Pineapple Shortcakes w/Creme Anglaise

The following recipe was prepared during my Summer Grilling cooking class. You can read about it and check out the other recipes I made for the class HERE.

Grilled Pineapple Shortcake w/Creme AnglaisOne of my favorite fruits is pineapple. Because of its high sugar content, especially when ripe, they are great on the grill. I was inspired by taking the idea of strawberry shortcakes and using pineapples in place of the berries. To save time, I didn’t make the biscuits from scratch so I used biscuits from a tube (the horror!) I used a bottled caramel sauce and my friend Harv made the creme anglaise.

Here is my recipe for Pineapple Shortcakes w/Creme Anglaise:

1 pineapple, rind removed and sliced into rounds
1 tube of prepared buttermilk biscuits (or homemade)
2-3 tablespoons turbinado sugar
Creme anglaise (I don’t have Harv’s recipe for this yet, but you can use your own recipe.
Caramel sauce, prepared (you can use ice cream topping too)
whipped cream or even vanilla ice cream.

Prepare the biscuits as directed. Before baking, sprinkle turbinado sugar over the tops.
On a medium high heat grilled, place pineapple slices and grill with open lid.
Turn the pineapple slices when grill marks appear and the natural sugars begin to caramelize.

To plate, place a sugar topped biscuit on your serving dish and top with a couple slices of grilled pineapple.
Drizzle caramel sauce over the top and serve along size a dollop of creme anglaise, ice cream or whipped cream.

Grilled Vegetable Couscous Salad

The following recipe was prepared during my Summer Grilling cooking class. You can read about it and check out the other recipes I made for the class HERE.

Grilled Vegetable Couscous Salad

I wanted to serve up a filling salad that would also be great as a main entree for those that want a meatless meal. This salad takes grilled vegetables, couscous and a balsamic vinaigrette together fora light dish and requires little work.

Here’s my recipe for Grilled Vegetable Couscous Salad:
2 cups prepared couscous
1 bunch aspagarus, bottoms trimmed
3 portabello mushrooms
4 roma tomatoes, halved
1 yellow squash, halved lengthwise
2 zucchini, halved lengthwise
1 red bell pepper, halved & seeded
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon spice mix
1 lemon, juiced

Lightly toss vegetables in a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
Place on medium high heat grill and grill until slightly charred. Vegetables will cook at different times so keep a look out on these as they cook.
When vegetables are cooked, remove from grill and coarsely chop into bite sized pieces.
Toss all grilled vegetables and prepared couscous in a large serving bowl.
To make the dressing, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, spice mix (you can use whatever you’d like) and drizzle over couscous and vegetables.
Squeeze a whole lemon over couscous & toss to combine.
Grate a nice hard italian cheese, such as parmesan over the couscous salad and serve.

Bobby Flay’s recipe for 16 Spice Chicken

The following recipe was prepared during my Summer Grilling cooking class. You can read about it and check out the other recipes I made for the class HERE.

Spiced Two Ways

For the chicken drumsticks, I rubbed them with spices and seasonings as I did with the pork chops. However the 16 Spice Chicken is a recipe of Bobby Flay’s. Combine the following spices together and coat boneless skinless chicken breasts and grill as you would the pork chops above.

Here is Bobby Flay’s recipe for 16 Spice Chicken:
3 tablespoons ancho chile powder
3 tablespoons pasilla chile powder
3 tablespoons ground cumin
3 tablespoons ground coriander
3 tablespoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon allspice
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon ground fennel seed
1 teaspoon chile de arbol
3 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Pork Chops Three Ways

The following recipe was prepared during my Summer Grilling cooking class. You can read about it and check out the other recipes I made for the class HERE.

Pork Chops Three Ways

For my center, thick cut pork chops, I did nothing more than coat them in various rubs, spices and seasonings. In fact, when I buy meats in bulk, I’ll take a few pieces and coat them with rubs/spices, place in a freezer bag and freeze for future meals. For these chops, I coated them with a Bell Pepper & Herb rub, BBQ rub and Greek rub.

Coat your pork chops with your preferred mix of spices and seasonings.
Before grilling, your chops should be at room temperature.
Place chops on a medium high heated grill and grill with closed lid.
No need to turn the chops more than once.
Turn chops when they are grilled, roughly 5-7 minutes, depending on thickness.
Chops will be medium when the center is slightly soft when pushed.
Befor cutting, allow your chops to rest so juices can redistribute.

