Grilled Wings

These wings went rather quickly and I had to get a quick shot of these two!  We did a taste test to see what we liked with some of the hot sauce set that was gifted to me.  The recipe was based on one that I found on Food.com, but instead of baking them in the oven, I tried grilling them.  The results were wonderful!

Wings

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  
• 20 chicken wings

Sauce

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup Frank's hot sauce (or your choice of other flavors)
• 2 dashes ground pepper
• 2 dashes garlic powder

Directions:

1. In a food safe food bag, mix together flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt.
   
   
2. Place chicken wings in the bag and shake until they are evenly coated.
   
   
3. Close the bag and refrigerate for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. ( I actually did mine for several hours.)
   
   
4. Preheat grill to around 400 degrees.  Turn off the back burner, as you will be using the indirect heat method.
   
   
5. Spray or coat the grill with oil and then place the wings on the back burner and cook with the indirect heat.
   
   
6. Grill at 400 degrees for 40 minutes, turning once.
   
   
7. If desired, place wings on the front (direct heat) for two minutes. 
   
   
8. Take the wings off the grill and toss with Sauce.
   
   
9. Sauce: Combine butter, hot sauce, pepper, and garlic powder in a bowl and microwave until melted.
   
   
10. Stir for a couple of minutes to blend evenly.

    
    
    

     These were the ones that we tried.  The Habanero one was too hot!!!!

    
    
    

    

    These were our favorites!

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Grilled Chicken Breasts with Corn and Tomato Salad

I love watching cooking shows & especially love America's Test Kitchen & Cooks Country.  This recipe is from the Cooks Country's website, which I printed off several years ago.  It makes a really good, quick, fresh tasting summer meal with corn, basil & tomatoes.   Please try it!

2 ears of corn, husks & silk removed

2 t. olive oil plus 1/4 additional cup

salt & pepper

2 T. lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T. chopped fresh basil
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. honey
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, about 1/2" thick
1 ripe beef steak tomato

Wrap corn in microwave-safe plastic wrap (I actually use a microwave bag) & microwave on high , about 3 minutes, turning corn over halfway through cooking.  Remove plastic wrap & brush corn with 2 t. olive oil & season with salt & pepper.

Whisk lemon juice, garlic, basil & remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in small bowl & season with salt & pepper.  Transfer 2 T. of dressing to medium bowl & whisk in the mustard & honey. 

Pat chicken dry, season with salt & pepper & toss in the honey-mustard dressing to coat.

Grill corn & chicken over hot fire.  Grill chicken about 3 minutes per side.  Transfer to platter & cover with foil.  Grill corn until charred, about 5-6 minutes.  Remove from grill, cool slightly & cut kernels from the cob.

Combine corn, tomato & remaining dressing (without honey & mustard) in medium bowl & season with salt & pepper.

Serve corn salad with chicken.

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Chipotle Shrimp and Pineapple Skewers

Michael Lee West of Rattlebridge Farm and host of Foodie Friday is having her Mystery Ingredient Club again. Can you guess what the secret ingredient is???  You'll have to stop by and check out the recipes!

This recipe is courtesy of Dash, a supplement to the newspaper and dashrecipes.com

The skewers are quick, and pack some heat and smoke from the chipolte, and sweetness from the caramelized pineapple.   I hope you give it a try this grilling season.

2 chipotle chiles (from 1 can chipotles in adobo sauce), plus 2 T. adobo sauce (I freeze the     remainder chipotles  on waxed paper and then stick in a freezer proof bag)

1/4 c. packed brown sugar

2 T.  vegetable oil

1 lemon

1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cubed

1 1/4 lb.  extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 scallions, finely chopped

Preheat grill to high.

Put chipotles, adobo sauce, brown sugar and oil in a blender. Grate in zest from lemon; purée. ( I prepared this ahead of time and refrigerated it).

Halve lemon lengthwise and slice 1/4" thick. Thread shrimp and pineapple on skewers, finishing each skewer with 1 lemon slice.

Mix chipotle purée and scallions in a large shallow dish. Add skewers and rub with chipotle marinade.

Grill skewers on oiled grates until shrimp are opaque, flipping once, about 5 minutes total.

Thank you Michael Lee for hosting this fun event!

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Lemony Grilled Chicken and Quinoa Salad

 

Ohhh my, when my  ingredients arrived from Michael Lee West of Rattlebridge Farm and her son, Tyler, aka Bandwidth, I was so excited!!!  They both co-host Foodie Friday and it was the very first linky party that I ever attended.  Michael Lee is a novelist, baker, and a blogger, and is currently renovating her home at Rattlebridge Farm. 
  I'm participating in Foodie Friday and The Mystery Ingredient Club.   Those who chose to participate,  received Farmhouse Lemons, Preserved Meyer Lemon in Olive Oil and a gift of Citron Lemon Cyprus Flake Sea Salt, as well as some other salts.

