Summertime marinades for the grill – for fish
Posted on 19 June 2010 under Uncategorized | 1 Comment
Moroccan
In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup olive oil; 2 T each lemon juice, chopped fresh cilantro, parsley and mint; 1 T garlic; 1 t each ground cumin and paprika, and 1/4 t cayenne pepper.
Dijon
In a bowl, combine 2 shallots (minced); 1/4 cup olive oil; 2 T white vinegar; 1 T Dijon mustard and 2 t chopped fresh tarragon.
Lemon-Pepper
In a bowl, combine 1 shallot, peeled and minced; 3 T olive oil; 2 T lemon juice; 1 T each Dijon mustard and soy sauce and 1/2 t each lemon zest and sugar
Prep Tip
If using marinade as a dipping sauce, set aside a small amount before marinating to avoid food poisoning.
Marinating Time Guide
For beef, pork, chicken or lamb Marinate at least 2 hours or overnight. For shrimp or fish, marinate 15 to 20 minutes. Either way place meat in a plastic bag (or covered dish) in the fridge.
Summertime marinades for the grill – for lamb
Posted on 14 June 2010 under Uncategorized | No Comments
Greek
In a bowl, combine 1/4 small red onion, minced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 T fresh lemon juice; 2 t chopped oregano and 1 t each lemon zest and chopped fresh thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Tandoori
In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt; 1 T olive oil; 2 scallions, chopped; 1 T lemon juice; 2 t curry powder; 1 clove garlic, minced; and 1/4 t cayene pepper. Season with salt to taste.
Pomegranate
In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup pomegranate syrup; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1 T fresh lemon juice; 1 t each chopped fresh mint and honey; 1/2 t chopped fresh oregano and 1/8 t ground cinnamon.
Prep Tip
Since lamb’s high fat content makes it prone to grill flare-ups, cook it on a two level fire: Brown lamb chops quickly on the hot side, then move them to the cooler side to gently cook through.
Summertime marinades for the grill – for chicken
Posted on 12 June 2010 under Uncategorized | No Comments
Margarita
In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup each olive oil, finely chopped red onions and chopped fresh cilantro; 2 T fresh lime juice; 1 T tequila; 1 clove minced garlic and 1/2 t fresh lime zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Jamaican Jerk
In a food processor, puree 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 3 scallions, chopped; 1 habanero pepper; 4 t white vinegar; 2 cloves garlic; 1 t chopped fresh thymen and 1/4 each ground allspice and ginger until smooth.
Terriyaki
In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 2 T rice wine vinegar, pineapple juice, 2 T soy sauce, 2 t minced garlic, 2 t honey and 1/2 t grated fresh gingerroot.
Prep Tip
To evenly grill a whole chicken, split and flatten the bird first. To do: Using a sturdy kitchen shears, make a cut on each side of the back-bone; remove the backbone. Turn the chicken over and press until it lies flat.
Summertime marinades for the grill – for pork
Posted on 11 June 2010 under Uncategorized | No Comments
Zesty Beer
In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup dark beer; 2 scallions, chopped; 2 T vegetable oil; 1 T each red wine vinegar, whole-grain mustard and honey and 1 t minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Sweet Cider
In a bowl, combine 1/2 sweet onion, minced; 1/4 cup apple cider; 2 T each apple cider vinegar and vegetable oil; 1 T packed light brown sugar; 2 t chopped fresh sage and 1 clove garlic, minced.
Orange-Fennel
In a food processor, puree 2 large shallots; 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup olive oil; 2 T whte wine vinegar; 1 t chopped fresh tarragon adn 1/2 t each fennel seeds and orange zest until smooth.
Prep Tip
At the market look for “natural” instead of “enhanced” pork. The latter type is injected with a solution of water, salt and sodium phosphate , so it won’t absorb the flavors of the marinade.
Summertime marinades for the grill – for shrimp
Posted on 10 June 2010 under Uncategorized | No Comments
Firecracker
In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup small onion, finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1/4 cup melted butter; 2 T chopped parsley, 1 T hot pepper sauce. Season with salt to taste.
Coconut-Curry
In a bowl combine 1/2 cup coconut milk; 1/4 cup small onion, chopped; 1 clove garlic, minced/ 1 T green curry paste and 1 T fresh lime juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Hawaiin
In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup pineapple juice; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1 T olive oil; 1 T teriyaki sauce and 1/4 t cayenne pepper. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Prep Tip
Before grilling, thread shimp close together onto skewers (make sure to soak skewers in water first to prevent burning on the grill). When packed tightly to creat a faux jumbo shrimp, they cook at a slower rate. So you’ll get great grill marks without overcooking.
Summertime Marinades for the grill for Steak
Posted on 9 June 2010 under Uncategorized | No Comments
Chimichurri
In a food processor, puree 1/4 small red onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup parsley, 1/2 cup cilantro, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 T white vinegar, 1/2 t dried oregano and 1/4 t hot pepper flakes until smooth. Season with salt to taste.