Can’t Stand the Heat? Get Outta the Kitchen!

For dinner tonight, I hosted a dinner event where guests came over to learn how to cook an entire meal on the grill. It was extremely fun and the menu was fabulous. Here’s what was on my menu:

Appetizer – Margherita Pizza
Main Entree – Pork Three Ways:
Bell Pepper Herb, Greek Rubbed & BBQ Rubbed
Main Entree – Chicken Two Ways:
Greek Rubbed Drumsticks, Bobby Flay’s 16 Spice Chicken
Side/Salad – Grilled Vegetable Couscous Salad
Side – Corn on the Cob w/Spiced Butter
Dessert – Grilled Pineapple Shortcake w/Creme Anglaise
Dessert – Grilled Peach Melba w/Marscapone

To join in the fun, my fellow bloggers have submitted grilled recipes. As I do with each blogging event I host, a lucky blogger receives a giveaway related to the food theme. This event’s winner is Lisa of Lime in the Coconut! Lisa will be receiving a Grilling cookbook and some grilling spices, compliments of McCormick! Congratulations Lisa and thanks to all that participated in the blogging event! Read on to check out the recipes submitted by my fellow bloggers and pictures of my grilling event…

*I’m also submitting my 2 grilled desserts to the Recipe Remix blogging event! Check out their site in September for the round up!**

Here are grilled recipes submitted by fellow bloggers:

Soya Aloo Ki Sabji
(Fresh Dill and Potatoes dry Curry)
submitted by Nidhi of Charche Chauke Ke

Potatoes 1 large or two medium chopped
Fresh Dill/soya 1/2 bunch cut fine
Ginger 1/2 ” piece minced or grated
Green chilli 1 cut fine
Oil 1 tsp.
Asafoetida 1/4 tsp.
Cumin seeds/ Jeera 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder/ haldi 1/2 tsp.
Red chilli powder 1/4 tsp.
Coriander powder/Dhaniya 1/2 tsp.
Dry mango powder/ amchur 1/2 tsp.
Garam Masala 1/4 tsp.

A cast iron skillet is great to cook potatoes in. It gives the potatoes a great crust which makes the dish delicious, so use it to cook the potatoes in if you can. Heat the skillet and add oil. Add asafoetida, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder to the oil.
When you hear the sizzling sound, add the green chilli and ginger. Saute briefly for 30 seconds and then add the potatoes and the dill. Reduce the heat to medium low and cover the skillet. Let it cook like that for 15-20 minutes till the potatoes look like they are done. You can stir a couple of times in between.

Lastly add dry mango powder and the garam masala. Mix well with a light hand. And soya aloo ki sabji is ready. This makes a fabulous side dish, whether with lentil soup or even a spicy curry. Its delicious to just snack on them too:). Tastes great with rotis, paranthas or even rice.

Grilled Pizza
submitted by Courtney of Prescription For Good Food

2 frozen pizza doughs (thawed in fridge overnight)
1 can pizza sauce
1 red bell pepper
1/4 red onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 bunch fresh basil
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Prep all ingredients so that everything is ready for the pizzas to be assembled.
Cut the pepper and onion into thin strips.
Mince the garlic.
Roughly tear the basil (or roll together in a bunch and make thin slices for basil confetti).
Preheat the grill to medium high.
Spray the grill with cooking spray(carefully) or drizzle the dough with olive oil.
Place the dough on grill.Allow to grill for about one minute, or until the first side has a few grill marks.
Flip dough over, and begin to assemble pizza.
I added the sauce, onion, garlic, peppers, cheese, and some of the basil.
Grill until the cheese had melted.
Make sure to check the bottom of the crust to make sure it isn’t burning.
Remove from grill and sprinkle with the remaining basil.

Grilled Lemon & Garlic Marinated Pork Chops
submitted by Karen of Love To Eat

2 center cut thick pork chops boneless
3 tbsp lemon juice fresh
3 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp Italian seasonings rub: Oregano, basil, parsley, etc…Great mix
s and p to taste
2 tbsp evoo

Throw everything into a bag or bowl. Mix and cover. Marinate for 2 hours or as long as overnight. I did 5 hours.
Heat grill to medium. Put chops on and grill about 5-10 mins each side depending on thickness. Serve warm with grilled veggies and fresh seasonal fruit..we used grilled corn, peas and chilled watermelon!

Grilled Marinated Kabobs
submitted by Karen of Loves To Eat

1 chopped onion
1 cup honey
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tbsp chili powder
1/3 cup Tabasco sauce
1 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
the juice from 1 lemon
2 fresh peppers
4 large boneless chicken breasts chopped into 1 inch cubes
skewers

Mix the ingredients minus peppers, onion and chicken, in the blender for 30-50 seconds, or until well blended. Add all to a bowl and mmarinate the shish kabobs in the refrigerator for 6 or more hours. Once marinated, load up kabob skewers to your liking, and grill for about 10-15 mins per side or until chicken is completely cooked. Serve with grilled corn on the cob and fresh, chilled watermelon!

Cilantro Lime Halibut w/ Mexican Squash and Beans
submitted by Lisa of Lime in the Coconut

4 filets of fish (Halibut, Mahi Mahi or Swordfish work best here)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 lemonJuice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon of Tabasco sauce
2 chili peppers, chopped finely
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Rinse you fish filets in cold water, pat them dry and season with salt and pepper. Set them aside on a platter while you combine all the remaining ingredients. You can use a food processor if you like, but I found it just as easy to chop everything up.

Once your marinade is ready, plunk your fish down in the sauce, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Try not to let it sit for too long because the citrus will begin to “cook” the fish. Preheat your outdoor grill or grill pan and spray with cooking spray or brush with olive oil. Place your well marinaded fish filets on the grill. Pour a little marinade over the filets and close the grill cover. After about 3-4 minutes, depending on thickness, flip your filets. Pour some marinade down on the other side and allow them to finish cooking for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from grill and serve over Mexican Squash and Beans.

Mexican Squash and Beans

2 small zucchini, cut into discs
2 small yellow squash, cut into discs
1 green pepper, cut into slices
1 vidalia onion, cut into slices
1 large tomato, cut in large chunks2 ears of corn (or you can use frozen corn kernels if you want)
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 can of black beans, drained
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
salt and pepper

After you’ve chopped up the zucchini, squash, pepper, onion and tomato place in a large mixing bowl. Cover with three tablespoons of the oil and a teaspoon each of the cumin and chili powder. Season generously with salt and pepper and stir to coat all the vegetables with the spices and oil. Peel the ears of corn, rub with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Preheat your grill.

Dump your vegetables into a grill pan on the grill. If you don’t have a grill pan you can use a foil pan. Place your ears of corn directly on the grill. Close the lid and allow the vegetables and corn to cook for about 5 minutes. Keep an eye on them, lift the lid to stir the vegetables and turn the corn. The corn will start to yellow, as it softens and browns up slightly you can remove your ears. Once they cool you can cut the kernels off and mix with your finished vegetables. Once your vegetables are cooking to desired doneness, remove them from the grill.

Coriander Pepper Pork Chops
submitted by Angie of Adventures in Home Cooking

2-4 boneless porkchops
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T. coriander seeds, crushed
1 T. coarse black pepper
1 T. brown sugar
3 T. soy sauce
3 T. Olive oil

Whisk together olive oil and soy sauce in a medium bowl. Add garlic, coriander seeds, pepper, and brown sugar. Whisk together to blend. Place pork chops in dish. Marinate for 30 minutes. Remove the chops from the marinade and broil, pan broil, or grill for 10-15 minutes, turning occassionally. Juices should run clear and chops should be tender and juicy.

JS’s Savory Chicken Wings
submitted by TS & JS of [eatingclub] vancouver

1 tsp five-spice powder
2 tsp garlic powder
4 tbsp ground coriander
1 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tbsp sesame oiljuice of
1 lime
4 lbs chicken wings

Combine all ingredients together (except chicken) and whisk. Pour over chicken wings and marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.Cooking method can vary.
I baked them in the oven for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees, then finished them off at the grill. Alternatively, these can bake for the 45 minutes, broiled at the end for a charred finish. Of course, you can also cook them totally on the grill.

Basil Mozzarella Burgers
submitted by Lauren of Lauren’s Kitchen

For the burgers:
1 pound ground beef
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
About a tablespoon balsamic vinagrette dressing

Combine all ingredients and form into 4 patties. Place on heated grill pan. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side. Turn and cook for 3 more minutes. Serve with Basil Mayonnaise and Tomato Salsa.

Basil Mayonnaise:
2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper

Place all ingredients in a blender. Puree until smooth.

Tomato Salsa:
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup pimento olives, chopped (I omitted.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Let stand for 30 minutes.

Teriyaki Kabobs
submitted by Melissa of Made by Melissa

Marinade:
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 1/2 pounds boneless beef sirloin steak, cut 1 1/4 inch cubes ( I am sure boneless, skinless chicken breasts would also work well)
Kabobs:
1 small pineapple, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
1 large onion, cut into wedges
Other veggies that might be good: Mushrooms, tomatoes, red and or green bell pepper

In a bowl, combine soy sauce, oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and salt; mix well. Pour half of the marinade into a large resealable plastic bag or shallow glass container; add beef and turn to coat. Seal or cover; refrigerate for 4-8 ours, turning occasionally. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.

Drain the meat, discarding the marinade. On metal or soaked bamboo skewers, alternate meat, onions and pineapple. Grill, uncovered, over medium heat for 3 minutes on each side.
Baste with reserved marinade. Continue turning and basting for 8-10 minutes or until meat reaches desired doneness.

Grilled Peach Melba w/Marscapone

The following recipe was prepared during my Summer Grilling cooking class. You can read about it and check out the other recipes I made for the class HERE.

Grilled Peach Melba w/Mascarpone

I love how abundant peaches have been this week at my local market. Using this to my advantage, I made this dish on the grill. It’s not only easy but the colors of the dish are beautiful.

Here is my recipe for Grilled Peach Melba w/Marscapone:
1-2 large ripe peaces, halved
1 small tub of marscapone cheese
raspberry coulis (purchased or prepared)
fresh mint for garnish

On a medium high heat grilled, place peach halves and grill with open lid.
Turn the peaches when grill marks appear and the natural sugars begin to caramelize.
To plate, place the peach half on a plate and add a small scoop of marscapone cheese in the well where the pit was.
Drizzle with either a purchased or prepared raspberry coulis and garnish with fresh mint.

Drunk & Grilled

Poor little bird…. sitting on a plate, cold and shrink wrapped in plastic. I think it’s time to set this bird free! I’ve had a whole chicken fryer defrosting in my fridge for a couple days and my husband thought it would be fun to have “beer can chicken” for lunch. I thought it was a great idea since a few of my fave blogs featured beer can chicken recently.

There are countless recipes out there for Beer Can Chicken, but my husband decided to take the reigns and wing it (pardon the pun). Of course, there were no specific measurements but here’s essentially what he did:

Montreal Chicken Seasoning (McCormick Grills Mates)
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Salt & Pepper to taste
16 oz can of beer
1 tablespoon of olive or canola oil
1 whole chicken fryer

To prep your chicken, rinse and pat dry.
Coat the chicken with the spices to your taste – both outside and inside the cavity.
Drizzle the oil over the chicken and rub to coat.
Drink about 1/4 of the beer and poke holes around the 1/4 top of the can with a small knife.
Carefully place the chicken over the top of the beer can through its cavity.
Place on a medium high grill and cover, allowing it to cook for 45-50 mins. Don’t peek!
Before serving, allow the chicken to rest at least 10 minutes for the juices to redistribute.

To accompany our Beer Can Chicken, I served it with some leftover Portobella Mushroom & Spinach Pilaf, marinated tomatoes and a key lime tart. Because I forgot to share the recipe for my Portobella Mushroom & Spinach Pilaf yesterday, here it is:

3 medium sized portobella mushroom caps, stemmed removed & chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small onion, minced
1/2 cup chopped spinach (fresh or frozen)
salt & pepper to taste
2 cups prepared, cooked brown rice

In a skillet, melt butter, add onion and garlic.
While onions soften, rough chop the mushroom caps.
Once the onions become translucent, add mushrooms.
Saute until mushrooms soften and release their juices.
If the mushrooms are a little dry, add a touch of olive oil or another tablespoon of butter.
Add the prepared, cooked brown rice to the skillet* and stir until warmed through & serve.

