Sunday, June 30, 2013

Grilled Corn on the Cob



This is the such an easy way to prepare fresh corn on the cob.  I have made this several times now and it always comes out perfectly!  This is really not much of a recipe but more of just a guide to grill the perfect ear of corn.  I found this recipe on allrecipes.com  

First pull back the corn husks and remove the silky part.  Spread butter over each ear of corn and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Close the husks.  Wrap tightly in aluminum foil.  Grill over indirect heat for 30 minutes.


Remove carefully from grill... these will be super hot.  Once these are cool enough to handle,  the husks will easily peel off.

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Ingredients:

6 ears of corn
6 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
  1. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate.
  2. Peel back corn husks and remove silk. Place 1 tablespoon butter, salt and pepper on each piece of corn. Close husks.
  3. Wrap each ear of corn tightly in aluminum foil. Place on the prepared grill. Cook approximately 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until corn is tender.

Friday, June 28, 2013

Classic Rice Pilaf



I have finally found a way to cook the most perfect rice ever!  I'm not sure why I have always had such a hard time cooking rice. Seems so simple... but mine always comes out too sticky or too dry or too bland.  I even bought a rice cooker and still managed to burn it.  Oh well,  I'm happy to have found this cooking method.  This recipe come straight from Chef John at allrecipes.com.   


Here's what you will need.



First saute the chopped onion in butter and olive oil until lightly brown, about 7-8 minutes.


Mix the onion with the rice in a 9x13 baking dish.


 Pour the chicken broth, salt, over the rice mixture.



Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes. 


Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.  Fluff with a fork.  The original recipe calls for saffron and cayenne pepper.  I left both of those out and it was still great!


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Printable Recipe

Classic Rice Pilaf

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cups long grain white rice
3 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 pinch saffron (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. Melt butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until onion is lightly browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
  3. Combine rice and onion mixture in a 9x13-inch casserole dish placed on a baking sheet. Stir thoroughly to coat the rice.
  4. Combine chicken stock, salt, saffron, and cayenne pepper in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes.
  5. Pour chicken stock mixture over rice in the casserole dish and stir to combine. Spread mixture evenly along the bottom of the pan. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
  6. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove foil and fluff with a fork to separate the grains of rice.


Monday, June 24, 2013

Cheesy Fried Green Tomatoes


These are my favorite way to use those fresh garden tomatoes of the summer.  I tried these for the first time after the movie Fried Green Tomatoes came out (I loved that movie!) and have made them many times since. These have parmesan cheese in the coating which I think gives them a different twist. 


First you will need some fresh green tomatoes. These beauties came fresh out of my backyard garden.



You will also need some flour, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, eggs, milk and some vegetable oil for frying.



Whisk together the eggs and milk.


Mix together the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.




I like to slice my tomatoes about 3/4 of an inch thick.  If they are too thick they won't cook all they way thru in the middle.



Dip the into the egg and milk mixture.



Dredge in the flour and shake off the excess flour. 




Then dip these back into the egg and milk mixture.




Dredge these into the bread crumbs and cheese mixture.



Pour enough oil into the bottom of skillet to give it a thin layer.



Heat oil over medium-high heat until oil starts to sizzle. Carefully add tomato slices and cook 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.


Drain on paper towels and then salt to taste.


I like to to dip mine in ranch dressing or whatever you're favorite dressing is.  These are also great in a sandwich!

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Ingredients:

4 tomatoes
1 cup flour
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
salt to taste

Directions:

  1. Slice tomatoes approximately 1/4 inch thick.
  2. Whisk eggs and milk together in a bowl.
  3. Combine bread crumbs and parmesan cheese in another bowl.
  4. Dip tomato slices into egg mixture and then dredge into flour.  Then dip back into egg mixture and then coat in bread crumb mixture.
  5. Heat oil over medium high heat until a sprinkle of flour sizzles.  Carefully add tomato slices and cook on each side approximately 3-4 minutes each side until golden brown. 
  6. Drain on paper towels and serve dipped into your favorite salad dressing or serve in a sandwich.

Dirc

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Grilled Peaches




I love summertime and being able to cook on the grill as much as possible.  Grilled peaches make a great dessert that can be prepared while you already have the grill going for dinner.


Here's what you'll need:  some peaches, lemon, honey and some fresh mint.  This year I planted a mint plant in a pot on my back deck and it has been growing like crazy.  I've been looking for ways to use it up and decided to pair with these peaches and it turned out great.

Start by slicing the peaches in half.


Then remove the pit.  Sometimes it will pop out by using a spoon but mine were pretty stubborn. I had to use a knife to cut these out. 



