Year on the Grill

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Walnut, Goat Cheese, and Honey Pizza - 52 Grilled Pizzas

Pizzeria Pizza at Home...

A goal of mine (and an earlier blog post, double click the blue letters). In that post I go into details about the best way to achieve the goal of a making a seemingly simple flat bread, topped with a sauce and cheese. I have a never fail yeast pizza dough recipe, a deliciously fresh rich pizza sauce (from scratch) and a bit of history.

Once you learn the tricks of the trade, Pizzeria Pizza at home is simple and addictive. My dough recipe makes 4 dough balls, so each time I make pizza I have 4 canvasses to create. Generally I make a pizza Margherita (pictured to the right, sauce, cheese and basil). The Margherita is recognized by many as the first and original version of the modern pizza.

BUT WAIT...

How would you like to be ... THAT GUY (or Gal) That can (and regularly does) do amazing things on a grill...

A Couple of weeks ago I went into detail on GRILLING a pizza on a standard backyard grill. Easy, Fun, Spectacular.

This week was a bit of a celebration in the 'hood as our friend and neighbor celebrated the anniversary of her 29th Birthday! Neighbor Jackie (as opposed to my wife Jackie, her with the inconvenient Day Job) and wife Jackie are part of the neighborhood book club. The girls of the club decided that a dinner out, multi courses, cooked to perfection and served with style would be a perfect way to celebrate. They also decided best spot in town was my back yard!

This pizza was what I served up as an appetizer for the group. I decided I wanted to celebrate spring (finally) and grill the entire meal. You can see the spiral stuffed pork loin in the back, resting while I cooked the appetizer pizza.

I will share the details of the pizza in a second... First, photos of the party...

Gotta have a drink table... Southern Sweet Tea, Wine and Margaritas

My wife Jackie (as opposed to neighbor Jackie) worked hard at making the table pretty for her friends... Notice the wrapped books for a center piece...

We even got out the good crystal for the party

And a good time was had by all...

I will be giving recipes and details about the 5 course meal served in future post this week... so now, back to the appetizer first course...

Goat Cheese, Honey and Walnut Pizza on the Grill

And once you know the tricks, easy as could be...

Easy like taking a ball of dough, hand form the shape (always rustic on the grill, never a perfect circle, part of the charm), Grill the dough, add toppings and create something unusual and FANTASTIC!

This makes a great appetizer, side dish or main course.... And it is a real crowd pleaser!

Oh... And it is beyond easy...
Anyone can do this... Anyone can be that GUY (or Gal) on the grill!

All you need for this...

1 Ball of Pizza Dough
drizzle of Olive Oil
4 OZ Goat Cheese broken up into small balls
1 Cup Walnut Pieces
Drizzle of Honey
Slivered slices of Basil for color and accent

The rest is all technique. Read over the post on Pizzeria Pizza at Home, then try this...

Start with a Ball of Dough. It's the same recipe I almost always use. Cold rise, easy and never fail (does take about 4 hours of sitting around (or overnight) to make the dough, so plan ahead). Or any store bought pizza dough would work as well.

Next is the only real trick... HOT! Get your grill HOT. If using coals, preheat the grill for at least 20-30 minutes or set your gas grill, all burners running on high for at least 10 minutes.

OK, The photo directly above is the dough after I formed a sort of circle. Tossing in the air is not really how it's done, flattening between your two palms and then stretching along the edges all the way around, allowing gravity to pull down. Once you get it evenly thin, slap it on the HOT grate.

It only takes about 3-4 minutes for the dough to start to bubble. use a wide turner or tongs and test the doneness.

The bottom will be starting to crisp up...

And get grill marks.

Since it has started to crisp, the soft dough has started to cook and turn solid. Easy to turn. Since the grill grate was hot, it never sticks.

Time for toppings...

No sauce for this, so drizzle a bit of Olive Oil.

Since this is HOT, don't worry, the cheese will melt. So, spread the handful of cheese around

Again, no design, stick with the rustic look.

Add the walnuts

And at the last minute... drizzle the honey and spread around the basil

And that's it!

Close the lid and let everything get really HOT for only another couple of minutes... And here you are!

But as with most recipes, the basics can be learned in minutes; mastering the art will take a lifetime (or at least 52 tries). You can achieve success with my Pizzeria 101 Link, a cookie sheet, standard oven and items in most every kitchen. But... eventually you will want to try the toys of the trade So if you want to dig deeper, I recommend these books and items...

