Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘grilling’

I’m really, really going to miss this warm summer weather when it’s gray, cold, and dreary outside. Today Julia, William, and I spent most of the morning outside in our backyard. We blew bubbles, which is still one of Julia’s favorite activities. Sometimes I wonder how she doesn’t pass out from blowing so many bubbles without a rest! Then Julia rode her tricycle around and around as William watched. He loves to be outside, and I totally agree when the weather is as perfect as it was this morning.  I feel so lucky to be able to work part-time, so that I can enjoy days like today at home with my two little kiddos.

Turkey burgers are a staple meal in our house, either grilled outdoors when the weather’s nice, or on the grill pan in the winter. When I need dinner to be especially quick and easy, I buy the premade turkey burger patties at the grocery store. If I have a few extra minutes to spare, though, I make my own patties using this recipe. While it does take a little more time and effort, the results are well worth it.

The turkey gets plenty of flavor from sauteed onions and garlic, plus some chopped parsley. My favorite way to top these burgers is with bbq sauce, red onion, lettuce, and tomato. Oh, and cheese of course! I generally like cheddar but Swiss is also good with bbq sauce.

One year ago:  Sweet and Sour Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry

Turkey Burgers

Printable Recipe

Makes 4 burgers

Ingredients:

  • 1.25 lbs. ground turkey
  • 1 tsp. olive oil
  • 1/2 cup minced onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped parsley
  • Salt and pepper

For serving:

  • 4 burger buns
  • Cheese slices
  • Lettuce
  • Tomato slices
  • Sliced red onion
  • BBQ sauce or condiments of your choice

Directions:

  1. Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Saute onion until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat to cool.
  2. Place the turkey in a large bowl. Add the onion, garlic, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix until well combined. Form the meat into four equal sized patties.
  3. Grill over medium heat until cooked through. During the last two minutes of cooking, top each burger with a slice of cheese. Slice each bun in half and toast the insides. Serve burgers on toasted buns with lettuce, tomato, red onion, and BBQ sauce.

Source: Kristine’s Kitchen

About these ads

Read Full Post »

I’ve come to love portobello mushrooms in recent months. It started with this pizza and then these stuffed portabellos. And now these bbq grilled portabello sandwiches are a new favorite vegetarian meal in our house. The portabellos are seasoned with a quick spice mix and grilled alongside some red onions. Add some cheese, avocado, and bbq sauce and assemble on a burger bun and you’ve got a great sandwich.

If you haven’t ever tried a portabello mushroom and are feeling skeptical of this recipe, I encourage you to give it a try. The mushrooms are pretty hearty and do a great job of subbing in for the meat that you’d usually find in a burger. The grilled portabellos are juicy and flavorful on their own, and even better when combined with melty cheese, sweet-spicy bbq sauce and creamy avocado.  I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

One year ago:  Black Bean Burgers

BBQ Grilled Portabello Sandwiches

Printable Recipe

Makes 2 sandwiches

Ingredients:

  • Olive oil
  • Red onion, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
  • 2 burger buns
  • 2 portabello mushrooms
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper
  • Gouda cheese, sliced
  • 1/2 avocado, sliced
  • BBQ sauce

Directions:

  1. Heat a grill pan or gas grill over medium heat. Brush the onion rounds with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Grill on both sides until they begin to soften and caramelize on the edges, about 4 minutes per side. Set aside.
  2. Remove the mushroom stems and use a butter knife to scrape out the gills. Combine the paprika, onion powder, chili powder, and pepper in a small bowl. Brush both sides of the mushrooms with a little olive oil and sprinkle with the spice mix. Grill over medium high heat, about 3-4 minutes per side, until mushrooms are juicy and tender. During the last minute or two of grilling place the sliced Gouda on top of the mushrooms so that it will melt.
  3. Toast the burger buns by placing them on the grill for a few minutes.
  4. To assemble the sandwiches, place a mushroom on each bun and top with some of the grilled onion rounds, avocado slices, and bbq sauce.

