Cowboy Butter Lobster Tails

4 lobster tails, split in half lengthwise

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon wedges for serving

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, parsley, chives, salt, and pepper. This will be your cowboy butter sauce.

Brush the lobster meat generously with the cowboy butter sauce, reserving some sauce for later. Place the lobster tails, flesh side down, on the preheated grill. Grill for 5-6 minutes, then flip and grill for an additional 3-4 minutes, or until the lobster meat is opaque and cooked through. Remove the lobster tails from the grill and brush with more of the cowboy butter sauce. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over the lobster..

Thai Honey Chicken Skewers

This is a wonderful light appetizer I made just recently for Labor Day weekend 2024 alongside a dip, since our main meal was skirt steak with some heavy sides. Everyone was surprised at how much flavor these chicken skewers had. The dry rub along with the marinade ensures a great visit to Flavortown!  

Chicken

1 lb chicken breast, cut into strips or use chx tenderloins
2 teaspoons Chinese 5-spice
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon honey 
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of one lime
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Chopped fresh cilantro & lime wedges for garnish

Sriracha Mayo

3 tablespoons mayo
3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1 teaspoon lemon/lime juice
Ground black pepper to taste

Toss chicken with the five-spice, cayenne pepper, salt & pepper.

In a small bowl combine honey, olive oil and lime juice. Toss chicken with marinade and put in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes (I marinate overnight for fullest flavor).

For Sriracha mayo, combine mayo, Greek yogurt, Sriracha, lime juice and pepper and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Set aside. 

Soak 6-8" skewers in water for an hour. Then skewer chicken.

Heat a grill to medium-high and cook chicken until nicely seared, about 3 minutes per side, depending how thin the chicken. Transfer to a plate, scatter with sesame seeds & fresh cilantro. Serve with lime wedges & Sriracha mayo on the side.

Marinated Grilled Tuna Steak

3 (4 ounce) fresh tuna steaks

Ground black pepper (to taste)

Marinade:
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice or 1 tablespoon lime juice
3 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 fresh garlic cloves, minced

In a bowl combine all marinade ingredients until well blended. Place the tuna steaks into a Ziploc bag. Pour the marinade over the tuna steaks & turn to coat.

Refrigerate for an hour at the minimum or overnight if you have the time. Preheat the grill to medium high heat. Oil the grill grate. Remove the steaks from marinade (discard any marinade) & place on a plate. Season lightly with freshly ground black pepper on both sides. Let sit at room temp (as I do with anything about to be grilled or put in oven) for ½ hour. We grill our steaks for 2 min per side for a little rare in the middle. Cook longer if you like yours more well done.

Turkey Burgers

Makes 6 Burgers

1.25 lb. ground turkey

6 halves sun dried tomatoes, diced

1 medium red onion, diced

2 oz. spinach, chopped (I used a good handful fresh)

¼ cup crumbled feta

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

1 lg. egg 

Salt & Pepper

7 oz. plain greek yogurt

1 medium fresh lemon

¼ tsp minced garlic

¼ tsp dried dill

Prepare the yogurt sauce by combining the yogurt, ¼ tsp minced garlic, dry dill, juice of half the lemon and a dash of salt. Stir everything to combine & then refrigerate to allow the flavors to blend while you make the burgers.

In a bowl combine the ground turkey with the spinach, sun dried tomatoes, red onion, feta, garlic, dried oregano, egg, salt and pepper to taste. Stir everything until it is evenly combined. Shape the mixture into six patties. Freeze patties until they are firm so they don't fall apart on grill. Grill for 5 minutes on each side on medium heat. Serve with Arnold thin & yogurt sauce.

Veggie for Your Thoughts?

{Re-post & updated from 3/10}

Other than a sinus infection that kept me from going to the SITS Bloggy Boot Camp in MD, my absence has been all good. Been busy with get togethers, quality family time & not to mention an exciting home improvement project.

I have to get together some before & after pics. Until then, here is other kitchen news that's simply wonderful. I am bringing you not 1 but 2 veggie packed appies today.

