c.

uncooked rice

2 c.

water

1/2 T.

butter, optional

salt to taste

Directions:

To cook the rice, you'll need either a rice cooker or a large, heavy-bottomed sauce pan with a tight-fitting lid (a clear lid works best so you can see into the pot without having to disturb the cooking process to check on your rice).

Check your rice and remove anything undesirable (i.e. black grains, etc.). Pre-rinsing your rice is recommended on most rice packages. This part is optional. Rinsing your rice will yield rice that is more fluffy, while cooking your rice without rinsing first will yield rice that is more sticky. This is your choice.

Combine uncooked rice with water and a pat of butter and/or seasonings, if desired. Give the rice and water a quick stir to ensure that all of the rice is submurged and evenly distributed in the pan.

If you're using the rice cooker, follow the manufacturer's instructions at this point, and you're done (usually just turn it on and walk away).

If you're using a sauce pan or stock pot, put the lid on the pot and heat over a high flame until it reaches a full boil, stirring once to ensure that the rice doesn't clump or stick (just like when you're cooking pasta).

Once the rice is cooking at a full boil, reduce the flame to low and cook on a slow simmer until the rice is done. Do not disturb the rice during this stage of cooking (no stirring).

Once you have brought the rice to a boil, it will take about 20 minutes for white rice to cook, and 30-40 minutes for brown rice to cook.

When the rice is done cooking, fluff with a fork and serve.

Shish Kebabs by Jes Mostek serves: 4

This is a great meal to serve to company- simply increase the servings!

And kids will love helping you thread the skewers; just make sure that they wash their hands thoroughly after handling any raw meat.

Ingredients:

1 lb.

steak, chicken or pork

1 sm.

onion

bell peppers

1 (8 oz.) pkg.

whole mushrooms

1 pt.

cherry tomatoes

1 can

pineapple chunks, drained

bamboo skewers

Directions:

Optional: cut up meat into large chunks and marinade meat for a few hours to overnight.

Soak bamboo skewers in water while you cut up your vegetables.

Cut onion, and peppers into large chunks. Wash mushrooms.

Place meat, chunked onion, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, and pineapple chunks into separate bowls.

Thread meat, veggies & fruit alternately on the bamboo skewers. Cook on the grill or by using the broiler until the meat is cooked to your desired doneness.