Let the grilling season begin!

06/10/2015 by Laura Leave a Comment

Summer has arrived ahead of schedule in Seattle. We are experiencing record breaking temperatures in the low 80’s. Our garden is loving every minute of it, and I am certain I will have ripe tomatoes very soon.

As you know, we grill all year ’round for pleasure, but when it is as hot as it is, it is out of necessity.

One of our summertime favorites is Dave’s bbq chicken. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, low heat and frequent turns result in moist, juicy and tender chicken. We love the whole chicken legs as they cook evenly and have lots of flavor. Our favorite side dish is our traditional potato salad. Did you know nasturtiums flowers and leaves make lovely garnishes and they are edible! Stay cool and enjoy!

BBQ Chicken and Potato Salad Directions

Have a wonderful evening,

Laura

More from IFBC – An Awesome Turkey Burger and Getting the Shot, Regardless of the Light!

10/08/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

One of my favorite presentations at IFBC was Todd Coleman’s. Todd is the Creative Director at Tasting Table and former executive food editor of Saveur magazine. Todd is a bit of a rebel, which is probably why I liked him so much! You know the type, go for it and beg for forgiveness later, but only if absolutely necessary. One of my bosses used that exact phase to describe both my strengths and weaknesses when asked for a pre-employment personal reference. Todd hasn’t really followed a traditional career path. I am not sure he even had a specific goal in mind when he entered the CIA. One thing is for sure, he has explored, touched, and mastered every aspect of food related creativity! Though he did not speak to it, I sensed a willingness to take risks, a strong sense of confidence and an innate ability to listen to your gut, without letting the “I can’t, I shouldn’t, what if, or but” get in the way! Though it may get you in a whole lot of trouble when you are younger, once that fearless determination is coupled with a little experience and knowledge – look out! Todd’s amazing career, as an editor, chef, producer, photographer, videographer and who knows what next is just such an example of someone who refused to follow the rules and created a few of his own along the way!

I’ve had a few photography classes, but I am still very much a beginner. Every class I’ve had has stressed the importance of natural light. So, imagine my shock (and delight) when Todd pulled a flashlight and a piece of foil out of his pocket! iPhone photo in a dark restaurant? No problem! Place the foil opposite the object and bounce the flashlight light off the foil! While this is an extremely simplified summary of his point, it’s still pretty accurate. My purse just got 10 pounds lighter and my restaurant companions just let out a big sigh of relief.

Todd presented many photos from his portfolio as well as a recent video filmed for Tasting Table. I did not take any photos during his presentation as I was engrossed in watching, listening and learning. He has a style all his own. Check his work out at Todd Coleman Photography. You will recognize many of the photos! A lot of the photos included in his presentation were taken at night with artificial light. This was really thrilling to me as I have been dreading the quickly approaching dark Seattle winter days. For plated food shots, Todd suggested dropping lights down to the level of the food, rather then lighting from above. I tried it with this burger. What do you think? Can you tell this was taken at 8pm with artificial light?

The turkey burger was inspired by the BBQ Turkey Sliders served at the Butterball presentation at the IFBC conference. The sliders make a great party appetizer and will probably make an appearance at our house on Super Bowl Sunday or New Year’s Eve! It took me a while to convince Dave to try a turkey burger and much to his surprise, he really liked it!

For the Turkey Burger

1 pound ground turkey, we used organic ground turkey

1 egg

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup bbq sauce (plus 1/4 cup more for basting), we really like Organicville – no sugar or corn syrup

lettuce leaves

sliced tomatoes

sliced cheese, we used organic white cheddar

bbq buns for burgers, or King’s Hawaiian Rolls, split, for sliders

Place the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Form the mixture into 12 small patties if making sliders, or 3-4 patties if making burgers.

Warm a grill pan or skillet over medium heat. Oil the skillet to prevent sticking. Cook the burgers until lightly browned on one side, flip, baste with bbq sauce. Repeat. Complete cooking until temperature on a meat thermometer reaches 165′ – the temperature required for thoroughly cooked poultry. Place a slice of cheese on each patty. While the meat rests, lightly toast the buns. To assemble, place a lettuce leaf on the bun, sliced tomatoes, and then the turkey patty. Enjoy!

