Beef and Cheese Crunch Wraps

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb of ground beef
• 1 onion chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt and pepper
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp each of cumin and dried cilantro
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1 tbsp minced garlic

• Extra Grande burrito size tortillas Mission brand
• Subway Baja Chipotle Sauce
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Tostadas
• Sour cream
• Shredded lettuce
• Tomatoes diced
• Taco sauce

Instructions

• Heat a griddle over medium heat. Cook ground beef with a chopped onion and season with taco seasoning. Once beef is fully cooked drain any extra grease and add 1 tbsp minced garlic.
• Lay out a large burrito size tortilla. Add some chipotle sauce and shredded cheddar cheese. Add a scoop of the ground beef and put a tostada on top.
• Add sour cream, shredded lettuce, and diced tomatoes. Fold the sides up and put on the griddle seam side down.
• Cook on low heat until both sides are golden brown. Serve with taco sauce and enjoy!

Notes

This recipe made 4 large crunch wraps. If you don't have a griddle you can make this recipe inside on a stove using a couple of skillets instead. 

Mutabal Kousa - Zucchini Dip

 2 large or 3 smaller zucchini 

Olive oil

3 tbsp. Plain yogurt 

2 tbsp. Tahini

Juice of 1 lemon 

1tbsp. Chopped mint

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pinch of salt

Slice zucchini in half lengthwise and drizzle with olive oil. Char zucchini over a grill or under the broiler until very soft. Put zucchini, yoghurt, tahini, lemon juice, mint, garlic, and salt into a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. Let sit for 15 minutes before adjusting seasonings to taste. Serve with vegetables or pitas.

Note: If I hadn’t made this myself, I wouldn’t have been able to tell that it was mostly zucchini.

Steak Marinade

 Marinade steaks between 2 hours and overnight.

• ▢ 1/3 cup soy sauce
• ▢ 1/3 cup lemon juice
• ▢ 1/2 cup olive oil
• ▢ 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ pinch of red pepper

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

 1 lb. chicken breast sliced or pounded to 3/8”

BBQ sauce

1/2 lb. bacon, cooked

4 slices of havarti

1 medium onion, caramelized(optional)

4 onion rolls

Butter

Coat chicken with BBQ sauce and grill for approximately 3 minutes per side, until just cooked through, slice each piece in half.  Toast and butter the onion rolls, top with 2 pieces of chicken, bacon, onions, and havarti; broil until the cheese melts and is bubbly, top with second half of bun.

Notes:

We buy frozen chicken that’s pre-sliced to a good sandwich thickness; 1lb. is usually 4 pieces.

The onion rolls I use have onion pieces in the dough not just on top, so I usually skip adding caramelized onions.

Greek Chicken Kebobs

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• 1 3/4 lbs bonless skinless chicken breasts , diced into 1 1/4-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp olive oil , divided, plus more for grill
• 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic , minced
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large red bell peppers , diced into 1 1/4-inch pieces
• 3 small zucchini (nearly 1 lb), sliced into rounds slightly under 1/2-inch thick
• 1 large red onion , diced into 1 1/4-inch wedges

1. In a bowl whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, coriander and season with salt and pepper to taste (I used 3/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper). 
2. Place chicken in a gallon size resealable bag, pour olive oil mixture over chicken and press chicken into marinade. Seal bag and refrigerate 45 minutes to 2 hours (no longer than 2 hours or the chicken will start to get mealy because of the acidic ingredients). If using wooden skewers soak them in water for 30 minutes.
3. Drizzle and toss veggies with 2 Tbsp of the olive oil (I just left them on the cutting board and tossed them) and season lightly with salt.
4. Preheat a grill over medium-high heat. Thread a red bell pepper, red onion, zucchini, 2 chicken pieces on to skewer and repeat twice. Brush grill lightly with olive oil, place skewers on grill and grill until chicken registers 165°F (73°C) in center, about 7 - 9 minutes, rotating once halfway through cooking. Garnish with parsley, serve warm with Tzatziki sauce.

