Grilled Pork Roast with Port/Vidalia/Fig Sauce

Grilled Pork Roast with Port/Vidalia/Fig Sauce
Serves 4

Recipe for the sauce:
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 large Vidalia onion, sliced thinly, then quartered
1 tablespoon flour (any type)
1 cup port wine
4 figs, stems removed and halved

1. Preheat a non-stick skillet over med-high heat.
2. Add the coconut oil. (You can use any type of oil, but caramelized onions made with coconut oil creates a delicious flavor combination.)
3. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the onion, and turn heat down to medium. Season the onions with a bit of black pepper. 
4. Let the onions slowly caramelize. This will take 20-25 minutes. Don't rush it. Cooking them fast will fry them crispy. The idea here is to make them convert their sugars into caramel and break down all the cell stucture. They will end up incredibly fragrant and soft.
5. When the onions are fully caramelized, sprinkle the flour over them and stir to combine.
6. Increase the heat to medium-high.
7. Slowly pour the port into the onions, whisking constantly.
8. When the sauce coats the back of a spoon, lay the figs in the sauce and let them get warm. 
9. Serve over sliced pork.

Fig season is relatively short. Enjoy them while you can find them.

Nutritional data for 2 tablespoons sauce and 2 fig halves.:

Calories:        133

Fat:                3.7g

Sat fat:           3.1g

Chol:                0g

Sodium:     4.5mg

Carbs:         14.9g

Fiber:            2.1g

Protein:         0.9g

Tips for roasting a pork half loin on a grill:
When cooking a pork half loin on the grill, I like to season it with something good, like Penzey's Bavarian Style seasoning.

I also do not place the roast directly on the grate, but I also do not use a pan. I want the heat to directly roast the meat, without it sticking to the grill. My solution is to take a handful of herbs from my garden (usually a few rosemary branches and make some basil boughs) and place those on the grill, and then the roast on top. The herbs will mostly burn (eventually) but they will infuse the meat with their gentle flavors.

You may be wondering what is sticking out of the top of the roast. That is my secret weapon for grilling food that is fully cooked, but still moist. That is a Taylor Digital Cooking Thermometer/Timer. You set the desired tempurature of doneness (145F for pork roasts), and then you can let it go. It has an alarm that sounds when the temp is reached.

When your roast hits 145F, remove it from the grill, tent it with some aluminum foil and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting it.

That knife you see is a very nice knife, an 8 inch chef's knife, that I bought at IKEA. You can get a similar knife from Amazon. The patterns in the blade is called Damascus steel, and is made be repeated heating in forge, hammering flat, folding over and then repeating if many times. There are master knifemakers who still make them in that method, each knife taking more than a day to craft. Those knives sell for $200-400 per INCH of blade! I paid less than $50 for mine, and the knife that I show you in the Amazon link is $111.00. A Damascus blade tends to keep it's edge longer, and I just love mine.

My dream is to own one of those handmade works of kitchen cutlery art. It will happen!

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Note: the links to Amazon are an affiliate links. That means if you click on those and buy one something, I will receive a small commission. It does not change your cost at all, but it will help me continue to provide recipes and advice here and in my podcast Make Your Someday Today. 

Grilled Prosciutto-Wrapped Fresh Figs

Grilled Prosciutto-Wrapped Fresh Figs
Serves 4

4 fresh figs
2 ounces very thinly sliced prosciutto (approximately 8 slices)

Wrap each fig with the prosciutto, and secure with toothpicks. (If you can't find prosciutto, you could try very thinly sliced bacon.)

Preheat your grill on high for 5 minutes.
Place the figs on the grate. Turn often so that all side cook, but not become burned.

Serve warm.

So easy. So elegant. The grill intensifies the sugars, and makes the fig softer, but not mushy. The prosciutto adds a velvety texture from the fat as it melts into the fig, and the meat is lightly smokey. The contrast between sweet and savory is wonderful.

Make these while you can still find fresh figs!

Nutritional data (per fig):

Calories:         67

Fat:                 1.7g

Sat fat:            0.5g

Chol:         12.5mg

Sodium:  230.5mg

Carbs:            9.6g

Fiber:             1.5g

Protein:          4.4g

These would be incredible as a starter or a dessert. I think that since this is a sweet and slightly fatty dish, a semi-dry sparkling wine (possible a Moscato d'Asti) would be a nice match.

Grilled Jalapeno Poppers

Grilled Jalapeno Poppers

Makes 4 servings (4 halves each)

8 jalapenos, halved and seeded

4 tablespoons goat cheese (or low fat cream cheese)

4 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt

4 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese

4 tablespoons minced green onion

1.  Prepare jalapenos. If your hands are sensitive, wear gloves.

2.  Fill each half with approximately 1 tablespoon of the filling.

3.  Preheat the grill.

4.  Place peppers on grill, over direct heat, skin-side down. 

5.  Remove peppers when the skin begins to char.

6.  Serve warm or cold.

Nutritional Data

Calories:           64

Fat:                 3.0g

Sat fat:            1.7g

Chol:             10mg

Sodium:       120mg

Carbs:             5.2g

Fiber:              0.9g

Protein:           4.5g 

Grown Up Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Grown Up Grilled Cheese
Serves 1

This is the sort of "Comfort Food" that my guests on my Make Your Someday Today podcast will talk about in our interviews. Comfort foods do just that. They make us feel safe, secure and warm. They tell us that everything will be all right, that success will arrive, but only if we get moving toward.

