Dry Adobo Rub

 Dry Adobo Rub. There are probably thousands of variations of this rub, used in Mexico, throughout the Caribbean, and South America. One sniff and you will see why it's so widely popular. It,s great used on any type of meats.


Ingredients:
1tsp. dried cilantro
1tsp. tumeric
1tsp. corriander
1tsp. dried lemon zest
1tsp. paprika
1Tbl. salt
1Tbl. garlic powder
2tsp. onion powder
2tsp. ground cumin
2tsp. oregano
2tsp. black pepper

Add everything to a storage bag, shake to combine.
Rub onto meats before grilling or baking.

Chicken Monterey

                                            Chicken Monterey

There are lots of variations of this recipe out there, with 3 thing in common: Chicken, bacon, and Monterey-Jack cheese. The sauces range anywhere from, a cheese sauce to Catalina dressing, to BBQ sauce.
I like the BBQ sauce version the most, so much so, that I make my own version of sauce, that I think really compliments the other ingredients.

I once topped this with Salsa cruda and Guacamole, instead of the diced tomatoes and scallions, wow, loved it. You can cook the chicken on an outdoor grill, or pan grill it in a little oil, then melt the cheese in the broiler or oven.
This also makes a really good sandwich. I think this would be great, wrapped in a flour tortilla, topped with guacamole and salsa. LOL, I just made my own stomach growl, I guess it's the latter version next time.

Ingredients:
4-8 chicken breasts- pounded flat between 2 pieces of plastic
6-8 slices of bacon- chopped
8oz. shredded monterey-jack or cheddar-jack cheese
diced roma tomatoes
scallions

For the sauce:
2 chipotles in adobo sauce
1Tbl. minced garlic
3Tbl. ketchup
2Tbl. orange marmalade
1Tbl. mixed citrus vinegar or white vinegar

Preparation:
Add all the sauce ingredients to a blender.
Pulse a few times, then process about 2 minute.
Pour it into a bowl and set aside.
Fry the bacon, until crisp, drain on a paper towel.
Grill the chicken, until cooked through.
Preheat the oven to 375*
Put the chicken in a baking pan.
Brush on a layer of sauce, top with bacon, and cover with cheese.
Bake until the cheese is melted.
Serve topped with the tomatoes and scallions.

                            Blend the sauce ingredients for 2 minutes.

I had planned to grill the chicken outdoors, but with the heat index at 110* today, I quickly changed my mind. Besides, many restaurants, serve their chicken -pan grilled. Add about 1 Tbl. of oil to a griddle or skillet. Add the chicken when the pan is very hot. You want to sear the chicken until it browns.Flip it over and cook the other side. It's ok if you don't get both sides brown like the photo, as long as it's cooked through, but still moist. It does stick to the pan near the end, just loosen it with a metal spatula.

Alice Springs Chicken

                    Alice Springs Chicken-like The Outback Steakhouse

With the temperatures soaring into the upper 90's and low 100's all this week, It's going be a week of outdoor grilling and quick meals. Although, I don't need that excuse to make this favorite.
In the winter I pan grill the chicken, then melt the cheese in the oven.

Ingredients:
For the honey-mustard marinade:
1/2 cup real mayonnaise
1/4cup honey
2tbl. dijon mustard

You will also need:
a storage bag
4 boneless chicken breasts-thawed
6 slices bacon- chopped
2Tbl.butter
1-8oz. package fresh mushrooms sliced
8oz. shredded Monterey jack or Colby-jack cheese

Preparation:
Whisk together, the marinade ingredients 
Place the chicken between 2 pieces of plastic, and pound to flatten a bit.
Pour half of the Honey mustard marinade in the storage bag along with the chicken.
Remove the air from the bag and refrigerate overnight.
Cover and refrigerate the remaining marinade to use for a serving sauce.

While the grill is warming, fry the bacon in a skillet until crisp.
Drain the bacon on a paper towel.
Fry the mushrooms in the butter, until the juices have evaporated. Set aside.

Grill the chicken until cooked through.
Place the chicken in a metal baking pan, top with mushrooms, bacon and smother each piece with the cheese. I reserve a little bacon to sprinkle over the cheese.
Put the baking pan on the grill, close the lid and cook, until the cheese melts and becomes gooey.
Drizzle with the remaining honey mustard sauce. Serve.

