Chicken Satays with Peanut Sauce

I have been over the moon using the grill my dad gave me when I moved into this house. I didn’t get much use out of it for the first nine years, but I am making up for that now. It took me a bit of time to get confident enough to stray from pork steaks, hamburgers, and the occasional zucchini, but stray I did in making these grilled chicken satays with peanut sauce, a super easy, super delicious recipe from the Damn Delicious site. The skewers make these easy to maneuver and the kids will find them lots of fun.  If you are a fan of chicken with peanut sauce, these are a must make.

Chicken Satays with Peanut Sauce
From damndelucious.net

Marinade:
¼ c. coconut milk
2 T. reduced sodium soy sauce
2½ t. yellow curry powder
1½ t. turmeric
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. freshly grated ginger
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. fish sauce
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 T. canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the peanut sauce:
3 T. creamy peanut butter
1 T. reduced sodium soy sauce
1 T. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 t. brown sugar
2 t. chili garlic sauce, or more, to taste
1 t. freshly grated ginger

To make peanut sauce, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, chili garlic sauce, and ginger in a small bowl. Whisk in 2 to 3 tablespoons water until desired consistency is reached; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine coconut milk, soy sauce, curry powder, turmeric, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, and fish sauce.

 In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken and marinade; marinate for at least two hours to overnight, turning the bag occasionally.

Drain the chicken from the marinade, discarding the marinade.

Bring grill to medium high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers*. Brush with canola oil; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

And skewers to grill, and cook, turning occasionally, until the chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165° F, about 12 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately with peanut sauce.

*Soak skewers in water for 30 minutes to an hour prior to using to prevent them from catching on fire.

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Grilled Zucchini

I have gone absolutely wild using my grill this season. I have already used it more this summer than I have in the past three years. I know nothing about grilling, but I am learning fast with various forms of experimentation. Week before last I grilled cauliflower steaks. This week I’m grilling zucchini. There is absolutely nothing to this, and I find that thicker slices keep the zucchini from going limp as it often does on the grill if the slices are too thin. Make dinner easy on yourself by doing as much as you possibly can outdoors. Keep that kitchen cool!

Grilled Zucchini

1 to 2 Melissa’s organic zucchini, sliced diagonally ½” thick
¼ c. your favorite Italian salad dressing
½ t. dried parsley
½ t. dried basil
Few gratings freshly ground black pepper
Garlic salt

Slice zucchini and allow to drain on a paper towel-lined plate for 15 to 30 minutes while you are preparing the grill. In a medium to large bowl, whisk together Italian dressing, parsley, basil, and pepper. Place drained zucchini into the dressing tossing to coat. Place it on the grill at medium/high heat and close the cover. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and sprinkle with garlic salt. Serve immediately.

Barbecue Sauce

It is one of my favorite seasons of the year, barbecue season! And I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get the urge to barbecue and have no barbecue sauce at hand. I hate running out to the store for just one item, so I have learned to make my own sauce. I have already shared a local recipe for Sugarfire Smoke House Coffee Barbecue Sauce (that will always remain one of my faves), but a new candidate has emerged in the form of this basic barbecue sauce recipe from my new favorite barbecue book, BBQ&A by Myron Mixon. I whipped some up yesterday afternoon, and grilled some St. Louis-style pork steaks. Dinner was amazing! This sauce is so good I could eat it with a spoon. I won’t, mind you, but I could. You’ll feel the same way. Try it!

Barbecue Sauce
From BBQ&A by Myron Mixon
 
2 T. onion powder
2 T. garlic powder
2 cups ketchup
2 T. paprika
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup dark brown sugar
2 T. honey
2 T. maple syrup
2 t. kosher salt
2 t. freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients of the base in a blender; pulse until thoroughly combined. Pour into a medium pot. Over medium heat, stir continuously until the sauce is heated through. Do not allow it to boil. Remove from the heat and use the sauce immediately, while hot.

If saving for later use, allow the mix to cool, then pour it into a large bottle or container. Store in the refrigerator for up to six months.

Makes 3 1/2 cups

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If you want to give the Sugarfire Smoke House Coffee Barbecue Sauce a try, click here.

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Grilled Portobello Burgers

My number two son is quite the innovative cook. Despite the fact that I have been cooking a heck of a lot longer than he’s even been alive, he never ceases to amaze me with the things that he does. I have no desire to emulate him; I’m too old for that. I like good, relatively easy to prepare, comfort food, that pleases the masses. Unlike him, I have no desire to cook with liquid nitrogen, but like him, I do like to try new things.

Despite my love of mushrooms, prior to today, I had never grilled portobellos before. I couldn’t imagine how they would taste, but because the late Mr. O-P would not have liked them, I never pressed the issue. The other day, when I was in the market mushroom shopping (yes, I do go mushroom shopping), I picked up a couple of them. It has been so unbearably hot all summer long (crankiness abounds!) that I haven’t grilled much, but I figured this would be something that I could grill that would require little effort and time. 

