Summertime Grilled Corn

If there is one ingredient that defines summer for my family, it's corn. From the first memorial day day pool party to the last labor day barbecue, if we are grilling, we are usually making grilled corn. And by we, I really mean my wonderful husband. A few summers back, he happened to be watching Tyler Florence make grilled corn. He never wrote down the recipe, but quickly put his own twist on the method. I know grilled corn isn't a new technique, but for whatever reason this particular preparation always draws rave reviews. It doesn't require wrapping the corn in foil, or leaving a portion husk on. It's quick, simple and down right delicious. And with just a few weeks left in the summer, I suggest you try this recipe at your very next BBQ!

Summertime Grilled Corn
Inspired by Tyler Florence, created by my wonderful husband

4-6 ears of corn, shucked and cleaned
1 1/2 sticks of butter
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon, chili powder
1/8 teaspoon season salt
fresh cracked pepper

Prepare grill to medium heat.

Clean and shuck the corn. Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl. Add all of the spices to the melted butter, mixing well to combine all of the spices. With a basting brush, lightly coat each ear of corn. Reserve the extra butter mixture. Place the corn directly on the grill, turning often to evenly grill the corn. Continue to baste the corn as it grills. Grill until all sides of the corn are slightly charred and golden, approximately 7-10 minutes. Remove from grill and serve immediately.

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Grilled Pork with Blueberry Barbecue Sauce

If there is one fruit that my kids are obsessed with, it's blueberries. So when I came across this recipe, I knew that I had to give it a try. The original recipe called for salmon, which I think would have been delicious, but I happened to have thin cut pork chops on hand, so I gave it a try. The combination, of sweet and savory was amazing, and even my "I don't like sauce" child gave it a try and liked it! My only complaint with the recipe is that it really didn't make enough ... If I was making it for 4 adults, I think I would double the recipe. But maybe that's just me ... I always like to have a little more than not enough. All in all, this recipe was simple to make and definitely added some unexpected flavor to my rather boring pork chops!

Grilled Pork with Blueberry Barbecue Sauce
adapted from Pink Parsley

Directions:

4 thin cut pork chops (any cut will do)
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and patted dry
1/3 cup ketchup
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs brown sugar
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbs grated onion
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
pinch red pepper flakes

Prepare grill to medium-high heat, and let heat.

Season pork with salt and pepper to your liking.

In a medium saucepan, heat the blueberries over medium-low heat until they begin to soften and burst, about 10 minutes. Use the back of a wooden spoon to mash them, then add the ketchup, vinegars, brown sugar, garlic, onion, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and red pepper flakes.

Whisk well to combine and break up the blueberries, then increase heat to medium. Stirring often, cook until the mixture begins to bubble, then lower the heat to medium low. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened, another 10-20 minutes. The sauce will be thicker and clumpier than traditional bbq sauce.

While sauce thickens, grill pork chops. If using a thin cut chop, it should take 3-4 minutes per side. Thin chops should be grilled hot and fast. Thicker cuts will take a little longer and should be grilled at a slightly lower temperature.

Remove from grill, top with sauce, and serve.

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Grilled Vegetable Salad

I know it's been nearly two months since my last post. I've heard people are sick of checking the blog and seeing that "darn coconut cake" (sorry Chris R. in Nashville :). In all honesty we've just been having too much fun for me to sit down, write, and post recipes. From birthday parties, to family and friends visiting, to just getting out and enjoying the beautiful California summer, there has been no time to blog ... okay that, and I've just been a little lazy ;) But I am back! And I'm excited to post several simple and delicious new recipes I've made recently.

To start things off, I am posting this AMAZING Grilled Vegetable Salad. I made it for a 4th of July Celebration and everyone seemed to love it. I know I did! The best thing about this recipe is that it's summer simple - using fresh summer vegetables and cooking it on the grill. It really doesn't get much better in my opinion.

Happy Cooking and Happy Summer!!!

Grilled Vegetable Salad
Adapted from Down Home With the Neely's via foodnetwork.com
Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

* 1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed
* 1 pint grape tomatoes
* 1 medium red onion, cut into wedges
* 1 sweet yellow onion, cut into wedges
* 1 sliced yellow bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed
* 1 sliced red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed
* 2 medium zucchinis, cut into spears
* 2 medium yellow squash, sliced in rounds (about 1/8 inch thick)
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Dressing:

* 2 medium clove garlic, minced
* 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Directions:

Preheat grill to medium.

In a large bowl, toss the vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the vegetables, turning occasionally, until charred and tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove to a platter.

In a small bowl, mix garlic, white balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over vegetables just before serving.

