Sunday, July 24, 2011

Green Onion Grilled Chicken and Roasted Vegetable Salad

I love grilled chicken with the skin on and bones in-- it's super moist and I love the crunchy skin! I got the idea for this salad after reading an article in Better Homes and Gardens. You can use whatever vegetables you like, although I suggest not omitting the tomatoes. My recipe serves two.  Double if you are cooking for more.

Green Onion Grilled Chicken
Ingredients:

  • 2 whole chicken legs (thigh+drumstick)
  • 1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onion
  • 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and Pepper
Directions:
  1. Place the chicken in a shallow glass dish. Add the green onion, mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Massage the chicken with the marinade until everything is combined well and the chicken is coated. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 4-8 hours.
  2. Preheat the grill to a medium heat and grill the chicken about 20 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before eating.



Roasted Vegetable Salad
Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups baguette, cut into 3/4inch cubes
  • 1 cup whole cherry tomatoes
  • 1 zucchini, cut into 3/4inch thick half-moons
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  • Salt and Pepper
Directions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. In an oven-safe glass dish, combine the bread, tomatoes, and zucchini. Add the olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper. Mix around until everything is coated well.
  3. Bake the dish for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the balsamic vinegar. Mix until everything is coated. Place the dish back in the oven for 5 more minutes.
  4. Remove from the oven and serve! 
You can do any other vegetables with this side dish. Try yellow squash, eggplant, onions, or asparagus. You can also top with shaved Parmesan or feta cheese.


Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Shrimp Scampi

One of my favorite pasta dishes!

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. linguine
  • 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deviened, tails removed
  • 4 Tbsp. butter
  • 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large shallot, finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • Pinch crushed red pepper (optional)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Fresh grated Parmesan cheese, for topping
  • Handful fresh parsley, chopped
Directions:
Sauteing the shrimp
  1. Begin heating a skillet over medium heat and a pot of water to boil.
  2. Add 2 Tbsp. butter and the extra virgin olive oil to the pan; let it heat through then add the shallots, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. Let them saute for a minute or two.
  3. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper then add to the pan. Cook no more than 2 minutes per side. Remove the shrimp from the pan. Try and shake off any excess garlic or shallots, since we'll want them to flavor the sauce.
  4. At this time, the water should almost be or already be boiling. Add a Tbsp of salt and the linguine.
  5. To the pan, add the wine and lemon juice. Stir and bring to a boil. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes then lower it to simmer until the pasta is done.
  6. Drain the pasta and add the last 2 Tbsp of butter to the pan.
  7. Add the pasta to the pan and the shrimp back into the pan, and mix everything together with tongs. Toss some of the parsley in. 
  8. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan on top.

Grilled Wings

Grilled wings are a great way to eat wings without the fatty-ness from frying but still get their flavor. I like to remove the skin, but it's up to you. I've created a wing rub that always gets compliments. I store it in a used spice jar or tupperware.

For the Wing Rub:
Combine the following ingredients in a bowl, then transfer to a container to be kept in:

  • 6 Tbsp. paprika
  • 2 Tbsp. garlic powder
  • 1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. salt
  • 1 Tbsp. pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder

Now for the wings...
Ingredients:
  • Chicken wings, drumstick and flat separated, skin on or off (use about 1 lb. per person)
  • Wing Rub (see above). You can use as much or as little as you want, I probably use about 1/4 cup for every 2 lbs
Directions:
I put the wing rub on my wings until it looks like this
  1. Heat the grill to the medium setting. In a bowl, pour wing rub over wings and massage until well combined. Add more if you see fit or like it more spicy.
  2. Grill the wings about 5-6 minutes per side, until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle.
  3. Serve with your favorite dipping sauces, like hot sauce, ranch, or sweet chili. The wings taste good on their own, though!

Grilled Corn

Corn is in season and cheap! My fiance grills the corn and I prepare the butter for it. Here's how we do it:

Ingredients:

  • 2 ears of corn, husks on
  • 3 Tbsp. butter, softened
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika
  • Salt and pepper
Directions:
Corn soaking in the sink
  1. Remove the silk from the corn but leave the husks on. Soak the ears of corn in water for 1-2 hours. This ensures that when you are grilling the corn, they don't burn into flames.
  2. Prepare the butter for the corn: combine the butter, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. You can use other combinations of herbs/spices as well. Examples: lime/lemon zest, cayenne pepper, fresh herbs, etc.
  3. Begin heating the grill on a medium setting. Remove the corn from the water; peel back the husks but make sure they are still on. Spread the butter mixture over the corn evenly. Place the husks back on the corn.
  4. Place the corn on the grill, rotating the corn every few minutes, for about 20 minutes or until the corn is tender and has a slight char. 

