Recipe #17: On the road again - Duluth, MN: Chicken Teriyaki

Saturday grill-out with my married daughter in Duluth, Sarah.  We were commiserating because both our sweeties are gone for a while.    I hauled my little grill and the necessary implements to Duluth.  We grilled Chicken Teriyaki on her front porch overlooking Lake Superior.

We followed the recipe, BUT It all depends on presentation, doesn't it?  This recipe was intended to be marinaded in beer, ginger and teriyaki, then cut in strips and served over rice.  We did the marinade, but we had nice fresh sweet corn, and that works better with meat and starch as separate dishes.

I'm giving this recipe a 4 1/2 out 5 stars, cuz it is GOOD but, hey, it's just marinated chicken for heaven sakes.  Nothing startlingly original, or awesomely new and different about it.

Recipe #17 may be a week from now, when my sweetie comes home to me.

Recipe 16: San Diego Chicken and Grilled Sweet Corn

Once again, it's all about the marinade:  A can of frozen orange juice, thawed, the juice of a lemon and lime, a can of tomato sauce and italian seasoning.  Grill and eat.  Pretty simple but VERY GOOD.

The real treat was the grilled corn on the cob.  SOAK in water for 45-minutes to an hour.  GRILL in the husks on the edge of the rack for 45 minutes.  Remove husks, add butter and salt if you wish and eat.  SO good, so flavorful and so al dente.  You will never want to eat flavorless, mushy boiled corn again!  TRY IT.

Nothing tomorrow.  Sorry.  My bride is visiting her family for 10 days and I am batching it.

Recipe #15: Buffalo Chicken Pizza

My honey said, "I didn't know you could make pizza on a grill!"  Well sure you can, the trick is making sure the topping gets done before the crust burns.

Now, you COULD put anything on it.  The recipe in "A MAN A CAN A GRILL" was spicy chicken, with diced tomatoes, cheddar and mozzarella.  So that's what I did.

Just that:  Tomatoes, spicy chicken and cheese.   I used Pillsbury refrigerated pizza dough, rolled out onto a sheet of tinfoil sprayed with olive oil.  You lay it face down on a hot grill and peel off the tinfoil.  Flip it over, put on the stuff and cook it for 5 minutes or so until the cheese is well melted.  

It was pretty darned good too!  But then again, even a bad pizza is better than a most other things.  My honey said she really liked and really wants me to make it again.

TOMORROW:  SAN DIEGO CHICKEN

Recipe #14: Asian-Orange Beef

Good, but you need the best cut of meat you can get.  Our top sirloin was a little too tough, even after being marinated and basted, then boiled in sauce.

Anyhoo -- Marinated the steak for 3 hours in thawed Frozen Orange juice Concentrate -- plus ginger ale, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger.    Grilled it to well-doneness.  Then grilled a red and a green bell pepper.  All were basted with the orange-ginger marinade while grilling.   All were sliced into strips, then boiled in the Orange-Ginger Marinade for five minutes.  Served over lemon-pepper rice.
Pretty Good like I said, except our beef was not tender enough.  I'm giving it 3 out of 5 stars even though the choice of the meat was entirely mine.

Tomorrow:  Buffalo Chicken Pizza -- on the grill!

Recipe #13: Pakistani Pork Chops

I didn't even know people in PAKISTAN ate Pork.  Actually I checked and the country is 97% Muslim, which means if ANY Pakistanis eat pork, it is precious few of them that do!!  A friend of mine thinks this recipe is like an Ash Wednesday Bar-b-que Feed at a Catholic Church.  I have to agree.  Just keep in mind, I DIDN'T name it.

So, plain old pork chops, marinated 6 hours in ginger ale,  chicken broth, ginger, minced garlic and curry.  Once they are on the grill, you heat the marinade in a pan and add some peas and tomatoes.  Makes a great side.   We added curried rice to round out the meal.  IT WAS FABULOUS!!!  My sweetie REALLY liked it.  We're giving this one 5 out of 5 stars.

Tomorrow:  Asian Orange Beef!

Recipe #12: Tuna Melt Supreme

Well, my sweetie likes them but I don't.  Kind of bland.

Available in the international aisle
of your favorite supermarket.

Tuna, habichuelas blancas (small white beans), creamy italian dressing, parsley and sliced black olives.  All mixed together.

Then a slice of provolone on a slice of sourdough bread, some of the tuna stuff, another slice of provolone, and another slice of sourdough bread. Sprayed both sides with olive oil, then grilled 5 minutes per side with a weight on them (I used a pasta pot).

Not terrible, just BLAH.

The recipes in the book A Man A Can A Grill are organized around the particular meats (Fish, Beef, Pork, Chicken, etc.) We'll continue to mix it up, and not spend too many consecutive days on any one meat.

Tomorrow Pakistani Pork Chops! (do Pakistanis even eat pork?)