   
   

   NOTES - I didn’t have coriander 

   
   

   https://www.cookingclassy.com/greek-chicken-kebabs-with-tzatziki-sauce/#jump-to-recipe

   
   

   
   

Grilled Pork Kebobs

2 (12-ounce) pork tenderloins, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoons five-spice powder
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon cornstarch
4 ½ tablespoons hoisin sauce
Vegetable oil spray
2 scallions, thinly sliced

You will need four 12-inch metal skewers. We prefer natural pork, but if your pork is enhanced (injected with a salt solution), do not salt it in step 1.

INSTRUCTIONS
Toss pork and salt together in large bowl and let sit for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk five-spice powder, garlic powder, and cornstarch together in bowl. Add hoisin to five-spice mixture and stir to combine. Set aside 1 1/2 tablespoons hoisin mixture.

Add remaining hoisin mixture to pork and toss to coat. Thread pork onto four 12-inch metal skewers, leaving 1/4 inch between pieces. Spray both sides of meat generously with oil spray.

FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.

FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s).

Clean and oil cooking grate. Place skewers on hotter side of grill and grill until well charred, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip skewers, brush with reserved hoisin mixture, and continue to grill until second side is well charred and meat registers 140 degrees, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Transfer to serving platter, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions and serve.

NOTES:

• These were good enough to blog, but I'd make a few changes next time.
• Most notably, they were too salty.  Either use less salt or rinse the salt off before adding all the spices and sauce.
• I had a Costco pork roast which made enough for 6 kebobs
• I faked the 5-spice blend but am looking for the authentic version for next time

Beer Chicken Marinade

• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped onion(reconstituted from dried works)
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1½ cups beer(we used Dos Equis, anything light would work well)
• 4 pounds of raw chicken

Combine everything except for the beer and chicken in a large measuring cup, slowly add the beer.  Put the chicken into a zip top bag and slowly pour in the marinade.  Seal the bag and let rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours, but overnight is better.

Note:  This marinade also freezes well with chicken, if you don't need 4 pounds at a time, just omit the parsley until you thaw the chicken.

Grilled Marinated Shrimp

1 cup olive oil

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 lemon, juiced

2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails attached

skewers

1. In a mixing bowl, mix together olive oil, parsley, lemon juice, hot sauce, garlic, tomato paste, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Reserve a small amount for basting later. Pour remaining marinade into a large resealable plastic bag with shrimp. Seal, and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
2. Preheat grill for medium-low heat. Thread shrimp onto skewers, piercing once near the tail and once near the head. Discard marinade.
3. Lightly oil grill grate. Cook shrimp for 5 minutes per side, or until opaque, basting frequently with reserved marinade.

NOTES:

• Source
• We were pretty loose with the ingredient list (surprise).  I used dried parsley, less pepper sauce and tomato sauce instead of paste.
• In spite of all that, these were super easy and even more delicious than expected!
• I used a 2 lb bag of Costco uncooked shrimp (the larger ones) and just put the marinade inside the bag of thawed shrimp.
• It worked perfectly with our awesome skewers and we'll be making this again!

Lime and Chili Rubbed Chicken Breasts

Molly has been recommending this recipe to me for quite awhile and I finally had all the ingredients plus good grilling weather all at the same time.

It's delicious and could not be easier!

2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons grated lime peel
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb)
2 teaspoons olive or canola oil

• Heat gas or charcoal grill. In small bowl, mix chili powder, brown sugar, lime peel, salt, garlic powder and ground red pepper. Rub both sides of chicken with oil, then with spice mixture.
• Place chicken on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 10 to 15 minutes, turning once or twice, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F).

Refrigerating the "rubbed" chicken 20 to 30 minutes before grilling really enhances the flavor.

