Archive for March, 2010
Grill Food To Perfection
Cookouts such as backyard barbecues are popular not just because they are fun and boost bonding among family and friends. More importantly, they promote healthy eating on account of all the grilling and cooking-on-a-spit that take place during these events. Meat, vegetables and other edibles are cooked over the fire or are char-grilled instead of fried.
You’ll need a good sized, dependable grill when hosting barbecue parties. Along with this, you should have several barbecue tools to facilitate faster and better food preparation. Meat tenderizer, marinade injector, meat thermometer, basting brush, skewers, forks, turners, tongs, meat handlers, spatulas, barbecue hooks, fire starters, and grilling racks are all handy roasting accessories that any barbecue aficionado would be delighted to have.
By choosing the proper barbecue implements, you can have happier and more enjoyable moments in front of the grill. Know for example that barbecue hooks – which are used to turn and flip meat and other food – have different lengths to suit various-sized grills. There are 13-inch, 17-inch, and 25-inch stainless steel barbecue hooks for tabletop grills, kettle and medium-sized grills, and large, commercial grills, respectively.
Hawaiian Hamburger Recipe
Here’s a nice alternative to regular hamburgers.
Ingredients:
2 pounds ground chuck or 15% fat hamburger(ground sirloin good too)
1 medium onion grated finely
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
small can crushed pineapple
ground pepper to your taste(if you wish)
slices of pineapple for garnish
Mix the ground beef and all the ingredients together(except for the pineapple
slices of course). Let it all sit for at least 30 minutes. Then barbecue or
broil the hamburgers. Garnish with the pineapple and serve on hamburger buns
or on a bed of lettuce, if you wish. Have fun and be happy.
It’s barbecue time
It’s Spring again and the days are warming up. What a great time for throwing out the old rusty barbecue accessories and getting new sturdy stainless steel barbecue accessories. Now remember to clean them as soon as possible after using. This keeps the Stainless steel from pitting and rusting. Do what I say not what I do, since I’m not always the best at this. But seriously, the utensils will certainly last longer, if you do this.
I can’t think of a better birthday gift for Dad, Hubby, best friend, significant other…You know the drill. I love to barbecue all year round here in Southern California, but even more on those wonderful warm days of Spring and Summer.
Corn Beef and Cabbage
With Saint Patrick’s Day coming up, I thought I might pass along Mom’s Corn Beef and Cabbage recipe:
Ingredients:
3-4 lbs. corn beef brisket
2 onions sliced
1/2 bunch fresh parsley
1 bayleaf
1 onion whole
3 cloves
pepper to taste
1 large carrot
small round potatoes
2 lbs. cabbage cut in wedges
Place beef in large pot: cover with cold water; bring to boil; discard water and add fresh water. Cover and add all ingredients except the potatoes and cabbage. Bring to boil. Simmer gently for four hours (skim foam). Remove parsley, cloves and onion before cooking cabbage in the water. Cook potatoes separately. Cook cabbage 15-20 minutes.
Serves 6 people.
Irish Mustard Sauce:
1 Tbs. corn starch
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt(or less)
1 Tbs. butter
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tsp. horseradish
1 cup water
2 egg yolks
Combine corn starch, sugar, dry mustard and salt. Add water. Stir over low heat until thickened. Remove from heat. Add butter, vinegar and horseradish. Beat the hot mixture into egg yolks. Add the whole mixture into the pan. Cook slowly, stirring until sauce thickens (this sauce keeps several weeks in the frig. in covered jar).
Enjoy
Advantages of Premium Grade Stainless Steel Cookware
Hi grade Premium (at times called Surgical grade-more for marketing) Stainless Steel Cookware is very easy to clean and buff up to an new like shine.
The flat bottom surface and the multiple element clad bottom stops hot spots, where meat and vegetables stick and burn to the surface. Thus again making in easy to clean up.
Elegant Eating
When imagining an elegant party you probably think of crystal chandeliers, candlelight, butlers and white tablecloths. You would probably be let down if you were invited to an “elegant” party that featured checked plastic tablecloths, paper plates and cooks wearing gravy-spattered aprons and hairnets.
Needless to say, you’d probably be pretty disgusted. And, though you cannot control how other people throw parties you can control the parties you host. A sure way to create a classy atmosphere is to hire butlers to carry around trays of tasty appetizers. Make sure they carry the treats on sterling silver serving trays.
Chamoisette
Here’s a neat recipe for left over pork.
Ingredients:
1 lb. diced pork
1 small onion
1/2 package thin egg noodles (about 2 cups)
1 small can tomatoes (about 2 cups)
1cup lb sliced fresh mushrooms or 1 small can sliced mushrooms (can saute in small amount butter first or just add to dish
1/2 small package Velveta cheese slice it or buy sliced or medium to sharp cheddar cheese sliced
Brown pork and diced onions together in olive oil,(or even better brown them in Waterless stainless steel cookware without the oil).
Cook noodles in salted water. Add tomatoes and mushrooms to the pork. Drain the noodles and add to above. Stir well, season with salt and pepper to
taste, put all in cassarole, slice the cheese and arrange on top. Bake in moderate oven at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Serve with a nice salad and/or vegetables, french bread.
and of course if you wish, with nice Chardonay, other dry white wine or a nice Pinot Noir.
Lamb Barbecue (butterflied)
Here’s a neat recipe with the lamb season coming up:
ingredients:
1 leg of lamb 5-6 pounds boned/butterflied
2 Tbs olive oil
1 cup of medium dry sherry
1 medium size onion grated or chopped
8-10 sprigs of fresh Rosemary
salt and pepper
I add a little water and maybe a little more sherry to cover the meat. Marinate 2 hours to overnight. Then cook on Mesquite Charcoal for 2 hours. I will often use the gas grill but add wood chips on the basket(better if soaked in water before adding)
Enjoy a wonderful different way to cook your leg of lamb over your barbecue.Turn with your barbecue tools as needed.
Aluminum vs. Stainless Steel Cookware
Many people use Aluminum Cookware because it heats faster than other metals. But there have been studies indicating that some Aluminum leaches into the food, and this may be dangerous for your health. A solution is to use Stainless Steel Cookware.
Waterless cookware is made of high grade stainless steel and will not leach metal or metal taste into the food. It is also easier to clean.
Info adapted from Ron Kurtus at www.school-for-champions.com