2 slices of your preferred bread
2 slices of your preferred cheese
2-3 slices of tomato
1 jalapeno cut into strips
1/4 avocado, sliced
1 teaspoon Vegemite (optional)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1. Prepare your ingredients. Preheat non-stick griddle or skillet.
2. Spread the Vegemite on one slice of cheese (optional).
3. Spread the mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread.
4. Lay the bread mayo-side DOWN on griddle.
5. Lay the Vegemite spread cheese on the bread, Vegemite down.
6. Arrange the remaining ingredients on the cheese.
7. Top with second piece of cheese and bread, mayo-side UP.
8. Grilled until the edge gets brown (2-4 minutes, depending on the heat.)
9. With a spatula, carefully flip and grill the second side.

Nutritional data:
Calories:       274
Fat:             16.8g
Sat fat:          5.7g
Chol:           25mg
Sodium:     354mg
Carbs:            25g
Fiber:            6.9g
Protein:          14g

Please be aware that those nutritional numbers are specific to my sandwich. Adding to deleting ingredients, using different cheese, or not using Vegemite will change all the numbers.

Served with Wisco Disco, a great American Amber Ale

Make Your Someday Today is a twice-weekly podcast, where we talk to successful people in all walks of life and around the world on Monday, and then on Thursday, I take a specific message from the previous guest and give my "Trevitorial", where I help you apply that message to your life. The entire purpose of the show is to help all of us overcome our challenges and fears and become the person we want to be, the person we deserve to be.

Christmas Dinner

I had never made a boneless New York Strip roast before, and I broke my cardinal rule of party planning (never make a dish for the first time the day of the party.)

Fortunately, as you can see above, all went well. That was a six pound roast, rubbed with my garlic-olive oil paste, onion and fresh cracked black pepper. I placed the roast in an foil baking pan, because I wanted to roast this, not grill it I preheated the grill on high for about ten minutes. My grill has four burners so when I put the pan on the grill, I turned off the two burners directly under the roast, and adjusted the remaining two so that my grill thermometer read 300F (This would be the same if you did this in your oven. If you do this in your oven, start with your oven at 500F for 10 minutes, then turn is down to 300F.)

I used a meat thermometer, the type that stays in the meat while it is cooking, and is connected to a meter outside the grill or oven. If you do any amount of roasting, either grill or oven, I really recommend that you use a thermometer like this. You can set it to ring at your desired finished temperature and you will never overcook your food again.

The roast was the main part of the meal, and the part I was most stressed about. Everything else went smoothly. Tammy would pop into the kitchen from time to time, just to make sure everything was progressing. I made a loaf of bread which finished at the perfect time for me to start roasting the carrots. They take about 25 minutes under 450F and then another 10 minutes after adding the peas to the pan.

The bowl mixed greens and chopped pears was ready to be topped with the maple-mustard vinaigrette (with bleu cheese and walnuts on the side for those who want the full salad.)

The roast had just reached it's finished temperature (143F) and I had pulled it off the grill. The carrots were about 10 minutes away from needing the peas to be added when Tammy pops in to ask "How are the carrots and potatoes going?"

Potatoes?????

Oh, no!!!!!

I dumped two pounds of fingerling potatoes onto a shallow jelly roll pan, drizzled olive oil, tosses with some salt and pepper and put it on the bottom rack of the hot oven. When I added the peas to the carrots, the potatoes were sizzling, and when the carrots were ready, so were the potatoes! Whew!

Everything works out!

I hope everyone enjoys your new year! I will still be here!

(P.S.: Next time, I will take the roast off the grill at 140F for a little closer to medium-rare.)

Roasted Eggplant and Feta Dip

Roasted Eggplant and Feta Dip
Serves: 24 (2 tablespoon serving)

Eggplants (enough to equal about 1 pound)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup onion, finely minced
1 jalapeno chili, seeded, finely minced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely minced
1/4 cup feta cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400F (or preheat the grill on high)
2. Roast the eggplant (either method) turning every 5 minutes or so, until the skin begins to char the the fruit is soft.
3. Remove and set aside to cool.
4. When cool, slice and scrape into a bowl. Add oil and lemon juice.
5. Mash with a fork until mixed but still lumpy.
6. Add all remaining ingredients. Mix to combine.

Nutritional data:

Calories:        34

Fat:              2.5g

Sat fat:         0.7g

Chol:         2.7mg

Sodium:   35.3mg

Carbs:          2.7g

Fiber:           1.4g

Protein:        0.9g

Asparagus and Bleu Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Asparagus and Bleu Cheese Stuffed Grilled Chicken Breast
Serves 4

4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless (approximately 6 ounces each)
1 cup asparagus, cut into 1 inch lengths
1 ounce bleu cheese
1 ounce cream cheese
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
Spices and herbs of your choice (I used Penzey's Greek Seasoning)

1. Preheat your grill on high.
2. Carefully cut into the side of the chicken breast, making a pocket. Do not cut all the way through.
3. Combine the cheeses and herbs.
4. Spread 1/4 of the cheese mixture in each pocket. 
5. Fill the pockets with the asparagus.
6. Use a toothpick to keep the pocket closed.
7. Rub the chicken with the olive oil.
8. Clean the grill's grates with your grill brush. With additional cooking oil, a paper towel and long tongs, rub oil on the grates.
9. Lay the chicken on your prepared grill.
10. Let cook for 4-5 minutes, then flip and grill another 4-5 minutes.

Nutritional data:

Calories:      290

Fat:             12g

Sat fat:       4.9g

Chol:      109mg

Sodium:  176mg

Carbs:        2.3g

Fiber:         0.7g

Protein:    41.9g

If you want a much more detailed review of asparagus and many more ideas on how to prepare and use it, here is a great web resource: How to Cook Asparagus

Thanks to Lita Watson for sharing this information with the blog and all of my readers!