Source: Adapted from How Sweet It Is.

Read Full Post »

Are you growing a garden this summer? We have a few tomato plants that are doing well, and some basil that’s not doing so great. We also have a few strawberry plants that have produced about 5 strawberries total (so much fun for Julia even though we won’t be making any strawberry pies with homegrown strawberries anytime soon). I really wish we had a bigger garden, and we’re working on putting up a planter box on our side yard. In the meantime, we’re lucky that my parents share with us. They’ve grown some delicious green and yellow squash, and they shared a few more with us this past weekend so I made them into this pasta dish.

My favorite way to prepare summer squash is grilling, usually on my grill pan because it’s easier for me than using the outdoor grill. To make this pasta, I grilled the squash and tossed it together with some whole wheat penne, baby arugula, and cheese. I had some leftover smoked gouda in my fridge that I needed to use up, so I cut it into small cubes and tossed it with the pasta. It worked ok, but I think mozzarella would be a better choice, as the smokey flavor was a bit too pronounced for the pasta. Fresh mozzarella would be especially tasty.

I love simple meals like this, because they’re both easy and a great way to use up ingredients that you have in your fridge. Pasta is great for mixing in whatever vegetables, cheeses, beans, etc. that you enjoy and need to use up. This meal is both nutritious and flavorful, and perfect for a weeknight dinner.

One year ago:  Mississippi Mud Pie

Pasta with Grilled Summer Squash

Printable Recipe

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 10 ounces whole wheat penne pasta
  • 2 cups baby arugula
  • 3 ounces (about 1/2 cup) mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes (or any cheese that you enjoy and have on hand)
  • 2 large or 3 medium summer squash, such as zucchini and yellow squash, sliced lengthwise into 3/4 inch thick slices
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and place in a large bowl. Add the arugula and mozzarella to the bowl with the pasta.
  2. Meanwhile, heat a grill pan over medium heat. Brush both sides of the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until the squash begin to get soft, about 4 minutes per side. Place the squash on a plate to cool slightly and then cut into bite-sized pieces. Place the squash in the bowl with the pasta.
  3. Drizzle a little olive oil over the pasta, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and Parmesan, and toss to mix. Serve.

Source: Kristine’s Kitchen.

Read Full Post »

One of the best parts about summer is being able to cook dinner on the grill. Summer salads like this one are great for warm days when you don’t want to turn on your stove or oven, or eat a big, hot meal. Spend a few minutes indoors mixing up a quick vinaigrette to season the chicken and vegetables, and then head outside to enjoy some fresh air and relaxing family time while the meat and squash are grilling. Then chop and toss it all together, and it’s time to enjoy dinner, preferably outdoors!

We really, really enjoyed this salad.  The summer squash is the star of the meal, and the vinaigrette plus grilling add delicious flavor to both the vegetables and chicken.  Peppery arugula works wonderfully here, too, adding yet another flavor dimension.  This salad is going to become another staple in my list of easy, healthy, and delicious summer meals.

One year ago:  Creamy Strawberry Ice Cream

Grilled Chicken and Summer Squash Salad

Printable Recipe

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

For the vinaigrette:

  • 1 large clove garlic
  • Kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice and 2 tsp. finely grated zest (from 1 lime)
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. finely grated or chopped peeled fresh ginger
  • 1 tbsp. finely chopped jalapeno (seeded if you like less heat)
  • 1 tsp. granulated sugar

For the salad:

  • 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pound mixed summer squash, such as zucchini and yellow squash, sliced 3/4 inch thick on an extreme angle (about 3 medium)
  • 1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, pounded to an even thickness
  • 5 oz. baby arugula
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. Prepare a medium-high gas or charcoal grill fire.
  2. Chop the clove of garlic and then mash it into a paste with 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt, using the side of your knife. Put the garlic paste, olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, cilantro, ginger, jalapeno, sugar, and 1 tsp. salt in a small jar with a lid. Shake to emulsify.
  3. Drizzle the chicken and squash with 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette, and toss to coat. Grill on both sides until the squash is barely tender and the chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool briefly.
  4. Meanwhile, toss the arugula in a large bowl with 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper. Divide among 4 plates.
  5. Cut the squash and chicken into bite-size pieces. Put them in the bowl and toss with the remaining vinaigrette and salt and pepper to taste. Use a slotted spoon to divide the mixture among the plates.

