Grilled Corn with Cilantro Butter

         Dear Summer 2014,

                           Welcome! Thanks for making your appearance quick and steamy. After the winter we had, I am so glad you are here. I hope you continue to bring the warmth, sunshine and plenty of days where a BBQ is all we’ll want to do. Make yourself at home and please stay a while. We truly do love you around here!

                                                                                                                       Love, 

                                                                                                                              A devoted fan

            So it has arrived, huh? Good ol’ summer! Crazy how time flies. The thought of Fourth of July in just two weeks is absurd to me! Well, with that being said, I think it is only fitting that I bring to you a great recipe you can enjoy during a BBQ gathering or just a quick al fresco dinner at home.

            To me, corn is synonymous with summer. I sadly eat the canned or frozen varietals during the other 9 months of the year and get quite excited when the first stacks of ready-to-be-husked ears appear at the market. Nothing beats a good, buttered and salted fresh piece of corn on the cob. Well, maybe a soft-serve vanilla sundae with chocolate sprinkles does, but that’s a different course so it doesn’t count!  Anyway, yes good and fresh corn- simply summer and scrumptious to me.

            But somehow I made it even better…….grilled and smothered with butter and fresh tangy cilantro. Then, once the butter has charred into it, a decent sprinkle of sharp Parmesan and some salt and pepper…….oh how you will thank me. So with that, you’re welcome in advance, and I wish you happy and tasty BBQing this season! Enjoy…

 

Grilled Corn with Cilantro Butter

Serves: 3-4

OBJ: TCW be able to put a twist on a summer favorite

 

Ingredients:

4 ears of corn, husked

3 TBS unsalted butter, melted

2-3 TBS fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

S& P: salt and pepper, to taste

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional

 

Procedures:

1. Soak corn in cool water for about 30 minutes

2. Preheat grill over medium-low flame

3. Mix melted butter with cilantro

4. Drain and dry off corn, brush liberally with butter mixture

5. Grill, turning every 2-3 minutes, for a total of 10-15 minutes (or until you get decent char)

6. Before taking off grill, brush one more time with butter mixture and cook for additional 1 minute

7. Remove from grill and sprinkle with S, P, and grated cheese

8. Enjoy!

 

Grilled Sausage over Basil & Honey Ricotta with Pignolis atop Crostini

          Hey there everyone! Been a while, I know. I don’t have many excuses except that it is Holiday time and I had the Flu, Bronchitis and a Sinus Infection last week. Enough said, right!?? I don’t think I have cooked anything in over two weeks…..wimper wimper….

            Thank goodness for Hubby though. He kept me well-rested and well-fed. He did have some help from Livoti’s, our local Italian market, but he still gets all the credit for making many snacks, side dishes and his 4 course Christmas Feast for us. He is a gem, isn’t he?!? Except for when he kicked my booty in Words with Friends each day and refusing to sleep in the same bed as me all week!

Hubby to the Rescue!!!!

Our Little Christmas Feast for Two...with my medicines in background!

 

            But enough about that….here’s to coming back and giving you something new to chew on. I might not be back this week again but I hope I’ll have some time in the next few weeks to share more with you soon. I made this recipe on Thanksgiving and boy, it was a wham bam homerun. The ricotta was good enough just to schmear on some crusty bread, but I figured adding sweet sausage would round it out nicely.  

            And even better for now, it is almost New Year’s Eve and who doesn’t like tasty little bites at the party? So go ahead, I say make this appetizer, sneak a bite yourself, ring in the New Year and oh yeah, make sure you wash your hands! Enjoy!

Grilled Sausage over Basil & Honey Ricotta with Toasted Pignolis atop Crostini

Serves: 10-15 people

OBJ: TCW be able to incorporate her kitchen mixing skills with her Hubby’s grilling skills into 1 crowd-pleasing appetizer

Ingredients:

1, 15 ounce, whole milk ricotta cheese

3 – 4 TBS honey

10-12 fresh basil leaves, thinly shopped

¼ C pignoli nuts, toasted and cooled

S & P: salt and pepper, to taste

1 sweet sausage ring- grilled and sliced into 1 inch pieces

1 bag Crostini -toasted baguette pieces  ( I used Stacy’s brand Garlic & Herb- I found them at Cost Co. )

Procedures:

1. In a large bowl, mix ricotta, honey (start with 3 TBS), basil, nuts and a heavy pinch of S & P. Taste to see if it is sweet enough, if so- great. If not, add additional 1 TBS honey and stir. Cover and refrigerate until about 30 minutes before serving. Take out and let chill come off.