If you want to a new podcast on your play list, listen to my show Make Your Someday Today (MYST). Here is a link to the first episode, where I tell my personal story of how I went from wearing a 3XL shirt down to a Medium, from 48" waist to 34", and my jacket went from a 54 Portly to 44 Regular.

And if you are experiencing weight loss challenges due to parties, picnics and family functions, here is a good episode for you.

Grilled Peach with Balsamic Reduction

Grilled Peach with Balsamic Reduction
Serves 2

1 peach
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/8 cup crushed pecans
Whipped topping or ice cream

1. Preheat your grill on high for 5 minutes.
2. In a small non-stick skillet over med-high heat, toast the pecans until they become fragrant (2-3 minutes.) Remove from heat.
3. In the same skillet, add vinegar and increase the heat to high. Bring to a boil. Let is reduce in volume by half. This will go quickly (1-3 minutes), stay by the stove. Turn the heat off.
4. Cut your peach in half and remove the stone.
5. Lay the peach, cut side down on the grill. Leave in place until grill marks form, about 2 minutes. (The sugars in the peach will start to get caramelize and you will smell the wonderful aroma.)
6. Turn the heat down, and leave the peach in place another 2-3 minutes, until it gets warm.
7. Serve the peach half on whipped topping or ice cream, topped with half the pecans and balsamic syrup.
8. Omit whipped cream to make this vegan.

Note: The next time I make this, I will cut the peach into four or six wedges, and grill both cut sides.

Normally, I don't like peaches (I usually find them to be cloyingly sweet), but this peach had such a different flavor from the grilling process and then topping it with the sweet-tart balsamic syrup made this a wonderful dessert.

For nutritional data, the only data of concern is the peach. The vinegar adds very little. If you eat it without whipped topping or ice cream, you only need to add the calories present in the peach.

Grilled Pizzas (Version 2)

Each Serves 1

Cheesy Garlic Bread
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, mashed and minced
2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) shredded mozzarella cheese

Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza
One half of a large hamburger bun
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 slice medium onion, grilled
1 ounce browned ground beef
1 slice cheddar cheese

Reuben Pizza
One half of a large hamburger bun
1 tablespoon low fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 ounces deli corned beef
2 tablespoons sauerkraut
1 slice Swiss cheese

Philly Cheesesteak Pizza
One half of a large hamburger bun
1 teaspoon olive oil
Your preferred herb blend (I used Penzey's Sunny Paris.)
2 ounces sliced beef
1 ounce fire-roasted sweet bell peppers
1 slice medium onion, grilled
2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) shredded mozzarella cheese

Chicken-Basil Sausage Pizza
One half of a large hamburger bun
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 of cooked chicken sausage (Al Fresco All Natural Sun-Dried Tomato is great), sliced
1 slice medium onion, grilled
2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella

Pepperoni Pizza
One half of a large hamburger bun
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Your preferred herbs (I used Penzey's Tuscan Sunset.)
7 slices pepperoni
2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella

Instructions:

1. Preheat grill on high for 10 minutes.
2. For each pizza, spread the sauce/oil on the bun, and then top with the ingredients in that order.
3. Place on grill, over indirect heat (only half the burners on--pizzas go over the cold burners.)
4. Grill until the cheese gets melted.

Nutritional data:

               Cheesy      Bacon     Reuben     Philly   Chicken   Pepperoni

                 Bread     Cheese                                  Sausage        

Calories       146          292          317          215        182           143

Fat:             7.8g         15.3g       21.6g         9.8g      6.4g           7.2g

Sat fat:        2.2g              8g         7.5g         2.9g      2.5g          3.1g

Chol:        7.5mg         55mg        50mg      43mg     40mg        19mg

Sodium:   223mg       356mg      907mg     295mg   434mg      359mg

Carbs:       14.6g         2 1.2g       17.3g       14.7g       18g        13.2g

Fiber:          0.4g              2g            2g         1.2g      1.9g          1.3g

Protein:          5g         17.4g           12g       17.4g    12.6g          6.3g

From the top center, moving clockwise:  Cheesy Garlic Bread, Bacon Cheeseburger, 

Reuben, Philly Cheesesteak, Chicken Sausage, Pepperoni.

How to grill an onion slice:

Slice onion thickly. Slide a skewer through as shown. Brush with a bit of oil. Grill until finished.

Tasting notes:

1. The Cheesy Garlic bread needed more garlic and maybe a bit more cheese.
2. The Reuben was killer!
3. The rest were all very good and simple.
4. I found that toasting the bread before making the pizza (as in the previous recipes) is an unnecessary step.
5. Using hamburger buns in this manner will allow everyone to make their own pizza exactly as they want it (or them?) All it will take is a supply of sauces and various toppings for a very simple pizza party.

Grilled French Bread Pizzas--Four Ways

Grilled French Bread Pizzas, Four Ways
Each pizza serves 2 or more, depending on if used as a meal or appetizer

French bread loaf, 12 inches (approximately)
Your choice of toppings (your options are infinite.) I used (from top to bottom):

Cheesy Garlic Bread
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large garlic clove, crushed and minced
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded mozzarella

Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza
1 tablespoon bacon grease (you can use olive oil if you prefer)
2 tablespoon tomato paste
4 ounces ground beef, cooked
2 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
2 slices cheddar cheese (sharp if possible) or 2 ounces shredded

Olive, Mushroom & Spinach Pizza
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large garlic clove, crushed and minced
1/2 can (4 ounce can) mushrooms (I use Pennsylvania Dutch brand, no added salt)
4 green olives, sliced thinly
4 Kalamata olive, sliced thinly
1 ounce fresh baby spinach, chopped finely
1 ounce (1/4 cup) shredded mozzarella

Mushroom & Swiss Pizza
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large garlic clove, crushed and minced
8 ounces fresh crimini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 medium onion, sliced
2 slices Swiss cheese (or 2 ounces)

The instructions are basically the same for each and only vary with the difference in toppings.