Source: Slightly adapted from Fine Cooking.

Read Full Post »

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Every time I make these grilled chicken fajitas, I ask myself why we don’t make them more often. First of all, the marinade used in this recipe is amazing, imparting such great flavor to the chicken. Second, grilled vegetables are involved, which is always a good thing. Third, this meal is surprisingly easy to get on the table.

Add in a side dish or two, and you have a delicious meal (and probably some leftovers, too). This time, I served black beans and Spanish rice topped with fresh tomatoes alongside the fajitas. We also enjoyed some tortilla chips and homemade salsa- if you haven’t yet tried this recipe for restaurant-style salsa, I highly recommend that you do so soon!

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 6 tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  • 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 tsp. brown sugar
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded, ribbed, and diced
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 3/4 tsp. pepper
  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied (6 halves total)
  • 1 large red onion, sliced into 1/2-inch thick round slices, rings not separated
  • 2 large bell peppers, stemmed, quartered, and seeded
  • 8-12 (6-inch) flour tortillas

Optional, for serving:

  • Sour cream, cheese, avocado, guacamole, and/or salsa

Directions:

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice, 4 tablespoons of the vegetable oil, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, jalapeno, cilantro, salt and pepper. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade; set aside. Place the chicken breast halves in the marinade, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
  2. Brush both sides of the onion rounds and peppers with the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Meanwhile, prepare a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill until hot.
  4. Remove the chicken breast halves from the marinade and transfer to the grill; discard the left over marinade. Place the onion rounds and peppers on the grill. (I grilled my vegetables on my grill pan.) Cook the chicken until it is well browned, 3-4 minutes. Flip the chicken and continue grilling until it is cooked through. Meanwhile, cook onions and peppers until spottily charred and crisp-tender, about 8-12 minutes, turning once or twice as needed. When the chicken and vegetables are done, transfer them to a large plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
  5. In 2 or 3 batches, transfer the tortillas in a single layer to the now empty grill. Cook until warm and lightly browned, about 20 seconds per side. When the tortillas are done, wrap them in a clean kitchen towel or foil.
  6. Separate the onions into rings and place them in a medium bowl. Slice the bell peppers lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips and add them to the bowl with the onions. Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved unused marinade and toss well to combine. Slice the chicken into 1/4-inch strips and toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons of reserved marinade in another bowl. (I usually skip these steps of tossing the vegetables and chicken with reserved marinade.) Serve chicken and vegetables with the warmed tortillas, and sour cream, cheese, avocado, guacamole, and/or salsa, if desired.

Recipe slightly adapted from Annie’s Eats, originally from Cook’s Illustrated

Read Full Post »

Grilled Potatoes in Foil Packets

With just a few weeks of grilling weather left, I need to share with you this recipe that we’ve been making all summer. Cooking potatoes in foil packets on the grill couldn’t be easier, and the results are delicious. I especially appreciate how the insides of the potatoes become tender without the outsides getting overly crisp, as sometimes happens when I try to cook them in a skillet on the stove top. You can customize the seasonings for the potatoes however you like. My favorite flavor additions are shallots and rosemary. Enjoy!

