Perfect Weather for a Kabob Party

While August usually gets a bad rap for its weather, I actually enjoy the month because every now and then, you get those cool nights that remind you fall is on the way. After finding so many fun kabob recipes in this summer's Everyday Food, I decided to invite a few friends over and have a kabob sampler that included Shrimp, Beef, Pork, and Butternut Squash (recipes for all are below).

Kabob Rock Star

Tips for A Successful Kabob Party:

• Skewer Ahead of Time. Because of the risk of cross contamination when it comes to raw meats, I chose to do all the hard-core assembly beforehand while saving the sauces for the party itself.
• Have a Grilling Partner. You will be busy making sauces, entertaining friends, and prepping what is going on the grill next, so for the best outcome you should assign someone to the grill itself.
• Always have a pineapple on hand. No sauces, no seasoning---just caramelization at work on a delicious fruit.

Beef with Veggies, Squash with Indian Spices

Flank Steak Kebabs with Peanut Sauce
Everyday Food

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (not natural)
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon hot chili sauce, such as Sriracha
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon chopped roasted salted peanuts
• 1 pound flank steak, cut against the grain into 1/2-inch slices (halved crosswise if long)
• 1 large zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch half-moons
• 1 large bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 lime, quartered (optional)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

1. Heat a grill to medium-high. Clean and lightly oil hot grill. Place a small flameproof pot on grill; add peanut butter, coconut milk, chili sauce, and fish sauce and whisk until smooth and heated through. Transfer sauce to a serving bowl and top with peanuts.
2. Alternately thread steak, zucchini, bell pepper, and lime onto four 8-inch skewers, beginning and ending with steak. Season with salt and pepper and grill, turning occasionally, until steak is browned and cooked medium and peppers are crisp-tender, 7 to 9 minutes. Serve with peanut sauce.

Indian Spiced Squash Kebabs
Cooking Light, June 2008

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 pound baby pattypan squash, cut in half crosswise
• 1 medium red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh mint leaves (Optional)

1. Note: Due to the season, I was only able to secure a Butternut Squash. While the end result still ended up quite tasty, the squash took a lot longer to cook until tender (ending up charred), and it was hell getting them on to the skewers. If you are in the same boat, slice the pieces smaller to shorten the cooking time, or consider blanching them first to soften them up before placing them on the grill.
2. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl; toss well. Thread squash and onion alternately onto each of 8 (10-inch) skewers. Place skewers on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 10 minutes or until tender, turning frequently. Drizzle with juice. Sprinkle with mint.

Shrimp Boil Kebabs

Shrimp-Boil Kebabs
Everyday Food

• 1/2 pound small new potatoes (Requires Precooking)
• 2 small ears corn, cut into 1 1/2-inch rounds
• 1/2 pound andouille, cut into 1-inch rounds
• 1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 4 teaspoons hot-pepper sauce, such as Tabasco
• 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
• Lemon wedges, for serving (Optional)  

1. Note: Of all the kebabs I made, this was the only one where things were not cooking at the same time. Resist the urge to grill the shrimp and andouille on the same skewer, as the sausage will end up underdone. Instead, split the skewers so the shrimp cooks with the pre-cooked potatoes and the andouille is with the corn.
2. In a medium pot, bring potatoes to a boil in salted water over medium-high. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 12 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Alternately thread potatoes, corn, andouille, and shrimp onto four 8-inch skewers.
3. Heat a grill to medium-high. Clean and lightly oil hot grill. In a small bowl, combine butter, hot-pepper sauce, and Old Bay Seasoning. Grill kebabs, turning and brushing with butter mixture occasionally, until shrimp are opaque throughout and corn is tender and beginning to char, about 8 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

And of COURSE my famous Pork Kebabs with Hoisin Glaze

Finally, we grilled the trusty, most amazingly sweet/savory kebab you will ever try, the Everyday Food recipe for Pork Kebabs with Ginger Hoisin Glaze. Still amazing.

Grill Much?

HOT coals!