1. Preheat your grill in high, or set your oven's broiler on high.
2. Cut the loaf in half, lengthwise. 
3. Carefully remove as much the bread from the cut face of each half, creating a long bowl for the crust. When finished, each shell should weight about 2 or 2.5 ounces. (Save the removed bread to make bread crumbs, if you want.)
4. Evenly spread the oil (or bacon grease) over the cut surface (not the crust). Spread garlic if the recipe calls for it.
5. Prepare all fillings. If you didn't cook the ground beef specifically for this recipe, warm it in a microwave oven in a skillet on the stove. (Do the same for the bacon.) Slice and chop all ingredients, and pre-measure the cheeses if needed.
6. For the mushroom filling, preheat a nonstick skillet. Add a bit of cooking spray. Saute the onions and mushrooms until everything is softened the the mushrooms have released their water.
7. When all toppings are ready, take the bread to the grill. Turn the heat to low and lay them, cut side DOWN, on the grill. Don't walk away. The crusts go from raw to crispy to burned with very little time in between those stages. (Mine were getting close to burnt!)  This will take 1-2 minutes. If you are using your broiler, place them cut side UP, and give them the same 1-2 minutes. The idea is to crisp the crust, and help it resist absorbing any juices from the fillings and getting soggy.
8. Take the crusts back to your work area. Fill the crusts in the order that they are given.
9. Return the pizzas to the grill or broiler (in both cases, cut side UP.) 
   
10. Remove when the cheese is melted.
11. Let rest briefly, then cut and serve.

Nutritional data (per half of one pizza):

             Cheesy Bread    Bacon-Cheese  Olive & Spinach   Mush & Swiss

Calories       160                     322                    202                       245

Fat:             9.4g                     19g                 12.5g                    13.3g

Sat fat:        2.4g                    9.1g                   2.6g                      5.1g

Chol:        7.6mg                  54mg                7.5mg                    20mg

Sodium:   227mg                328mg                550mg                  209mg

Carbs:       14.4g                  17.9g                  16.9g                       22g

Fiber:          0.4g                    1.1g                   1.5g                      1.5g

Protein:       5.2g                  19.1g                    6.6g                    11.2g

Note: This is my first attempt at these recipes, and I liked the crispy crust. At Tammy's request, I will try these techniques again, but not toast the bread initially for a softer crust. I will also use some different fillings (yet to be decided.) I will post the results here, later this week.

Grilled Halloumi Salad

Grilled Halloumi Salad

Serves 1

Life is busy. But that does not mean we can't eat wonderful food!

1 ounce Halloumi cheese

1-2 cups fresh arugula

1 slice from a large tomato
1-2 teaspoon olive oil

1. Preheat your grill on high for 5 minutes.
2. Brush your grill and using paper towel and a tongs, wipe vegetable oil on the grate to prevent sticking.
3. Lay the cheese on the grill. Flip after two minutes. The cheese will not melt into the grate, but will brown as in the picture.
4. Remove after another two minutes.
5. Lay the tomato slice on the arugula. I cut the halloumi into strips and laid over the tomato.
6. Lastly, I drizzled some Wild Mushroom and Sage infused olive oil. (This is available from Olivada, in Sheboygan, WI.)

Nutritional data:

Calories:    162

Fat:          13.7g

Sat fat:       6.7g

Chol:        25mg

Sodium:  380mg

Carbs:           2g

Fiber:            1g

Protein:         9g

By the way, halloumi cheese originated in Cyprus, and is a blend of cow and sheep milk. It has a very high melting point because it is heated and shaped before being brined. Because of the brine, it is salty, which nicely offsets the spicy/peppery arugula. The light drizzle of olive oil is all this salad needs for a balanced flavor profile.

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Make Your Someday Today is a twice-weekly podcast, where we talk to successful people in all walks of life and around the world on Monday, and then on Thursday, I take a specific message from the previous guest and give my "Trevitorial", where I help you apply that message to your life. The entire purpose of the show is to help all of us overcome our challenges and fears and become the person we want to be, the person we deserve to be.

Garlic-Olive Oil Paste for Steaks

Garlic Paste (it really isn't a paste, but it isn't a sauce either.)
Enough for a 1.5 pound steak

2-4 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped (I used 2 large cloves)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt (Kosher or the type you would need to put in a grinder)

Optional: 2 black pepper corns
               1-2 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves
               5-10 whole coriander seeds (I used 10)

Special equipment: Mortar and pestle

This holds about 12 ounces (360ml) and I think this is as small as you should buy. I wish that I had a larger one. We'll see. I bought this at IKEA for about $10. It is heavy marble, and has a very smooth exterior and a slightly rough interior. The marble makes it very easy to clean.

Peel and roughly chopped the garlic, and place it and the salt, and 1 teaspoon olive oil in mortar (and the optional ingredients if you are using them).

With the pestle light crush the garlic chunks a couple times with an up and down action.

Then, holding the mortar tightly in one hand, grind the ingredients in a continuous circular motion, twisting it occasionally to pull the material under and between the mortar and pestle.

After about a minute of grinding.

Note: you need a mortar that holds at least 1 cup. If you can find one that holds 3 cups, it will be easier because the pestle will be larger with a larger grinding surface.

The goal is to mash the ingredients into a relatively uniform paste.

When you have a nice texture, add the rest of the oil. (If you add all the oil at once  before grinding, the garlic tends to float around and it is much harder to grind it.)

That's it.