I served these asparagus spears as an appetizer when we had all our parents over for dinner a few weeks ago. Prosciutto wrapped asparagus is fairly popular but to make it a bit more savory I added just a schmear of cream cheese inside each spear. These will definitely be on my regular appetizer rotation!!!!



Baked in Oven

 

From the Grill

PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED ASPARAGUS with CREAM CHEESE

{ Printable Recipe Here }

½ lb prosciutto, sliced thin, fresh from the deli
6oz pkg garlic & herb cream cheese, softened
1 pkg of fresh asparagus, rough ends snapped off

Pre-heat oven to 450. Place one prosciutto slice on a cutting board the long way. Using a butter knife or spoon, spread most of the slice with a thin layer of cheese. I usually place the asparagus on an angle & at the bottom of the slice of meat, with the asparagus tip exposed on the right. Then roll it up & away from you, staying on the angle. This will not only keep both ends of the veggie exposed, which I love, but it will also distribute the meat nicely in an overlap.

Arrange spears in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes until tender. Put under broiler for 1-2 minutes to crisp up prosciutto if necessary. This will yield a perfectly tender but slightly crisp spear.

UPDATED 3.17.13: Because the oven was occupied I decided to grill these babies & I loved them even more. The prosciutto gets a little crispy & you can never go wrong with the grill taste. If you chose this method then parbake the asparagus in the microwave for about 4 minutes, letting them cool before assembling. Then grill over low to medium heat for just a few minutes on each side.

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And if you looking for a really healthy but satisfying dip: I made this dip one day just for myself because curiosity got the best of me. It definitely is a healthy dip & tastes like a healthy dip. I have found when I am working out & eating right I crave things like this. But if you're on a bad streak, you won't appreciate it at all. I definitely plan on making it again & using healthier homemade corn chips to go with it.

SPINACH & CANNELLINI BEAN DIP from Giada

{ Printable Recipe Here }

2 tblsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 6oz bags baby spinach
1 15oz can Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 tblsp fresh lemon juice
1 tblsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil, over medium heat. Add the garlic & cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 of the spinach & cook for 2 minutes until wilted. Repeat with the remaining spinach. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes.

Place the remaining olive oil, spinach mixture, cannellini beans, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a small serving bowl. Serve with endive spears, crostini or pita chips.

{ Food for Thought }

Again, this was super healthy & tasted as such. If you did want to up the bad factor a bit I can see adding just a little mozzarella cheese or low fat sour cream to it.

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So, tell me, what's new in your world? I'll be coming around to check in & catch up but let me know if I've missed anything good. Pretty please!!!!!!!!

Linking Deliciously to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays!

Grilled Chicken Piri Piri

This is some of the best grilled chicken I ever had. I watched it being made on Food Network a few months ago & it always stayed in my head. I made it last weekend for our BBQ with family & I can't express enough how much everyone enjoyed it. The marinade really stuck with the chicken & gave it such an awesome flavor. The reason why? I divulge in my thoughts below. This was so good, I am making it again for our BBQ with friends tomorrow. Have a wonderful holiday weekend everyone!!!!!

• 2-3 lemons, zested & juiced plus 2 sliced for garnish
• 1/2 head garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 red peppers, seeded & roughly chopped
• 5 chili peppers like serrano or jalapeno
• 2 cups fresh parsley leaves (use fresh)
• 1 1/2 tblsp paprika
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 cup olive oil
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 3 pkgs cut up chicken pieces, skin on

{ just before grill time }

In a food processor add lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, red pepper, chiles, parsley, paprika, red wine vinegar & oil. Process until it becomes a paste (wasn't too pasty to me). Season with salt & pepper. Reserve 1 cup of the sauce as set aside for garnishing cooked chicken later.

Divide chicken pieces into 2-3 large resealable plastic bags. Divide the marinade into both bags & seal. Turn the chicken around in the bags to distribute the marinade. Place chicken in the refrigerator & let it marinate for at least 1 hour & up to 1 day. I did mine overnight after baking it (see my thoughts).