So it's week two of eating healthy and this week, I had a boy to please as well. Also, without really realizing it, I selected three delicious recipes that all use a grill. Too bad it's a heat wave, but we just waited until a little later in the night to start, and everything was peachy.

All of these recipes are great as alternatives to the usual hamburgers and brats—it was healthier, delicious, and definitely a change of pace from the traditional chicken breast recipe I've made in the past. Below you will find recipes for Teriyaki Chicken (my mother's recipe), a Grilled Pork Tenderloin (with cherry salsa), and a Yogurt Marinated, Indian Spiced Chicken Beast.

But I'd have to give my 'best of the week' recommendation in a tie to two SIDE dishes I made: the Walnut Basil Pesto on Squash and the Parmesan Peppers. Both used the grill, and were new and exciting flavors I hadn't tried before. Make both of those immediately.

Grill Night # 1:
Basic, Can't-Fail Chicken Breast

Teriyaki Chicken (courtesy my mother)
*2 hour minimum marinating time required*

• 6-10 Chicken Thighs (we used breasts)
• 1 c. soy sauce
• 1 c. sake (or crisp white wine as a substitute, I used a Viognier)
• 1/3 c. brown sugar
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 t. red pepper flakes
• 1 T. powdered ginger (I used fresh, grated---I would highly recommend the upgrade)

1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a sauce pan, and cook until sugar melts. Pour on top of chicken and marinate overnight, or at least 2-3 hours.
2. Broil in oven, or over the grill. Turn chicken once, after around 10 minutes. Cook until done (20-25 minutes). 

served with
Grilled Squash with Walnut Parsley Pesto (Everyday Food)

• 1 cup tightly packed, fresh parsley leaves
• 1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts
• 1 small garlic clove, smashed and peeled
• 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 1/4 t. finely grated lemon zest
• 1 T. fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
• salt/pepper
• 2 yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and seasoned with salt and pepper

1. Preheat Grill.
2. Using a food processor, pulse pesto ingredients (everything except squash and olive oil) for 10 seconds. Then, with the machine running, slowly add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream until a paste forms.  Season with salt/pepper and transfer to a small bowl.
3. Grill Squash, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and tender. (About 10 minutes)

Grill Night #2:
Pork, The Other Grill Meat

Parmesan Peppers in the back stole the show

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Salsa
(Bon Appetit June)
*15 minute marinating time, although overnight is preferred*

• 1 c. coarsly chopped cilantro, divided
• 1/2 c. minced shallots, divided
• 6 T. fresh lime juice, divided
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 2 pork tenderloins, about 2.5 lbs (one could feed 3-4 people)
• 1/2 lb. fresh cherries, stemmed, pitted, halved
• 1 fresh Fresno chilie, red jalepeno, or Holland--thinly sliced crosswise. (I used a green jalapeno)
• 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
•  Salt/Pepper

1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
2. Combine half the cilantro, half the shallots, 4 T. lime juice, and vegetable oil in a resealable plastic bag. Add pork, and seal. Turn to coat, and marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes, turning occasionally.
3. Combine the rest of the shallots, cilantro, lime juice, cherries, chile, and olive oil in a bowl and set aside.
4. Remove tenderloin from marinade and season generously with salt/pepper. Grill, turning frequently, until meat registers 145 degrees (about 15 minutes). Let rest for 10 minutes. Cut into slices and serve with salsa.

I had made a similar recipe before, but while the cherry salsa stands out, the pork wasn't anything special. This time around, grilled, the pork held its own. Plus—we used the second tenderloin the next night for Taco Meat. THAT was another tasty meal that allowed me to indulge in dairy without also worrying about greasy meat. Just shred and reheat the meat.

served with
Parmesan Peppers
(Bon Appetit June)

• 4 bell peppers
• 1 clove, thinly sliced garlic
• 8 thyme sprigs
• 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
• salt/pepper
• 1/4 c. grated Parmesan
• 1/2 lemon, juiced (optional)

1. Stem, corn, and quarter the peppers and toss with all remaining ingredients except cheese. Place on baking sheet and roast at 425 degrees until softened (or use the grill). Top with cheese, and broil until cheese melts and peppers are slightly charred. Juice lemon over peppers, if desired.