2. Preheat grill and cook sausage on both sides so that is cooked through. Slice while warm.

3. Place ricotta mixture in a medium size serving bowl. On a platter, place baguette pieces and tooth-picked sausage pieces. Place ricotta next to platter and plate up a few to show. Enjoy!

Apricot-Mango & Chipotle BBQ Chicken & Gift Ideas...

           I know, I know…..Gina, what the bejingle are you thinking?!? Grilling in December, grilling the week of 2 snowstorms, and grilling when the last thing I want to do is step outside? I hear you, believe me. As most of you know, I’m the type that is cold in July with chilly fingertips all year through…..so yes, I know this is a silly post.

            But give me one minute of your time (maybe 10 actually) and listen. What I’m really getting at here are gift ideas. Ya know, the tree needs presents in a few weeks and I’m sure there are few people you still have zilch for. For you and for them, here is where you need to go to get them something unique, inexpensive and delicious……HomeGoods or Marshalls. No, not for their cute candles or name-brand sweaters- we all know to get that stuff at the aforementioned spots. But where you can get some nifty presents is way beyond the clothing racks and scented stations….it is in the cooking and baking departments.

            Here is what you do….grab a wicker basket from the "storage" aisle (they usually have a gazillion, poor trees). Head down the cooking aisle with the salsas, jellies, salts, etc. Pick a theme. For example, go Mediterranean and get some imported oil, spices and maybe a nice bag of pasta or couscous. Then, throw a wooden spoon in there and viola- dinner in a box and a perfect present for me. Or maybe, for someone who likes to grill, get them a jar of what I used in this post- a few specialty BBQ sauces, a meat thermometer, and an over-sized spatula. (FYI-best BBQ sauce we've found there is Kozlowski Farms)Or one more idea I’ve done, for the bake-aholic, is filling that basket up with a few flavored sugars, vanilla beans (best place to get them is at HG or Marshalls- best price you’ll find), a whisk and a few mini cake molds.

             So there, great gifts for those who you still can’t seem to pick out the right thing. Of course, they are food-themed but c’mon friends- for one, this is a food blog and for two- I think giving the gift of a quality home-cooked meal is better than anything you could find in a store. Enjoy…

 

 

Apricot-Mango & Chipotle BBQ Chicken

Serves: 2-3

 

OBJ: TCW be able to spice and sweeten up ordinary chicken

Ingredients:

½ C Apricot Mango & Roasted Chipotle Grilling and Dipping Sauce(I used Kozlowski Farms, but any BBQ sauce you like would work)

2-3 large boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 TBS olive oil

S & P: salt and pepper

Procedures:

1. Preheat entire grill on medium-high flame

2. Brush both sides of chicken with oil, then sprinkle decently with S & P

3. Add chicken to hot grill over direct high heat, cook for 5 minutes. Flip, then cook over direct heat for another 5 minutes

4. Place chicken on other side of grill and turn off the flame beneath it. BUT leave the other side on high flame!

5. Use brush to glaze chicken one side at a time. Cook chicken for remaining time on indirect heat- 5 minutes one side, then flip, glaze and cook other side for 5 minutes

6.  Quickly flip once more to caramelize the side you just glazed

** total cooking time should be about 20 minutes, but if you have larger chicken pieces, it may be 6-7 minutes per side (28 minutes total). Always check chicken for doneness- completely white meat, clear juices, and 165 on a meat thermometer**

Eggplant Parm Naan Bread & Bonus Leftover Recipe

              Ricotta Cheese. Oh how sweet the sound! I seriously adore this stuff……layered, dolloped, stuffed, or just plan spooned- I could eat it all day. The best ricotta cheese I’ve ever had is actually from one of my best friend’s family restaurants: Capone's in Toms River, NJ. The ricotta they use is exceptional, like nada I’ve ever had! I could eat the cheese raviolis right from the conveyor belt thingy that helps them make their homemade ravs. Oh, who am I kidding??.. I've done it quite a few times!  Their distributor, Anacapri, provides them with the ricotta and it is beyond creamy. I would actually like to bathe in it, I think my skin would glow, don’t you?!?

