Smoked Ribs on the BBQ

I have been meaning to try smoking something on the BBQ for awhile (ever since I saw someone do it on a cooking show in the spring), but frankly I never got around to it.  I just could not seem to find a time when I would be home for an afternoon to supervise the smoking process.  Having little kids means I am usually always busy doing something, however yesterday was the day.  I had found some ribs discounted at our local supermarket and decided that that was a good reason to try smoking the ribs.  I started by making the BBQ sauce on Thursday.  Then I rubbed my ribs with the dry spice rub recipe.  Next I made some smoking packets out of tin foil.  You basically made a pocket put some wood chips in that have been soaked in water, seal the pocket with a fold, poke a hole in the top to let the smoke come out and then put it over the heat on the BBQ.  You need to change the smoke packets when then stop smoking so you should have several of these made up.  You then place the ribs over the cold part of the BBQ (the side that the heat is not on).  I cooked and smoked my ribs for four hours and then covered them in my homemade BBQ sauce.  They were juicy and moist.  I think that they turned out pretty good for my first try!  As a side note I served the ribs with a macaroni salad, which was macaroni covered is homemade Caesar dressing.  You can get the Caesar dressing recipe from here.

Smoked Ribs
Original Recipe the Neely's

BBQ Sauce:

2 cups ketchup
1 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons light brown sugar
5 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon ground mustard


In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cooked uncovered, stirring frequently, for 1 hour 15 minutes.
Yield: 3 1/2 cups

Ingredients
Dry Rub:
1 1/2 cups paprika
3/4 cup sugar
3 3/4 tablespoons onion powder
2 (about 4 pounds each) slabs beef spareribs
2 (about 3 pounds each) slabs pork spareribs
2 cups Dry Rub
BBQ Sauce
Directions
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a small glass bowl to create the spice rub.
Rinse and the dry ribs, then put on a clean cutting board and pull off the thin fatty skin that lines the underside of the ribs. Trim the ribs of excess fat and meat. Liberally season both sides of the ribs with the spice rub. Wrap the ribs with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours so flavors can develop and permeate the meat.
Soak the wood chips in water for 1 hour before grilling.
Preheat the grill to 250 degrees F. Using the hickory and charcoal, set up the grill for indirect heat.
Arrange the ribs, meatier side down, on the far side of the grill away from the coals. Close the cover of the grill and cook the ribs for 3 hours. Turn and cook until the ribs bend, about 1 more hour.
You will need to check on the charcoal and chips during the smoking process and replenish as needed. You will also need to maintain a temperature of 250 degrees F.
Remove from grill, cut and coat in warn BBQ sauce.

Choc chip salted butter caramel ice cream

I love caramel and so I decided that I would try making this recipe. I am glad that I did because it is probably the best ice-cream I have ever consumed. It was smooth like store bought ice-cream and very rich. My husband did not believe me when I told him that I made it. He was sure that it was store bought. The creme brulee ice-cream was good, this was great!

Choc chip salted butter caramel ice cream
from technicolor kitchen

2 cups (480ml) whole milk
1½ cups (300g) caster sugar
4 tablespoons (58g) salted butter
scant ½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cups (240ml) heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
140g dark chocolate, finely chopped

Start by making an ice bath by filling a large bowl about a third full with ice cubes and adding a cup or so of water so they're floating. Nest a smaller metal bowl (at least 2 quarts/liters) over the ice, pour 1 cup (240 ml) of the milk into the inner bowl, and rest a mesh strainer on top of it.

Spread the sugar in a medium saucepan in an even layer. Cook over moderate heat, until the edges begin to melt. Use a heatproof utensil to gently stir the liquefied sugar from the bottom and edges towards the center, stirring, until all the sugar is dissolved. (Or most of it—there may be some lumps, which will melt later.)
Continue to cook stirring infrequently until the caramel starts smoking and begins to smell like it's just about to burn. It won't take long. Once caramelized, remove from heat and stir in the butter and salt, until butter is melted, then gradually whisk in the cream, stirring as you go – be extremely careful, for the caramel will bubble like crazy once the cream is added; you might want to step away from the pan.
The caramel may harden and seize, but return it to the heat and continue to stir over low heat until any hard caramel is melted. Stir in 1 cup (240ml) of the milk.