Amazon.com Widgets

Enjoy your Pizza making... Let me know what pizzas you are making and be sure to come take a look next Sunday to see what I come up with this week!

This is Pizza #6 in my list of 52 Pizza Party Pizzas...

Week #1 ...

A simple Salami Pizza (break free of the addiction to Pepperoni). A classic example of the Italian belief that less is more... Allow a quality ingredient like the artisanal Dry cured sausage, the sauce and the cheese balance beautifully!

This Sausage pizza is Pizza #2 in my list of 52 Pizza Party Pizzas...

I made a fantastic HOT Sausage Pizza... Made with mini balls of sausage (there is a small trick) that also looks as dramatic as it is tasty!

Week #3

I was on the grill making a dessert or Appetizer FANTASTIC Honey - Goat Cheese - Arugula Pizza... Delicious and PERFECT if you want to WOW your friends with something unique on the GRILL!

Week #4

A Pizza from my youth, the (then) exotic sounding Canadian Bacon and Onion GRILLED pizza! Loaded with color and the unique taste of the sweet juicy back bacon that became a legend back in Pekin, Illinois in the 70's.

Week #5

A fond memory of our time living in the islands... US Virgin Island, St Thomas had a fantastic little beach bar where you could get a Steak and Gorgonzola Pizza (and a bottle of wine) for just $25... one of the few bargains on the island and a darn fine PIZZA!

OK, be sure to come back next Sunday... I already have plans for next weeks' Za!

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Rules, only 2...

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Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Pineapple Jerk Glazed PORK CHOP Sandwich 3 TIPS for Moist Tender and DELICIOUS - 52 BBQ Tutorials

Pork... Well, let me start with a BEEF... About BEEF PRICES!

Seriously, have you noticed? It's been about two years and beef prices have doubled. Rarely does beef go on sale, and even more rarely does those sale prices really make it affordable for a weeknight meal. "Beef, it's what's for dinner", at least for me, simply is no longer true.

So, pork, chicken and occasionally sea food have become "What's for Dinner".

It's also time to look at how chicken and especially pork are being engineered. Lean... VERY VERY Lean is the way pork shows up at grocery stores now. Which is fine, as long as you know the tricks to cooking a lean piece of meat...

First TIP... Internal Cooking Temperature of 140 degrees. Cook pork with a meat thermometer. You can get a fancy electronic one or a simple dial type, but it is very important that you use one. The old standard of 165 was designed for pork with more fat. A pork loin (where pork chops come from) is very lean and is becoming leaner every year as pigs are being raised to mature faster and have less waste during butchering. Measure the temperature in several spots, be sure that the temperature reaches 140 degrees in all spots and then remove from heat. this is true on the grill or in the oven or even pan frying. Do not overcook your pork. 140 is just fine.

Second TIP... Brining your meat is easy, important and will make your finished product moist and fork tender. The process of brining is very easy. You can hunt for recipes and formulas that have several ingredients and spices, but a simple 3 ingredient brine is all I use... 1 Cup Salt, 1 Cup Sugar, 2 Cups Water, 2 Cups Ice... Bring water to a gentle simmer, add sugar and salt and stir to desolve. Remove from heat, add ice to cool. Add your meat, cover and refrigerate for 1-3 hours. Rinse the meat and dry with a paper towel before seasoning and cooking. That's it, it literally takes less than 5 minutes of hands on work and the process... Makes cooked meat hydrated by a process called Osmosis. Also by the process called Denaturation, the cells in the meat hold on to their moisture longer. there are plenty of long winded websites that will go into detail if you want more information, but bottom line... BRINING WORKS! BTW, Brining for as little as 30 minutes will still make a difference... BRINING WORKS!

And Third TIP... Rest your meat before cutting and serving. The 140 degree target temperature will have a slight pink tinge to the center. This does not mean the pork is under cooked, in fact, just the opposite. By resting the meat for 10 minutes before cutting you allow the juices to be reabsorbed into the meat. It also allows the temperature to even out. The outside of the meat is always a higher temp than the center. Resting allows that hotter outside to continue to cook internally during the rest. If you have ever seen that pool of pink blood on a plate you can be sure the cook did not rest his meat before serving.

As for this sandwich, it is among my favorites.

I want no part of running a food truck... BUT, if I ever do slip and fall into owning a food truck, this sandwich is on the menu...