In a bowl combine the honey, lemon zest and chopped mint.  Throw in the peaches and set this aside to let those flavors combine for a few minutes.



Oil the grates on the grill first to prevent these from sticking.  Place the peach slices cut side down on the grill over indirect heat for about 5-8 minutes. The honey glaze on these will make them burn easy if they are directly over the flame so be sure to keep a  close eye on them to be sure they don't get too hot and burn.  Let them cool slightly and serve with some vanilla ice cream.  Enjoy!



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Ingredients:

4 ripe peaches
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/8 cup honey

Directions:

1.  In a medium sized bowl combine the honey, grated lemon peel and the chopped mint.
2.  Slice the peaches in half and remove the pits.
3.  Toss the peaches in the bowl with honey mixture.
4.  Prepare the grill for medium -high heat.  Oil the grates.  Place peaches cut side down on grill over indirect heat.  Grill for about 8 minutes while watching carefully to be sure they don't burn. 
5.  Serve over ice cream. 


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Monday, June 17, 2013

BLT Wrap Bites




These little tasty treats never last for long.  These are super easy to make and are great to serve any time of the year.  Here's what you'll need.


I normally use just regular tortillas to wrap these up with but then I saw these at the grocery store and decided to give them a try.  I'm so glad I did.  They are not only healthier but added a great Italian herb taste.

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And this is my bacon of choice.  I try to limit the amount of red meat we eat and only serve it on occasion.  And when I do I like this bacon by Applegate because it is all natural and contains no nitrates. 


In a bowl mix the cream cheese,  ranch salad dressing and green onions.


Drain the cooked bacon and crumble it up into small pieces.


Chop up some lettuce and tomatoes.



Spread the cream cheese mixture on the wrap.


Sprinkle the bacon, lettuce and tomato on top.


Roll up the wrap as tightly as you can and then secure it with toothpicks.  Wrap this up with some plastic wrap and refrigerate  for about an hour.


Slice these about an inch thick and serve.


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Printable Recipe

BLT  Wrap Bites

Ingredients:

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup ranch dressing
  • 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • ½ cup chopped tomatoes
  • ½ cup shredded lettuce
  • ¼ cup chopped green onions
  • 2 wraps or tortillas


Directions:

1.      In a skillet cook bacon, drain, and crumble
2.      In a bowl mix together cream cheese, ranch dressing and green onions.
3.      Spread cream cheese mixture onto wraps.  Sprinkle with bacon, lettuce and tomatoes.
4.      Wrap up tightly and secure with toothpicks and plastic wrap.
5.      Refrigerate for one hour.
       6.   Slice each wrap before serving.






Thursday, June 13, 2013

Cedar Planked Grilled Salmon



This is my favorite way to cook salmon on the grill.  I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and it is simply fantastic.  Using the cedar plank really makes the difference by allowing the salmon to soak up the smokey flavors and also providing a platform to keep the salmon from falling apart.  Just be sure to use a clean untreated cedar plank.


Since fresh salmon is a little pricey here I used some frozen salmon fillets that I picked up from a wholesale club and they still came out great.  Although I bet fresh would have been even better.


Go ahead and mix up the marinade of soy sauce, garlic, green onions, ginger, vegetable oil and rice vinegar in a bowl and then pour over the salmon fillets.


Then cover and let this marinade in the fridge.  I let this marinade for about four hours.


Use a clean untreated cedar plank and cover it with water and let is soak for at least one hour. You'll need to put something on top of it to weigh it down so it's completely submerged.


Heat up the grill and and cook these over indirect heat for about about 20 minutes until salmon flakes easily with a fork.


This is seriously so easy to make!   I grilled some corn along side of it and served with a salad.  I love it when I can avoid turning on my oven on a hot summer day! :)

Original recipe makes 6 servings 
  • 2 (12 inch) untreated cedar planks
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce 
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 2 (2 pound) salmon fillets, skin removed
Directions
  1. Soak the cedar planks for at least 1 hour in warm water. Soak longer if you have time.
  2. In a shallow dish, stir together the vegetable oil, rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, green onions, ginger, and garlic. Place the salmon fillets in the marinade and turn to coat. Cover and marinate for at least 15 minutes, or up to one hour.
  3. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat. Place the planks on the grate. The boards are ready when they start to smoke and crackle just a little.
  4. Place the salmon fillets onto the planks and discard the marinade. Cover, and grill for about 20 minutes. Fish is done when you can flake it with a fork. It will continue to cook after you remove it from the grill.