The salt in here is necessary, because it acts as small grinding stones within the mash mixture. You also need a mortar that is light rough on the inside. I have seen some that were as smooth on the inside as on the outside. That would make grinding much more difficult because the roughness grabs the material and briefly holds it while you work out your day's frustrations.

The whole process will only take a couple minutes.

Don't forget to add the oil to your log. If you have three portions of meat, is is 40 calories of oil ,four portions is 30 calories of oil. 

This thin paste can be used on steaks of any sort, but I like using it on beef flank steaks, as they are relatively lean and benefit from having some added oil. I also use it on my pizza crust in place of a tomato sauce.

Preparing a flank steak takes a few additional steps.

Do you see the muscle fibers running from the lower left corner to the upper right? That is the "grain" of the meat, and when you serve a steak like this, you will slice it into 1/4 or 1/2 inch slices across the grain (moving the knife from upper left to lower right, in this picture) when you plate this meat for your dinner guests.

To help further tenderize the meat, before adding the garlic-oil paste, score the meat. Using a VERY sharp knife, cut a series of 1/4 slices into the meat, parallel and 1 inch apart, at about 45 degree to the grain.

Then, cut it again, on the same side, but at right angles to the first cuts.

Flip the steak over and repeat the process on the other side. Then, rub the garlic-oil paste on both sides.

At this point, you can pause our dinner prep. You could do all this even a day in advance. Just wrap the meat in plastic film and refrigerate, and it will be ready as soon as the grill is hot. Using an oil paste like this will help keep the steak juicy and tender.

When ready to grill, preheat the grill on high for at least 5 minutes (gas grill) or let the charcoal burn down to gray embers. Brush the grates, and using tongs and paper towel, carefully rub vegetable oil on the grates to help prevent the meat from sticking.

This steak cooks quickly.  It is generally an inch thick at most, and when you criss-cross cut 1/4 inch on both sides, you open up a lot more cooking surface. (See how the heat opens the cuts?) About 4 minutes per side will be medium.

Last night, I accidentally let it go a total of 9 minutes and it went to medium-well. (When cooking something that goes so quickly, don't get sidetracked watering your herb garden.) For us, that was a disaster. An edible mistake, but not one that I will commemorate with pictures. (We like our steaks medium-rare, which is about 6-7 minutes total cook time.)

Nutritional data?  Depend on the size of the portion, and the exact cut of steak. The paste is enough to cover a 1.5 pound steak (above). I generally cut a flank steak into four ounce portions, so I can get about 6 servings per steak (many fewer if both of our boys are eating with us.) A four-ounce portion would have about 20 calories added from the oil.

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Poll results:  87% of respondents preferred the idea of a shorter ebook available sooner.

An new poll will be out later today, to further refine that idea.  THANK YOU for helping me with my next projects. I hope that you will be as satisfied with them as you are with this blog.

Hoisin BBQ Chicken Quarter, with Grilled Potatoes and Home Made Kimchi

Hoisin BBQ Chicken Quarter, with Grilled Potatoes and Home Made Kimchi
Serves 2

(There are many steps, but nothing is difficult.)

Hoisin BBQ Chicken
4 chicken leg quarters
Chinese Five Spice Powder
Vegetable oil for the grill

Mix together and set aside:
2 teaspoon commercially prepared Hoisin sauce
2 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh minced and mashed ginger
1 clove garlic, minced and mashed


Grilled Potatoes
1 medium potato, sliced thinly
1/4 small onion, sliced thinly
2 medium carrot, peeled and sliced thinly
2 strip raw bacon, chopped
2 sheets aluminum foil each about 18 inches long
Cooking spray

Kimchi (this is a more complex--but not difficult--recipe and I will make that a separate posting)

1. Preheat the grill on high for at least 5 minutes. Make sure that about 1/3 of your grill is only warm, to make a safe zone. (If you have a three burner gas grill, set two on high and one on low. If you have a two burner, one is high and one low. Charcoal? Most of the coals are under 2/3 of the grill and only a a couple are under the remaining 1/3.)
2. While the grill is preheating, sprinkle the Chinese Five Spice powder on the chicken.
3. Spray one sheet of aluminum with cooking spray.
4. Place 1/3 of the potatoes on the sheet.
5. Add in layers, half the bacon, half the onion and half the carrot. Season with black pepper.)
6. Add another 1/3 of the potatoes.
7. Add, in order, the remaining carrots, onions, bacon and potatoes. (The packet will be the same upside down or right side up.)
8. Carefully bring the top and bottom edges of the foil together over the veggies and fold the edges together to seal. Then tightly roll the right and left edges.
9. Place that packet on the second sheet of foil, seam side down, and repeat step 8.
10. Note: I just saw that they now sell aluminum foil bags which would greatly simplify this part of the meal.
11. Using tongs and a paper towel, wipe the vegetable oil on your freshly brushed grill to help prevent the chicken from sticking.
12. Lay the chicken, skin side down, over the direct heat. Place the veggie packets near the chicken, on the edge of the hot and safe zones.
13. Turn the chicken after 5 minutes, or if the flames of hell start to flare up.
14. When both sides are browned (10-12 minutes) move the chicken to the safe zone. Let if cook, undisturbed, until it has an internal temperature of at least 165, but with legs and thighs, you can even go to 170 without drying the meat.  This will take 30-4 minutes.  If you don't have a thermometer, use  a meat fork or a skewer, and pierce the thigh in the deepest part. Pull it out. If the juices are red, it is still raw. If they are clear, it is done. 
15. Turn the potato packets 1/4 turn (flat, right edge, upside down, left edge, flat) every 10 minutes. Remove 40 minutes after putting on the grill.
16. Remove the chicken when done and immediately brush the Hoisin BBQ sauce over it. I don't brush this on while the chicken is still on the grill, because I don't want it to burn, or all run off and fall into the grill.
17. Let the veggie packets and chicken rest for 5 minutes, then serve.