Recipe #11: Big Ball O' Shrimp Scampi

Best recipe thus far!  AMAZING!  So THIS TIME ONLY I'm offering the complete recipe.
You need: 

• A little beer (a shot glass is about right).
• About an ounce of canned jalapenos.  chopped.
• juice of one lemon.
• 4 cloves of garlic or 1 teaspoon of minced garlic (more is better).
• 3 TABLEspoons of chopped parsley
• 3 TABLEspoons of butter.
• 1/2 TEAspoon of lemon-pepper seasoning.
• 1 pound of peeled, deveined, detailed shrimp.  thawed.
• 1/2 box of thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta

Line a medium-sized bowl with tinfoil.  Put everything but the pasta in it and crumple up the top to make a big shiney ball (Hence the name of the recipe!).  Let it marinade on the counter while you fire up the grill to medium-hot (This CAN also be done in a saute pan.  See below).  
Grill it for 20-30 minutes.  While it cooks make the pasta according to the directions on the box.  The STUFF in the bag makes a pesto.    Toss the contents of the bag with the pasta and eat up.  SO GOOD.  One rule:  There is no such thing as too much garlic.

Grilled shrimp, cooked in parsley, butter, beer and garlic.
Tossed with pasta.  YUMMM

SAUTED on the stove top:  Heat butter. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add shrimp to butter and saute 5 minutes over medium heat or until shrimp are pink. Remove shrimp to hot platter. Add parsley, jalapenos and beer to butter in pan. Increase heat and saute 30 seconds. Toss shrimp and sauce with the pasta.  Eat up!

Recipe#10: ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Quick Steak Sandwiches

Busy weekend.  Friends, Kids and Bike Rides!!!
We ran up to Aberdeen, SD where a favorite couple, both of which are DEAR OLD friends (and two of their sons) were visiting relatives for a week.  They consented to be the focus group for recipe #10.

Thin cut sirloin,  Marinated in a mixture of tomato sauce, beef broth and Worchestershire for 60 minutes.  Grilled briefly on both sides just until the pink is gone, then sliced briquet-style.  Also grilled a green pepper and an onion, cut into strips.  Then, put a bit of meat and some veggies on a hoagie bun and add a condiment of your choice (I had 57 Sauce).  That's it!

The assembled multitude gave 4 out 5 stars.  So basically, easy and tasty, but not a "to die for."

Recipe #9: Pesto Chicken Dagwoods.

YUMMMM!

A little chicken broth, mixed with garlic-herb pesto.  Boneless skinless chicken breasts hammered down to about 1/2" thickness.  Grilled and basted with the pesto sauce.  Served hot on a bun with warm tomato, provolone and lettuce.
     My sweetheart thinks the whole thing would be very good as a pasta, with the grilled chicken, basted with pesto and served on pasta, tossed with the same pesto and topped with warm tomatoes.  Can't disagree!  I think this is my favorite so far.  SO GLAD we got the Spam out the way first!!!

Recipe #8: Beer Can Chicken PLUS beer brats

I have made beer can chicken many times.  This recipe was okay, but not as good as my sister's.  This one only calls for a rub (brown sugar, salt and Mrs. Dash Chicken Blend), then you place the chicken on a half can of beer.  Several GREAT recipes call for adding seasonings to the beer, including maple syrup.  So this was good, but I couldn't help feeling like something was missing.  Chicken salad for lunch tomorrow!

     Another beer recipe tho!  On Sunday (July 10) I made beer brats.  Not in the recipe book, but I thought I'd mention it anyway.  Boiled the brats in a pasta pot with 4 bottles of Killian's Red.  Boiled 30 minutes, simmered 15 more then browned 5 minutes on each side over hot charcoal.  Served on grill-toasted buns.  They were AB FAB!!!

Recipe #7: Coke Steak and Fries!!

It's all about the marinade.  Can of high octane cola, worchestershire,  Mrs. Dash Mesquite seasoning,  garlic and olive oil.  Toss in two 6 oz sirloins.  Marinate in the frig for 3 hours and slap it on the grill.  Cut an onion in half and grill, turning every 5 minutes and basting with marinade till no longer crunchy.  The recipe called for those stupid potato stix:  I grilled steak fries instead!  Unlike the film "Julie and Julia", I don't mind making substitutions when it will add to the overall quality of the meal.
My sweetheart and I agree that maybe we will jump around more.  You get kind of tired of the same main course each time, no matter how it is cooked.  I'm not really that crazy about steak anyway.  Next recipe will be an adventure in CHICKEN.

On the Road: Recipe 6: Tex-Mex Longhorn

 Our second recipe at our little cabin in the mountains of North Georgia!

Simple.  Made me think the book was written for men who don't know how to cook.  Top sirloin, rubbed with chipotle grill seasoning and grilled.  Black beans, corn, chopped onion, tabasco and the juice of a lime to make the salsa.  Slice the sirloin brisket-style and serve with the salsa.  Tasty!  Very, Very Yummy!  But pretty basic. 

I took a picture of it, but sadly, as you were warned when we began this blog, some foods are not very photogenic.  This was one of them.  It looked kind of gross in the picture so I thought I better spare you.

Recipe #5: Smoky Joes Big, Spicy Burgers

 From Chickamauga, GA!!

Our cabin in Georgia!

3 oz of Manwich mixed with 1 3/4 lbs of ground beef, an egg, chopped jalapenos and a teaspoon of Worchestershire sauce.  Grilled to a well-doneness (Hey, it's GROUND BEEF.  You don't eat that rare!) and served on a toasted bun.  My bride said, with her sweet mouth full,"MMMMM they're delicious!  Like a meatloaf sandwich!"  Actually I found them hard to work with.  Tasty, but too sloppy and it was hard to keep them from falling apart on the grill.  Next time I will want to add a bunch of breadcrumbs, OR to keep with the "mexi-spicy" theme, some grinded-up tortilla chips.  Just needs a binder so they stay together on the grill.