Peach-Glazed Porkchops

The first of the peaches are ripening, My favorite fruit. I wait all year for the two weeks when I can eat 'til my heart's content.
One of the fondest memories of my grandparents house, was sitting in grandpa's "homemade" peach tree, juice dripping from my chin and elbows, in complete euphoria. He called it homemade because, he claims he raised it from a seed, that he brought back from Oregon, but grandpa liked to tell stories, so I'm not sure if it's true.
In about a week, my family will be so sick of peach dishes. I'm going to sound like Bubba  from Forest Gump. "Peach cobbler, peach bbq, peach pie..."

                                     Baked-Peach-Glazed Porkchops
                  I really can't decide, if I prefer these baked or grilled.

Porkchops
Peach BBQ Glaze
garlic powder

Preparation:
Sprinkle the chops with garlic powder, and grill or bake until cooked through.
Baste a thick layer of the peach sauce onto them, and cook until it forms a glaze.
Serve.

Peach BBQ Glaze

                                         Peach BBQ Glaze

Ingredients:
2cups fresh peaches-peeled and diced (I'm pretty sure drained-canned peaches would work too)
1/2cup diced onion
2Tbl. Mixed Citrus Vinegar
1Tbl. kikkoman soy sauce
1tsp. Worcestershire
3Tbl. ketchup
3Tbl. sugar
1/2tsp. dried mint leaves

Preparation:
Add all ingredients to a heavy bottom pan.
Simmer on a very low flame, while crushing occasionally with a potato masher until the sauce begins to thicken.About 30 minutes.
Cool and puree in a blender. It's ready to use.
Baste onto meats at the end of baking or grilling, as you would BBQ sauce.

It's ready to cool and puree. I've tried puree-ing first, then cooking the sauce, but it tastes better this way. I think a chipotle would be really good in this, but I haven't tried it yet. My family really loves this as is.

Boolvo Souvlaki- Greek Grilled Beef

                  Boolvo Souvlaki,  Kolokithokeftedes and Loukoumathes


In Greece, pork is traditionally used for Soulvaki.
There are specific marinades that the Greek use, for each type of meat.
I'll be posting the pork version soon. This is not one of my favorite marinades, I'm not a big fan of rosemary, or using white wine in cooking. (red is great)
But everyone else seemed to love it.
My 3 year old grandson Zach, was very curious about what I was doing with the "pokeys" (skewers) as I was threading the beef. I explained I was going to cook steak on the grill. He ran to the other kids yelling, "Grama's makin' pokey steak!"

Ingredients:
2lbs. beef cut into large cubes
1 gallon storage bag
skewers

For the marinade:
1/4cup oil
1cup white wine
1tsp. minced garlic
1/8tsp. black pepper
1tsp. salt
1 bay leaf
1/2tsp. oregano
1/4tsp. rosemary
juice of 1 lemon

Preparation:
Whisk the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup for basting.
Add the beef and the remaining  marinade to the bag. remove the air, seal and refrigerate overnight.
If you are using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for a few hours before grilling, to keep them from burning.Grill according to taste.

Gringo Gyros- A search for the best method.

         Gringo Gyros- served Chicago Style with fresh chopped Thai-basil


I have tried maybe a dozen different recipes for homemade pitas.No luck.
I've decided the problem is the cook. I haven't given up though.
I have been sitting on this recipe for Gyros several years, waiting until the day when my pitas finally puff.
Finally I have decided to use flour tortillas, I really love those things. I'm always looking for an excuse to use them.
I made a few adjustments to the recipe I had. I did a little research before I began, and found a couple of different techniques I'll try. (kneading the loaf, baking in a water-bath and finishing one of the loaves on the grill) This makes a lot, but the lady who gave me the recipe, told me that you can freeze the leftovers.

Ingredients:
2lbs. ground lamb
2lbs. ground chuck
1cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2Tbl. minced garlic
1-1/2Tbl. oregano
1Tbl. basil
1Tbl. onion powder
1/2Tbl. red wine vinegar
1tsp. cinnamon
1/2tsp. cumin
1tsp.black pepper
1tbl. salt

You'll also need:
Flour tortillas
diced tomatoes
1 recipe Tzatziki sauce
Fresh chopped basil- I prefer Thai basil

 Preparation:
Pre-heat oven to 350*
 Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Knead for at least 5 minutes.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In a metal baking pan, shape into elongated loaves, about 3inches high.
Place the baking pan inside a larger pan, fill the larger pan with water, until the smaller pan is 1/2 to 2/3 submersed.
Bake for 2 hours. Remove from the oven, remove the loaf pan from the water-bath and cool.
Heat the grill, setting it on a low flame, pre-heat to 300*
Place the loaves on the grill, (not directly on the flame) cook about 15 minutes, turning every 3-4 minutes.
Cool completely before slicing.
Slice across the top of the loaf, I used a fillet knife, slicing as thin as possible.
Warm the tortillas on a griddle. Fill with the sliced loaves, Tzatziki sauce, tomatoes and basil.