Whisk the yolks in a small bowl and gradually pour some of the warm caramel mixture over the yolks, stirring constantly. Scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan and cook the custard using a heatproof utensil, stirring constantly (scraping the bottom as you stir) until the mixture thickens. If using an instant-read thermometer, it should read 71-77°C (160-170°F).
Pour the custard through the strainer into the milk set over the ice bath, add the vanilla, then stir frequently until the mixture is cooled down. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or until thoroughly chilled.
Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
While ice cream is freezing, melt chocolate in clean metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring frequently, then transfer to a 1-cup glass measure. When ice cream has finished churning, carefully pour chocolate in a slow stream directly onto ice cream as it churns and continue to churn 30 seconds (chocolate will harden in streaks). Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

Because of the caramel in this ice cream, once churned and frozen, it'll remain nice & creamy. To make it firmer, crank up your freezer a bit or store it in a shallow pan.

Makes 1 generous liter (quart)

Asian Grilled Salmon

Last time I made Salmon it was such a big hit with my kids that I decided to try making it again.  This recipe did not go over as well.  My husband I both enjoyed it (although we did perfer the salmon with the agave nectar on it).  I do not have a picture of the salmon though sorry.

Asian Grilled Salmon

Original recipe Barefoot Contessa


Ingredients
4 small salmon fillets about 1 pound total
For the marinade:
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons good soy sauce
6 tablespoons good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Directions
While the grill is heating, whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.
Place the salmon on the hot grill; discard the marinade the fish was sitting in. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes.
Transfer the fish to a flat plate and spoon the reserved marinade on top.

Chipotle-Mango BBQ Chicken

After the success of the last mango hot sauce recipe I decided to try another one.  I am sad to say that this one did not turn out nearly as well.  Not only did I overcook the chicken I also was not fond of the sauce.  I found the vinegar to be a little overpowering.  When I served this to the kids I did not put any extra sauce on their chicken because they do not like spicy things.  The kids liked the BBQ chicken so the whole supper was not a flop.  Here is the recipe anyway.

Chipotle-Mango BBQ Chicken

Original recipe by Guy Fieri

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups mango, peeled, pitted and roughly chopped
3/4 cup fresh cilantro (loose pack, not chopped, stems and all)
2 chipotle peppers in adobo, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice wine vinegar
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon canola oil, plus extra for grill
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
2 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone in, skin on
Directions
Put the mango, cilantro, chipotle, vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of oil and salt and pepper, in a food processor and puree until smooth. Adjust seasonings, to taste.
Add the chicken with half the mango mixture to a resealable plastic bag, and massage to coat the chicken with the sauce. Refrigerate at least 6 hours to marinate.
Put the other half of the mango mixture into a small saucepan and simmer over low heat until thick, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Set some of the simmered chipotle-mango sauce aside to serve on the side and baste the chicken every few minutes with the rest of the sauce.
Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat and brush with canola oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade and put on the grill.
Grill the chicken turning and basting about every 5 minutes until cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with the reserved mango sauce.

Soft Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I like soft chewy chocolate chip cookies and I have been searching for a recipe that will live up to my expectations. I discovered this recipe from Anna Olson. This cookies are soft and chewy for days not just right out of the oven. She attributes it to the cornstarch in the batter. I have also made these into ice-cream sandwiches and the cookies stay soft even when frozen. These are my favourite chocolate chip cookies.

Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into chunks


Directions
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Cream together butter and sugars until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and blend in.
Stir in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chunks.
Drop by tablespoons onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown around the edges.

Grilled Salmon with Citrus Salsa Verde

While my children were away for the week-end my husband and I wanted to enjoy a nice quiet adult dinner. I wanted to try to make a teriyaki
maple marinated cod that we had at a restaurant awhile ago. He suggested something simple and easy so we could relax and enjoy the evening, so this salmon was made my special request of my husband and I am ashamed to say that is a repeat because we have had it before this year. This was made from a Giada recipe. It is light, sweet and refreshing, a great summer meal!

