Fire Up The Grill! By Christy Rost   With Memorial Day weekend almost upon us, the summer grilling season has officially started.  This opens up so many opportunities for new flavor combinations and exciting side dishes to perk up mealtime.  Grilling also provides a focal point for pre-dinner conversation, which makes it the ideal meal to invite friends for impromptu casual dinners throughout the summer. If getting your children to sit down for a family meal is difficult, suggest they invite a friend or two over for a summer barbecue.  Grilling is a very hands-on type of cooking, with frequent turning and basting.  Kids like getting in on the action, and are more inclined to enjoy a meal which they had a hand in creating.  Ask teenagers and their friends to take turns basting and turning the meat.  They will have fun playing the role of grill master. Because grilling is so quick and easy, it is the perfect form of cooking during the week, as well as on the weekend.  One of our family's favorite grilled entrees is shish kabobs.  Meat or seafood and a variety of vegetables are threaded onto long metal skewers and placed over hot coals until the meat or seafood is done and the vegetables are crisp-tender.   A glaze or sauce is occasionally brushed over the shish kabobs to seal in moisture and add a bonus of sweet or spicy flavors. Adding "fun" to family meals is important because it encourages family members to make time to eat together.  And shish kabobs are fun!  Nearly everyone loves meals cooked on skewers because it makes a more dramatic presentation on their plates than the typical chicken leg or piece of fish.  Adjusting the amount of food on each skewer to allow for variations in a child's appetite ensures everyone has their own skewer. Try Beef Tip Kabobs with Teriyaki Ginger Sauce for a delicious summer meal with an Oriental flair.  Beef cubes are threaded onto skewers with wedges of red and green bell peppers, squash, onion and cherry tomatoes.  While grilling, a teriyaki basting sauce that takes only few minutes to whisk together, is brushed on and creates a lovely, gingery glaze. Serve these beef kabobs over a bed of Almond Couscous with Golden Raisins for a delightfully easy and tasty summertime treat.            Beef Tip Kabobs with Teriyaki Ginger Sauce 3    pounds beef tip roast or sirloin steak, trimmed 2    green bell peppers 2    red bell peppers 2    zucchini squash 2    yellow squash 1    large onion 1    pint cherry tomatoes Basting Sauce 1    tablespoon olive oil 3    large cloves garlic, minced 2    tablespoons minced onion 3/ 4 cup lite soy sauce 3    tablespoons catsup 2    tablespoons molasses 2    tablespoons packed brown sugar 2    drops Worcestershire sauce 3/ 4 teaspoon grated ginger root Slice beef into 2-inch cubes; set aside.  Slice peppers, squash and onion into chunks to fit on skewers.  Cover and refrigerate while preparing teriyaki sauce. Heat a medium saucepan over low heat and add olive oil.  Immediately add garlic and onion; saute until soft, about 3 minutes.  Stir in soy sauce, catsup, molasses, brown sugar, Worcestershire and grated ginger.  (*Hint: To peel ginger easily, scrape with a spoon.)  Bring mixture to a boil over low heat; simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens. Alternate beef cubes with vegetables on metal skewers.  Place skewers on hot grill and baste with teriyaki ginger sauce.  Turn kabobs and baste often until meat is cooked to desired doneness. To serve, place kabobs over couscous or rice on a large serving platter or individual dinner plates.               Almond Couscous with Golden Raisins 2    cups chicken broth 1/ 8 teaspoon salt (optional) 1 «  cups couscous 2    tablespoons slivered almonds 1/ 4 cup golden raisins In a medium saucepan, bring chicken broth and salt to a boil.  Stir in couscous, almonds and golden raisins.  Cover and remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes or until all broth is absorbed. Fluff couscous with a fork and serve. Read more of Christy Ross's articles in her archives. Click here. Do you have any questions, comments or suggestions? Email: jwdineline@aol.com