Monday, June 20, 2016

Outside Summer Time!

Summer time is a favorite time of mine (hmmm, a poet and didn't know it, hahaha!).   Kicking up my feet and  relaxing on the deck or in the yard.  It's laid back, slow, and I feel like I don't have a care in the world.  A tall glass of freshly brewed iced tea, swinging on the swing and listening to the sounds of nothing is a happy thing in my book, the lazy days of Summer.  

During the Summer months I try to cook everything for every meal on the grill, why dirty up the kitchen and heat up the house when you don't have too.  My gears were turning on Friday night as to how I could do a whole breakfast on the grill. Was it a risky thing to do? I didn't care, because if it didn't come out right, we would just eat cereal.  But it did turn out and it was perfect!  Try it, you won't be sorry, it was fun too.  I love eating outside, relaxing, reading the morning newspaper and having a great breakfast on the weekends.

I got the bacon started in the cast iron frying pan.  Invest in a few, they are inexpensive and they work great on the grill.  You wouldn't want to put your good cookware on the gas the grill.  
In another cast iron frying pan, on the side burner of the grill, were the hash browns.  Cook them like you would do inside, a little oil in the pan, season with salt and pepper and that's all they need.  The cast iron frying pan puts a great crust on them, makes them crispy.
 On my lightly oiled griddle (this came with my grill), Texas Toast French Toast is grilling.
 They grilled up perfectly.
 Bring on the pure maple syrup, or flavored syrups I love them too, and what can I say DELICIOUS!  Do not be afraid of the grill, you can cook anything on that thing that you cook inside.  Next I will try baking on it, that ought to be interesting.  Stay tuned!





Sunday, June 5, 2016

Sammies On The Grill, Because It's Summer!

OK, this is an easy dinner on the grill.  My family loves these sandwiches, they are easy to make and done on the grill of course, because it's Summer!

I use these marinated roasted peppers. WHY you might ask? Because they are the best darn jarred peppers around!
So this is the sandwich folks, I made four:
Whole grain artisan bread, brush each side lightly with olive oil.
Add two slices of sharp provolone cheese to each side of bread.
Roasted peppers on one side, add top to the bottom.
Grill until nice grill marks form, bread is toasted and cheese is melted.
Now if you want to go a little crazy, spread some pesto on that bread before adding the cheese, that elevates the flavor too!
 Awesome, easy, fast meal and tastes great too. ENJOY!







Saturday, June 4, 2016

Yes! Crab Cakes On The Grill

So the really hot weather finally hit us here in the North East. I'm so glad, it was a very long, wet, chilly Spring.  I am so happy I no longer have to cook inside, I am taking everything to grill this summer.  Cooking outside I find is less messy, keeps the house cool and saves me on electricity, you can't beat that!

It was just me and the hubby eating dinner last night, so I made homemade Crab Cakes with a Simple Remoulade Sauce on the side.  I used my trusty grill pan, so the cakes didn't fall through the grate, they cooked up perfect and tasted great!
Recipe below.
To print recipe, click on it, highlight and print.
To view photos in a larger format click on them.

The 16 oz container of lump crab meat made 4 large crab cakes.  They were so good, the hubby ate 2!
I served them with corn on the cob, you guessed it cooked on the grill, and a side salad with fruit and almonds and a sweet sesame/poppy seed dressing. Awesome dinner!
I love my grill pan, I use it all the time.  The handle folds for easy storage.
 Crab Cakes On The Grill
Ingredients
1-16 ounce container of lump crab meat, picked through for shells
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
11/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon hot sauce, use less or omit if you don't like it
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Directions
In a large bowl combine all the ingredients with  a fork.  Mix lightly so you do not break up the lumps of crab meat, form into slightly flattened cakes and set on a platter.

Heat grill on high.  Use a grill pan that is flat, but has holes in the bottom.  Away from the heat, spray the pan generously with cooking spray.  Set the pan on the grill, add the crab cakes.  Cook until a lightly browned crust forms (do not try and flip them too early they will fall apart!), flip them over with a spatula and cook on the other side the same way.  These take about 6-7 minutes on each side.  Serve with your favorite sauce or condiments.  

Ingredients for  Simple Remoulade Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Mix together completely and serve along side crab cakes.