Have a wonderful evening,

Laura

Cedar Planked Salmon with Shitake Mushroom and Baby Bok Choy Saute

08/08/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

This is one of my favorite meals. Simple grilled salmon and a sauté of bok choy and shitake mushrooms. The bok choy and mushrooms seem made for each other! As you know, my suggestions of salmon for dinner don’t always go over very well. Since Dave is really busy painting the outside of the house, we did not engage in the “what’s for dinner” conversation. I took it upon myself to decide, shop and cook while he painted away!

for the Baby Bok Choy and Shitake Mushroom Sauté

3/4 pound of shitake mushrooms

6 small baby bok choy

4-5 cloves of garlic minced

1/2 cup diced onion

2-4 Tablespoons of olive oil

1/2 cup dry vermouth

salt and pepper

optional: add minced ginger with the garlic and onion, and garnish with soy sauce, for a more Asian style sauté

Slice the mushrooms, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan. Cook the onion and garlic until soft and translucent. Add the mushrooms and sauté until lightly browned and softened. You may need to add a little more olive oil. Add the vermouth and place the bok choy on top of the mushrooms in the pan. Steam for about 10 minutes until the bok choy is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. I tried a little experiment by placing the bok choy on the grill for a moment. I wanted to impart a little of the smokiness that the cedar would add to the salmon. It worked and gave the bok choy a nice char color.

for the Cedar Planked Salmon

1 culinary grade cedar plank, soaked at least two hours in water

(No Jeff, you cannot use the left over shingles. They may have been treated with chemicals!)

1 filet of salmon – a little over a pound

olive oil

salt and pepper

lemon for garnish

Place the plank in a sheet pan filled with water and place a weight on the plank to keep it submerged. Let it soak at least two hours. We had a friend who did not soak the plank first. He placed his fish on the plank and the plank on the grill, put the lid down, set his watch for 10 minutes and came back to a fully engulfed fish fire! It is a good idea to keep a spray bottle close by in case a small fire erupts. And in case you were wondering, you cannot reuse the planks!

One of Dave’s biggest objections to fish is discovering bones mid-meal. I remove the pin bones with tweezers, it takes just a minute and makes for a more pleasant dining experience. It also takes the worry out of sharing the leftovers with our very spoiled cat and dogs.

I do not like to do very much to a beautiful piece of salmon, other than add a little olive oil, coarse salt and pepper. Place the salmon on the pre-soaked plank, season as you choose. Place on a hot grill, keeping a close eye for little fires. This piece of fish was about 3/4 of an inch thick and was completely done in 8 minutes, on a very hot (450′) grill. We served it with a little lemon and the sautéed bok choy and mushrooms.

Grilled Tandori Style Chicken

07/29/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

After a few days of drenching rain,* we are back to our unusually hot temperatures in the mid eighties. Needless to say, if anything is getting cooked, it is being cooked outside on the grill! Our conversation, shortly after breakfast last Sunday, turned to what we would make for dinner. It went something like this:

Dave: “Have you thought about your dinner?”

Me: “No, have you”?

Dave: “No, not really”.

Me: “What about salmon”?

Dave: “We just had that. What about Chicken Parmesan”?

(We haven’t had salmon for weeks and Dave always wants chicken parmesan)

Me: “We just had spaghetti with Bolognese Sauce”.

Dave: What about hot dogs”?

Me: “Eeeeuuuuuwwwwwhhhh”!

(Dave frequently suggests hot dogs. I am happy with one or two a year, preferably at a baseball game with a very cold beer!)

And so it goes… This conversation is typical of most days when we are trying to figure out what to make for dinner.* My mom and I have said to each other, at least 100 hundred times, that coming up with what to cook, is harder than the actual cooking!

My current source of inspiration is the garden. I had lots of cucumbers and tomatoes ready to be eaten. That led me to tabouli (Lebanese) salad, which spring boarded me to tandoori (Indian) chicken and riata. The bonus of this international meal would be leftovers for lunch all week! A quick search on the internet for tandoori marinade led me to David Lebovitz Tandoori Chicken recipe. My version is below. Since it was late in the day, and since I had all the spices on hand in the “ground” version, I did not start with whole spices. Toasting and grinding whole spices would definitely intensify the flavor of the dish. We served the chicken with our version of raita, tabouli salad and grilled naan.

for the Tandoori Chicken

6 whole chicken legs (that means the thighs are attached)

1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt

1/4 t. saffron threads

1 T. boiling water

3/4 t. coarse salt

1 t. ground cumin

1 t. ground coriander

1 t. ground cinnamon

1/2 t. paprika

1 t. turmeric

1/2 t. garam masala

1 1/2 t. chili powder

1 t. fresh ground black pepper

juice of one fresh lime

1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger – about a 2 inch piece

4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced

Trim the excess fat from the chicken legs. Score the legs and thighs by making 3 deep angular cuts into the meat. (Most recipes call for skinless chicken. I did not remove the skin.) Place the chicken in a large zip lock bag. Soak the saffron threads in the boiling water for a minute. Place the yogurt in a small mixing bowl. Add the saffron and water, the spices, ginger, garlic and lime to the yogurt. Mix well. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Seal the bag and let marinate in the refrigerator a minimum of four hours, preferably overnight. Remove the chicken from the bag and place on a very hot grill. Cook until done, about 35-40 minutes, turning every 8-10 minutes.