Nutritional data:

Chicken (an average leg/thigh quarter will yield about 4 ounces of meat)

Calories:     210

Fat:             15g

Sat fat:        4.5g

Chol:        90mg

Sodium:  150mg

Carbs:           0g

Fiber:            0g

Protein:       19g

Hoisin BBQ Sauce (less than 1 tablespoon of the sauce--save the remaining sauce covered in the refrigerator)

Calories:       67

Fat:            6.9g

Sat fat:          1g

Chol:          0mg

Sodium:    34mg

Carbs:        2.5g

Fiber:            0g

Protein:      0.3g

Grilled Potato (half the packet):

Calories:       136

Fat:             3.7g

Sat fat:        1.3g

Chol:        9.5mg

Sodium:   133mg

Carbs:       22.1g

Fiber:             3g

Protein:          5g

In the next couple days, I will show you how to make an Asian Chicken Salad, using the leftover chicken and Hoisin BBQ Sauce.

Venison Burgers

Venison Burger
Serves 4 (four ounce patty, raw)

4 buns, lightly buttered
1 pound ground venison (or bison, or very lean beef)
1 tablespoon bacon grease (or coconut oil) plus more to oil the grill.
1 egg white
Salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, crushed mustard seed
Your preferred toppings

1. Preheat your grill on high for five minutes
2. While the grill is preheating, prepare your meat. (Here is the secret:)
3. Spread the raw meat on a plate. Season as desired. 
4. Drizzle the oil over the meat.
5. Gently fold the meat together, and form a well. Add the egg white to the well.
6. Again, gently fold the meat together, just until the egg white is incorporated. 
7. Divide into your portions, and form into a ball.
8. When the grill is hot, brush to remove residue and with a paper towel and tongs, carefully wipe oil on the grill. 
9. Just before you place the meat on the grill, gently press them flat (but thick) between your hands. 
10. Press into the center of the burger, not all the way through, but enough to make an indentation in the meat. Lay on grill. Let them grill, undisturbed until the edges of the meat are getting cooked.
11. Carefully flip.
12. Continue for 1-4 more minutes (depending on how well-done you prefer.) The indentation you made should have filled in by now. Making that indentation prevent the meat from return to a more rounded shape.
13. In the last minute, lay the buns on grill. Watch carefully, they will go from untoasted to burnt quickly.
14. Top and serve immediately.

Nutritional data for the patty alone (too much variability in different buns and toppings):

Calories:     193

Fat:            9.6g

Sat fat        4.6g

Chol:     89.5mg

Sodium: 93.3mg

Carb             0g

Fiber:            0g

Protein:    24.4g

The added oil in step 4 will help keep the burger moist. You can use different oils for different flavor. Bacon grease is excellent. You could use butter or lard if you wanted. 

If you use a lower grade of beef (anything less than 90% lean), you won't need to add the oils. So why don't I just buy the inexpensive meat? My brother-in-law gives me the venison, so I use what I have, and adapt as needed.

Never press on a burger while it is cooking, whether on a grill or in a pan. That simply pushes the juices out and you will have a dry burger.

I'm not going to list all possible toppings, but let me say that Jimmy Buffet has it close. Cheese, onion, pickle and mustard is all it takes! ("With a cold draught beer" of course!)

Grilled Stuffed Lake Trout

Grilled Stuffed Lake Trout (served with a Creamy Cucumber Salad)
Serves 2-4

2 whole trout, cleaned (each about 12-16 ounces)
Fresh herbs

1. Preheat your grill for 5 minutes on high heat.  Use a wire brush to remove any previous residue.
2. Prepare your fish. I used fresh sprigs of rosemary and fresh basil in the abdominal cavity, with some sliced onion and lime. (I didn't have any lemon.) You could also simply sprinkle salt and pepper and any other seasoning in the cavity. I also sprinkled black pepper on the skin (but I don't think that added anything to the finished meal.)

1. Turn the heat to low and carefully dip a paper towel in cooking oil (any kind) and with a pair of tongs, wipe the oil on the grill. Repeat that 2-3 times, because you really don't want the fish to stick to the grill.
2. Turn the heat back to medium-high.
3. Lay the fish on the grill. Let it cook until the skin begins to brown (mine got a little too dark, but it didn't make any difference in flavor, only appearance.) This will take 3-5 minutes.

1. Turn the fish over for another 3-5 minutes.
2. Remove from the grill. Let cool for a few minutes so it is easier to handle.
3. With a sharp knife, I cut the head and tails off, and then peel the skin off from one side (see why it doesn't matter it the skin gets charred?)
4. After the skin is off, place the edge of the blade along the spine (parallel to the spine) and ease it into the flesh. Gently pull toward you and the flesh will come off in large pieces.
5. After you have the flesh off that side, beginning at the tail, pick up the spine and lift it off. The should remove almost all bones from the fish (but be careful, some can be stubborn.)

The flesh was lightly flavored with rosemary and basil. I served it with fresh lime and that was it. No need for any sauce or butter. Fresh trout is delicious!

Note: I bought two 12 ounce trout which yielded a total of 14 ounces of meat after you remove the head, tail, skin and bones. This recipe can be adapted to any fatty fish that you may have available in your region. ALWAYS try to find fresh fish. Before I buy a whole fresh fish, I ask to smell it. If it smells fishy, it will taste even more fishy, because it is already a few days old. The eyes should also be clear and shiny, not dull and hazy. (If you look at the pictures of the uncooked fish, you can see the shiny eyes.) My fish had no fishy aroma, and had been caught and delivered the morning I bought them.

