Showing posts with label marinade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marinade. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Crank Up the Grill

No one wants to heat up the house with cooking even if the air conditioning is at full blast. Here’s a menu geared for outdoor cooking. Hang onto it for those stormy fall and winter days because this meal also works great indoors.

Marinated Grilled Steaks
Baked Potatoes
Caesar Salad
Dry Red Wine – Cabernet Sauvignon


Marinated Grilled Steaks
Photo by franky242
1 small steak of your choice per person
1 sprig fresh basil or ¼ tsp. dried
2 sprigs fresh rosemary or ¼ tsp. dried
2 sprigs fresh parsley or ½ tsp. dried
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 or 2 splashes of Worcestershire sauce
Splash of dry red wine
Olive oil

Keep the steaks to the side for a few minutes. Lay the dry ingredients in a glass or ceramic dish or a plastic bag just large enough to hold the meat comfortably.

Sprinkle in the Worcestershire sauce and red wine. Gently stir. Add the meat.

Pour oil along the side of the dish until it reaches half way up the steaks. Turn meat to coat top and bottom. Set in the refrigerator for 2 – 4 hours. Remove the dish from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking.

Heat your outdoor grill to medium. Sprinkle a few drops of Worcestershire sauce on each side of the steak and spread out with your fingers. Grind fresh pepper on one side. Grill for 3 minutes each side for rare, 4 for medium rare, 5 for well done. Turn only once.

Remove the steaks and tent with aluminum foil. Allow to sit on top of a warm stove for about five minutes. This will draw the juices back into the meat and will also cook the steak to perfection.

If you use the oven broiler, follow the same cooking times.

Baked Potatoes
1 baking potato per person
1 bay leaf for each potato
olive oil
Kosher or rock salt
butter
sour Cream
chives

Oven Method
Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Wash the potatoes under cool running water. Dry thoroughly with paper towels. Rub the skins with a small amount of olive oil. Slit across the top large enough and deep enough to fit in a bay leaf. Roll in the salt and wrap in aluminum foil.

Bake for about 45 minutes, depending on the size of the potato. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick. If the potato is cooked enough the pick will slide in easily.

When done, set the potatoes on a warm stove or inside a 200°F oven until ready to serve.

Serve with butter, sour cream, and chives.

Outdoor Grill
Preheat on medium high. Prepare the potatoes in the same manner as above.

Lay potatoes on bottom grate. Every 15 minutes roll the potatoes to a new side to prevent burning. It will take about 45 minutes to cook through. Test by inserting a toothpick. If the potato is cooked enough the pick will slide in easily.

When done, set the potatoes on the upper rack until ready to serve.

Caesar Salad for Two
Photo by Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee
1 egg coddled
1 large glove garlic
½ tsp. anchovy paste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
½ tbsp. Dijon mustard
½ tbsp. lemon juice, preferably fresh
2 drops white vinegar or as close to as possible
¼ cup olive oil
Romaine lettuce, 3 leaves per person, washed and dried
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Croutons, optional

Remove egg from refrigerator while assembling all the ingredients on your counter.

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Coddle the egg by cooking it for 2 minutes. Rinse under cold water, crack shell and scoop the runny egg into a small bowl. Break up the solid white pieces and lightly mix. Later, you will add some of this to the salad dressing.

In a large glass or wooden bowl, mash the garlic with a spoon and fork into coarse pieces. Rub the sides of the bowl with the oil that has been released.

Add the anchovy, pepper, and mustard. Mix well. Pour in the lemon juice and vinegar. Mix well. Add in ½ – ¾ of the coddled egg. Mix well. Blend in the olive oil until the dressing is frothy.

Tear the lettuce into bit-size pieces over the salad bowl. Toss, then add ¼ cup or so of Parmesan. Toss again. Serve in individual bowls and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.
Add croutons and serve immediately.

For a larger salad, adjust proportionally, but do not exceed two eggs.

Enjoy!

~Sloane

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

It's Wednesday. So What's Cooking?

Salmon on the Grill, Rice, and Broccoli Stir-fry

One last outdoor grill recipe before Indian summer turns into Old Man Winter. I am not a fish lover, especially salmon, but this recipe has won me over. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Salmon on the Grill
Rice
Broccoli Stir-fry
Chardonnay Wine



Salmon on the Grill
1 pound salmon filet
1 bottle Italian salad dressing – I prefer the low or no fat type
1 fresh lime
Pam


 
Place the salmon in a plastic bag. Squeeze the lime juice over the fish. Pour in enough salad dressing to cover the filets. Seal the bag and gently move it around to completely submerge the fish. Insert the salmon bag into a glass or aluminum bowl just large enough to hold the marinade in place. Marinade 3 hours or so, but not longer than 6.

Heat grill to medium. Spray Pam onto a doubled sheet of aluminum foil. Lay the prepared foil on the grill, then add the fish skin side up. Grill 7 minutes each side. Turn once. Scrape off the silver skin before you serve the salmon.

Dress up the salmon when you serve it by sprinkling a little fresh, chopped parsley over the fish. No fresh? Dried works just as well. The chopped green from onions/scallions works nicely, too.

Rice
Use your favorite brand of rice, mine is Uncle Ben’s Original. Prepare with fresh or canned chicken broth in place of water.

Cook per package directions.

Broccoli Stir-fry
4 mini carrots sliced on an angle
½ cup olive oil – possibly more
½ medium onion sliced
1 inch piece gingerroot peeled and cut into strips
1 head broccoli trimmed and cut into florets
½ small sweet red pepper cored, seeded and cut into strips
½ small yellow pepper cored, seeded and cut into strips
2 large garlic cloves pressed
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
2 green onions sliced on an angle
5 mini Bello mushrooms cleaned and sliced into thirds
1 tbsp. lime or lemon juice

Have all the ingredients prepped and on the counter before you begin cooking.

In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add onion, carrot and gingerroot. Sauté until carrot is almost soft. Test by inserting a toothpick into the carrot. Remove as many gingerroot pieces as you can find. Don’t worry if some are left in the pan.

Add broccoli, red and yellow peppers, and garlic. Sprinkle on red pepper flakes. Stir constantly to insure broccoli is well coated with the oil. Add more oil if necessary. Squeeze on the lime or lemon juice. Sauté 2 - 4 minutes, but be sure the broccoli and peppers still have crunch to them.

Blend in green onions and mushrooms. Sauté until mushrooms are heated through. Serve quickly.

Serves 4 - 6

Have a wonderful weekend. I'll be back Monday with S.G. Rogers. Until then...

Happy Writing!

Sloane Taylor
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