You can bake the chicken. Place the rubbed chicken in a foil-lined shallow baking pan and bake in a 375°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

NOTES:

• I dipped the first piece into the spices and it picked up way too much.  Lesson: rub, not dip.
• Make extra pieces and serve it cold on salad.  You'll be glad you did!
• Source

Plank Grilled Salmon

Based on this, but with ingredients I had in my fridge. I used prepared honey mustard instead of the Dijon/brown sugar combo recommended. It was really good.

1 cedar plank (6 by 14 inches)

2 salmon fillets (1 1/2 pounds total)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons Dijon mustard

6 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions

Soak cedar plank in salted water for 2 hours, then drain. Remove skin from salmon fillet. Remove any remaining bones. Rinse the salmon under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Generously season the salmon with salt and pepper on both sides. Lay the salmon (on what was skin-side down) on the cedar plank and carefully spread the mustard over the top and sides. Place the brown sugar in a bowl and crumble between your fingers, then sprinkle over the mustard.

Set grill for indirect grilling and heat to medium-high. Place the cedar plank in the center of the hot grate, away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook until cooked through, around 20 to 30 minutes. The internal temperature should read 135 degrees F. Transfer the salmon and plank to a platter and serve right off the plank.

Thai Chicken Skewers

¼ smooth peanut butter

2 Tbsp. chopped onion

2Tbsp. chopped parsley (fresh)

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 ½ tsp. soy sauce

1 clove garlic finely chopped

1 tsp. Tabasco sauce

½ tsp. ground coriander

1 pound boneless skinless chicken tenderloins

Wooden skewers

Combine all ingredients, except chicken, in medium bowl. Add chicken, toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate 6 to 8 hours overnight. Put chicken on skewers. Broil, grill or bake. Bake 350 for 20-30 minutes.

NOTES: I doubled the recipe but still only used 1 teaspoon of Tabasco sauce for this crowd. I did not have coriander, so just ignored it, and I misread the recipe and used tablespoons for the soy sauce measure instead of teaspoons. Despite all of these adjustments, they were very good!

I grilled them, but Sheila baked them for core group last month. Both were tasty and moist. If you bake them, you might want to save yourself a nasty clean-up mess by covering your baking sheet with foil.

Source: Sheila Bauer

Ginger Peach Sauce

1 fresh peach

1/2 c. orange juice

1/4 c. brown sugar

2 tsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. ginger (or more to taste)

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

Cut peach into 8-12 slices, drizzle with balsamic vinegar if desired, grill 3-5 minutes per side. Meanwhile, combine all other ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add peach slices, and simmer until slightly thickened. Serve with pork and rice.

Notes:

• This was made on the fly, so all measurements are approximate.
• I was in the midst of slow cooking a large pork loin, so I used that, but obviously the yummiest option would be to grill pork chops along with the peaches.
• This makes a pretty thin sauce, so if you like it thicker, mix a little more orange juice with some cornstarch and add that to the sauce as it simmers.

Prosciutto Chicken Burgers

2 lbs. ground chicken

2 oz. prosciutto, finely chopped

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 tbsp. maple seasoning

6 slices havarti

6 whole wheat kaiser rolls

Mix together the chicken, prosciutto, salt, garlic, and maple. Form into 6 patties and grill for ~5 minutes on each side, top with cheese and serve on kaiser rolls.

Grilled Pineapple

1 large ripe pineapple
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon or lime juice
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

Trim, core, and peel pineapple. Cut into quarters from top to bottom. Slice out the core from each quarter. Cut each quarter slice into two pieces You should now have 8 long wedges of pineapple. You could also cut each of these in half to get 16 shorter servings

In a small bowl, combine honey, lemon or lime juice, and black pepper. Brush the glaze onto each slice of pineapple, coating completely.

Preheat barbecue grill. Either oil or spray the grill rack with non-stick cooking spray. Place pineapple wedges on the grill and cook approximately 4 minutes on each side (turning so that grill marks are on all sides) until the pineapple becomes fragrant and starts to dry out on the surface. NOTE: Don't overcook, or they'll turn mushy.

Remove from the grill and brush with any additional glaze one more time. Serve and enjoy!

