Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants!

Grilled Carrots with Thyme and Onions

I don't know where I first found this recipe but it is probably one I have done on the grill more than any other. It is easy - a real no fuss production that results in a great addition to a meal. I've made this with carrot slices, baby carrots, julienned carrots, and so on - it is forgiving and flexible - my kind of recipe!

Grilled Carrots with Thyme and Onions

1 lb peeled carrots, sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 tsp butter
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
freshly ground pepper

Divide carrots between two pieces of foil large enough to fold into packets. Sprinkle evenly with onion, butter and thyme; season with salt and pepper to taste. Loosely wrap foil over vegetables, sealing tightly. Place on grill over medium-high heat; cook, turning once, for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender-crisp (note: smaller pieces of carrot will require less grilling time). Makes 4 servings.

Grilled Tenderloin Steak with Gorgonzola Butter

For me one of the joys of the spring is that I can fire up the grill again. Don't get me wrong, I grill throughout the winter but it is a lot nicer grilling while sitting outside than it is grilling whilst running in and out to sit in front of the fireplace for warmth.

On Sunday I had made those amazing breadsticks and decided to make some gnocchi with a gorgonzola sauce to enjoy them with. I probably would have been good with that but was also craving red meat. I know, I know . . . what don't I crave?

I found this recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens grilling cook book. It seemed perfect - simple and elegant at the same time. I love the combination of beef and blue cheese - a match made in heaven.

We served the steak on top of the gnocchi.

YUM

Grilled Tenderloin Steak with Gorgonzola Butter

4  boneless beef top loin steaks, cut 1 inch thick (about 2 pounds total)
2  tablespoons crumbled Gorgonzola or blue cheese
2  tablespoons soft onion-garlic cream cheese (I used Boursin)
1  to 2 tablespoons butter, softened
1  tablespoon chopped pine nuts or walnuts, toasted
salt
pepper
olive oil
thinly sliced fresh basil or chopped parsley

Bring the steaks to room temperature. Brush lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the steaks on the grill rack of an uncovered grill to desired doneness, turning once. (Allow 8 to 12 minutes for medium-rare doneness or 12 to 15 minutes for medium doneness.)

Meanwhile, for flavored butter, stir together Gorgonzola or blue cheese, cream cheese, butter, and nuts. Shape into 1-inch-diameter log. Wrap in plastic wrap; chill.

Slice flavored butter into 8 slices. Place 1 to 2 slices of flavored butter on each steak. Sprinkle with basil or parsley. Makes 4 servings

Grilled Halibut with Mango Salsa

This is my entry for this week's Weekend Herb Blogging round up. This blogging event was started by Kalyn from Kalyn's Kitchen. The round up is hosted by Susan from The Well-Seasoned Cook this week- be sure to pop by to see what other bloggers have come up with.

Paul and I have been trying to eat more fish lately. Generally we try and enjoy one piece of fish a week. This may not seem like much for most folk but for us it is huge! I think I have eaten more fish in the past year than I have in my entire life.

I was searching for something to make for dinner tonight and found this at the cooking light web site.This is a perfect summer dish. The salsa is fantastic as it is, or could be easily modified (add jalapeno for heat, use peaches instead of mangoes, etc). This would be good for having guests over--make the salsa earlier in the day and just grill the fish when guests arrive. I would imagine that this salsa would be great with any firm-fleshed white fish.

Grilled Halibut with Mango Salsa

2 cups plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 1/2 cups diced peeled ripe mango
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 (6-ounce) halibut fillets
1 tablespoon olive oil

Prepare grill.

Combine first 7 ingredients. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and garlic.

Rub halibut with oil; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place fish on grill rack; grill 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve with mango salsa.