Make your own Hamburger Buns. Store bought is fine, but doesn't these make for a more inviting sandwich?

Brine the Pork (See TIP #2 above).

Grill some Pineapple Slices along with the pork.

Make a simple Pineapple Jerk Spice glaze, in a mini chopper, cut up 1/2 Cup pineapple, combine with 2 TBS of Jerk Spice Mix and blend until liquid.

Grill your pork on one side, when you flip the pork to cook the other side, brush the glaze on the finished side. Cook until internal temp reaches 140 degrees, flip and brush this side with the glaze...

Remove from heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Prepare your sandwich, top with a little creamy green onion, garlic and blue cheese salad dressing (That post will come soon)

Pair it up with a Kale Salad, even top that salad with a slice of pineapple and whoop dee doo, you have a fantastic Pineapple Jerk Glazed PORK CHOP Sandwich!!!

And once again you have proven yourself to be a Master Of The Grill!

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****************************PINTEREST**************************

Rules, only 2...

In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.
And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only. If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work, If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
Come and be a part of ... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! on Pinterest

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Grilled Spicy Mangoes - 52 Side Dishes from the Grill

I made these on the grill... You can easily do this with a broiler setting in your home kitchen oven...

But first a story... On so many levels I am a lucky man. One of the luckiest times of my life were the 6 months that I was able to spend on a tropical island, St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. That's the short version of the story, the long version I did a One photo a Day blog of my adventures showing lots of daily island living that you can find at... Daily Photos in St Thomas. Hint, the first post is my last, so try to find the first day and proceed so you see the story in order).

Actually, That's the set up to the story... here's the story... I failed at Mangoes while on the island. I just never could get the hang of taking a knife and slicing around the pit and getting those beautiful even halves with lots of meat that I saw natives doing with ease. I always tried and I always left more in the garbage than I served. Instead of a beautiful piece of sliced fruit it looked like I was mad at the mango.

But then I found this....

The utterly AMAZING Mango SLicer. Now, I am not someone who enjoys the junk drawer. That horrible drawer full of single use kitchen utensils. More often than not they do not work as advertised and after the initial rush to enjoy, you rarely if ever use them.

This is the exception.

It works perfectly. the slices are uniform, the meat of the mango stays intact and it is impossibly easy to use. Very little of the meat of the mang is wasted and it just works!

BTW... Follow the link above to Amazon and they will ship FREE with any order over $25... What a Deal!!!

Oh how I wish I had one of these in St Thomas... End of story.

Once you have your mango sliced, this dish is about as easy as possible. The diamond pattern is easy (Just slice straight lines at right angles without slicing through the skin). The spice is just three ingredients and the grilling time is FAST, easily can be done while you are "resting" meat just prior to serving.

Mangoes are a bit out of the ordinary, these come out beautiful (with the pushed out diamond pattern), deliciously heated to enhance the natural sugars and sweetness of the mango and nicely spiced with a little Lime, a little Salt and just a tiny amount of Hot pepper Spice to balance the natural sugars.

OK... Here's what I did...

Grilled Mango

Ingredients

4 medium slightly soft Mangoes, Sliced in half around the pit, skin left on
Drizzle of Olive Oil on Each
2 TBS Coarse Grind Sea Salt
2 TBS Lime Zest
1 tsp Dried Chipotle Spice

Cooking Directions

Prepare your grill for direct high heat.
Using a Mango Slicer, or carefully with your sharpest knife, cut each mango in half around the pit, leaving the skin on.
Carefully without slicing through the skin cut a diamond pattern in the meat of the mango.
Push from the skin side in the middle until the diamond pattern pushes out, increasing the surface area of the mango.
Drizzle Olive Oil over the meat side of the mango
Divide the spice mix in half. Using one half, sprinkle a pinch of the mix on each mango
Grill skin side down over direct heat for 3 minutes
Flip to Meat side down and grill for only 2-3 minutes just until the meat gets a slight char, remove from grill and arrange on a platter
Another light drizzle of Olive Oil, a sprinkle of the remaining spice
Serve Hot off the grill and ENJOY!!!

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****************************PINTEREST**************************

Rules, only 2...

In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.
And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only. If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work, If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
Come and be a part of ... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! on Pinterest

Monday, March 3, 2014

Black Bean and Quinoa Salad - 52 Do Ahead Salads

"The way to a Woman's Heart is an unexpected Gift at an Unexpected time"...