Balsamic
In bowl, combine 1/2 small red onion (finely chopped), 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 2 cloves garlic (minced), and 1 t chopped fresh rosemary. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Chipotle-Lime
In bowl, combine 1/4 small red onion (minced), 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 T lime juice, 1 chipotle in adobe sauce (mashed), 1 T honey and 2 cloves garlic (minced). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Prep Tip
Use a sharp knife to lightly score the surface of the meat before marinating. This allows the flavors to penetrate more deeply.
Summertime Salads – Romaine and Spinach Salad with Cider House Dressing
Posted on 8 June 2010 under Uncategorized | No Comments
Cider reduced to the consistency of syrup forms the basis for the mellow dressing in this colorful salad.
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup walnut pieces
2 t sugar
5 cups torn romaine
4 cups de-stemmed, torn spinach
1 small Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced
1 small Red Delicious apple, cored and sliced
2 T lemon juice
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
2 T white wine vinegar
1 t olive oil
1/8 t salt
Boil apple cider, uncovered in small saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 3 to 4 tablespoons. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
Combine walnuts and sugar in small skillet. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until sugar melts and coats walnuts. Set aside to cool.
Combine romaine and spinach in large bowl. Toss apple slices in lemon juice, drain and add to greens. Sprinkle with cranberries.
Whisk cider syrup with vinegar, olive oil and salt; drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with walnuts. Makes 6 servings.
Per serving: 111 calories (37% from fat), 5 g fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 16 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 66 mg sodium, 3 g dietary fiber.
Summertime Salads – Grilled Romaine with Walnuts, Parmesan and Anchovy Dressing
Posted on 7 June 2010 under Uncategorized | No Comments
4 anchovy fillets
2 t minced garlic
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup olive oil
3 hearts of romaine
2/3 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
1 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano
In a blender puree the anchovy fillets, garlic and salt. Slowly add the olive oil in a stream, stirring or pureeing constantly to make a creamy sauce. Stir in the lemon juice. Set aside.
Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Rinse and dry the hearts of romaine, then split them in half lengthwise. Brush both sides of each half with the anchovy sauce and grill until the leaves sizzle and begin to look a little frazzled. Place the cooked romaine on individual serving plates, cut-side up. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and spoon over some more of the dressing. Use a vegetable peeler to shave Parmigiano-Reggiano in thin sheets over top. Makes 6 servings.
Per serving: 174 calories, 3 g protein, 5 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 16 g fat (3 g saturated), 5 mg cholesterol, 1 g sugar, 117 mg sodium
Summertime Salads – Romaine Salad with Blue Cheese, Bacon and Radishes
Posted on 6 June 2010 under Uncategorized | No Comments
1 T minced shallots
2 t red wine vinegar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
3 T heavy cream
salt and freshly ground pepper
6 strips crisp bacon, crumbled
3 hearts of romaine
4 large radishes sliced thin
In a small bowl macerate the shallots in the vinegar until they soften (5 minutes). Add mayonnaise and blue cheese and and stir roughly with a fork, mashing any large clumps of cheese. Stir in cream to make a slightly creamy consistancy: the dressing will be very thick. Add salt to taste. Stir in a generous grinding of pepper and refrigerate tightly covered. Before serving, let ward slightly and stir briskly.
Separate the leaves of the romaine, rinse and dry well. Tear leaves and place in large bowl. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the dressing and toss, adding more dressing one tablespoon at at time as needed to lightly coat the leaves. Arrange romaine on chilled salad plates, scatter crumbled bacon over the top and scatter radishes over everything. Makes 6 servings.
Per serving: 132 calories, 5 g protein, 4 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 11 g fat (3 g saturated), 20 mg cholesterol, 1 g sugar, 308 g sodium.
Summertime Salads-Romaine Salad with Shrimp and Green Goddess Dressing
Posted on 5 June 2010 under Uncategorized | No Comments
4 anchovy fillets
2 green onions (scallions) finely chopped
1 1/2 T chopped parsley
2 T chopped tarragon
2 T tarragon vinegar
2 T minced chives
1 1/2 c mayonaisse
3 hearts romaine, torn into bite size pieces
1/2 pound cooked, peeled, deveined shrimp
3 T watercress leaves
Dressing:
Puree anchovies, green onions, parsley, taragon, vinegar and chives in food processor to make a fairly smooth paste. Stir in mayonnaise. Refrigerate (makes 1 1/2 cups dressing)
To make the salad:
Rinse romaine well, spin or wipe dry and put in large bowl.
Place the shirmp in a small bowl with the watercress leaves and add just enough dressing to coat (2T). Spoon 1/2 cup of dressing over romaine and toss to lightly coat (add more dressing as needed).
Arrange romaine on chilled salad plates, arrange shrimp and watercress on top and serve. Makes 6 servings.
Per serving: 187 calories, 10 g protein, 4 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 15 g fat (2 g saturated), 85 mg cholesterol, 1 g sugar, 229 g mg sodium