            The first loaf I baked like a meatloaf, except longer and thinner.

I pulled it out after 1 hour 15 minutes, The juices were not clear but, I started to see signs of browning. I'll cool it, and finish it on the grill.

Water-bath method: The second loaf,  I decided to cook in a bundt pan, I don't know why... I just do these things sometimes. If it works out for the better, I'll call it a stroke of genius, if not... I'll blame it on hormones. I filled it enough to submerse 2/3 of the bundt pan.

Darn these hormones! Ok , apparently the bundt pan is not a good idea. It seems to attract gremlins, that steal chunks of Gyro loaves. But I think I do like the water bath method, I pulled this out after 2 hours. The juices ran clear, no browning and it looked really moist.

 The water-bath method, on the left, sliced beautifully, and had a pressed meat texture. the non water-bath method was grainier and crumbled quite a bit. For the sake of science, I put half of the water-bath loaf on the grill, to see if there was a change in flavor. I'm glad I did. A blind taste test on my family, decided that was the winner.

Normally, I prefer the thin, delicate Azteca brand tortillas, but if I want to come anywhere near the texture of a pita, I would have to use these big, fat, honkin' Mission brand. 16 of these babies, weighs in at 1-3/4 pounds. That's a lotta masa. Warm them in the microwave or on a griddle, before filling.

  Finally, It looks like; knead the loaf, refrigerate overnight, bake in a water-bath, grill on low for 15 minutes. They were really good.

Great way to use Your Zucchini Bumpercrop- 2 Marinated grilled vegetable recipes

Here come the zucchini, one plant is more than enough to feed the entire neighborhood.
So Paul planted three...
I'll be posting other recipes for them in the coming weeks. Three plants worth!
Zucchini has the ability to really absorb the flavors in marinades and sauces. Prefect for grilling.
It's also great in Garden style spaghetti and Ratatouille.
We also like to marinate them in Italian dressing ,then grill.

Asian Marinade
1/4 cup Chicken broth
2Tbl. sugar
1Tbl. Kikkoman soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sesame oil.
Preparation:
Whisk together marinade ingredients in a large bowl..
Slice -or- (cube if you are using a grilling basket) any vegetables.
Add the vegetables to the marinade . Toss to coat.
Let stand at least 1 hour, tossing occasionally.
Grill to taste.



Garlic Butter Marinade:
1/4 cup melted real butter.
2tsp. garlic powder
1tsp. salt
Preparation:
Whisk together marinade ingredients in a large bowl.
Slice -or- (cube if you are using a grilling basket) any vegetables.
Add the vegetables to the marinade . Toss to coat.
Let stand at least 1 hour, tossing occasionally.
Grill to taste.

Mojo Grilled Pork Chops

 Mojo Grilled Pork Chops with Black beans and rice and an icy cold Mojito
Possibly the best Cuban dish ever. Definitely my favorite way to cook pork.

Ingredients:
1 boneless porkloin or loin roast - sliced into chops

For the marinade:
juice from 1 orange
juice from 1 lime
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce or 1 ripe hot pepper chopped
1Tbl. minced garlic
1Tbl. honey
1Tbl. oil
1Tbl. minced onion
1/2tsp. salt
1/2tsp. oregano
a pinch of ground cumin
a gallon storage bag

Preparation:
Place the marinade ingredients in a blender and process about 1 minute.
Add the chops and marinade to the storage bag, remove the air and refrigerate overnight.
Grill until cooked through.

You can find chipotles in adobo sauce in the Mexican section of your grocer.

Blend Marinade ingredients for about 1 minute. This can also be heated and thickened with cornstarch to use as a serving sauce for other dishes. Marinate overnight.

                                          Grill until cooked through.

Bourbon Street Spice Rub

                                         Bourbon Street Spice Rub
You can literally smell the French and Caribbean influences in the mixture. Fantastic! Use it on baked chicken too.