Funny the quotes that stay with you. I just could not get this quote out of my mind when deciding how to write this up. But this was the dish that was the easy unexpected way to my guest's hearts at a recent back yard BBQ. I have been known in the past to load up a BBQ with heavy, sweet, Carb loaded side dishes. My Beans are second to none (well, in my mind at least). My Potato Salads are nearing legendary status around the Cul de Sac. Certainly delicious, but also not necessarily healthy low-cal dishes.

For a change of pace I decided I was going to try healthy.

This is an adaptation of a Bobby Flay recipe. I made several changes but the basic idea of a Quinoa (the latest HOT Super food), Corn and grilled onions is still the same. I added a little extra sweet (honey... still natural and healthy) and some lime zest and a bit more seasoning.

Came out DELICIOUS! I had plans for a cup of leftovers to use for another recipe and barely pulled the dish from the table before it was emptied. Most unexpected and most delicious!

OK... Here's What I did...

Black Bean and
Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Quinoa
8 Green Oniona
2 TBS Olive Oil
2 Cans Sweet Corn
1 Can Black Beans, Drained and Rinsed
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
Zest of 1 Lime
Juice of 1 Lime
2 TBS Honey
3 TBS Chopped Fresh Oregano (can use Dried Herbs)
Salt and Pepper To taste

Cooking Directions

Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small pot over medium heat. Add a pinch of Salt and Pepper
Stir in the quinoa. Cover and cook until the quinoa is tender and the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let sit covered. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and transfer to a large bowl.
Heat the grill to high for direct grilling. Brush the green onions with the canola oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the onions until soft and slightly charred, about 2 minutes each side. Remove the onions from the grill and coarsely chop.
Mix the corn, beans, olive oil, Honey and lime juice in a bowl. Add the quinoa and chopped green onions.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Keep the Salad at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Stir in the cilantro and oregano.
Serve Room temperature and ENJOY!

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****************************PINTEREST**************************

Rules, only 2...

In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.
And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only. If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work, If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
Come and be a part of ... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! on Pinterest

Sunday, March 2, 2014

EASY DIY Kansas City Style Sweet Heat BBQ Sauce for EASY Rotisserie Chicken Meal - 52 Sauces and Rubs

NOTHING could be easier.

Pre-cooked, pre-seasoned Rotisserie Chicken. Simply separate the leg/thigh quarter from the bird, drizzle the KC Style Sweet/Heat BBQ sauce (see recipe below) and bake (350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. I did wrap in aluminum foil for the first 20 minutes and uncovered for the last 10 for crispy skin).

But the secret is in the sauce. For most of America,when you think BBQ sauce you think of a thick tomato based combination of sweet taste and the POW of Pepper Spices. Here is a simple to DIY recipe for you to get bragging rights at home!

LOVE THIS SAUCE and a great way to spruce up a Store Bought Fully Cooked, Fully Seasoned Rotisserie Chicken!

OK... Here's what I did...

EASY DIY
Kansas City Style
Sweet Heat BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

2 TBS Butter
1 small Red Onion, Minced
5 Cloves Garlic, Minced
2 Cups Ketchup
1/3 Cup Molasses
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar, Packed
1/4 Cup Cider Vinegar
2 TBS Yellow Mustard
1 TBS Chili Powder (Adjust amount to taste)
Big pinch Salt and Pepper
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper (Adjust amount to taste)

Cooking Directions

Melt butter in medium size saucepan. Add Onions and saute for about 5 minutes, until onions turn translucent and are soft.
Add Garlic and saute for an additional one minute.
Add all remaining ingredients. Stir to mix. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer.
Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Sauce will thicken as it simmers. Add additional water if sauce is too thick, or Tomato Paste if sauce needs to thicken.
Using a hand wand mixer or a stand blender, blend the sauce until smooth.
Transfer to Mason Canning Jars while still HOT. Close with canning lids and allow to cool on the counter. Jars will self seal as the sauce cools. Sauce will keep for up to 2 months sealed and 2 weeks once the sauce is opened.
Use on Chicken, Pork, Beef or Sea Food and ENJOY!!!