Nutritional data (per 6 ounces of boneless/skinless flesh):

Calories:    323

Fat:          14.4g

Sat fat:       2.5g

Chol:       126mg

Sodium:  114mg

Carbs:          0g

Fiber:           0g

Protein:   45.3g

Creamy Cucumber Salad

Serves 8 (5 ounces by weight)

4 medium cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced

1/4 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1/4 cup mayonnaise (I use the full fat version)

1/4 cup Miracle Whip (I use the light version)

Black pepper to taste

Dill weed to taste (optional)

1. Combine ingredients. Refrigerate until cold. Overnight is better for more flavor.

Nutritional data (per 5 ounces by weight):

Calories:      67

Fat:             5.1g

Sat fat:        0.8g

Chol:           59mg

Sodium:    159mg

Carbs:        4.6g

Fiber:         0.8g

Protein:      0.7g

Grilled Sirloin Steak with Warm Barley-Spinach Salad

Grilled Sirloin Steak with Warm Barley-Spinach Salad
Serves 4-5

24 ounce sirloin steak
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons red wine (any variety)
Black pepper

Place steak in a Ziploc baggy. Add next four ingredients. Let the steak marinate, turning occasionally, for 1 hour.

While the steak in marinating, prepare the vegetables:
4-6 scallions, sliced thinly
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced thinly
6 baby carrots, halved lengthwise, then sliced thinly
2 stalks celery, halved lengthwise, then sliced thinly
2 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped

About 30 minutes before dinner service, combine:
2 cups water, boiling in a sauce pan
1 cup quick cooking barley

Cover and let cook until the water is mostly absorbed (12-15 minutes, or until the barley is soft and chewy.)

Preheat the grill on high for 5 minutes. Clean grate.
Remove steak from marinade, blot dry.
Season with salt and pepper (if desired.)
Grill over direct medium heat, 7 minutes per side.
Remove from heat and cover loosely with foil while finishing the meal.

While the steak is on the grill, heat a large non-stick skillet over med-high heat.
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, and all vegetables except spinach
Saute until warm (4-5 minutes) Set aside.

In a large (4 quart) bowl, combine:
Juice of one large lemon
1 tablespoon brown mustard (sweet German mustard works well)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Set aside.

The barley should be done about the same time as the steak. While the steak rests, place chopped spinach in bowl with dressing. Pour barley over the spinach (if there is water remaining, add it to the bowl.) Stir to combine. Add sauteed vegetables to the barley. Stir to combine.

Slice the steak across the grain, in slices 1/4 inch thick.

This can be made using other steaks or roasts. I will not provide nutritional data for the meat since that will vary based on what you grill.

Nutritional data for 1 cup salad:
Calories:      165
Fat:                   6g
Sat fat:          0.8g
Chol:               0mg
Sodium:     28.4mg
Carbs:        26.5g
Fiber:           3.9g
Protein:       4.1g

A word about the salad recipe. We, as a family, did not really like this recipe. The lemon flavor was too aggressive and masked everything else. My lemon yielded almost 1/2 cup of juice. When I make this salad next, I will use only 4 tablespoons lemon juice. Or I might substitute a vinegar for instead of the lemon juice, letting the lemon zest provide a hint of citrus flavor. (I think balsamic vinegar would work very well.)

A word about the steak. I cooked it to rare, as you can see in the picture. Not everyone like their meat rare, but my family prefers that. If you want it medium-rare, grill it 8-9 minutes on a side. Medium will be 9-10 minutes on a side. As always, the times will be dependent on the heat of the grill and the thickness of the steak. (I don't think a good piece of steak should be cooked more than medium.)

Ribs! A Perfect Summer Meal

This post is more of a story, but it is also a recipe for happiness.

I like ribs. Baby back ribs, short ribs, beef ribs, spare ribs, country-style. I am completely rib-centric and open-minded in my love for ribs. I like them wet or dry. With a sweet tomato sauce, or a sharp mustard sauce. With a vinegar sauce or no sauce at all. Dry rubbed. Par-boiled. Smoked or grilled over direct heat. In an oven, a crock pot, or a grill.

If you are not a pork-itarian, maybe you should skip this post.

Over the weekend, I made two huge racks of spareribs. Each weighed about 7 pounds. I dry rubbed them with a spice blend on Friday and let them sit in the fridge until Saturday afternoon. At noon, I fired up my smoker-grill and cooked them over low (225-ish) indirect heat with chunks of hickory for heat and apple wood for smoke.

Just after I put them on the grill.

If you are curious, the rub was 4 tablespoons paprika, 2 tablespoons table sugar, and 1 tablespoon each of coarse salt, black pepper, dry mustard, celery seed, garlic powder, onion powder, and 1 teaspoon cayenne. I tend to go overboard when I make spice blends, but this works on ribs.

I added one or two hickory chunks every 30 minutes, as well as a handful of apple wood chips that I had soaking in beer. At the same time, I also sprayed the ribs with a spray bottle filled with 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar and 1/4 cup Jack Daniels. I never turned the ribs or repositioned them at all. There are four air vents on this grill, and all were open half-way. It made a lot of smoke but not a lot of heat.

After five hours on the grill, they are ready to come off.

Towards the end of grilling, I prepared the other aspects of the meal. I make zucchini pancakes and grilled corn on the cob.

Those are three inch cakes. It takes 1/4 cup batter to make one.

I had fresh corn on the cob that I partially husked (I pulled the husk to expose the corn, but I did not remove it from the cob.) I fired up my gas grill and preheated it on high for ten minutes. (Yeah, I have a charcoal grill AND a natural gas grill, directly connected to my home natural gas supply. I am a bit grill obsessed.) I laid the cobs directly on the grate. Corn grills at 2-3 minutes per side, and I basted it with olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper. (I was too busy finishing the ribs and frying the pancakes so I did not have time to take a picture of the corn on the grill.)