So, as I do, I rummaged around on the Internet and came up with a recipe that sounded decent. I made the herb mayonnaise early in the day, adding a bit more rosemary than called for, because I grow my own and I love it, and I put it into the fridge to allow the flavors to meld. When dinnertime came, I fired up the grill, and while the mushroom was cooking, washed up some beautiful Boston lettuce, toasted the buns, and waited.

I could not believe how good this was. Despite the fact that I have been told they were delicious and meaty tasting, I really never believed that. And while I would take issue with them tasting 100% like meat, they certainly are every bit as satisfying as a burger. My above-mentioned son, cooks burgers on the grill, and serves them in a portobello mushroom. That’s something I’m going to try next. Meanwhile, if you’re a mushroom-loving skeptic like I am, give these a try. You’re apt to be pleasantly surprised. 

Grilled Portobello Burgers

Adapted from epicurious.com

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons grainy Dijon mustard

6 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary, divided

1 garlic clove, minced

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

4 large portobello mushrooms, stems trimmed

2 tablespoons olive oil

Pinch of salt, pepper, and Montreal Steak Seasoning

4 brioche buns, toasted

Boston lettuce

Mix mayonnaise, mustard, 2 teaspoons rosemary, and garlic in small bowl.

Spray grill rack with nonstick spray, then prepare barbecue (medium heat). Brush mushrooms all over with olive oil. Sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon rosemary, salt, pepper, and Montreal Steak Seasoning. Grill until tender, about 10 minutes per side.

Spread mayonnaise mixture over buns. Place mushrooms and lettuce on bun bottoms. Cover with bun tops.

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If you are an indoor burger kind of person, you will swoon over these Famous-Barr John White Burgers.

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Busy Mondays

Over the Moon

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Delicious Beef Burgers

​Grilling season has been upon us for some time, but in my case, it has been way too hot to grill. Still, it is National Grilling Month, and I could not resist the call of the burger. I made up a number of them to grill early in the morning before it got too hot, slathered them with barbecue sauce, simmering them in that same sauce in the oven later in the day before enjoying them between two slices of toasted bun.

I think this is probably the most delicious grilled burger I have ever eaten (if I do say so myself). It’s a wonderful combination of tastes, and while you may question the inclusion of mushrooms, particularly those of you who don’t like them, let me tell you that they impart a wonderful flavor to the burger while adding moisture at the same time. If you have ever eaten a grilled burger that was bone dry, it’s because it didn’t have enough moisture, and some cuts of beef just don’t. Adding mushrooms to the meat before you form it into patties and grill it, gives it moisture without fat. It’s mighty good.

Delicious Beef Burgers

2 lbs. ground chuck

4 crimini mushrooms, finely diced

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon Montreal Steak Seasoning

Break ground chuck apart over a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and gently mix together until everything is incorporated. Grill until interior of burger reaches at least 160°F. Slather with the barbecue sauce of your choice. This one is my favorite.

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If keeping cool and making your barbecue indoors is how you prefer it, you can’t go wrong with this Crockpot Barbecued Beef!

This post is linked to:

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What’s for Dinner Sunday

Dishing It & Digging It

Cooking & Crafting with J&J

Amaze Me Monday

Busy Mondays

Over the Moon

Celebrate Your Story

Full Plate Thursday

Virginia Willis’s Barbecued Chicken

It is officially grilling season, and one of the first things I tried upon uncovering the grill was barbecued chicken. The last time I made barbecued chicken, I had just graduated from high school and was spending a weekend with my girlfriend, Chris. Back then, we only knew how to make three things: barbecued chicken (that we did very badly), green bean casserole, and lemon squares. So any time we were able to get together, this is what we made. 

Because the chicken was always overcooked, dry, and the barbecue sauce burned, when I reached adulthood, I never barbecued chicken again. Then I found Virginia Willis’s recipe, and now I’m going to be making it all of the time. Virginia’s recipe results in chicken that is moist and flavorful, with a wonderful taste that you only get from grilling. I have a feeling that this summer, I am going to be grilling up a lot of chicken.

Here is her recipe. If you’re not familiar with Virginia, she is an award-winning southern cook with a number of books full of recipes for delicious food. You need to check her out, while you’re nibbling on your delicious and perfectly grilled barbecued chicken.

Virginia Willis’s Barbecued Chicken

1 gallon cold water

3/4 cup kosher salt

1/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

1 whole chicken, cut into 6-8 pieces

Freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil, for the grill

Your Favorite Barbecue Sauce, warmed

Combine the water, salt, and brown sugar in a large plastic container and stir to dissolve. Add the chicken; cover and refrigerate to marinate for 4 to 6 hours.

Prepare a charcoal fire using about 6 pounds of charcoal and burn until the coals are completely covered with a thin coating of light gray ash, 20 to 30 minutes. Spread the coals evenly over the grill bottom, position the grill rack above the coals, and heat until medium-hot (when you can hold your hand 5 inches above the grill surface for no longer than 3 or 4 seconds). Or, for a gas grill, turn on all burners to High, close the lid, and heat until very hot, 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove the chicken from the marinade and rinse under cool running water. Pat dry with paper towels, season with pepper, and set aside.