Grilled Corn Salad

6 ears corn, shucked
2 avocados, cut into cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

3 green onions

1/2 of a small can of diced chili peppers, or 1 teaspoon of diced jalapenos

Dressing:

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

Grill corn and green onions over low heat until it starts to brown in spots; allow to cool slightly and the cut the kernels off the cob, finely chop the white portions of the onion. Stir together the dressing ingredients, stir in the avocado chunks first followed by the remaining ingredients. Chill to allow the flavors to meld.

Note: The only reason I stir the avocados in first is so that they get coated with lime juice to slow the browning.

Yield: about 1-1/2 quarts(mind you they were kinda smallish ears of corn)

Tilapia grilled on a cedar plank

In the "Could-Not-Have-Been-Better" category -

1. Soak the cedar plank in water for 30 minutes or so and then let the excess surface water drain off.
2. Place tilapia on the plank.
3. Brush with olive oil
4. Sprinkle with lemon pepper, salt, dill weed.
5. Grill over medium heat coals until done (10-15 minutes).
6. Make more than you think you'll need because even Jenni wanted more.

Marinated Flank Steak

Another "thumbs-up" recipe from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

½ cups Soy Sauce

½ cups Cooking Sherry

3 Tablespoons Honey

2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil

2 Tablespoons (heaping) Minced Ginger

3 cloves (to 5 Cloves) Minced Garlic

½ teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

1 whole Flank Steak

Preparation Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a glass or ceramic dish. Remove flank steak from package and give it a quick rinse. Coat both sides of the meat with marinade. Refrigerate for at least 3 to 6 hours.

Remove the steak from the marinade and place on a plate while you heat up the grill pan. Make sure to turn on your overhead exhaust fan as the cooking process can be quite smoky. When the pan is extremely hot, place the steak on a slight angle as this makes for more appealing grill marks. Cook without touching for about 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Rotate the meat about 45 degrees, keeping it on the same side, and cook for another 1 ½ minutes.

Now flip it to the other side. Cook using the same method on the other side, cooking for 1 1/2 minutes, then rotating it and finishing the cooking process. I cook the flank streak to medium rare, which usually takes about 5 to 7 minutes total cooking time. Remove the meat to a cutting board and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing.

NOTES: I did not add the sesame oil and we grilled instead of cooking it indoors. We did increase the cooking time by a few minutes, but it was outdoors in the winter; I'm not sure you'd have the same issues with the same recipe grilled in warm weather. The keys to making this tough cut of meat pretty delicious are (1) marinading and (2) thin-ish cuts across the grain of the meat.

Grilled Pork Skewers with Peanut-Basil Sauce

20-30 fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup peanut butter*

3/4 cup coconut milk

2 tbls. soy sauce, more to taste

1 clove garlic, peeled (you know I put more than that in ;-)

1-inch long piece of ginger, peeled

1/2 tsp. red chile flakes

juice of one lime (I used about 1/4 cup lime juice from the bottle)

1/4 tsp salt

1 pound boneless pork shoulder or loin

Marinade: In blender, combine everything but the pork and pro

cess until mixture forms a smooth paste. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. (Note: Mixture should be salty, spicy, and hot.)

Set aside 1/2 cup to use as dipping sauce.

To marinate pork: Slice pork into 1-inch cubes. Toss with remaining marinade until well coated. Thread meat onto skewers, without crowding.

To cook pork: Heat grill, grill pan, or broiler until quite hot. Cook pork, turning once, for 5-8 minutes or until brown all over.

Serve with reserved marinade. Garnish with lime wedges.

MY NOTES: We all loved the flavor of this recipe!

• I couldn't really taste the coconut milk, but it's thickness added to the consistency of the sauce. A substitute could be used if it didn't thin the marinade too much.
• I had a little over a pound of pork roast and really there was enough sauce that I could've doubled that - maybe more.
• The only down side of this recipe is that the combination of the basil and peanut butter makes the sauce a weird tannish-green color.

*It says "preferable chunky" but I'm not sure why since it all gets blended anyway.