Ribs are resting and the corn is grilled.

Notice the pink edge to the ribs. That is not rare meat, but rather a "smoke ring" cause by the smoke beginning to preserve the meat, when the smoke is absorbed by the meat and them chemically interacts. A smoke ring is a sign of low heat and long smoking.

I am not going to give nutritional data, because everyone will buy different ribs and therefore will have different numbers. And you may choose to use a commercial spice blend or a liquid sauce. I just tell you about this to give you the idea that you can smoke meats, too. You do not need a smoker. You just need a grill that is large enough to allow for indirect heat, and then add your preferred wood chips for the flavor. (I actually do not prefer hickory, but it is what I had on my grill shelf. The smoke is a little "medicinal" but it still tastes better than ribs without smoke.)

We had five people eating dinner (my wife and myself, our two sons and one of their friends.) After we finished dinner we still had an entire rack of ribs leftover. That's okay because they taste even better the next day. Except when I got up the next day, the ribs were gone. Apparently, the guys stayed up late playing Xbox and sometime in the early morning hours, they enjoyed a snack of pork ribs.

At least they left me a few of the pancakes.

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Life is meant to be enjoyed and shared, which is what I do with my interviews on my Make Your Someday Today podcast. I interview people from around the world, ask them to share their stories and in the process, we all learn how to be more successful and happier.

Planked Salmon

Planked Salmon Fillets
Serves 4-6, depending on portion size and hunger level

Soak the cedar planks in water, wine, beer, or fruit juice for at least 1 hour.

Pre-heat grill on high for 10 minutes. Lay your fish, skin side down, on the plank and season to taste. Place planks on the grill. Keep a squirt bottle ready--these planks can burn! (Note the area on the lower plank.)

The fish will be done in the usual amount of time (these took about 12 minutes.)

I like my fish served with a good beer. Stella Artois is a nice Belgian Pale Ale, which tastes much better in cans than bottles. (They use green bottles, which will almost always result in a skunky aroma and flavor. "Skunking" is cause by sunlight interacting with hop oils. Cans perfectly protect against that because no light hits the beer.)

Farmer's Market Grill

Farmer's Market Grill
Serves ?

We went to our local farmer's market to see what fresh veggies were available. I bought some baby beets (about 1 inch in diameter) and small carrots (1/2inch in diameter, 4 inches long).

I washed the veggies, peeled the beets and cut off all the greens, reserving the beet greens. (The carrots had such a soft skin that I didn't feel they needed to be peeled.) I steamed the carrots in the microwave for 1 minute, and the beets for 4 minutes. Then I place them in separate Ziploc bags. To each bag I added 1 tablespoon olive oil and some spices and herbs. (The carrots got dehydrated onion and garlic flakes, the beets just some fresh cracked black pepper.)

I let them rest for about a half hour and then I got my grill hot. I laid everything on the grill and turned them every few minutes. They took about 15 minutes to cook. I brought them off the grill and let them rest, covered.

I put a non-stick grill on medium high heat and added 1 tablespoon olive oil. When it was hot, I put the washed beet greens in the pan with a little pepper. I sauteed them until the greens began to wilt and removed them to the plate. (The meat was some pulled pork from last Friday.)

I added a few splashes of flavored vinegar. I made blueberry-lemon on a white wine vinegar base, and  blackberry-basil on a red wine vinegar base. The blueberry-lemon was excellent on the beets, and the blackberry-basil really complemented the pork.

I'm not going to give any nutritional data for this meal, because whatever you make will depend on what you can find.

The recipe for the vinegars are simple:

1 cup vinegar (your choice of types, just not white distilled)
1 pint berries, mashed
The zest of a lemon--OR--four fresh basil leaves, torn.

Mix the vinegar, berries and other flavor together in a lidded jar. Shake well and place in the refrigerator for 4-7 days. (Shake once a day.)

When you are ready to use it, strain the juice through a double layer of cheesecloth. Store in the fridge. I'm not sure how long it will last, but in the fridge, I'm guessing it will last quite a while. (Also, I specified a "double layer" of cheesecloth. For the first recipe, I accidentally used four layers, and it took forever to strain.)

These vinegars will have a few more calories than pure vinegar, but I can't calculate how much. I honestly don't think it will be enough to worry about.

Other flavor combinations that would taste good:
Mango-chipotle
Orange-cinnamon
Sweet cherry-lime
Raspberry-lemon
Cherry-vanilla

Grilled Shrimp Scampi

Grilled Shrimp Scampi
Serves 4

2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined, divided into four portions
4 tablespoons butter, softened
8 scallions, chopped (the white and green parts)
6 large garlic cloves, smashed and minced
Black pepper to taste
Crushed Red Pepper (optional, and I did not use it)
4 ounces white wine

1.  Preheat grill to get it hot.
2.  Prepare 4 sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil (or 8 sheets of regular foil) about 15 inches long
3.  Combine butter, scallions and garlic in a small bowl. Add black pepper and crushed red pepper (if desired.)
4.  Form each piece of foil into a boat shape. Place a portion of shrimp on the foil. Cover with 1/4 of the butter-scallion mix.
5.  Add 1 ounce of wine and seal each packet tightly.
6.  Place on hot grill for 7-8 minutes.
7.  Open and serve.

Nutritional Data:
Calories:       222
Fat:             12.6g
Sat fat:          7.6g
Chol:            191mg
Sodium:        193mg
Carbs:           3.8g
Fiber:            0.7g
Protein:       17.9g