Yield:4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet and 3/4 cup salsa)

CALORIES 295 (24% from fat); FAT 7.8g (sat 1.1g,mono 3.9g,poly 1.7g); PROTEIN 37g; CHOLESTEROL 54mg; CALCIUM 105mg; SODIUM 687mg; FIBER 2.8g; IRON 2.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 19.5g

Cooking Light, JULY 2003

One of the key ingredients in this dish is the mango. Native to southern Asia, especially eastern India, Burma, and the Andaman Islands, the mango has been cultivated, praised and even revered in its homeland since Ancient times. Buddhist monks are believed to have taken the mango on voyages to Malaya and eastern Asia in the 4th and 5th Centuries B.C. The Persians are said to have carried it to East Africa about the 10th Century A.D. It was commonly grown in the East Indies before the earliest visits of the Portuguese who apparently introduced it to West Africa early in the 16th Century and also into Brazil. After becoming established in Brazil, the mango was carried to the West Indies, being first planted in Barbados about 1742 and later in the Dominican Republic. It reached Jamaica about 1782 and, early in the 19th Century, reached Mexico from the Philippines and the West Indies.

Mango Nutrition Information
Mangos are very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium.They're also a good source of Dietary Fiber and Vitamin B6,and a very good source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C.

For those who are physically active, whether working out or constantly on the go, mangos are a great way to replenish that lost potassium. An average sized mango can contain up to 40% of your daily fiber requirement. If you are eating your mango-a-day, irregularity is not a problem for you! Research has shown that dietary fiber has a protective effect against degenerative diseases, especially with regards to the heart; may help prevent certain types of cancer, as well as lowering blood cholesterol levels. Beyond being delicious and rich in vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants, mangos contain an enzyme with stomach soothing properties similar to papain found in papayas. These comforting enzymes act as a digestive aid and can be held partially responsible for that feeling of contentment we experience during and after our daily mango ritual!

Good-quality Mangoes will yield slightly to gentle pressure when ripe. The coloring will be deep red and/or rich yellow with only a blush of green at the most. (Very green mangoes are used in certain dishes) Medium to large mangoes are generally best. A ripe mango will smell fairly fruity on the stem end as long as it is not

Storing Mangoes
The ideal post harvest storage temperature for mangos is 55º F. When stored properly a mango should have a shelf life of 1 to 2 weeks. We have found that the best way to ripen a mango is at room temperature, on the kitchen counter and if you wish to accelerate the process place in a paper bag overnight.

Grilled Fig and Prosciutto-Stuffed Pork Chops

This is what I woke up to this morning:

Brrrr

What was a chilled boy who had just returned from a short trek to California to do for dinner? Shovel the snow around the BBQ and grill up some tasty grub!

This recipe was originally from the cooking light web site, although I did modify it a bit.The tangy balsamic vinegar and sweet molasses provided a nice balance to the spicy rub.

Grilled Fig and Prosciutto-Stuffed Pork Chops

2 dried figs, halved
2 very thin slices prosciutto (about 3/4 ounce)
1/2 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 3/4 inch thick)
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons molasses

Prepare grill.

Wrap 2 of the fig halves in each prosciutto piece.

Combine fennel seeds and next 6 ingredients (through freshly ground black pepper) in a small bowl.

Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each pork chop to form a pocket. Stuff 1 prosciutto wrap into each pocket. Sprinkle pork chops with fennel mixture. Place pork chops on grill coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Combine vinegar and molasses; brush over pork chops.

Spiedini di Salsiccia e Manzo

Have you voted for our photo which has been entered in a photo contest yet? Remember a 10 is good! *smile*

Recently I have become more aware of 'food blog events'. These are collections of theme posts which are designed to share thoughts and ideas about the selected theme. Some wags might suggest that they are also designed to increase traffic to one's blog, but they should probably just have another merlot and pipe down. Anyway, I digress.

This is my first post for the Weekend Herb Blogging event started by Kalyayn of Kaylayn Kitchens.  Each week someone takes on the immense task of 'hosting' the event. This involves gathering up all of the information and putting it all into a genormous post! This week's host is Katie from Thyme for Cooking, the Blog.