Ingredients
Salsa:
2 large oranges
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 scallions, finely sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Salmon:
Vegetable or canola oil, for oiling the grill
4 (4 to 5-ounce) center cut salmon fillets, skinned, each about 3-inches square
2 tablespoons amber agave nectar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
For the salsa: Peel and trim the ends from each orange. Using a paring knife, cut along the membrane on both sides of each segment. Free the segments and add them to a medium bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, scallions, mint, orange zest, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. Toss lightly and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
For the salmon: Put a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Brush the grilling rack with vegetable oil to keep the salmon from sticking. Brush the salmon on both sides with the agave nectar and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill until the fish flakes easily and is cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the salmon to a platter and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Spoon the salsa verde on top of the salmon or serve on the side as an accompaniment.

Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

My parents took my kids for the week-end so my husband and I were home alone, yeah!!  We actually got to sleep in.  To start our lazy week-end off we enjoyed blueberry pancakes in bed.  I made the following Bobby Flay recipe.  I did use buttermilk and the lemony flavour it imparted was well worth the cost!

Lemon-Blueberry-Buttermilk Pancakes


Pancakes
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cane sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch cream of tartar
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 stick butter, (8 tablespoons) cut into pats

For the pancakes:
Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks, oil, buttermilk, lemon zest and vanilla extract.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid mixture. Mix together until flour is just incorporated.
In a small bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the batter just until incorporated. Let sit for 15 minutes, then gently fold in the blueberries.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Heat a nonstick pan or cast iron griddle over medium heat. Add a pat of butter and heat until the butter just begins to sizzle. Scoop a scant 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan or onto the griddle and cook until bubbles appear on the top surface and the bottom is golden brown, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Flip over and cook until the bottom is lightly golden brown, about 45 seconds. Remove to a baking sheet and keep warm in a low oven. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with syrup.

Creme Brulee Ice-Cream

When I asked my husband how he liked the ice-cream he said that it was good but that I did not make it.  When I told him that I did he thought I was joking.  When I asked him why he said because it tastes store bought.  I am not sure if I should be offended or complemented.  I decided to go with complemented.  This ice-cream is really good and the toffee bits just put the ice-cream over the top.  Here is the original recipe.  However I could not find caster sugar here so I googled it most people said to put regular sugar through the food processor.  While I did this but it still took a LOOOOOONG time to make the toffee.  It took me about an hour but I think that it was worth it in the end.  Happy Eating!

Creme brulée ice cream

Custard:1/2 cup (240ml) whole milk
2 cups (480ml) heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon (145g) white sugar

Toffee:1 cup (200g) caster sugar (put white sugar in food processor and pulse until smaller if you cannot find caster sugar)

To make the custard, place the milk, cream and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat until it just comes to a boil. Place the yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Gradually add the milk mixture, whisking to combine. Return to the saucepan and stir over low heat for 8-10 minutes or until custard is thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Strain custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl, set aside to cool then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

To make the toffee, place half the sugar in a small saucepan over low heat until it starts to caramelize; stir and add the remaining sugar, to keep the caramel from burning. Warning this takes a long time. It took me nearly an hour. When it’s completely melted and golden, pour over a piece of foil and set aside to cool. When it’s completely set, use a rolling pin to break the toffee into small bits. Set aside.
Pour the custard into an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Scoop the ice cream into a container and stir in the toffee bits. Put in freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

Serves 4
cooks note: I made this a second time with quick dissolving fruit sugar that I found it cooked really fast. The toffee was made in about five minutes.

Grilled Tandoori chicken and Steak Pizza

So last week I told you that I recently discovered pizza on the grill and I am loving it.  My sister is over visiting from India and we invited her over for supper tonight.  As it was a special occasion I decided to make my new favourite meal, Grilled Pizza.  However I did have to make it different than last week or else I would have had two meals the same and that is just not allowed.  So change things up I first grilled Tandoori Chicken in honour of her visit from India.  I made a spice rub, rubbed it into the chicken and let it sit for about half an hour and then grilled it.  I think that the chicken tasted really good but she said while it was tasty it did not taste like tandoori chicken, here is the original tandoori chicken recipe.  I little sad but at least it was good.  I topped this pizza with the homemade hummus from last week.   I also made a steak rub and rubbed it into the steak and grilled it off.  This pizza was topped with homemade pesto.  The pesto recipe is listed below.  While I was grilling the meat I also grilled a red pepper, some green onions and a couple of zucchini.