Grill Night # 3: Exotic Chicken
I say exotic because the kitchen smelled like Indian food all night, but this recipe was just as easy to make as the Teriyaki Chicken on night one--make whichever one sounds fantastic for the moment! This one was slightly jucier, and had those fantastic ginger/garam marsala spice notes to it.

Yogurt Marinated Grilled Chicken (Bon Appetit)

• 8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt (I used Greek)
• 1 cup coarsley chopped cilantro, leaves and stems
• 1/2 large onion, coarsley chopped
• 1/3 c. olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1 T. fresh lime juice
• 1 T. garam marsala
• 2 t. salt
• 1 t. pepper
• 1 2" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1. Pound each breast of chicken between two sheets of waxed paper until they are an even 1/2" thick. Transfer to resealable plastic bag.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour yogurt mixture over chicken and marinate at least 3 hours, or overnight.
3. Build a medium fire, brush grill with oil (this meat stuck to an un-oiled grill, so I'd recommend). Scrape excess marinate off chicken and season with salt. Grill chicken, turning once, until browned and cooked through. (The recipe says 3-4 minutes, but ours needed at least 8-10 per side).

The Most Amazing Kebab You Could Ever Grill

The glamor pose

Amazing how much a good recipe can turn around your entire outlook on cooking. Step one to get me out of my malaise was get a good food magazine—and just like that, Everyday Food arrived the next evening with a feature on Kebabs. Perfect for Memorial Day.

The Prep Table (with magazine as a guide)

Firing up the Grill

Color is half the fun of a kebab

Charring Up on the Grill

Ginger-Hoisin Glaze
(Makes 6-8 kebabs with 4 meat chunks each)
1/4 c hoisin sauce
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. rice vinegar
1 T. finely grated, peeled fresh ginger  (really, REALLY key)

Everyday Food paired the glaze with pork loin, snap peas, and scallions---which we tried first and immediately devoured. That's when we pulled out the frozen chicken breast, and discovered the glaze was EVER BETTER with chicken. Snap peas and onions really added to the flavor, but adding in some red pepper for color was fantastic as well.

Pretty much, anything is great with this sauce. Make it immediately.

Shrimp Kebab with Sriracha-Lemon Glaze
Because we had no idea the sauce would be that amazing, we also made a second kebab with shrimp and pineapple. Not wanting to throw it on without its own sauce, I whipped up a quick sauce of lemon juice, sriracha, olive oil, and garlic powder. The spice was nice, but this in no way compared to the hoisin glaze.

Fun with shrimp heads.

Shrimp on the grill

And, of course, for dessert we threw some pineapple smothered in brown sugar on the grill. Enjoy the inspiration--let me know if you like it as much as we did.

Mustard & Fruit-Braised Pork Chops

For those who love mustard, this is a must-make recipe. Another treat from America's Test Kitchen (I really need to get a subscription!), this magazine can seem to do no wrong. I swear, it took 15 minutes to prep, and then another 10 to braise on the stove. Super tasty--and fast!

Mustard & Fruit-Braised Pork Chops

Mustard & Fruit-Braised Pork Chops
America's Test Kitchen, 2011 Light & Healthy
Serves 4: calories 410, fat 11g, carbs 34g, protein 38g, sodium 510mg

• 1 cup water
• 1 unripe pear, peeled and cut into .75" pieces
• 1/3 c. dried apricots (quartered)
• 1/4 c. dried cherries
• 3 T. white wine vinegar
• 2 T. sugar
• 2 T. whole-grain mustard
• 2 T. Dijon mustard
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 (6-oz) bone-in pork rib chops, .5" thick, trimmed of all fat
• salt and pepper
• 1 T. minced fresh parsley

1. Combined water, fruit, vinegar, sugar, bay leaves, whole-grain mustard, and 1 T. Dijon mustard in a bowl.
2. Pat pork chops dry with paper towel and lightly season with salt & pepper. Heat 2-3 T. oil in a 12" skillet on medium high. When oil is just smoking, arrange pork chops in the skillet (pinwheel, tip-end out) and brown 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate.
   