The recipe that I have selected to include for this entry is from the Jamie Oliver cookbook jamie's italy. I've posted about this collection of recipes before: Spaghetti con Gamberetti e Rucola, Dinner with Rose and Mom, and Linguine alla Carbonara di Salsiccia. I should have posted more because I think I have made about a third of the recipes (an unusual feat for me with any single cookbook!) by now, not everything makes its way to a blog post unfortunately.

I like this recipe because it makes use of rosemary in a subtle way. Rosemary is one of my favourite herbs. Last fall when we were in Italy I was amazed to see huge clumps of rosemary growing all over the place, almost as a landscaping plant - if only it grew like that here in Canada! Unfortunately the harsh winters kill it off. One night I asked the owner of the villa we had rented if I could snip off some rosemary for something I wanted to make for diner. Gabrielle cut off a HUGE hunk from the nearest plant, gave it to me, and said 'enjoy'. A hunk that size would have been equivalent to 2 years growth on a plant at home (if they even lived through the winter). Needless to say, I was jealous.

Because we use so much rosemary in our cooking we always try and plant a bush or two each year in our herb garden. This way we have fresh rosemary for much of the year. You can find great instructions for growing your own rosemary here.

In this recipe the rosemary is not the dominant flavour, in fact its presence is decidedly low-key, like a classic flavouring though it is always there in the background. Because the meat is skewered on long threads of rosemary branches, the herb imparts a subtle flavour to the entire spiedini.

12 1-inch cubes of beef
4 large good-quality Italian sausage
4 thickly cut slices of pancetta
18 fresh sage leaves
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 lemon, zested and halved
good quality extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
4 long, firm sprigs of fresh rosemary

Put the cubes of beef into a large non-reactive bowl. Gently twist and pinch each sausage until you have three smaller, round sausages, then use scissors to cut them apart and add them to the bowl. Slice the pancetta into 1-inch pieces - you should get about 4 - 5 from each slice - and add to the bowl. Put 12 of the sage leaves into the bowl.

Crush the remaining sage leaves with the garlic and lemon zest until you have a pulp. Drizzle in about 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and the juice of half a lemon. Stir well and pour over the meat in the bowl.

Marinate in the fridge for 1 - 3 hours.

From this point you can either bake the spiedini in the oven or grill them. We grilled them and they were fabulous.

Pre-heat your grill to high.

Remove all of the leaves from the rosemary sprigs - leaving a few at the top for a garnish. Reserve the leaves for another use. Using the tip of a knife, scrap the 'bark' from the branch. Cut the end of the spear to allow you to more easily thread the meat onto the 'skewer'.

Make the spiedini by threading on a piece of pancetta, then a folded sage leaf, then a piece of sausage, and then a piece of beef. Do this three times for each spiedini, finishing with a cube of pancetta. Season with salt and pepper.

Grill the spiedini on each side until cooked through (about 15 minutes in total).

Before serving squeeze over the remaining lemon juice.

Lamb Burgers with Oregano, Mint, and Cucumber-Garlic Sauce

Paul whipped these up last night. He actually first made this recipe last year and we loved the results. For some reason (likely the fact that I get far too many food magazines and cookbooks) we never made it again until last night. These really are the best burgers I have ever had (and I have eaten my share over the years folks!)

Easy to put together and quick to cook, these burgers would be a welcome choice on a week night. We used fresh herbs and tomatoes form our garden. That is one of the nicest things about this time of the year; the ability to open the patio, door walk outside, and gather whatever I need to add to a recipe. I know that the herb is the freshest it can be!

Some folk might be put off by the use of ground lamb. I think that we were at first. We quickly got over it - there is not a strong lamb taste just the wonderful combination of garlic, feta, herbs, and onion all held together with the lamb. In a pinch you could use prepared tzatziki but it won't taste as good!

This recipe originally appeared in the Weber's Real Grilling cookbook.