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Grilled Tri-Tip with Red Wine Marinade

We had such a great time visiting with my husband's parents last week! So great in fact, that I've been a little behind in posting recipes :) But the good news is that while we were visiting, we also did quite a bit of cooking!

When my in-laws come to visit, I often grill tri-tip. It's a cut of meat that is somewhat difficult to find in the South East, so we often serve it at least once during their stay. Tri-tip is also a personal favorite of mine! I love the Santa Maria style that is typically found along the California Central Coast. But I also love experimenting with new spice combinations and marinades, so I was excited to try my hand at a red wine marinade.

Red wine and beef - most of us believe it's a fabulous combination. And the same holds true when you combine the two in a marinade. I found the base for my recipe on Epicurious, but did change the ratios quite a bit to suit my taste. I also reserved the marinade and reduced it, making a great reduction sauce.

Everyone agreed it was fabulous meal, and let me add, EXTREMELY simple!!!

Grilled Tri-Tip with Red Wine Marinade
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine, May 1996 via Epicurious.com
Serves 4-6

* 5 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup dry red wine
* 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1 teaspoon honey
* 1 to1 1/2 pound tri-tip (London broil may be substituted)

Directions:

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk first 6 ingredients together.

In a heavy-duty sealable plastic bag combine tri-tip with marinade. Seal bag, pressing out excess air, and put in a shallow baking dish. Marinate steak, chilled, turning occasionally, at least 4 hours and up to 24.

Prepare grill.

Grill meat to desired doneness. Reserve the remaining marinade.

For medium rare meat, grill until the center of the meat reads 145°F on a meat thermometer. Approximately 20-25 minutes on the grill. Remove from grill and let meat rest 15 minutes. Thinly slice and top with the reduction sauce.

For the reduction sauce. Bring remaining marinade to boil in a small sauce pan. Reduce heat to low and simmer 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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Greek Turkey Burgers with Garlic Feta Sauce

I'll be honest, when it comes to burgers, I'm a ground beef kinda gal. I cook with ground turkey quite often, but when it comes to burgers, I just prefer beef. But in my effort to be healthier and try new recipes, I've recently made several new turkey burger recipes. Some were just okay, and some were down right awful, but this week we had one that was truly blog-worthy.

I adapted a "Greek Burger" recipe from Rachael Ray, that originally called for ground lamb. I know ground lamb would make the burgers much more Greek, but I was afraid the meat might be to strong for my little one. Turkey was the perfect substitute.

The burgers were easy to prepare, full of flavor, and extra fun for my two year old because it was wrapped in a pita instead of a bun. I'm not sure why anything out of the ordinary makes dinner more fun, but hey, I'm not complaining :) I also highly recommend making the accompanying yogurt sauce, which I tweaked slightly by adding feta. All in all, the whole family loved these burgers, and I have a turkey burger recipe I will definitely be making again!

Note: The picture above, shows the burgers with a Greek salad - it was the perfect side dish!

Greek Turkey Burgers with Garlic Feta Sauce
Adapted from Rachael Ray, via foodnetwork.com Serves 4

* 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
* 1/2 medium yellow onion, peeled
* 1 teaspoons allspice
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* A handful plain breadcrumbs
* salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

* 1 cup Greek yogurt
* 1 large clove garlic, peeled
* 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
* 2 tablespoons mint leaves, finely chopped

* 4 large soft pitas
* sliced tomato, red onion and lettuce for garnish

Directions:

Put the turkey in bowl. Using a box grater, grate the onion over the bowl so that the pulp of the onion and juices fall into the meat. Add the spices, egg, bread crumbs, salt and pepper, to taste, and mix to combine. Form the meat mixture into 4 patties, thinner at the middle and thicker at the edges for even cooking.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with oil, or coat the burgers in oil and grill on outdoor grill. Cook the patties about 10 minutes, turning once.

While the patties cook, add the yogurt to a small bowl. Grate the garlic into the yogurt using a fine grater or zester. Add the mint and feta and stir to combine.

Eat the burgers in or on the pita bread topped with yogurt sauce, sliced tomato, red onion, and lettuce.

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Sweet and Savory - Grilled Chicken with Bourbon Peach BBQ Sauce

Lately it seems like I've been stuck in rut with boring grilled chicken. Sure, I'd add a few different spices or marinades, but it always seemed to be the same boring old chicken. I had a few peaches that were on their way to being way too ripe, so I decided to try my hand at Peach BBQ sauce. As I concocted this recipe, I wasn't even sure it was going to be "blog worthy". I looked at various Peach BBQ sauce recipes, but never really found one that suited all my needs. So I used a recipe that I found on Epicurious as my base and let my experimentation begin ...