Grilled Potatoes in Foil Packets

Printable Recipe

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 8 small red or Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into small cubes
  • Onions or shallots, diced
  • Bell pepper, diced (optional)
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Other seasonings of choice (I like to use dried rosemary; oregano or Italian seasoning would also be good)
  • Cooking spray

Directions:

  1. Place the cubed potatoes and onions/shallots (and bell pepper, if using) in a medium bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and other seasonings of choice.
  2. Tear off 8 sheets of foil into sizes that are big enough to hold and wrap around 1/4 of the potatoes. Place two sheets of foil on top of each other to make a double layer, so that you have 4 groups. Spray the tops of the foil with cooking spray, then layer 1/4 of the potatoes in the middle of each double-layer foil sheet. Fold the foil up over the potatoes and twist the edges to seal.
  3. Cook on the grill over direct medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Be very careful when opening the packets, as the steam will be very hot.

Recipe slightly adapted from Pennies on a Platter.

Read Full Post »

Grilled Chicken with Peach-Watermelon Salsa

This meal came about one day when I had both watermelon and peaches that I needed to use up. I thought making them into a fruit salsa to serve with grilled chicken sounded delicious, and I was right. Fruit salsas are great for topping grilled chicken or fish and are delicious as a dip for tortilla chips as well. I also like to combine fruit salsa with grilled steak or chicken in a tortilla when I’m in the mood for a taco with a unique flavor twist.  You can even use fruit salsa as a topping for burgers (recipe to come soon!)

This salsa recipe is a basic method that you can play around with by switching up the kinds of fruit that you use. Mango, cantaloupe, honeydew, nectarine, and even avocado, as well as the peach and watermelon that I used, would each be great in a fruit salsa. Pick one or two (or even three!) of these and have fun experimenting in your kitchen to make your own variety of fruit salsa!

One year ago:  Chocolate Ice Cream

Grilled Chicken with Peach-Watermelon Salsa

Printable Recipe

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

For the chicken:

  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 2 tbsp. honey
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

For the salsa:

  • 1 cup watermelon, diced
  • 1 large firm ripe peach, diced
  • 1/4 cup red onion, diced small
  • 1/2 jalapeno, diced small
  • 1 tbsp. fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tbsp. lime juice
  • Pinch of salt

Directions:

  1. For chicken marinade, combine lime juice, honey, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Place marinade in a large zip-top plastic bag, add chicken, and seal. Turn the bag a few times to make sure all chicken is coated with the marinade. Marinate in refrigerator for 2-4 hours, turning the bag once or twice.
  2. Heat grill and grill chicken until cooked through. Meanwhile, prepare the salsa: combine all salsa ingredients in a medium bowl and stir gently to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve, no longer than 1 hour.
  3. Serve grilled chicken topped with peach watermelon salsa.

Recipe is a Kristine’s Kitchen original.

Read Full Post »

Grilled Vegetable Salad in Pita Bread

I was recently organizing my recipes and came across a recipe for Fattoush, which is a Middle Eastern bread salad (a similar idea to Italian bread salad, or panzanella). It had been years since I last made this recipe, but I remembered that we had enjoyed the flavors in the dish. This time, I decided to make my own version using my first batch of homemade whole wheat pitas. (The pitas turned out amazing, so look for a post on them in the near future!) The recipe called for grilling the pitas until crisp and then tossing them with the vegetables. Instead, I served the vegetables wrapped in the pitas because I felt the pitas were so good as is (I didn’t want to change the soft texture of the pitas by grilling them).

The above photo shows the grilled vegetable salad served on top of a pita. My intention was to wrap the pita around the vegetables and eat it that way, but most of the salad ended up falling out of the pita. Brad put his veggies inside the pita pocket, which worked much better.

This vegetable salad is big on flavor, thanks to the Kalamata olives, feta cheese, green onions, lemon juice, cilantro, and grilled vegetables. The original recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, but I used less because I wanted the other flavors to be more prominent. I also omitted 1/2 cup of fresh mint leaves, because I’m not a big fan of fresh mint.

This salad is a good choice for a light, meatless dinner. The leftovers make an excellent lunch the next day.