* I recommend using a nonstick skillet when preparing this to prevent the rice from sticking and to prevent adding more butter/oil when you add the rice.

One reason why I really like cooking a whole chicken is because I can use the leftover meat for other dishes. With the leftover chicken I have, I plan on making a chicken salad and a chicken alfredo lasagna… so stay tuned for those recipes later this week!

**I’ve also submitted this chicken recipe to the Hungry for Some Chicken blogging event where they are highlighting chicken recipes this month! Check out the Nutiferia site for additional recipes for other foods they’ve highlighted in previous months.**

**I’ve also submitted this chicken recipe to the Let Them Eat Chicken blogging event! Read the interesting article about free range chickens on the blog, A Merrier World.**

Just Grill It!

It’s a gorgeous Saturday here in Chicago and we’re taking advantage of our grill. For lunch, I made this Dijon Tarragon Grilled Chicken which used up some random ingredients I had on hand. I served this with a portabello mushroom & spinach pilaf too!
Here’s the recipe for Dijon Tarragon Grilled Chicken:

1/3 cup chopped fresh (or dried) tarragon
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
Chicken pieces or boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Combine first 5 ingredients in processor. Process until smooth. Place chicken pieces in 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Pour tarragon-mustard mixture over chicken; toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour or refrigerate 2 to 4 hours, turning occasionally.

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Place chicken on barbecue. Cover and grill until chicken is almost cooked through, turning every 5 minutes and basting with marinade, about 30 minutes. Grill without basting until chicken is cooked through, about 7 minutes longer. Serve chicken hot, warm, or at room temperature.

I’m also submitting this to the Eat Healthy: Protein Rich blogging event, hosted by Sangeeth. Check out her blog for some great recipes too!

The hubby is off to work this afternoon so I’m flying solo for dinner. Since it’s just me, rather than having a full meal I’m snacking. One of my favorite snacks are nachos… or anything crunchy & salty that I can dip into something preferably cheesy.

I had some leftover ingredients from yesterday’s corn & black bean salad, as well as a package of Trader Joe’s guacamole. In my pantry I had a tub of On The Border Cheese. My random snack/dinner? A five layer dip w/chips!

3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup guacamole
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 cup shredded cheese or prepared nacho cheese
1/4 cup pico de gallo salsa

In a pie plate, layer the above ingredients in order, with the sour cream on the bottom.
Enjoy with tortilla chips & a margarita!

Fire Up the Grill! Cookout & Potluck

Today we hosted my cooking group’s monthly dinner/potluck in our home. We usually host this event in the professional kitchen I rent out, however this month we decided to throw it in our backyard for a good ol’ summer cookout. As usual, we had an abundance of food! Here are pics of the event:

Apple Chicken Sausage

Mediterranean Salad Ceasar Deviled Eggs Asian Slaw

Mini Stuffed Peppers

Bulgar Salad
Grilled Beef Kabobs Grilled Chicken Beef Fajitas & Roasted Peppers/Onions
Cold Melon Basil Soup
Blackberry Cheesecake Bars Chocolate Torte Summer Fruit Tart Watermelon Berry Cocktail

Fire Up the Grill!

It’s a beautiful summer day in Chicago and a perfect night for a grilled dinner. My husband took the lead tonight in preparing a New York strip steaks for us.

The NewYork strip steak is also known as striploin, shell steak, Delmonico or Kansas City strip steak, is one of the highest quality beef steaks on the market. Cut off of the back of the cow from the strip loin, the strip steak consists of a muscle that does little work, and so it is particularly tender. Unlike the nearby filet mignon, the strip loin is a sizable muscle, allowing it to be cut into the larger portions favored by many steak eaters. When it’s still attached to the bone, and with a piece of the beef tenderloin included, the strip steak becomes a T-bone Steak.

To prepare our steaks, we simply seasoned them with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and a little garlic powder. When the grill was hot, the steaks were cooked 6-8 minutes per side for slightly thicker cut steaks done medium well.

Along with our steaks, I prepared a mushroom risotto made with beef broth and grilled asparagus, that were tossed in some extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.