            Point being that I love ricotta cheese and have pretty much grown up eating it- from the fresh raviolis at Capone's to my favorite frozen brand ones (Seviroli ) and from good ol’ eggplant rollatini to just on top of some spaghetti, I , <3 me some Ricotta any day!

            Loving it so, I usually have some in the fridge. The other day I was craving eggplant parmesan yet had nil time to make that beauty. Luckily, I had eggplant, some great flat bread, and of course Ricotta.What went from a craving to a dinner took a mere 30-45 minutes and I had lunch supplies for the next day! Winner , winner, more than just a cheesy dinner! Okay, maybe I’ve consumed too much calcium or something…..Anywho, this recipe was fantabulous and I am definitely glad I made a little time to quench my craving. I hope you do the same….Enjoy…

Eggplant Parm Naan Breads & Leftover Bonus Recipe

Serves: 2

OBJ: TCW be able to use her favorite flatbread along with her favorite cheese by making one of her favorite things: pizza

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, sliced ¼ inch thick

2 Naan breads

¼ C Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus additional for drizzling

½ C – ¾ C whole milk ricotta cheese

½ C – ¾ C shredded mozzarella

2 tomatoes, sliced thin and layed out on paper towel to drain

S & P: salt and pepper

Red pepper flakes (RPF), optional

¼ C freshly grated Parmesan cheese

6-8 fresh basil leaves, torn or thinly sliced

Procedures:

1. Preheat grill over medium flame

2. Simultaneously, place pizza stone in oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees

3. Brush each side of eggplant slices with ¼ C oil and season each side liberally with S & P

4. Grill for about 10-15 minutes, flipping once until golden brown. Remove from grill and turn off. Once cooled, cut each eggplant into quarters

5. Assemble breads/pizzas: Drizzle each bread with about 2 tsp oil and brush to spread. Place tomato slices over bottom.  Top tomato slices with eggplant pieces. Dollop the ricotta all over each bread and then sprinkle each with mozzarella. Season with S, P and RPF. Top with Parmesan and an additional drizzle of olive oil (1 tsp over each bread)

6. Place each bread/pizza on preheated stone and bake for about 10 minutes or until edges are dark golden brown and cheese has melted

7. Remove from oven and top with basil. Slice, serve and enjoy
 

Leftover Bonus:

 

Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches

Serves: 2

OBJ: TCW be able to use up her leftover grilled eggplant for a satisfying and veggie-friendly lunch

Ingredients:

4 slices grilled eggplant

Caramelized onions (or grilled)

½ C baby spinach, rinsed

2 TBS honey balsamic dressing: I highly recommend Ken's Chef Reserve

2 slices tomato

4 fresh basil leaves, torn or thinly slices

S & P- salt and pepper

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 rolls- any soft kind would work except something too tough like Portuguese

Procedures:

1. Place the two bottoms of rolls side-by-side

2. Top each with 2 slices eggplant, onions and ¼ C spinach. Add basil, S & P and Parmesan on top of spinach

3. Spoon and spread 1 TBS dressing on each top half of roll

4. Place top half on the sandwich, enjoy!

 

 

 

Marinated & Grilled Flank Steak

           He is at it again, Grill Master Matt (GMM) is continuing on his BBQing journey. For me, this has been one tasty trip so far!

            This week I picked out a cut of meat I wanted to try and found the marinade recipe below via Pinterest. Through doing this, I also learned there is a difference between Flank and Skirt Steak. Yes, I know, you also thought they were the same. They are not:

Flank: sometimes labeled “London Broil”, lean and wide cut, marinating a must

Skirt: long and ultra-thin cut, cooks quickly, marinating optional

            The cooking time difference was crucial for GMM as he was reading the recipe that used Skirt Steak, not what I bought. He attempted to grill it for the recommended 3-4 minutes per side for medium rare and what we were left with was something that I swore could have moo’ed! While he mumbled a few choice words and grabbed his meat thermometer (his new bf), I wrapped up all the sides to keep warm and let him go out and continue to grill and do his thang….