Ingredients:
1tsp. finely crushed bay leaves
1tsp nutmeg
1tsp. allspice
2tsp. thyme
1Tbl. brown sugar
1Tbl. garlic powder
1Tbl cayenne
1Tbl. black pepper
1Tbl. salt
2Tbl. onion powder

Preparation:
Mix well and store it in a sandwich bag or jar. Rub onto meats at least 2 hours before grilling.
For a stronger flavor add a little more to the meats just prior to grilling.

Bourbon Street Chicken (2 Variations)

There are two variations of this recipe that I've tried, both are outstanding.
The first involves using a seasoning rub, and grilling with a teriyaki-type sauce.
(I think this is the authentic version,could be wrong)

The other involves using actual bourbon in a teriyaki -type marinade. I can't decide which version I like the most. I am not a big fan of dark meat, but there a few dishes that just aren't the same with white meat. This is true for both of these.

                     Bourbon street chicken recipe#1 and Frozen Margaritas 
Recipe #1 
Ingredients:
 4 chicken leg quarters -separate the legs from the thighs (they don't get along) sorry, bad joke:(

 I recipe- Bourbon street spice rub

 Basting Sauce:
 1/4 cup soy sauce
 1/4 cup brown sugar
 1tsp. garlic powder
 1/2 teaspoon  pureed ginger
 1/2tsp. minced onion
 1/2cup water
 1tsp cornstarch

 Preparation:
 Several hours before cooking, rub enough seasonings into the chicken to coat well, refrigerate.
 In a bowl whisk together the brown sugar and cornstarch, then add all other sauce ingredients.

While you are heating the grill. Simmer the basting sauce for a few minutes to thicken just a bit.
 Start basting at the end of grilling, like you would using BBQ sauce. Serve.

 Rub the seasoning into both sides of the chicken, several hours before grilling for maximum flavor.

                         Thicken the basting sauce to a syrupy consistency.

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Recipe#2

              Recipe#2 with Tabbouleh with feta cheese and Refresco Regio

Ingredients:
4 chicken leg quarter-cut into strips or chunks

 For the marinade:
 1/4 cup soy sauce
 1/4 cup brown sugar
 1tsp. garlic powder
 1/2 tsp.  pureed ginger
 2 Tbl. minced onion
 1/2 cup Kentucky bourbon

You will also need:
 a few Tbl. white wine

  Preparation:
  Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a bowl.
 Marinate the cut up chicken overnight.
 Spread the chicken out in a thin layer on a metal baking pan. pour in any remaining marinade.(I use a round pizza pan.)
 Bake at 375* for about an hour, or until all the marinade has evaporated and just begins to glaze the bottom of the pan. The time will vary depending on your oven.
 Remove the pan from the oven, and heat it on the stove-top.
 Add just enough wine to de-glaze the bottom of the pan.
 Toss the chicken a few times and serve immediately.

                                                 Marinate overnight.

 Bake until the liquid has evaporated. Here I wanted to show the chicken is done, but the marinade needs to reduce a bit more.

 The chicken has browned and the sauce has become a glaze at the bottom of the pan. move to the stovetop and add just enough white wine to deglaze the pan.

Asian BBQ Sauce

                                               Asian BBQ Sauce

Sorry to state the obvious. MEN LOVE TO GRILL.
They''ll even stand in 8" of snow, in the middle of February, stocking cap and gloved
(I'm really sorry I didn't snap that picture.) Grilled food is great. Buuuut. By the end of summer I am pretty much fed up with bottled BBQ sauce. Throughout the summer, I'll be posting sauce variations that I use.
This one tastes very similar to the BBQ you've had at Asian restaurants. I use it on baked chicken too.
This is just enough to lightly glaze a whole chicken. It would probably be great with beef and pork as well.

Ingredients:
2tbl. sweet chilli sauce
1tbl. ketchup
1tbl. soy sauce
1tbl. hoisin sauce
1tsp. sesame oil
1tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. pureed ginger

Preparation:
Whisk all ingredients together, and baste onto chicken at the end of grilling.

Mom's Tornado Chicken

                                 Mom's Tornado Chicken (baked version)

I know, I know it's a silly name, but it has a story behind it.
 Mom had the idea to make an alternative to BBQ chicken. She was Grilling away outdoors, when all of a sudden, a storm blew in.
The tornado sirens went off , and we all headed for the basement. It was over in a few minutes. We came out of the basement to find the back yard strewn with huge tree limbs. Lawn furniture tossed around. But there was the grill, still cooking away unscathed.
So understandably,  Mom's intrepid new dish got a name. It can be baked or grilled.