3. Add fruit mixture to the pan, scraping up browned bits. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and return chops to sauce. Cook until meat is tender, around 30 minutes.
   
4. Transfer chops to a platter and tent loosely with foil. Increase the hat to medium and continue to simmer the sauce until thick (5-7 minutes). Remove and discard bay leaves, stir in the remaining 1 T. Dijon mustard and minced parsley. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over pork chops and serve.
   

Adventures in Garlic

Garlic Pork Roast up close

Tonight I made the meal I was planning to make yesterday (before I realized you needed to marinate the meat for a day...READ THE RECIPE FIRST!) I had a 2 lb. pork tenderloin left over from another meal, so I decided to try out another America's Test Kitchen recipe.

One great thing I did here was plan a main dish AND a side. Look at me acting like a grown up. I served the pork with some spinach, and the two worked nicely together. The combination of garlic and red pepper gave the pork a great bite to it, and the spinach was a nice milder flavor.

Note: My recipe here was enough for 2-3 people.  You'd want to buy more spinach if you're serving more--it reduces quite a bit.

Garlic Pork Roast
America's Test Kitchen
Serves 8: Calories 330, Fat 19g, Protein 36g, Carb 2g, Sodium 240g
1 2 lb boneless, center-cup pork loin roast, trimmed
22 garlic cloves (10 peeled and crushed for marinate, 12 unpeeled)
4 t. olive oil
1/2 t. salt
3/4 t. pepper
1.5 t. minced fresh thyme
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
1 T. unsalted butter
1/4 t. sugar
Kitchen Twine

Sauteed Spinach
1 bag baby spinach
1.5 T. water
1 t. olive oil
1 clove garlic
salt
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/3 t. fresh lemon juice
pepper

The Day/Morning Before:

1. Butterfly the pork roast. Whisk the crushed garlic, 1. t. oil, salt, and 1/4 t. pepper together in a bowl and transfer it and the pork to a ziplock bag. Seal and leave for 1 hr, up to 24.

Day Of (20 minutes prep/1.5 hrs total)

2. Preheat the oven to 325. Toast unpeeled garlic cloves in a skillet until fragrant (8 min). Reserve two cloves for garlic butter, then peel and mash together the rest with 1 t. oil, thyme, red pepper, and 1/4 t. pepper.
3. Remove the roast from the marinade and pat dry, removing marinate items. Spread the inside of hte roast with the garlic paste. Roll tightly into a cylinder and tie the roast in 1-inch intervals with kitchen twine. Season the outside with pepper.
   

   

   My first attempt tying meat..not to shabby

4. Heat 2 t. oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Carefully lay the roast on the skillet and cook until well-browned on all sides (1-2 minutes each). Transfer to a wire rack, held over a baking sheet lined with foil. Place in oven and roast 50-60 minutes.
   

   

   Well-browned, and ready to roast

When 15 minutes remain on the pork, prep the spinach:

5. Place spinach and water in a microwave safe bowl. Cover and heat on high until spinach has decreased in size by half. (1-1.5 minutes)
6. Drain the spinach in a colander, removing excess liquid with a spatula. Transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop. Return to colander and press a second time.
7. Cook oil, garlic, and pepper in a skillet. Once garlic begins to brown, add in spinach, 1/4 t. salt, and toss. Cook additional 2 minutes.
8. Off the heat, stir in lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper (keeping in mind the main flavor is coming from the pork, so you should add sparingly).

Finishing up the Pork

9. Take your final two garlic cloves set aside earlier, and mince. Add to butter and sugar and microwave for 1-2 minutes until garlic browns and butter is melted.
10. When pork is done, remove from oven and transfer to cutting board. Baste the sides with the garlic butter, then let rest, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove twine and serve in 1/2-inch discs.

The final plate next to the flowers Chris bought me earlier this week!