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This recipe has been added to my growing list of "52 Uses For a Rotisserie Chicken" (Now close to 100!)...I am so confused... $5.49 for a fully cooked, fully seasoned Oven Roasted, Rotisserie Chicken. Yet shop in the raw meat department and most raw chickens are at best $8 each and usually far closer to $10. Anyone have an answer??? Me either. So, I can either rail against the machine, or learn to embrace the beauty that is the $5 chicken! In this pin are recipes I have made, and recommend. MORE than 52 (I just can't stop)..
You get the idea. From Scratch Pizza to Chinese Take Out recipes, Lots of Soups and Chili... Appetizers to Main Courses (Still can't find a dessert, but I am looking). More than enough ideas for that store bought bird to shine with just a little extra work

***********************PINTEREST*********************

Rules, only 2...

In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.
And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only. If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work, If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
Come and be a part of ... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! on Pinterest

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Grilled Steak and Gorgonzola Cheese - 52 Grilled Pizzas

BUT WAIT...

How would you like to be ... THAT GUY (or Gal) That can (and regularly does) do amazing things on a grill...

A Couple of weeks ago I went into detail on GRILLING a pizza on a standard backyard grill. Easy, Fun, Spectacular.

This week I am going back to my adventures of Island Living. During my all too brief time of living on St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands I fell in love with this pizza. Steak, Blue Cheese, Onions and Chunky Tomatoes, grilled to perfection and served up with a bottle of wine ($25 on the island, priceless when made at home).

And once you know the tricks, easy as could be...

Easy like taking a ball of dough, hand form the shape (always rustic on the grill, never a perfect circle, part of the charm), Grill the dough, add toppings and create something unusual and FANTASTIC!

This makes a great appetizer, side dish or main course.... And it is a real crowd pleaser!

Oh... And it is beyond easy...
Anyone can do this... Anyone can be that GUY (or Gal) on the grill!

All you need for this...

1 Ball of Pizza Dough
A couple of TBS of Pizza Sauce
4 OZ Mozzarella Cheese, Grated
Thin slices of ribeye steak
1/4 of a Red Onion, Thinly Sliced
1 Medium Tomato sliced
2 OZ Gorgonzola Cheese, minced

The rest is all technique. Read over the post on Pizzeria Pizza at Home, then try this...

Sauce first... Plop a couple TBS of sauce in the center and spread evenly around the crust

Since this is HOT, don't worry, sauce will heat and the cheese will melt. So, spread the handful of cheese around

Again, no design, stick with the rustic look.

Add the Steak, Tomatoes and Onions

And at the last minute... spread the Gorgonzola over the top

And that's it!

Close the lid and let everything get really HOT for only another couple of minutes... And here you are!

Amazon.com Widgets

Enjoy your Pizza making... Let me know what pizzas you are making and be sure to come take a look next Sunday to see what I come up with this week!

This is Pizza #5 in my list of 52 Pizza Party Pizzas...

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So, I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of "52 Grilling Time Secret Extras" or "52 Ways to Cook BBQ and Grilling Recipes"!!!

Well over 52 recipes actually as I just can't stop... Over 100 in one grilling season (I love to grill!). But not just leat... Drinks, Condiments (LOTS of different BBQ sauces), Drinks, Desserts... even specialty items like GRILLED Pizza, and fun shaped Watermelons. Easy and these ideas will make you the MASTER of your Backyard Domain!

****************************PINTEREST**************************

Come and find me on Pinterest... Any of my "52 Ways to cook" Boards are worth following. If you like this post, please take a second and "Pin" this to your own boards... Better yet, if you are part of a foodie group board please take a second and add this post to your group pins... best way to show your Love!

And BTW, if you are not yet part of a group board, drop me an email at Contact@eRecipeCards.com and request to be added to my group board... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! (be sure to include your pinterest ID when you write) Once you are added, any pins you add will be seen by 10s of THOUSANDS of followers of the board (and growing daily).

Rules, only 2...

In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.

And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only. If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work, If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
Come and be a part of ... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! on Pinterest

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Thursday, March 6, 2014

Walnut, Goat Cheese, and Honey Pizza - 52 Grilled Pizzas

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Pineapple Jerk Glazed PORK CHOP Sandwich 3 TIPS for Moist Tender and DELICIOUS - 52 BBQ Tutorials

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Grilled Spicy Mangoes - 52 Side Dishes from the Grill

Monday, March 3, 2014

Black Bean and Quinoa Salad - 52 Do Ahead Salads

Sunday, March 2, 2014

EASY DIY Kansas City Style Sweet Heat BBQ Sauce for EASY Rotisserie Chicken Meal - 52 Sauces and Rubs

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Grilled Steak and Gorgonzola Cheese - 52 Grilled Pizzas

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