Grilled Vegetable Salad in Pita Bread

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 3 medium orange or red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and quartered
  • 4 zucchini, trimmed, cut lengthwise in half
  • Extra virgin olive oil (for grilling)
  • Salt and pepper
  • Cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 12 cherry tomatoes, each halved, or 1 whole tomato, diced
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 scant cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
  • Pita bread (I used whole wheat)

Directions:

  1. Heat grill pan over medium-high heat (or heat outdoor grill). Brush peppers and zucchini on both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Grill peppers and zucchini until slightly charred and just tender, turning once, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet to cool.
  2. Once cool, cut peppers into 1/2-inch sized pieces. Cut zucchini lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Place in a large bowl. Add cucumber, tomatoes, green onions, olives, and cilantro and toss to combine.
  3. Whisk 1/3 cup olive oil, lemon juice, and cumin in a small bowl to blend. Season dressing with salt and pepper to taste. Add dressing to salad and toss to coat. Gently mix feta into salad.
  4. Serve the salad in whole wheat pita bread.

Recipe significantly adapted from Bon Appetit, July 2007.

Read Full Post »

Garlic Lemon Chicken Kabobs

Now that it’s summer, we try to grill as often as possible. It’s just so easy to cook on the grill, and I appreciate how few dishes there are to wash after grilling. Not to mention how flavorful food is when it’s cooked on the grill.

We loved these chicken kabobs. The marinade gave the chicken a wonderful flavor. We grilled some veggie kabobs to go alongside the chicken. Our veggies were a combination of yellow squash, zucchini, and red bell pepper, brushed with some olive oil and salt and pepper. This meal was fairly simple to put together and tasted fantastic. It’s going to become a part of our regular meal rotation!

Garlic Lemon Chicken Kabobs

Ingredients:

  • 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  • 1 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • ½ tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ¾-inch pieces

Directions:

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.  Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix to coat with the marinade.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.
  2. Prepare a medium fire in a grill (we used a gas grill).  If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 20 minutes before use.
  3. Thread the chicken pieces onto skewers and discard the excess marinade.  Lightly oil the grill grates.  Place the kabobs on the grill, cover, and cook until the chicken is opaque throughout, about 8-12 minutes, turning once or twice during cooking.  Transfer to a warmed platter and serve immediately.

Recipe from Annie’s Eats, originally adapted from Williams Sonoma

Read Full Post »

Simple Meal Idea: Grilled Flank Steak, Roasted Asparagus, and Potatoes

If you’re looking for a quick and tasty summer dinner, try grilling some flank steak and serving it with vegetable sides. Brad grilled the steak, and kept it simple by sprinkling it with some steak seasoning. I used Karen‘s recipe for roasted asparagus, and it was delicious and so easy. I sauteed some red potatoes to round out the meal. First, I chopped them into small cubes. Then I cooked them in a skillet with a little olive oil over medium-low heat until they were tender (about 15 minutes), stirring often. I seasoned the potatoes with some salt and pepper. We really enjoyed this meal!

Soon to come…an amazing sandwich recipe to make with the leftover steak!

Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients

  • 1 lb asparagus spears (thick spears are best for roasting)
  • 1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
  • Kosher Salt
  • Freshly grated black pepper
  • Lemon juice

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.  Wash the asparagus.  Break the tough ends off of the asparagus and discard.
  2. Lay the asparagus spears out in a single layer in a baking dish or a foil-covered cookie sheet.  Drizzle olive oil over the spears and roll the asparagus back and forth until they are all covered with a thin layer of olive oil.  Sprinkle with minced garlic, salt, and pepper.  Rub over the asparagus so that they are evenly distributed.
  3. Place pan in oven and cook for approximately 8-10 minutes, depending on how thick your asparagus spears are, until lightly browned and tender when pierced with a fork.
  4. Drizzle with a little fresh lemon juice before serving, and add a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese for an extra touch.

Serves: 4

Recipe from Cooking with Karen, originally adapted from: Simply Recipes

Read Full Post »

Older Posts »

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 136 other followers

%d bloggers like this: