Spicy Sesame Chicken Kebabs

The other night was a grilling night and we decided to do some chicken kebabs.  I marinated the chicken in a spicy sesame marinade and then threaded the pieces on skewers and grilled them.  We served them over sweetened Jasmine rice (just add a little sugar to the cooking water).

1 Tbl freshly grated ginger
2 garlic cloves grated on a micro plane
2 Tbl vegetable oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 Tbl honey
1 Tbl sesame oil
1 Tbl granulated sugar
1 Tbl sambal oelek (or other spicy chili sauce)
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
4  6 to 8 ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 wooden skewers (about 12 inches long) which you've soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
Sliced green onion for garnish (optional)


Whisk together all ingredients except the chicken and set aside.  Cut the chicken into cubes about 1  1/2 inches.  Place the chicken pieces in a zippered freezer bag and pour in the marinade.  Marinade in the fridge for at least an hour or two.
When ready to grill, thread the chicken pieces on to the skewers. Pour the marinade into a small sauce pan and boil it for about 4 or 5 minutes.
Grill, brushing with the marinade until done.

My Absolutely Must Have Marinade

I love lemon and garlic and use both to flavor meats of all sorts.....pork kebabs, lamb chops and even roast chicken.  Tonight I'm brushing this one on sliced eggplant, zucchini and red onions before grilling.  It's really versatile and extremely easy to make.  I use dried herbs because I always have them, summer or winter, and one never knows when a chicken needs marinating before going into the oven.  Use this to marinate a whole fish briefly before grilling and give the lamb and pork a little more time.

Makes about one cup

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

4 cloves garlic

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a mini food processor and process until the garlic dissipates and everything is blended well.

'Bama Kebabs

I still can't put new photos on this blog so in the meantime I'm posting photos you've all ready seen and sending you links to recipes.  Here's the link to the tart and spicy chicken kebabs we had this week.  The BBQ sauce is a white one, Alabama style, made with mayo and vinegar as opposed to tomato.  Pretty darn good!  See it here:

http://food52.com/recipes/21937-bama-kebabs

Lemon Grilled Veal Chops with a Fresh Tomato Relish

I still can't upload new photos but let me direct you to this link to see the fabulous grilled veal chops we made this week...

http://food52.com/recipes/21923-lemon-grilled-veal-chops-with-a-fresh-tomato-relish 

Italian Grilled Pork Chops

Marinate those pork shops in a little olive oil and Italian seasonings, throw them on the grill and enjoy!  Don't over cook them....pork shouldn't be dried out.  Buy chops with a little fat around the edges.

4 rib pork chops, about 3/4 inch thick
2 Tbl olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced

Combine the seasonings, garlic and oil and rub all over the chops.  Place them in a freezer bag or container large enough to hold and marinate them in the fridge for a few hours, turning or shaking them once in a while.
Grill them outdoors or on a grill pan to your desired doneness. Heck you can even fry these if you like!

Grilled Scallion and Spinach Salad with a Scallion Dressing

Here's a nice twist on a spinach salad...lots on oniony flavor with grilled green onions.

For the dressing:
6 large green onions, white and light green parts only
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Refrigerate until ready for use.

For the salad:

12 loosely packed cups fresh baby spinach leaves
20 green onions (most of the dark tops removed)
Olive oil for grilling the onions
4 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1/2 cup of your favorite blue cheese, crumbled

Make a few cuts on the green onion bulbs to create a little flower like appearance once they're grilled.
Toss the green onions in a little olive oil and then preheat a grill pan until it's smokin' hot.  Grill the onion until they get a nice little char and soften a bit.
Cut the onions into one inch pieces saving the bulb for garnishing the finished salad.
Toss the spinach, bacon, blue cheese and straight green onion pieces together.  garnish  the top of the salad with those pretty onion "flowers".  Serve with the sweet onion dressing.

Time to Grill Again!

Spring is here and it's time to get the grill out.  With the temperature at 85F yesterday we decided to do Brick Chicken.  I posted the easy recipe for it over a year ago and you can find it here:

http://inpatskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/11/brick-chicken.html 

Make a salad and smash some redskins with butter and chives or green onions and welcome the lovely weather!

