Summer Cooking Hints

[Jody_Branin]

Please share your hints and recipes.  Here's one:

Corn on the cob without heating up the kitchen
shuck and rinse corn - place in corning or pyrex dish covered
Microwave 2 minutes per ear.  Done! 

[Pat Garaffa]

I barbeque a lot in the summer and the grill gets used 4-5 times a week.  I like the simple stuff during the week and save the time-consuming projects for the weekends.  Vegetables, chicken or fish is quick and easy and dinner is on the table in 30 minutes or less.  

Anything tastes good when it's cooked over an open flame.  In fact – I just finished a simple meal and we did some chicken breasts, summer squash and thinly sliced sweet potatoes – all on the grill.  And if you really want simple, use some paper plates and keep the mess to a minimum.

The local stands are filled with cheap produce at this time of the year. And it gets better as the summer closes.  I'll grab a zucchini or a squash, slice it thin, paint on some sauce and toss it on the grill for 10 minutes.  You can do the same with any veggies and it’s all good.  And don’t forget to chug a cold beer while you’re cooking.  Or better – a nice red wine.  And maybe put on some Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, Tony Bennett, Harry Connick, etc.   Any of the crooners are good.  And have a cigar too.  That’s all a very important part of the process and you’ll enjoy your grill time much more.  

In fact – just skip the meal and just do the music, wine and a cigar.  Order a pizza instead.    

My veggie sauce is a mix of balsamic vinegar, olive oil and honey.  And maybe a few spices and a little salt and pepper.  The honey keeps the oil and vinegar from sliding off the veggies while they are on the grill. (I learned that from Bobby Flay.)  

The mix is your choice with a little of each and then a about 1/3 of the mix should be honey.  Mix it together until it's a little like syrup.  Then soak the veggies in it for a few minutes and then toss them on the grill.

Peppers, tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, squash, sweet potatoes, onions, etc.  You name it - it’s all good over an open flame.  Just make sure the size of your veggies is about the same otherwise it will cook at different speeds.  You don’t want thinly sliced zucchini sitting alongside a whole potato on the grill.  Slice the potato thin and it will all cook about the same amount of time.  

And if you really want to make a cool summer meal - grill up a ton of these vegetables (skip the potato) and then cut them up and toss them into pasta for a nice, grilled primavera.  The pasta is simple and you can use whatever you have on hand.  Fusilli, ziti, rigatoni, linguini, penne, etc.  (And spend the extra quarter and buy the good stuff.  Skip the crap.)  Just make sure you cut the veggies into pieces that are about the same size as the pasta.  Otherwise it gets lost in there.  

Load up some parmesan cheese and your kids will think they went to heaven.  

We also have an outdoor fire pit in the yard and it gets used a lot on the weekends.  Want to have some fun?  Cut some sticks for cooking.  (Or cheat and use those really long BBQ skewers like I always do).  But skip the marshmallows and cook some hot dogs instead.  The kids love it and us Dad’s don’t complain either!  

And the same music and drink rules still apply!

[Arlene Gaona]

Marinaded skirt steak in Mojo...Goya brand...the longer you marinade the better. Don't try to buy any in Pathmark, I buy it all. lol we can't get enough

[Jody_Branin]

Pat - reading your post makes me think of the Bill Cosby skit where he talks about all the things you can BBQ, because EVERYTHING tastes good on a grill!   

Bill Cosby - Barbecue!!!!	DQ

And ladies, go with your husbands when they go pick out the grill so you can hold them back a bit.  Have you seen how their eyes light up when they see the grills that are as wide as your deck?    It's a guy thing I guess - who's got the bigger Grill? Oh my!  Jack just HAD to have the grill that has 4 burners - when you light it up it's like an inferno.  I swear it will burn your eyebrows off!   

[Pat Garaffa]

What the heck is he saying in the first 3 or 4 seconds?  It sounds like the German version of the show.  LOL!

I don't think I've ever had skirt steak but I've been told it's great.  I'll add it to this weekend's menu.  Can I wear pants when I cook it? 

We invited over some friends on Sunday for a small impromptu, last minute BBQ.  We had two big racks of ribs and some burgers, dogs & salads.  Everyone brings something and contributes to the mix.  What did my friends bring?  3 more huge racks of Fred Flintstone style ribs! 

The ribs are best when slow cooked in the oven for a while and then tossed on the grill for the last 30 minutes.  Needless to say - it was a sloppy, finger licking, BBQ sauce porkfest and everyone walked away with their bellies filled.     

I forgot to mention grilled eggplant in the last post.  Add a fat one to the shopping cart.  Slice it a little thick because they can fall apart on the grill if sliced too thin.  Maybe 1/2 inch or so.  Use the same oil, balsamic and honey mix and slop it on thick.  Eggplants are like sponges so you can probably marinate them for 1/2 hour before tossing them on the grill.  And watch them closely and don't overcook because they will dry out real fast. 

Every do grilled fruits?  Or pineapple?  Hmmmm. 

[Kathy_Baratta]

Please share your hints and recipes.  Here's one:

Corn on the cob without heating up the kitchen
shuck and rinse corn - place in corning or pyrex dish covered
Microwave 2 minutes per ear.  Done! 

Another, easier, delicious alternative is to leave the corn in the husks (I take a scissor and cut the husks and silk to the end of the cob) and place them on the grill. Just keep rotating until evenly (and slightly browned). You can do the corn first and then just move them to an upper level on the grill to keep warm while you fire up the burgers, dogs and chicken. (Secret to great BBQ chicken is to parboil it first so that you're just "finishing" it on the grill).

Anyway, back to the corn.  ::)The skin and the corn silk peel back like they've been greased and make for a nice handle. It's quick, easy, delicious and practically cleans itself up.

KB