Steak Rub
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground  onion
2 TBSP of vegetable oil

Combine the spices in a small bowl.  Brush both sides of the meat with 2 tablespoons of oil.  Rub remianing spice mixture over steak.  Grill to desired temperature.

Tandoori Chicken


Ingredients
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground cayenne
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3 (8-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts

Directions
Heat grill to medium-high. Combine all spices and the oil in a medium bowl to make a paste. Rub a thin layer of the spice paste onto 1 side of each chicken breast. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until slightly charred and just cooked through. Remove from the grill, let rest 5 minutes, and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick slices.
Pesto
Place 40 grams of basil leaves, 2 TBSP toasted pine nuts, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and 4 TBSP of oil in a food processor and pulse. When combined check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed and more oil if needed.
For the pizza:
1store bought or homemade Pizza dough. Heat the grill to high. Roll out the Pizza dough into about 6 inch circles. Brush both sides of the pizzas with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until golden brown on one side, about 2 minutes per side.
Top each pizza with the pesto. For Pizza number 1 arrange any or all of the veggies and thinly sliced steak on top of the pesto and top with the feta cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Place the bread back on the grill, close the cover and grill for 5 minutes to heat through. Repeat this process using thinly sliced chicken instead of the steak.

Marshmallow Sauce

My children wanted ice-cream sundaes and as a child I equated ice-cream sundaes with marshmallow sauce.  Instead of buying the Marshmallow sauce I decided to make it.  It was surprisingly easy to make and turned out really well, it tastes just like fluff.  In fact while I made this sauce I left the mixer running and went upstairs to fold and put away a load of laundry!

Marshmallow Sauce

Original recipe from here.

Marshmallow Sauce
1 egg white (I used the boxed pasteurized egg whites)
3/4 cup light corn syrup
Pinch salt
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whip attachment affixed, combine egg white, corn syrup, and salt. Whip the corn-syrup mixture on high speed until it is light, fluffy, and roughly twice its original volume.
Turn your mixer off and spoon in the confectioner's sugar. Beat on low speed until sugar is blended into the corn syrup mixture. Add vanilla and beat in.
Spoon marshmallow sauce over ice cream; use it as a fondue for chocolate-covered graham crackers, fruit, and cookies; or top a peanut butter sandwich with it. Refrigerated, it will keep for about 2 weeks.

Hamburgers with Lemon-Honey Dressing and Warm Caesar Potatoe Salad

In the summer my family enjoys grilling.  As you probably noticed a lot of my recipes use the grill.  We also enjoy a good hamburger, so we have these once a week.  I find that everyone will eat them so they are usually a safe bet.  However in an attempt to have a different meal every night I vary the topping.  Today I made a Lemon-Honey mustard for the hamburgers.  I did not enjoy the mustard but I have included the recipe anyway, because you may like it.  I also had some left over pancetta and homemade caesar dressing in my fridge which resulted in an inspiration, warm potatoe salad with caesar dressing and pancetta.  My husband who is not a salad man said that it was really good and that he would like it again, however my kids said it was too spicey. ( I guess it is a good thing I did not give them the hot sauce last night!)  Here is the original recipe for the burgers.

 

Burgers
Ingredients
Lemon-Honey Mustard:
· 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
· 1 heaping tablespoon honey
· 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
· 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
· 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Burger:
· 1 1/2 pounds extra-lean ground beef
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper
· Feta Cheese
· 4 buns
· Lemon-Honey Mustard

Directions
Mustard:
Whisk together all ingredients, in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours to allow flavors to meld.

Burgers:
Preheat the grill to high. Form the meat into 4 (8-ounce) burgers. Season the burgers on both sides with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill until cooked through. During the last minutes of cooking sprinkle a little feta on each burger. Put the burgers on the buns, drizzle with some of the mustard.