Souvlaki - Meat on a Stick

Call them what you will - kebabs or souvlaki - these little grilled pieces of meat on a stick are heaven in the summer.  Add veggies or not - it's up to you!

1  1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, boneless lamb shoulder or boneless chicken, cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp paprika

Whisk all ingredients except meat in a bowl.  Place the meat in a heavy duty zip lock bag, pour the marinade in and seal.  Refrigerate for as long as you can (4 hours is good), turning the bag over a few times.
Remove the meat from the marinade and thread equal amounts on to 4  twelve inch wooden skewers which have been soaked in water for at least 30 minutes.
Add pieces of onion, green pepper, red pepper, zucchini or mushrooms if you like.
Grill on medium heat to your desired doneness.
Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the skewers just before serving if desired.
Makes 4 skewers

Grilled Ham Steak

Here's a super easy main course for dinner..grab a ham steak and brush it with a mixture of the following:

1/4 cup apricot preserves ( or why not orange marmalade?)
2tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp honey or agave nectar

Grill the steak for 4 or 5 minutes per side until it gets a bit charred and warms through ( the steak is already cooked).  Serve with some scalloped potatoes and something green.

Tuna, Pickled Ginger and Green Garlic Aioli with "Wasabi"

Mild green garlic aioli pairs well with tuna and pickled ginger...If you can't find green garlic, use a small clove of garlic.  Makes a great light appetizer for 2 to 4 people!

For the aioli:
1 room temperature egg
1/4 cup sliced green garlic (white and light green parts) or one small garlic clove
1 Tbl rice vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 Tbl wasabi powder mixed with enough warm water to form a thick paste
Place the egg, green garlic, vinegar and salt in the bowl of a mini processor and process until smooth.\Drizzle in the oil with the processor running, utilizing the teeny holes on the lid. process until slightly thick.
Stir in the wasabi paste and refrigerate to thicken more.

For the tuna:
2  8ounce yellow fin tuna steaks
1/2 cup Mirin (sweet rice cooking wine)
1 Tbl soy sauce
1 Tbl sesame seed oil
1 Tbl agave nectar ( you can use honey also)
Sweet pickled ginger for serving
Combine the Mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil and agave nectar and place in a heavy plastic freezer bag with the tuna. Marinate in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes.
Heat a grill pan sprayed with cooking spray until extremely hot.  grill the tuna for no more than 2 or 3 minutes per side.
Slice and serve with the aioli and pickled ginger.

Flat Iron Steak

This cut of beef is relatively new to US markets and when prepared properly is tender and absolutely delicious! Read an article about it here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_iron_steak 

We did ours on the grill but first slathered it with Worcestershire sauce, fresh minced garlic, salt and pepper...leaving it to marinate for about a hour. Best if cooked no more than medium rare and then sliced thinly across the grain.

Brick chicken

We like the taste of grilled chicken, but I always worry about whether or not I've cooked it long enough.  I came up with this idea a few years ago...grill then roast!  Take a 3 to 5 lb. whole chicken, split it, marinate it a few hours, and then get either a gas or charcoal grill up to medium heat.  You'll need either 2 bricks covered in foil or a heavy cast iron pan. With the bricks I also use a flat grill pan with round holes in it.. Lay the chicken skin side down on the grill and top with the grill pan and bricks or the heavy cast iron pan.  Grill until nice and browned ( about 10 to 15 minutes on each side).  Make sure you have heavy duty gloves to remove the bricks.  You can baste it a little with the marinade. After browning, transfer the chicken to a roasting pan and roast in a pre-heated 350F oven for about an hour, basting occasionally with the pan juices. Goes great with the roasted potatoes I posted yesterday.
I use the same marinade for this one that I use for the slow roasted chicken: 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 to 4 Tbl. Cavenders Greek Seasoning, and the juice of one lemon. Marinate a few hours before grilling.

Note:  This great if you like to grill in the winter, because you can do the grilling part early in daylight and then hold to roast later.