            About 10-15 minutes later, after checking the internal temp of the steak, he was ready to bring it in. Thank goodness because foil can only do so much to keep stuff warm and well, I’m not going to lie, I was kind of  flippin' hungry!

            What a masterpiece he made us. I loved every forkful from the charred ends to the tender middle cuts. The marinade was key here for depth of flavor. The meat itself, although cooked expertly ;), was basic in nature. The intense spice flavor we had was one to remember. The pineapple juice permeated just enough to offer a little sweetness while the red pepper flakes and Worcestershire sauce evened everything out. When you’re making the marinade, you might think the amount of dried basil is ridiculous. I say this because I had to reread the recipe to make sure I wasn’t making Basil Flank Steak! Anywho, the amount was right so no worries my friends.

            I highly recommend this recipe to you. I’d say go with either a Flank or Skirt steak too. Watch your cooking times though and be sure to marinade overnight! In other words, grab your meat thermometer and get whisking tonight! Enjoy…

Marinated Flank Steak

Serves: 4

Slightly adapted from The Chew

OBJ: TCW be able to let Grill Master Matt take over dinner

Ingredients:

1   Flank Steak, 2 lb

1/3 Cup Soy Sauce

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

Juice of 1 Lemon

1/3 Cup Pineapple Juice

2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce

2 tsp Onion Powder

3 TBS dried Basil

1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

2 cloves Garlic, minced

Procedures:

1. Combine everything but the steak in a large bowl using a whisk

2. Add steak and make sure the entire steak is covered. Marinate in refrigerator overnight

3. Preheat grill to medium-high

4. Season the steak generously with salt and fresh ground pepper

5. Grill the steak for 8-10 minutes per side for medium rare/medium. Use a meat thermometer to cook to your desired temperature then remove from grill and let rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing

6. Slice against the grain and enjoy

 

Red Rubbed Chicken

          Mom always knows best. From ironing the back of your shirt first to keeping a tissue up your sleeve, the lady has the tricks. C’mon admit it, you’re Mom has taught you one or two things over the past ____ years. And if you’re lucky enough to have one like mine, then she’s taught you way too many to count and with that, one too many she keeps track of!

            Anyway, the rub below is not my Mom’s recipe. It is however a present from her. Funny, it is not the rub that I am getting to here; it is the vehicle in which she presented it to me that I love. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the rub. I just love the jar with the recipe on top better. Now I not only have a full jar of rub to resort to, but I have the recipe to refill it when need be! So clever, thanks Mom, you rock!

            And now for the chicken……here is the debut of…..Hubby, the Grill Master. Yes, Mr. Matt has taken it upon himself to conquer the open-flame. So far, with this item and the past month’s selections, he’s got me quite impressed. I’m actually not surprised because I have, what you would nicely call, a meticulous fellow to whom I’m married. To him, there’s no such thing as dabbling in a hobby, it is either do it 110% or get a new hobby. Consequently, I really can’t take any credit here for the chicken. All I did was rub it and hand it over to him. Which makes me chuckle because the rub was a gift so obviously I didn’t make that either.

            So basically, here is a recipe that I had nothing to do with besides eat it up. I hope you luck out like I did! Enjoy…

Red Rubbed Chicken

Serves: 2-3

Source: rub recipe: a variation from Dinosaur BBQ 

OBJ: TCW be able to grill skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts

Ingredients:

Red Rub:

½ tsp cayenne powder

½ C paprika

½ C kosher salt

½ C brown sugar

½ C granulated garlic

6 TBS onion powder

¼ C chili powder

1 TBS black pepper

1 tsp cumin

Chicken:

2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts

Procedures:

1. Rinse and pat dry chicken

2. Rub about ¼ C rub into all sides of chicken. Make sure it is rubbed well and generously:

 

