Wrapping Up a Busy Summer

Sorry for the delay in recipe posting! I haven't had much time in the kitchen this month. We've had a busy August. We traveled up to Michigan for some much needed R&R on the beautiful white sand beaches of Traverse City and Glen Arbor. We sampled (and bought) way too much wine from various Leelanau wineries. Our favorites include Ciccone Vinyards (Madonna's Dad), Chateau Chantal, and Chateau Grand Traverse. Another favorite store of ours is The Cherry Republic, they have so many neat jellies, sauces, jams, salsas, and treats! After we got back to Indy, we of course had to go to the Indiana State Fair for some deep fried food on sticks, and grilled cheese sandwiches from The Dairy Barn! August also brought us the release of American Teen , which I was looking forward to seeing because it was filmed in my hometown, and I know a few of the families featured in the film. I personally loved the film, and felt it was a real and true view into the heads of most teens during high school. Go see it!

So now that I'm back and have a little time in the kitchen, I'm hoping to get my blog going again. Although I will be in Virginia a couple of times over the next few weeks for work, so I apologize in advance for another brief hiatus! If anyone has any recommendations for things to do in Richmond, VA, be sure to tell me!

I've recently joined a group of girls called The Dinner Divas, and hope to be trying out as many recipes as possible with the ladies! This first recipe was a winner. Perfect for summer, fresh and delicious!

Chicken Cobb Burgers

For the burgers:

8 (1/2- thick) strips bacon

1 1/2 pounds ground chicken, 90 percent lean

2 tablespoons canola oil

Salt Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

4 burger buns, split

1 large ripe beefsteak tomato, cut into 4 slices

1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into 8 slices

For the vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup finely shredded romaine lettuce

For the burgers:
Heat the grill to medium. Place the strips of bacon on the grill (lay them across the grate so they don't fall through) and grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown and slightly crispy. Remove the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Increase the heat of the grill to high.
Form the meat into 4 (6-ounce) burgers, brush with the oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill the burgers until golden brown on both sides and cooked completely through, about 5 minutes per side. Top the burgers with the blue cheese, close the cover, and continue cooking until the cheese begins to melt, about 1 minute longer.
Place the burgers on the bottom half of each bun and top with a slice of tomato, 2 slices of avocado, 2 slices of bacon and some of the dressed romaine. Cover each burger with the bun tops and serve.

For the vinaigrette:
Whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire, garlic, sugar, salt, pepper and oil in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using to allow the flavors to meld. Just before assembling the burgers, place the romaine in a medium bowl and toss with the vinaigrette.

Source: Bobby Flay

Summertime!

Nothing screams summer like grilled sweet corn! (If you live in Indiana anyway) Even though the best corn is yet to be harvested, the current crop available at the grocery is pretty decent.

Tonight I grilled some chicken and corn, and tomorrow night I have a whole meal planned with the left overs, so be sure to stay tuned for those.

Sweet N' Spicy Roasted Corn

Shuck and clean the corn, then add to boiling water for 10 minutes. Wrap each cob into foil and grill over medium-high heat for 15 minutes, turning frequently.

Serve with the following butter sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat and mix in other ingredients.

Grilled Chicken Marinade

2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons liquid smoke flavoring
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, liquid smoke, mustard, pepper, and garlic powder. Place chicken in the bowl, and coat with the marinade. Cover, and allow chicken to marinate a maximum of 4 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat the grill for high heat.

Oil grill grate. Discard marinade, and place chicken on grate. Cook 6 to 8 minutes on each side, until juices run clear.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Grilled Chicken in No Time

Part of my problem with grilling chicken is that I don't decide to make it until the last minute, and all of the really good recipes seem to call for overnight refrigeration in a marinade. This recipe was great, and you only put the seasonings on it as you grill. It also came a long with a really good sauteed spinach & mushroom dish. I'm sure I'll be making this again soon!

Grilled Chicken Over Spinach

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
4 (4 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Sauteed Spinach:
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 (10 ounce) package fresh spinach, torn

In a bowl, combine the first eight ingredients; mix well. Spoon over chicken. Grill, uncovered, over medium heat for 7 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.
In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil for 1 minute. Stir in mushrooms; saute for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Add spinach; saute for 2 minutes or until wilted. Transfer to a serving platter; top with chicken.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Fruits & Veggies!

The other night I decided to try a Deen Brother's recipe, because they seem to have good taste in food, and lets face it, they are very cute! I roasted some veggies to go with our grilled chicken, it was a great dinner!

Lime Marinated Chicken

Marinade:

1½ limes
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, trimmed and sliced
2 teaspoons tomato paste
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Pinch salt

For marinade, finely grate the zest and squeeze the juice from limes. In a blender, combine zest and juice with remaining marinade ingredients; puree until smooth. Pour marinade over the chicken and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.