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Cucumber Infused Rum + Cucumber Mojito

I got this idea from a tequila bar in downtown Louisville, CO that our friends took us to. The bartender made cucumber mojito’s and they were amazingly refreshing. He also told us how he makes cucumber infused rum. Here’s how we did it:

Cucumber-Infused Rum

Ingredients:
  •           2 cucumbers, skin and seeds removed, finely diced
  •           750ml clear rum (buy the cheap stuff for this)
  •           Airtight container

Directions:
  1.   Combine the diced cucmber and rum in an airtight container. Save the bottle the rum was in!
  2.   Let sit for 7-10 days. The cucumber will lose all their color and the rum will turn a light green color don’t worry!
  3. Strain the rum into a large measuring cup with a spout. Squeeze the cucumbers to get any retained rum out of them.
  4.   Pour the rum back into the bottle it came in. Store in the refrigerator

Cucumber Mojito

Ingredients (for each drink):
  •           2 oz. cucumber infused rum (or, pour SLOWLY and count to 4)
  •           3 slices cucumber (about 1/4in. thick each)
  •           1 Tbsp. agave nectar (or 1 long squeeze)
  •           ½ lime
  •           5 medium or large mint leaves
  •           Soda water


Directions:
  1.      In a pint glass, add 2 slices cucumber, agave nectar, juice of a half a lime, and mint leaves. Muddle. Tip: if you don’t have a muddle its okay! Use the back of a wooden spoon and press down while you twist. The goal here is to combine the ingredients and bruise the mint leaves, releasing their oils and flavor.
  2.  Add ice to the glass, about ¾ of the way up
  3.  Add the cucumber infused rum.
  4.  Add the soda water until the glass is filled. Stir to combine and cut the last slice of cucumber above half way up to the center to use as a garnish.

Tomato Sauce + Spaghetti and Meatballs

Tomato Sauce
It only takes minimal effort to make your own homemade spaghetti sauce. Mine uses San Marazano tomatoes. You can find these in almost any grocery store and definitely at any specialty grocery store like Whole Foods, Fresh Market, or Sunflower Market. they cost a little over a dollar more than regular canned tomatoes and taste much more fresh.

Ingredients:

  • 2 28 oz. cans whole peeled San Marazano tomatoes
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh  basil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
  1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and let saute for about 2 minutes
  2. Meanwhile, open the cans of tomatoes. Begin hand crushing each tomato. If you don't like your tomato sauce chunky, add the full contents of each can to a blender and puree.
  3. Add all the tomatoes, including the sauce they were in, to the pot. Stir to combine.
  4. Add basil, salt, and pepper, and let simmer. If you are cooking this ahead of time and not using it for a recipe that evening, let it simmer for about 20 minutes and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
Tip: This is just a base recipe. You can add lots of other things to make it the way you like. Examples: onions, pancetta, bay leaves, parsley, olives, sausage, etc.



Spaghetti and Meatballs

Traditionally, meatballs are made from a combinations of ground meats like beef, veal, or pork. Mine just use beef, but you can add any combination you like.

Ingredients:
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 cup regular breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 3 Tbsp. garlic powder
  • 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 Tbsp. dried basil
  • 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
  • 1 Tbsp. salt
  • 1/2 Tbsp. pepper
Directions:
  1. Heat a skillet with the oil over medium heat and pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Timing tip: At this time, begin boiling a large pot of water
  2. In a bowl, combine the ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, dried basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Mix with your hands until everything is evenly combined
  3. Roll individual meatballs in your hands. I mine the size of golf balls
  4. After forming each meatball, add it to the oil. Brown on each side, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from the heat. Timing tip: At this time, the water should be boiling. Add about 1 Tbsp. salt and add spaghetti (or whatever shape pasta you like) to the water.
  5. Transfer meatballs to a baking sheet and place in the oven. Let cook for about 10 minutes. Timing tip: At this time your pasta should be cooked and drained. Serve meatballs on top of spaghetti and top with spaghetti sauce and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.