Laura and Dave’s “Raita” Cucumber Cooler

This may not be traditional raita but it is our version and we love it.

2-3 cucumbers, peeled, sliced in half, seeded and chopped

1 small, sweet onion, peeled sliced into fourths and then sliced thinly

1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon of salt

paprika for garnish

Please the cucumbers and onions in a bowl. Add the salt and gently stir. Let stand for about 15 minutes. Drain the excess water. Gently stir in the yogurt. Garnish with paprika. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

for the Tabouli Salad

Since it was late in the day and I did not want to boil grains for 40 minutes in a hot kitchen, I used a tabouli salad mix. I added lots of fresh, chopped tomatoes, cucumbers and parsley from the garden. I also added extra olive oil and fresh lemon juice. I am anxious to make this salad with quinoa, a diversion from the traditional bulgur wheat.

*As always, I am grateful for the much-needed rain, a life with choices and plentiful food to eat.

Garlicky Sautéed Mushrooms and Grilled Rib Eye Steak

09/24/2013 by Laura 2 Comments

How do you make a quick weeknight steak and salad dinner special? Add sautéed mushrooms, of course. The sweet and savory combination of garlic and vermouth, combine with the smokiness of the grilled steak to create a restaurant style taste experience, without leaving the house!

For the mushrooms

You can prepare these while the steak is on the grill.

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

4 Tablespoons of Butter

2-6 Cloves of Garlic, finely minced (personal preference applies to the quantity of garlic used)

3/4 Pound Cremini Mushrooms (baby portabellas), cleaned and sliced

3/4 Cup SWEET Vermouth (the red one)

1 Teaspoon Bisto (you can omit this, but it thickens the sauce as well as adds a dark glossiness)

Warm the olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the butter and melt over low heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté about 5 minutes, careful to not let it brown.

Add in the mushrooms and sauté until they are softened and lightly browned.

Add the sweet vermouth. Simmer over very low heat, about 10 minutes.

Add the Bisto, sauté a few minutes until sauce thickens. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Black Bean and Corn Salad, BBQ Chicken and Ribs, and Peach Cobbler

08/24/2013 by Laura 1 Comment

Last Sunday, we had a mini family reunion. My Mom and Dad drove over from Kennewick and my cousin Keith, his wife Monique and son Carl were here from New York. The New York cousins were on a stop-over in Seattle, prior to their 7 day Alaska cruise! Like every good family reunion, the food was delicious and plentiful. Because we were so busy visiting and eating – I don’t have a lot of “finished” product shots. I did want to share a couple of the recipes anyway.

The Menu

Dave’s Smoked Baby-Back Ribs

BBQ Chicken (see previous post)

Laura’s Potato Salad (see previous post)

Tomato, Basil and Fresh Mozzarella Salad

Black Bean and Corn Salad with Cilantro and Citrus Vinaigrette

Peach and Blueberry Cobbler with vanilla ice cream

For the Black Bean and Corn Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

4-5 ears of corn, shucked, cleaned and grilled

1 pound dry black beans*, soaked overnight, cooked with 2 cloves of garlic, rinsed and thoroughly chilled (*yes you could use canned beans)

1 large purple onion, chopped finely

2 jalapeno peppers, minced finely

1/2 cup finely minced fresh cilantro

salt and pepper

For the Citrus Vinaigrette

Juice of 3 limes, about 1/3 cup

1/4 cup orange juice

3/4 cup olive oil

1/2 Teaspoon cumin – or more to taste

1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder – or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon salt

Place all in a jar and shake well. Pour over salad. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

Helpful hint! When cutting corn off a husk, place a small bowl upside down inside a bigger bowl. The kernels will stay in the mixing bow!

For the BBQ ribs

Prepare the ribs a day ahead to allow the rub to soak in. Use any bbq rub you like. The most important part is removing the silvery membrane from the back of the ribs, first. Rub both sides of the rib with your seasoning of choice, place in pan and refrigerate overnight. Bring the ribs to room temperature prior to smoking. Dave smokes the rib racks about 4 hours. We then cover with bbq sauce and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

For the Tomato, Basil and Fresh Mozzarella Salad

Slice large, ripe tomatoes. Slice the same amount of fresh mozzarella. Arrange on plate by alternating a tomato slice and a cheese slice. Top with sliced basil. Sprinkle with fresh, fruity olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

For the Peach Cobbler

I used Palua Deen’s recipe, with the addition of blueberries from the garden. (I omitted the water as the peaches were really juicy.)

4 cups peeled, sliced peaches

2 cups sugar, divided

8 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup blueberries, for my version

Ground cinnamon, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the peaches, 1 cup sugar, in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add in one cup of blueberries, if desired.

Put the butter in a 3-quart baking pan and place in oven to melt.

Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if using. Batter will rise to top during baking. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.

To serve, scoop onto a plate and serve with or vanilla ice cream.