Thank you, Michael Lee and Bandy!!
 

 

 

Hmmmmm....I put on my thinking cap and quickly channeled my inner Ina Garten!  I  thought that grilled chicken, using this wonderful Preserved Meyer Lemon in Olive Oil would be fabulous!

 

 

I used bone-in chicken breasts with the skin on.  Next I loosened the skin and spread some of the Preserved Meyer Lemon in Olive Oil under the skin and added a sprig of fresh Rosemary.  I then put some more of the Preserved Meyer Lemon on top of the skin and sprinkled with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.  I grilled the chicken, searing on both sides and then placing the breasts, skin side up,  on the back of the grill, where the burner was turned off and leaving the front two burners on.  The chicken took about 40-45 minutes. 

 

 

 

 

I have to tell you that these breasts turned out so juicy and with just the right touch of lemon!!

 

 

 

My next dish is a Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, which complimented the chicken so well.  Here's the recipe, which was inspired by www.kitchenscoop.com and changed by Kitty's Kozy Kitchen:

 

 

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad:

 

1 cup vegetable or chicken broth

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 cup diced cucumber

1 cup fresh tomato, chopped

1/3 cup finely chopped flatleaf parsley

1 (2.25-ounce) can sliced black olives, drained

1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/4-1/3 cup Preserved Meyer Lemon in Olive Oil

3/4 t. salt

3/4 t. ground pepper

 

Bring the broth to a boil; add the quinoa, cover and reduce heat to low and steam for 15- 20 minutes. 

 

While  the quinoa is cooking, add cucumber, tomato (and fresh juices), parsley, olives, onion and cheese to a medium bowl.  Set aside. 

 

Turn the quinoa onto a large plate and fluff with a fork and spread out for maximum exposure.  Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes to cool.  When cool, combine with the vegetables.  Add the Preserved Meyer Lemon in Olive Oil, along with the salt and pepper, and toss.  Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. 

 

May be served chilled or at room temperature.   I served the quinoa salad in some red cabbage leaves for a pretty presentation.  The meal was a success!

 

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Lemon and Rosemary Grilled Chicken

 

 

Sometimes the best meals are the easiest ones to prepare. Mealtime doesn' t have to be stressful or time consuming and this is one of those recipes.  Isn't it great when we get inspired by other bloggers and their wonderful recipes?  Recently, Mary, from Inside a British Mums's Kitchen made a  Quick Grilled Chicken and I decided to use some different herbs and put my own twist on it. Sometimes rosemary can be overpowering, but it wasn't at all in this.   Also, boneless, skinless chicken breasts can be dry, but my hubby exclaimed, " these are so good and so moist". I love when that happens!   Here's my spin on Mary's dish:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, butterflied while still partially frozen
Olive oil
I lemon, zested and cut in half
1 sprig of rosemary, removed from stem and finely chopped
A sprinkle of crushed red pepper
Salt and freshly ground pepper


Drizzle the chicken breasts with some olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle with the lemon zest, rosemary, crushed red pepper and salt and pepper.

Place chicken and the lemon halves on hot grill and cook about 4-6 minutes, flip and cook for an additional 4 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink inside.

Remove to a platter and tent with foil for about 5 minutes. Squeeze the lemon juice over and serve.

I served this with roasted red fingerling potatoes, which I also did on the grill , adding olive oil, garlic powder, chopped rosemary and salt and pepper.

I would encourage you to use the herbs that you grow and enjoy!  Lime would be delicious with this, too. 


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Spanish-Style Pork Kabobs

 

 

Oh, how I love my Weber grill!!  Living in Texas, I use it year round.  This easy recipe comes from Weber Grills online.    It's very flavorful and great for Summer time grilling.  I hope you give it a try. 

Marinade

• ⅓ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves and tender stems
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced red onion
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

• Kosher salt
• 2 pork tenderloins, each about 1 pound, trimmed of silver skin and any excess fat, cut into 1¼-inch cubes
• 2 large bell peppers, 1 red and 1 green, cut into 1¼-inch squares (I only used red)

Instructions

1. Whisk the marinade ingredients, including ½ teaspoon salt. Put the pork cubes in a large, resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the marinade, place in a bowl, and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours, turning occasionally. 
2. If using bamboo skewers, soak in water for at least 30 minutes.
3. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat (450° to 550°F).
4. Remove the pork from the bag and discard the marinade. Thread the pork and bell pepper squares alternately onto skewers. 
5. Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the skewers over direct high heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the pork is barely pink in the center, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once or twice. Remove from the grill and season with salt. Serve warm.                 

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Chipotle Lime Fajita Chicken

One of our local grocery stores makes a marinated chipotle lime fajita flavored chicken breast.  I read the list of ingredients and came up with one.  It's good on pork chops, too.