Sauce:

4 oz English Cucumber
2 tsp minced garlic
8 tablespoons finely chopped mint, divided
1/2 cup plain yoghurt
1/2 tsp kosher salt
few drops Tabasco sauce

Directions:

Peel, grate, and seed the cucumber. Drain in a sieve while preparing the rest of the ingredients. In a small bowel, stir together the garlic, 2 tablespoons of the mint, the drained cucumber, and the remaining sauce ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Burgers

2 pounds ground lamb
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup minced onion
3 tablespoons finely chopped oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper

6 onion or Kaiser rolls
6 slices of ripe tomato

Directions

In a large bowl, gently mix the burger ingredients, including the remaining 6 tablespoons of mint. The shape the meat into six patties of equal size, about 2 cm thick. Refrigerate about 15 minutes before grilling.

Grill the burgers over direct heat until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once.

During the last 30 seconds, toast the buns, cut side down.

Serve the burgers on the toasted buns with the tomato slices and cucumber sauce.

Serves 6

Pulled Pork with Hot Pepper Vinegar Sauce

The pic to the left shows what you get when you take a pork shoulder roast, rub a spice rub into the roast, and slowly BBQ it for 5 hours. Look at those amazing crispy bits - those are my favourite! But when you start to 'pull' it apart (hence the name) you end up with a hunk of amazing flavourful and tender meat.

We have long been fans of pulled pork even though it is difficult to find here. Last week I decided that I wanted to whip together a pulled pork sandwich. I was to discover that they can't be 'whipped together' quickly but darn it they are brilliant!

I added hickory wood chunks to the smoker for the last  2.5 hours of cooking.

The tender shreds of spiced pork are all the more delectable when drenched in this hot pepper vinegar sauce. When i make it gain I will double the sauce recipe - I like these really messy!

For the rub:

2		tablespoons paprika
1		tablespoon packed brown sugar
1		tablespoon chili powder
1		tablespoon ground cumin
1		tablespoon sugar
1-1/2		teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
2		teaspoons salt
1		teaspoon ground red pepper
1		boneless pork shoulder roast (Boston butt), 4 to 5 pounds

For the sauce:

3/4		cup apple cider vinegar
3/4		cup white vinegar
2		tablespoons sugar
1/2		teaspoon red pepper flakes
1		teaspoon hot pepper sauce
		Salt and pepper
		Hamburger Buns
		Coleslaw (optional)

To make the rub: In a small bowl combine all rub ingredients. Rub mixture over pork roast, pressing into surface.

Place pork in center of cooking grate. Grill 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 hours for well-done (170° F/77° C), or until very tender. Remove meat from grill; cover and let stand for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a medium saucepan combine apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes, hot pepper sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. Keep warm.

Shred, chop, or "pull" pork into shreds with two forks. Add hot pepper vinegar sauce; mix well. Serve on buns with extra sauce and coleslaw, if desired.

Makes 12 to 16 servings.

This is what the pulled pork looks like after it has been 'pulled' and sauced:

Summer Salad - Thai Chicken Salad

In keeping with the - it is too damn hot to cook situation - we made another summer salad tonight. I don't know why I call it a summer salad. I grill all year around.  I have salad all year around. Who knows. calling it a summer salad works but like all good food things - I won't restrict myself just to summer!

This recipe was from the Better Homes and Gardens Grilling Cookbook.

I modified the recipe a bit. I added julienned carrots. I skipped the toasted sesame seeds - not for a good reason. I just forgot!

The flavours came together very nicely. This is a great, fresh tasting salad.

4 servings Prep: 30 minutes

Marinate: 2 to 24 hours

Grill: 12 minutes

Ingredients:

4 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 cup salad oil
2 tablespoons peanut butter
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cups pea pods, trimmed and strings removed
8 cups torn mixed salad greens
Toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

Place chicken breast halves in a plastic bag; set aside. For marinade, combine the 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, ginger, and white pepper; pour over chicken. Close bag and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Drain chicken; discard marinade. Grill chicken on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 12 to 15 minutes or until tender and no longer pink in center, turning once. (Or, broil 3 to 4 inches from heat for 12 to 15 minutes or until tender and no longer pink, turning once.)

Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk salad oil into peanut butter. Stir in 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, and crushed red pepper; set aside.

Meanwhile, cook pea pods in a small amount of boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain.