Ingredients:
1 chicken - cut up
1cup ketchup
1tsp. garlic powder-plus more for the chicken
1tbl. la-choy soy sauce

Preparation:
Mix together the ketchup garlic and soy sauce. Set aside.
Sprinkle additional garlic powder on the chicken.
Grill or bake the chicken until cooked through.
Baste with sauce, and cook until the sauce becomes a thick glaze. Serve.

Grilled Chicken Horseshoe

                      Grilled Chicken Horseshoe. This is my favorite horseshoe.
What is a Horseshoe?

Ingredients:
toast slices
1 small can sliced black olives-drained
1/4 cup scallions
Finely diced tomato
1/4 cup bacon bits-not imitation
1 recipe small batch Horseshoe Sauce
1 recipe Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast
French fries -fried

Prearation:
Grill chicken.
To the cheese sauce, add bacon and black olives. keep warm.
Place a slice of toast on a serving plate and top with a chicken breast.
Cover the chicken with fries and top with cheese sauce. garnish with tomato and scallion. serve hot.
                                             
                                                BUILDING A HORSESHOE

                                                  First the toast

                                        Add a chicken breast

Pile on the fries. Top with cheese sauce. Garnish with tomatos and scallions
              This is definitely "GUY" food. He'll love you for this one!

Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast

                                       Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast


Ingredients:
1 package frozen chicken breast -thawed
1cup Italian dressing
1/2tsp. adobo sauce
1tbl. minced garlic
Preparation:
Place chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and flatten with a mallet.
Whisk the Italian dressing and adobo sauce. Add the chicken and toss to coat.
Refrigerate overnight. Grill out of doors or in a skillet.
If grilling in a skillet: Heat 1tbl. oil. Add garlic and stir-fry a few seconds. Add chicken.
Grill until all pan juices have evaporated. Grill chicken a bit longer, until lightly browned on both sides.

                                              Marinate overnight

                                   Grill until lightly browned on both sides.

Grilled Butterfly Pork Chop Sandwich

Grilled Pork Chop Sandwich and a side salad with Homemade honey-mustard salad dressing
This is best if you marinate the chops overnight before grilling, It really tenderizer them. I prefer to grill these in a skillet. Make butterfly chops yourself-video follows

Marinade:
In a bowl mix:
1cup Italian salad dressing
1/4cup Dijon mustard
1/2tsp. adobo sauce
a storage bag

Preparation:
Whisk together the marinade ingredients
Add the marinade and chops to the bag, remove the air and refrigerate overnight.
Grill according to taste. serve on a bun with tomato, lettuce, and mayo.


Here are a couple of videos. First, how to make a pork loin into chops and second how to butterfly your chops.You don't need a whole loin LOL just a pork loin roast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwsbd9WPtv4&feature=related

LOL men get all excited about grilling "Fire Good"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR2sEcBICFI

Grilled Brisket With Cranberry BBQ Sauce

                            Grilled Brisket With Cranberry BBQ Sauce
The combination of the spicy brisket and the tangy BBQ sauce is a perfect marriage of flavors.

Cranberry BBQ Sauce
To a bowl add:
1 small bottle any sweet BBQ sauce
1 cup cranberry sauce
1-tbl.soy sauce
1tsp garlic powder.
Whisk until smooth.
Brisket is very tough, so needs to be parboiled before grilling.
Add brisket to a 4quart pan of water and boil for about 2-3hours or until very tender.
Remove the brisket from the water, and cool a little while, so it wont fall apart on the grill.
Trim away fat on the surface of the brisket, after it has cooled.
When grilling, since the brisket is actually already cooked, you just want it to brown slightly and get a bit of a dry crust , so the BBQ sauce wont slide off.
Baste on BBQ allow it to glaze a bit, turn, baste, glaze. I usually baste both sides 2-3 times.

                                   Whisk together sauce ingredients.

                                        Baste 2-3 times each side.

Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce

Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce
Wow I love this one on grilled beef
1 small bottle of mild BBQ sauce
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 or 2 chipotles in adobo sauce (found in the Mexican section of your grocer)

Put all in a blender until smooth. baste onto grilled meat at the end of cooking.

Paul's Beef Rub

Paul's Beef Rub
3tbl. brown sugar
2tbl. salt
2tbl. pepper
2tbl.garlic powder
2tbl. paprika
2tbl.parsley
2tbl.onion powder
1tsp.ground cumin
1tsp.cayenne
Mix all ingredients rub into meat to be grilled, wait 1 hour, then grill.
Beef, chicken, pork or fish