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, butterflied if they're large
1 T. of chipotle in adobo sauce (TIP:  freeze the remainder on wax paper in spoonfuls and then transfer to a freezer proof bag or container)
Juice of 1 lime
1 T. vegetable or olive oil
1 t. fajita seasoning (see below)

Put the chicken in a plastic food safe bag or container. 
Mix all the rest of the ingredients together and then add to the chicken.  Marinate for several hours. 
Take out of the bag and grill.

Fajita Seasoning Mix: (if you can't find one that is pre-made)

2 t. chili powder
1 t. salt
1 t. paprika
1/2 t. onion powder
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1/4 t. ground cumin

Mix all together and store in an old spice/herb container.

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Potato Packets on the Grill

Here's a "before" we put them on the grill picture.

I had forgotten about this delicious way to fix potatoes, until I needed a great side dish for some burgers.  When you don't want to use the oven, I hope you try these individual packets for your guests at your next cook-out.

For each packet:

1 potato, peeled and sliced thinly
some green onions, sliced
bacon, cooked and crumbled
a pat of butter
a handful of grated cheese

Ready for the grill.

heavy-duty aluminum foil, cut in a square large enough for the ingredients


Spray the aluminum foil square with cooking spray.  Add the potato and the rest of the ingredients.  Fold the square, making sure to double seal all the openings, but leaving room for expansion. 

Place the packets onto the the preheated grill and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through.  You can flip the packets halfway through.

Be careful when opening, as the steam is very HOT!

Ooey gooey cheesy goodness!

 

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Herbed Fish in Parchment on the Grill

I saw Ina Garten make this fish in parchment and it looked amazingly easy and her guests just raved about it.  It is very simple to make, has just a few ingredients, but oh my, it is so flavorful.  Ina roasted hers in the oven, but since we have 100 degree temperatures, I opted to use my grill.  I preheated the grill to 400 and used a perforated grill pan from the dollar store in which to lay the packets of fish.  Here's my adapted recipe:

Per packet:

Tilapia on parchment

8 ounces boneless fish fillet, such as snapper or cod (I used tilapia)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon good olive oil  (I just drizzled)

1 large sprig fresh thyme

2 Ceregnola or other large green olives with pits (I used stuffed olives)

Extra-large egg

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  (I preheated the grill.)

                                                                                                    
Place the fish fillet on a piece of parchment paper and sprinkle it with the salt and pepper. Drizzle the lemon juice and olive oil over the top of the fillet. Lay the thyme on top and place the olives next to the fillet.

Beat the egg together with 1 tablespoon of water for an egg wash. Brush the egg wash around the edge of the parchment paper and fold it in half. Carefully fold the edge of the parchment paper under and around the fish to make a package. Place the package on a sheet pan and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the fish is cooked through.  (My fish was thin, so I cooked it about 8 minutes.) Serve hot in the parchment paper.

 My hubby who isn't that fond of fish, gobbled this up and said "This is really good!"

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Grill pan from the dollar store, makes it easy!  These are great for many things.

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Jalapeno Garlic Chicken Breasts

This is a quick, tasty recipe, with a little heat,  for cooking on the grill this Summer.   There really aren't any measurements, as I just throw it together.  Here's the recipe:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast
Italian dressing, maybe a 1/2 cup
jalapeno, diced
a couple of garlic cloves, minced
freshly ground pepper

Put the Italian dressing, diced jalapeno, garlic and pepper in a zip lock bag.  Add the chicken breasts and marinate for several hours.  Cook on hot grill.  I usually cook 2 minutes, rotate a quarter turn, flip and then repeat.  Check to make sure chicken is no longer pink in the center.  Let rest for several minutes and enjoy!

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Onions on the Grill

YUM!

This recipe comes from Paula Deen's  The Lady and Sons, Too! cookbook.  Her title for the onions is "Saturday Night Vidalia Onions".  I've been making them for years and was telling a dear friend about them and how good they are.  I don't have any Vidalia onions, but I do have Texas Sweet ones.  This recipe is especially fun because the onions, once cooked, taste like a delicious onion soup!!  If you've never tried this recipe,  please do so this grilling season.  You'll be glad you did!

1 large sweet onion, per person
1 T. butter, per onion
1 beef bouillon cube, per onion

Prepare grill.  Trim a slice from the top of each onion and peel the onion without cutting off the root end.  Next, cut a small cone-shaped section from the center of  the onion.  Cut the onion into quarters from the top down, stopping within a half inch of the root end. 

Place a bouillon cube in the center , slip slivers of butter in between the sections and sprinkle with pepper.  Wrap each onion in a double thickness of heavy-duty foil.  Place the onions directly onto the hot grill for 45 minutes, turning every so often. 

These can also be baked in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Serve in individual bowls because they make a lot of broth, which tastes, surprisingly,  like french onion soup!!!
YUM!!

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