To serve, diagonally cut chicken breast halves into thin slices. Arrange greens on a serving platter or individual plates. Top with sliced chicken and pea pods. Drizzle with peanut butter dressing. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Hamburgers with Grilled Mushrooms and Jalapeno Ketchup

Yesterday was Paul's turn to cook dinner and he decided that this recipe was the way to go. I was skeptical about the ketchup as we had never made homemade ketchup before but it wasn't too challenging in the end. I would suggest making the ketchup the day before you plan on serving these burgers so that the flavours have time to fully blend.

This recipe is from William Sonoma's the Complete Grilling Cookbook.

If you're looking to shake things up a bit at your backyard barbecue bash, make this jalapeno ketchup! if you are pressed for time try and find a bottle of jalapeno ketchup at a specialty foods store and serve it with these classic burgers. Also, if you don't want to use ground sirloin, ask your butcher for the next best grade of meat that's on hand.

For the Jalapeno Ketchup

2 lb (1 kg) ripe tomatoes
1 yellow onion minced
1/4 cup (60 ml) cider vinegar
1/4 cup (60 ml) dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 jalapeno chillies, seeded and chopped

Ingredients

2 pounds ground sirloin
1 small yellow onion, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound fresh white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
Vegetable oil
6 hamburger buns, split
6 lettuce leaves
6 slices of tomato

Instructions (ketchup):

In a food processor, working in batches, puree the tomatoes. Pass through a sieve placed over a large bowl; discard the contents of the sieve. Transfer to a saucepan and add the remaining ketchup ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to low, and continue to cook, uncovered, until the mixture reduces to a ketchup-like consistency. It took us about 40 minutes but our tomatoes were very juicy, with a 'meatier' tomato the time would be less. Remove from the heat, cool, and pour into a jar.

Instructions (burgers):

Prepare grill to medium heat. In a bowl, combine the meat with onion, salt and pepper, but don't over-mix. Divide the mixture into six equal portions and shape each portion into a patty about 1 inch thick.

Brush the mushrooms with oil and place on an oiled grill screen. Place the patties and the grill screen on the grill rack and grill, turning once, until the mushrooms are tender and browned and the burgers are done to your liking, about 10 minutes for medium.

About two minutes before the burgers are done, place the buns on the grill and toast lightly.

Transfer the buns to a plate, top each with a lettuce leaf and tomato slice, then with a burger patty. Divide the mushrooms among the burgers and serve hot.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches

I had been wanting to try this recipe for some time. We kept placing it on the menu for Friday night and then for the last few weeks we had had so many leftovers to knock back that it seemed wasteful to cook something new. Today was the day, however.

This was a flavourful sandwich  . . . the smoky rub, the sweet heat from the jelly, and the sauce . . . it was all working. To think that it was actually low-fat!

As you can see I served the sandwiches on a toasted mini baguette with some chips and a pasta greek salad. This was a great Friday night dinner for a hot evening.

1/4 cup hot jalapeño jelly
1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed
Cooking spray
1/4 cup light ranch dressing
1/4 cup sweet hickory smoke tomato-based barbecue sauce (such as Bull's-Eye)
8 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns or Kaiser rolls

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

Combine jelly and water; set aside.

Combine paprika and next 6 ingredients (through pepper); rub evenly over pork. Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray; cover and grill 15 minutes, turning pork occasionally. Brush pork with jelly mixture. Grill an additional 5 minutes or until thermometer registers 155° (slightly pink).

Place pork on a cutting surface. Lightly cover with foil; let stand 10 minutes. Thinly slice pork. Combine ranch dressing and barbecue sauce. Serve pork and ranch mixture with buns.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 bun, 3 ounces pork, and 1 tablespoon sauce)

CALORIES 329 (22% from fat); FAT 8g (sat 2g,mono 2.1g,poly 1.6g); PROTEIN 27.8g; CHOLESTEROL 76mg; CALCIUM 73mg; SODIUM 920mg; FIBER 1.8g; IRON 3.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.6g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2005