Caesar Ingredients
1/4 cup (60 mL) mayonnaise
1/4 cup (60 mL) 2% milk
2 teaspoons (10 mL) Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons (30 mL) lemon juice
dash Worschestershire sauce
1/4 cup (60 mL) grated Parmesan cheese
coarse salt and ground black pepper

Combine the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Let sit for half and hour before serving, or pour over warm potatoes with crispy pancetta.

Jerk Rubbed Chicken Breasts with Home-Made Mango-Jalepeno Hot Sauce

I have been waiting to try this recipe for awhile.  My husband and I both like hot things so I figured that we would both like it, the trick was finding mangoes at a reasonable price.  After much waiting the mango's were finally found and the hot sauce was made.  When I looked at the Bobby Flay recipe again today however I had my doubts, how would cloves, cinnamon and allspice taste on a chicken breast and how well would it go with my hot sauce?  I must admit I was pleasantly surprised the flavours mixed well together.  My husband even commented saying that the chicken was good and asked what was on it, I coyly said "Oh just a spice rub that I made".  However beware, the hot sauce really is hot, so if you don't like heat I suggest toning back on the jalapeno's. I also made a simple risotto and added some proscuitto to go with this meal.  I thought it worked nicely to balance the heat in the chicken and I needed to use up the rest of my prosciutto.  Here is the link for the original bobby flay chicken and mango hot sauce recipe.

Ingredients
Jerk Rub:
2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cayenne powder
2 teaspoons coarse black pepper
2 teaspoons dry thyme
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
8 chicken thighs
Sliced fresh mango
Homemade Mango Jalepeno Sauce, recipe follows
Cilantro leaves, for garnish
Directions
Combine all spices in a small bowl. Rub the skin side of the chicken with the rub and let rest for 30 minutes. Heat the grill to medium heat and grill the thighs, skin side down for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn the chicken, close the cover of the grill and move the chicken to the side (or cooler part) of the grill. Continue cooking for 6 to 7 minutes or until completely cooked through. Remove to a platter and let rest 5 minutes before serving. Serve fresh mango slices and Mango-Jalepeno Hot Sauce. Sprinkle leaves of cilantro on top.

Homemade Mango-Jalepeno Sauce:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small Spanish onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
2 jalepenos, chopped
1 cup white wine vinegar
Salt
Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, mangoes, jalepeno and vinegar and cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Place the mixture in a blender and blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add a few tablespoons of warm water or vinegar. Season with salt.
Yield: 4 servings

Ricotta Smothered Mushroom Burgers with Sweet Onion, Prosciutto and Arugula

When I went to the grocery store the other day they had portobello mushrooms on the 50% off rack.  I decided that I could use those and decided to purchase them.  When I want to make supper tonight I again consulted Rachel Rays 365: No Repeats a Year of Deliciously Different Dinners and spotted recipe #44, which also used arugula and proscuitto, two other ingredients I happened to have in my fridge at the moment.  So I decided to use the Rachel Ray recipe as a starting point to make the following supper.  Enjoy.

Ingredients
4 TBSP balsamic vinegar
4 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Large Portebello mushroom caps
2 Large Sweet Onions
2 cloves of garlic, minced
11/2 cups ricotta cheese
4 rolls
8 slices of prociutto
1 small bunch of arugula

Warm a medium size frying pan and add the 2 TBSP of the olive oil.  Add the two onions thinly sliced, 2 TBSP of the balsamic vinegar and sald and pepper.  Cook over medium low heat for about twenty minutes.
Combine the last 2 TBSP of vinegar and olive oil in a small bowl.  Brush over both sides of the mushroom.  Grill the mushrooms over medium high heat for about four minutes a side.  Once grilled remove from BBQ, fill the mushrooms some of the ricotta cheese ( I also added a little oregano on the top of mine), then place back on the grill for about five minutes.  Toast the buns on the grill.  When done assemble the burger.  Place the bun, 2 slices of prociutto, then the mushroom, arugula, caramelized onions and two more slices of prociutto.