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Remove chicken from bags with tongs & drain well. Season with salt & pepper. Place on grill, skin side down first & grill for about 15 minutes on each side turning occasionally until cooked through. Serve with lemon wedges & the reserved piri piri sauce (optional).


{My Thoughts}

Whenever I grill out with chicken on the bone I always bake it first for about 25 minutes with just a bit of salt & pepper in a 375 oven. Not only does this cut down on the time on the grill it also allows the marinade to really penetrate the chicken better. And it’s still on the grill long enough (about 15 min) to get that delicious grilled flavor. My Dad & I have been doing this for years & swear by it!!!!! For this recipe, I needed 2 baking sheets, one for the thighs & legs & the other for the breasts.

I halved the original recipe (here) & the amounts are reflected above. 3 pkgs of cut up chicken feeds about 6 with a few leftover. As for the peppers, I used about 4 jalapenos because I didn't want it to be too spicy for my in laws. It was perfect.

{Click Here to Print Recipe}

Foolproof Steak Cooking Chart

I rarely mess up a steak on the grill. That's because I have been using this little chart for over 5 years. I've been holding back, I know, but I just thought that if I knew then the whole world knew. I don't give myself credit sometimes. So, here it is. If you want perfect steak & not just good steak, use it, you will not be sorry!!!!!

Yes, I actually do take a ruler to my meat & then go according to the chart. The chart can also be found here.

Some of my own tips for steak grilling: 

1. Take your steaks out of the fridge about 15 - 30 minutes prior to cooking.
2. Be aware of the hot spots on your grill.
3. All you need is salt, pepper, garlic powder & a little lime juice. Salting just prior does not dry out the steak or draw out moisture. The lime juice helps to break down the fibers giving you tenderness!
4. Only flip steak once.
5. Don't keep opening your grill. Maybe check once to make sure there are no flare ups. 

And........

Always - let your steak rest for 3-4 minutes before slicing into it. You will then see the true doneness since it continues to cook, as well as let the juices run back to the middle, giving you a very juicy, moist & delicious steak. I swear by this rule.

Brought to you by Angie & Wordful Wednesdays from:

The Best Ever Beer Steamed Burgers

These burgers are simply awesome & you don't even have to fire up the grill. I live in FL so my grill is never covered in snow & I will still use this process more often when making burgers. The secret is steaming them in beer for the last few minutes of cooking time. Give these a try & if there is one topping you don't like, no big deal, just substitute! I'll be making mushroom Swiss burgers next time!!

 

3 tblsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
1 cup fresh mushrooms
Salt & pepper
1 4-oz can sliced, peeled green chiles, drained
1/3 cup pitted, brine-cured olives such as kalamata, sliced
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, chuck or round (I bought 4 fresh pre-made patties)
6 ounces Cheddar cheese, cut into 4 slices (fresh from the deli)
1/3 cup beer
4 hamburger buns, split & toasted if you'd like

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet until hot. Add onion & cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; add mushrooms & cook, stirring, until mushrooms have browned & liquid they release has evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes. Season mushroom mixture with salt & pepper to taste & transfer to a bowl; add chiles & olives. Set aside.

If you buy chopped meat, gently shape beef into four 4-inch burgers; season with salt & pepper. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in skillet over high heat until hot. Reduce heat to medium-high, add burgers & cook 3 minutes. Turn burgers & cook 2 minutes. Divide chile mixture onto them & top each with a slice of cheese. Add beer to skillet; cover & steam until cheese has melted, about 2-3 minutes. This will yield a burger with just a tad pink in the middle. If you like yours well done, I would increase the cooking time in the beginning by 2 minutes because you don't want your cheese to turn into a gloppy mess.

Transfer burgers to toasted buns & serve.

My Thoughts:

The topping can be made ahead of time which is awesome! Fresh cheddar is a must. Any beer will do, I used Blue Moon & just drank the rest naturally. These burgers are SO moist. You may also want to put them on a rack for a second before loading them onto your bun so that all the juices don't make your bun soppy. Also, the chiles are not enough to make these too spicy. More thoughts on the printable page.

Click Here for Printable Recipe