Spiedies, an iconic food of the Finger Lakes PHOTO/Robyn Wishna

Last summer our Cover Girl was a plate full of fresh-off-the-grill Spiedies, that iconic food of the Finger Lakes. Since the temperatures are in the 80s this holiday weekend, we know some of you will be dusting off the grill and warming up your outdoor cooking skills. Here are a couple of classic and not-so-classic spiedie recipes that we offered to help get you started.

We fully expect some irate e-mails from spiedie purists for going outside of the rules of what makes a spiedie a spiedie, but we think the concept lends itself well to some delicious variations. The following marinades were big hits around our grill.

Lamb with Mint Spiedie

1 cup olive oil
Juice of two fresh lemons
6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 shallots, sliced thin
1 tablespoon chopped oregano
1 small bunch fresh mint, leaves picked and chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together oil and lemon juice. Add all remaining ingredients to oil mixture and stir well. Toss with 3 pounds of cubed lamb and place in a sealable plastic bag. Lay flat in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 8 hours. Light a grill to medium high heat. Skewer lamb and grill over a medium high heat for eight to ten minutes. Baste meat with marinade while grilling. Bread of choice—Pita. Wrap pita around skewer, slide meat off and eat. Optional–Top the lamb with yogurt, sliced red onions and cucumbers for Greek style treat.

Cornell Chicken Spiedie

1/2 cup olive oil
1 egg, well beaten
1 cup white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

Combine all ingredients in a plastic, sealable bag. Add three pounds of cubed chicken meat to the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for eight hours or overnight. Skewer chicken and grill over a medium high heat for eight minutes until chicken is brown and charred in places. Baste meat with marinade while grilling. Bread of choice—Thick white country style bread. Wrap the bread around the skewer, slide the meat off and eat. Optional-spread mayonnaise or roasted garlic aioli on the bread before adding the chicken.

Healthy Tofu Pesto Spiedie

2 cloves garlic, peeled
3 cups of fresh basil leaves, stems removed
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of olive oil
Juice and zest of one lemon

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and mix until smooth. Place in a sealable plastic bag and add one pound extra firm tofu, cut into 2-inch cubes. Marinade overnight or up to 24 hours. Light a grill to medium high heat and brush the grates with cooking oil. Skewer the tofu cubes and grill for 6 to 8 minutes per side. Bread of choice—whole-wheat spinach tortillas. Wrap the tortilla around a skewer and slide the tofu off the stick. Add lettuce, sliced tomato and any remaining pesto marinade.

Spicy Asian Beef Spiedie

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar 3 scallions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons Butternut Squash Seed Oil
2 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, scallions, sugar, ginger, oil, pepper flakes and salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk well. Pour into a plastic sealable bag. Add two pounds of local, grass fed beef (top sirloin is best) and seal. Marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight. Light a grill to medium high heat. Skewer the beef and grill 6 minutes per side. Brush marinade over beef while cooking. Remove skewers when meat is charred and firm to the touch. Bread of choice—French baguette, cut into four pieces and sliced in half lengthwise. Wrap the bread around the stick and slide the beef off. Optional-add sliced cucumbers, grated carrots and torn pieces of Boston or bibb lettuce.

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