Warm Lemon Chicken Sandwich with Arugula and Strawberries

When I was at the grocery this week they had both arugula and strawberries on sale. I purchased both and brought them home hoping to be inspired with something to make. I adapted recipe #37 of Rachel Ray 365: No Repeats - A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners (A 30-Minute Meal Cookbook). When my husband tried it he said that he was not sure about the strawberries but that they were actually good and asked for the leftovers in his lunch tomorrow. I would call that success!

Here is the recipe
Ingredients
4 chicken breast
2 lemons
1 large handful of arugula
5 pieces of prosciutto
1 garlic clove smashed
1 cup of cut strawberries
1 chopped green onion
1 TBSP Grainy Dijon Mustard
2 TBSP Red Wine Vinegar
2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 TBSP grated parmesan reggiano
4 Whole Wheat Buns

Zest and then juice the lemons. Place the chicken breasts in a Ziploc and marinate in the lemon juice for about 1/2 hour. Preheat your BBQ to mid-high heat and grill the chicken breast. Place the arugula, cut strawberries, porscuitto, and green onion in a bowl and mix. Combine the mustard, Vinegar, Olive Oil and parmesan reggiano in another small box and mix together. Toast the buns on the BBQ. When toasted rub the buns with the smashed garlic clove. When the chicken in done grilling cut into small pieces. Place a small handful on salad on the toasted bun, top with some of the chicken, another small handful of salad and then drizzle a little bit of the dressing on the top. Enjoy!

Grilled Pizza

Lately we have really been enjoying grilled pizza. We tried it for the first time earlier this summer and we just cannot seem to get enough of it. The challenge has been coming up with ways to make the pizza different and original. For today's pizza I adapted one of Bobby Flay's recipe which you can find here.  We made two different kinds of pizza. One topped with hummus, grilled peppers, spicy sausage, grilled green onions and feta cheese. The second was topped with hummus, grilled peppers, grilled chicken, feta, grilled green onions and arugala. They were both good. However our favourite part of pizza night is the dessert pizza. It tastes like a warm elephant ear from the county fair. This was again adapted from a Bobby Flay recipe.  We topped our grilled pizza with warm grilled peaches, vanilla ice-cream and left over caramel sauce. So good and yummy. I highly recommend making and eating this.

Spicy Hummus:
· 2 cups canned chickpeas
· 4 cloves garlic
· 2 teaspoons chili powder

· 1 teaspoon cumin
· 2 tablespoons lemon juice
· 1 tablespoon honey
· 1 grilled red pepper
· 2 tablespoons tahini
· 1/4 cup olive oil
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper


· Grill the pepper. Place in a bowl and cover with saran wrap. When cool cover peel the skin. Place chickpeas, garlic, chili pepper, cumin, lemon juice, honey, pepper and tahini in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

o 1/2 Pizza Dough, rolled into 2 (10-inch) rounds
o Canola oil
o 1 grilled yellow pepper, cut into strips
o 3 grilled scallions, thinly sliced
o 1 grilled sausage thinly sliced
o 1 grilled chicken breast thinly sliced
o Salt and freshly ground black pepper
o 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
o 1/4 cup arugala leaves

For the pizza:
Use store bought or homemade Pizza dough. Heat the grill to high. Brush both sides of the pizzas with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.


Top each pizza with the spicy hummus. Arrange any or all of the veggies and meat on top of the hummus and top with the feta cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Place the bread back on the grill, close the cover and grill for 5 minutes to heat through. Remove and add fresh arugala.

Dessert Pizza
Ingredients


· 1 store-bought pizza dough
· 3 tablespoons canola oil
· 1/4 cup granulated sugar
· 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
· 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
· 1/2 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
· Peaches
·
Directions
Heat the grill to high.
Brush both sides of each pizza with the oil. Grill until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the grill.
Cut peaches in half. Remove the pit. Brush with canola oil. Grill until grill marks show and peaches are tender.
Mix together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl. Brush the tops of each pizza with the butter and sprinkle with the sugar mixture. Place back on the grill, close the cover and cook an additional 1 minute. Cut into quarters and drizzle with the warm butterscotch sauce.