Pork Three Ways: Fancy, Easy, and BBQ Pizza

There's nothing like a large piece of meat to inspire creative cooking. When faced with 4 lbs. of pork shoulder, instead of making way too much of one dish--I split it up into three amazing dishes: Braised Pork Shoulder, Pork Ragu Pasta, and BBQ Pork Pizza. (Well, really four dishes, if you could the 3 lbs I used initially to make Christmas Tamales).

The genius part of this was that I only had to cook the meat once: braising it for 3 hours in onions, a HEAD of garlic, and a bottle of beer. The result was a tender, full of flavor bite of meat that will take me awhile to forget. It also froze back well---after a month in the freezer while I took my Jordan trip, the meat was still awesome.

Try one, or all three when you have a few hours to braise:

Pork Shoulder ready to braise

Braised Pork Shoulder
Martha Stewart
* 6 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
* 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
* 1 bone-in pork shoulder (6 to 7 pounds), room temperature
* Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 head garlic, minced
* 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, toasted and ground
* 1 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds
* 2 cups Belgian-style ale
* 1 cup homemade chicken stock

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Crisp pancetta in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat, until fat is rendered, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon.
2. Add onions to Dutch oven. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 25 minutes. Transfer to plate using slotted spoon.
3. Season pork with salt and pepper. Add oil to Dutch oven, and sear pork, fat side down, until golden, about 5 minutes. Flip, and repeat.
4. Add garlic and spices to pot. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ale, stock, pancetta, and onions; bring to a simmer. Transfer to oven, and braise pork, covered, basting every hour, until meat is falling off the bone, 3-4 hours.
5. Shred only the meat you are using for dinner using 2 forks, and drizzle with warm skimmed jus. (We served ours with mashed potatoes and stuffing)

Basting the meat after two hours

The oh-so-delicious jus

The pasta dish below would be a great next-day meal, but as I was flying to the Middle East, I choose instead of freeze back both the cooked pork and jus until my return. The following was insanely easy and took maybe 10 minutes of prep. The light egg noodles make it a fantastic pairing to the somewhat heavy braised meat already served.

Pork Ragu Pasta with Sage
Martha Stewart

* 1 pound egg noodles
* 2 cups jus, heated and reduced (from above)
* 2 cups shredded pork, heated
* 2 tablespoons fresh sage, thinly sliced
* Pecorino Romano cheese

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook 1 pound ribbon pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving some cooking water.
2. Toss pasta with reserved jus, reserved shredded pork, and sage, adding reserved cooking water as needed.
3. Divide among 4 bowls. Garnish with finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

Pork Ragu

So the next recipe has a funny story to it. I wanted to use the last cup of pork to make pizza, so I glanced in the pantry---saw A1 Steak Sauce, and in my head went 'ah, Chris has BBQ sauce.' Come two hours later, when the pizza dough is on the piping hot pizza stone and all the ingredients are ready---I realize steak sauce is NOT barbecue sauce. (Head Slap).

BBQ Pork Pizza

BBQ Pork Pizza

But such errors make for the best creativity--and within minutes I had whipped together my own special sauce: one part A1, one part tomato sauce, and two heaping spoonfuls of adobo sauce (I had the chipotles in adobo in the fridge from tamales last month). What turned out was amazing: smokey, sharp, and a perfect compliment to the pork.

The recipe is my standard dough recipe , topped with the leftover meat, sauce, and a mixture of cheese. Cook at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes, and serve.

Finished product

The best part about all of these was that the final recipe--the pizza--made almost a month after I initially braised the meat was just as good as the first thing I made. I take that as a sign of both delicious recipes AND a good product. It's a lot of pork, and the variety of recipes really shows off it's versatility. So what do you think? Do you have a go-to recipe that can pull out three amazing meals? Let me know!

Christmas Dinner

Merry Christmas Everyone! Over the weekend Chris and I cooked a small meal: using spare pork shoulder from the tamales to make Braised Pork Shoulder, accompanied by mashed potatoes and the family's specialty: oyster stuffing. The Pork was braised in a Brown Ale, so we poured our own to pair with the meal, and finished it up with pecan pie.

I'll be in Jordan for the next 15 days--so stay tuned for one or two special travel editions of LCC. Have a great New Year--and be safe!