Season the chicken with pepper. Apply some oil to the grill grate. Place the chicken on the grill, leaving plenty of space between each piece. Grill until seared, about 1 to 2 minutes per side for legs and thighs, and 3 or so minutes for breasts. Move the chicken to medium-low heat or reduce the heat to medium; continue to grill, turning occasionally, until the juices run clear when pierced, 12 to 18 minutes.

During the last 5 to 7 minutes of cooking, brush the chicken with BBQ Sauce.

Remove the pieces from the grill as they cook and transfer to a warm platter. Give them a final brush of sauce for flavor and serve immediately with additional sauce on the side.

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If you don’t have a favorite barbecue sauce, you might try mine, Sugarfire Smoke House Coffee Barbecue Sauce. Delish!

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Wine’d Down Wednesday

Happiness is Homemade Sunday

What’s for Dinner Sunday

Dishing It & Digging It

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Scallops & Spinach Foil Pack

Those of you who were Girl Scouts probably remember the foil pack meals they used to serve at camp. In my case, the one, lone, foil-pack meal that I got at my Weekend-that-Seemed-Like-a-Month-Long-Camp-from-Hell, was the best thing I’d eaten in days. I'm not saying the food was bad mind you, it just all seemed to go horribly wrong. Like the big pot of tomato soup with "dumplings," that ended up being a big pot of tomato soup with raw, elastic-y biscuit dough floating around in it. For dessert, we melted butterscotch candies and spread the gooey mass on toast. Yeah, that was the kind of camp I went to. But I'm wandering from my point, which is mainly to talk about foil pack meals.

These were clever meals, I thought -- a square of heavy duty foil was filled with a seasoned raw hamburger patty, thin slices of russet potato, and an assortment of vegetables. It was folded up tightly, poked with a fork to vent, and put on the campfire. Maybe it was because I was desperately hungry after days of avoiding the Scout Camp food, but I always thought these were pretty good.

Well, my friends, foil pack meals are back. Naturally they're a lot fancier now than they were in my Girl Scout days, not to mention more varied in ingredients. I was intrigued by a foil pack meal that I read about recently that featured scallops. A huge fan, I just happened to have scallops on hand, and was wondering what to do with them. So I set about creating my own foil pack meal. It was absolutely delicious! Not only that, but it was company worthy, and can be made ahead and kept in the fridge to be grilled or baked at a later time. What this means is that you can serve your company a delicious fresh scallop meal, and have everything done ahead of time. All you have to do when people arrive is pop these onto a preheated grilled, or slide them into a preheated oven, and have a cocktail while waiting for an absolutely delicious meal. Yes folks, foil pack meals are now company worthy. I suggest you serve this with a light, fruity side salad, a bottle of dry white wine, and crusty bread. This yields such a delicious sauce that you're going to want to mop every bit of it up with that bread.

You have to give this a try; you will love both ease and deliciousness.

Scallops & Spinach Foil Pack
Makes 1

1 handful fresh, baby spinach*
4-5 scallops
Lemon Pepper Seasoning
3 large mushrooms, thickly sliced
2 scallions, chopped
1 teaspoon capers
1/2 teaspoon Melissa's chopped garlic
Juice of half a medium lemon
1 lemon slice, halved
1 teaspoon butter

Layer ingredients in order listed onto a 12" x 12" square of heavy-duty foil. Fold up and seal tightly; vent by making two slits with a paring knife. Place on grill over medium coals (or gas setting), and bake for 12-15 minutes. To bake indoors, set oven to 375°F and bake 20 minutes.

*I have the hands of a quarterback, so you might want to use 1 cup, packed

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Pork Steak Rub

My time is generally not my own, but I managed to grab a few hours over the weekend, pulled the cover off of the grill, and fired it up for the first time this season. I hadn't planned on turning any of this into a blog post (hence the excruciatingly bad photos), but I made the most delicious pork rub that I just had to share.

What I made were pork steaks that both we and dad enjoyed over the course of two days. If you're not from the St. Louis metro area, pork steaks may be foreign to you. They are simply steaks sliced from a whole pork butt, cooked “St. Louis-style,” which has come to mean “grilled and sauced.”"

If you haven't tried a pork steak, it is probably time that you did, but, if not, this rub will work on any pork-y thing that you plan to grill.

You can dial the heat up or down according to your tastes, but I found this to be spot on. Coat your pork steaks on all sides with the rub, place them in the fridge, covered, and let them hang out for 4-8 hours. Then sear both sides on the grill, hmmm, about 3-4 minutes per side until they look like the bottom photo, then put them into a roasting pan (I just used a 9” x 13” baking pan), douse them liberally with your favorite barbecue sauce, cover the pan tightly with foil, put them into a 300-degree oven, and forget about them for three hours. During the last half hour of cooking, if the sauce is too runny, remove the foil, and let it thicken up a bit.

At this point you can plate them, or refrigerates them to warm up the following day. Personally, I thought ours were significantly better on the second night. 

Pork Steak Rub 

(Enough for 4 large pork steaks)

 1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon espresso powder

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder

1-1/2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1-1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

Pinch of cayenne

Whisk all ingredients together in a small mixing bowl.  Rub liberally over pork steaks 4-8 hours prior to grilling.

Mix keeps for 2 months.

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