Source: The Deen Brothers Cookbook: Recipes from the Road

Roasted Veggies

1/2 lb.whole button or crimini mushrooms 1/2 lb.baby carrots
1 medium onion, peeled, cut into
1/2-inch-thick wedges
1 large red, green or yellow bell pepper, cut into 8 strips
1/3 cup Italian Reduced Fat Dressing
1/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 450°F. Line 15x10x1-inch baking pan with foil; spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

Toss vegetables with dressing and 1/4 cup of the cheese; spread into prepared pan.

Bake 28 to 30 min. or until vegetables are tender, stirring after 15 min. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Source: Kraftfoods.com

Bustin' My Chops

On to a grill that is... We are trying to enjoy being outside more, so we utilize the grill as much as possible. We seem to eat a lot of chicken, so tonight I thought I'd mix it up a bit and grill some pork chops. These were very juicy and flavorful. I did a foil packet of veggies on the side, and they were pretty good. I think I'll add some garlic to them next time, to kick it up a little.

Pork Chop Willy's Grilling Rub

3 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
3/4 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne
Six to eight 10- to 11-ounce bone-in pork rib chops, 3/4 to 1 inch thick
Vegetable oil spray

At least 1 and up to 8 hours before you plan to grill the pork chops, prepare the dry rub, combining the ingredients in a small bowl. Coat the chops with the spice mixture, place them in a large plastic bag, seal, and refrigerate.

Fire up the grill, bringing the heat to medium.

Remove the chops from the refrigerator and let them sit covered at room temperature for about 20 minutes.

Spray the chops with oil and transfer them to the grill. Grill for 18 to 20 minutes total. Turn onto each side twice, rotating the chops a half turn each time to get criss-cross grill marks. The chops are done when just a hint of pink remains at the center. Serve hot.

Source: Epicurious.com

Yellow Squash, Tomato, & Onion Packets

1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
4 large plum tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup KRAFT Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Place onions in center of (24x18-inch) sheet of foil; top with squash and tomatoes. Sprinkle with basil.

Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to seal, leaving room for heat circulation inside.

Grill 15 min. or until vegetables are tender. Open top of packet; sprinkle vegetables with cheese. Let stand 3 min. or until cheese is melted.

Source: Kraftfoods.com

Back to the Real World

We're finally all unpacked and getting ready to head back to the real world. I picked a few tasty looking grilled recipes to try this week. Tonight we tried some grilled BBQ chicken with a tangy orange twist. Very good! I'm looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow.

Citrus Barbecued Chicken Breasts
1-1/2 cups Barbecue Sauce
1 Tbsp. grated orange peel
1/3 cup orange juice
6 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 lb.)

Mix barbecue sauce, orange peel and juice. Reserve 1/2 cup of the barbecue sauce mixture. Pour remaining barbecue sauce mixture into shallow baking dish. Add chicken; turn to evenly coat both sides of each chicken breast. Cover.

Refrigerate 30 min. to marinate. Drain; discard marinade.

Preheat greased grill to medium heat. Grill chicken 12 to 15 min. or until tender and no longer pink in centers (170°F), turning and brushing occasionally with the reserved 1/2 cup barbecue sauce mixture after 8 min.

Source: Kraftfoods.com

Freaky Friday

Today has been a long, but very interesting day. It started this morning when I was awakened by an earthquake at 5:38am. I was completely dazed and startled when I woke from my slumber and immediately started questioning why the bed was swaying and the windows were rattling loudly. Without missing a beat, or even opening and eyelid, Scott said, "its just an earthquake, go back to sleep." Now maybe if I lived in California, that would have been the case, but here in Indiana, it is exciting! The rest of the day was absolutely gorgeous with perfect weather, so we couldn't resist using the grill and eating outside on the deck.

Alongside steak for myself, and chicken for Scott, I grilled veggies and potato packets.

Zesty Grilled Veggies

2 medium zucchini, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 red pepper, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1 yellow pepper, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
2 Tablespoons Kraft Fat Free Zesty Italian Dressing
1 Tablespoon Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat grill to medium heat. Place vegetables in a greased grill basket.
Grill 10 min. or until crisp-tender, turning occasionally. Place in large bowl.
Add dressing; toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.

Source: Adapted from Kraftfoods.com

Grilled Potato & Mushroom Packets

2 baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large white onion, sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried parsley
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Sour cream

Preheat grill for high heat.

Toss potato slices, onion slices, and mushrooms in olive oil and salt, pepper, parsley, and garlic.
Fold up into 2 large and liberally greased foil sheets, sealing tighly.

Place on the preheated grill, and cook 25 minutes, turning once, or until potatoes are tender. Sprinkle potatoes with Cheddar cheese, reseal foil packets, and continue cooking 5 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream if desired.

Source: Adapted from Allrecipes.com