I'll be completely honest - the texture scared me. After blending the sauce, the texture looked more like a puree than a bbq sauce. I tried to thin it out a bit (hence the last minute addition of apple juice), but I didn't want to sweeten it too much or dilute it with water. But rather than toss my creation, I let it chill in the refrigerator until dinner time.

After chilling for a few hours the sauce seemed even thicker, so I did end up thinning it with about 1/4 cup of water. However, it still had fairly thick consistency. I decided to leave it be and try it out on the chicken.

Well, somewhere along the way, something went incredibly right! We basted the chicken with the sauce just prior to finishing it up the grill. I loved that chicken had the smokey taste from the grill, and the sweet taste of the sauce.It was probably one of the best variations of boring grilled chicken we've had in quite some time. And surprisingly simple!

Grilled Chicken with Bourbon Peach BBQ Sauce
Inspired by Gourmet Magazine via Epicurious.com
serves 4

* 4 chicken breasts (seasoned with salt and pepper to taste)
* 1 pound fresh peaches
* 3/4 cup sweet onion, chopped
* 1 tablespoon canola oil
*1/4 cup cider vinegar
*1/4 cup bourbon (I didn't have bourbon, so I bought 1 mini bottle and it was the right amount)
* 1/4 cup ketchup
* 2 and 1/2 tablespoons honey
* 1 and 1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
* 1 teaspoon brown sugar
*1/4 teaspoon chili powder
* 1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
* 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:
For sauce:

With a vegetable peeler, peel peaches and chop coarsely.

In a medium size sauce pan, cook onion and a pinch of kosher salt in oil over medium heat. Cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Add peaches and remaining ingredients, and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until peaches are very tender, about 30 minutes.

Puree in blender (please use caution when blending hot substances). If consistency seems too thick, add 1/4 cup apple juice (water may be substituted).

Sauce can be made three 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Re-heat over medium to warm the sauce.

For chicken:

Heat grill to medium heat.

Season both sides of chicken with fresh ground pepper and kosher salt.

Grill chicken over medium heat for 5-7 minutes per side. Just before chicken is finished, generously brush both sides with the Peach BBQ Sauce. Grill each side for an additional 2-3 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

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A Tuscan Dinner - Tuscan Pork Chops, Parmesan White Beans, Grilled Vegetables

Several years before kids, my husband I took the trip of a lifetime to Italy with our family and friends. All 17 of us, ate our way through Rome, Tuscany, and Venice. We had the rare opportunity to live the "Italian Dream" when we stayed in a beautiful Tuscan Villa. We cooked amazing meals, drank the best wine, and enjoyed all that Tuscany had to offer. Ahhh ... the memories ... I want to go back!!!

Although we cooked most of our own meals at the villa, we did venture out to the local polo club for dinner one night. It was by far the most amazing take on simple cooking I've ever seen. Nothing fancy, just fresh, simple ingredients prepared in a way only the Italians can master ... or so I thought.

Upon our return to the states, my husband and I longed for that taste of Tuscany. So what better way to relive the trip, than to cook up the memories. Over the years we've recreated this meal more than a dozen times, and it always brings us back to that trip of a lifetime. On that note, it only seems appropriate that I share our "Tuscan Dinner" as my first recipe post. Salud!

A Tuscan Dinner
serves 4

Tuscan Pork Chops
4 double cut, thick, bone in pork chops
5-6 cloves garlic
1 sprig fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Fresh ground salt and pepper to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Peel garlic. Use half as a fresh rub; rub over both sides of the chops. Finely chop the remaining garlic and press into the chops. Sprinkle rosemary, salt and pepper over both sides of chops.

Heat grill to medium-high heat. Sear both sides of the meat. Reduce grill heat to medium. Grill until chops are cooked through. Approximately 5-7 minutes per side.

Plate chops, and drizzle with EVOO

Parmesan White Beans
2 cans white cannellini beans (I like the ones from Trader Joes)
1/2 cup freshly shaved or grated parmesan (or more ... I like cheese!)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preheat Oven to 375

Drizzle EVOO into the bottom of a small baking dish. Drain beans well (do not rinse), and empty into dish. Top with fresh grated/shaved parmesan cheese. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the top and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper (l like to use fresh cracked).

Baked for 25 minutes or until cheese is slightly golden and a little "crust" has formed over the beans.

The last time I made this meal, I served it with grilled asparagus, but you can really choose what ever veggie you like or have on hand ... italian squash goes really well too! Just add a little EVOO and the same spices used on the pork chops, and throw the vegtables on the grill a few minutes beore the pork is finsihed. You'll have the perfect Tuscan dinner!