3. Place on place and cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate overnight.

4. Preheat grill using 2 zones: one high heat, one low

5. Remove chicken from refrigerator and place breast-side down over high heat for 5-8 minutes

6. Flip and cook breast-side up over high flame for additional 5-8 minutes

7.  Place chicken over low flame breast-side up for 20-30 minutes or until chicken is done and is registering 165 degrees

8. Place on platter, let rest for 5 minutes, and serve

 

Notes:

*Grill Master Matt's tip: invest in a meat thermometer. It saves you the trouble of cutting your meat and checking for doneness, which also drains the meat of flavor. He swears by it. *

 

* Red Rub is quite versatile: use it on chicken wings, spare ribs, pork, etc. In our family, it was first used as the beginning step for Mom's pulled pork sandwiches. Yum! *

 

BBQ Bacon Chicken Burgers

        BBQ - good, bacon - great, burger - yes!, chicken  - oh jeeze, can’t we just have some beef? There lies ½ the conversation me and Hubby had when I began to tell him about these burgers a few weeks back. I know I’ve mentioned this a few times but here it is again, what is it with men and red meat?? Does it date back to cavemen days or is there something in their DNA that craves beef or are  steaks/burgers/meatballs/etc. all just survival requirements for the male species? If so, someone please queue me in….

            And until I get that answer, I will continue to replace red meat with white and have Hubby take back his remarks! J This burger was amazing, fabulous from the first bite to the last one. I loved adding the toppings into the burger for a few reasons. 1- the entire patty was flavorful rather than just the top half, 2- it was easier to prepare and to clean up this way and 3- (most importantly)there wasn’t one bite without bacon.  

            I realize this dinner isn’t revolutionary, but in my opinion it brings home some tried and true flavors that come together in a summertime cinch. Enjoy…

BBQ Bacon Chicken Burgers

Serves: 4

OBJ: TCW be able to incorporate a condiment into a burger rather than on top of one

Ingredients:

1 lb ground chicken burgers

½ C BBQ sauce

6 slices, cooked and coarsely chopped bacon

2 tsp dried parsley

S & P: salt and pepper (healthy pinches)

Cheddar slices or 1 C grated

4 fresh rolls

Lettuce, tomato: optional

Procedures:

1. Heat the grill over medium heat

2. In a large bowl, mix chicken burgers, BBQ sauce, bacon pieces, parsley and S & P

3. Divide mixture into 4 portions and shape each into a burger. Place on plate, cover and let set in freezer for 10 minutes

3. Grill burgers 7-10 minutes per side, totaling about 15-20 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked through

4. Top with cheddar and let melt

5. Place on fresh roll and add your lettuce and tomato if you’d like

 

 

Low & Slow Grilled Pizzas

          Notice the title here: Low and Slow. This means low flame and slow to cook. Unfortunately, I don’t dabble in this style of cooking. I don’t know where I got this trait from but nevertheless my default oven temp is 420 and my flame is usually bon fire like. Eh, we all have things to improve on, yes?

            So since I didn’t cook these pizzas as I am recommending to you, my dinner was, well, a bit charred. I quickly learned my lesson and vowed to tame the flame from now on…..as needed J Anyway, I used grilled vegetables because I love them but if you prefer to roast yours, go ahead. The end result will be something that is quick, tasty and quite healthy too.

            In the future, be creative with this…..I go with goat cheese and marinated artichokes for some new flair. Hubby likes prosciutto with arugula and extra sharp provolone while my mom spreads pesto all over these. The beauty is that you really can’t mess up too much. What is the worst that could happen? Hockey puck pizza, soggy crust……eh, nothing that some melted cheese couldn’t fix! Enjoy…

           

Low & Slow Grilled Pizzas

Serves: 2

OBJ: TCW be able to keep the kitchen cool by continuing to grill everything

Ingredients:

2 round flatbreads, or large pocket less pitas

8 slices eggplant, sliced thin and grilled

Zucchini, sliced and grilled

Vidalia onion, sliced thick and grilled

6 mushrooms, sliced

8 slices tomatoes, thinly sliced drained atop paper towels

½ - 1 C shredded mozzarella

¼ C freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 TBS olive oil

S & P: salt and pepper

Red pepper flakes, optional

Procedures:

1. Preheat your grill over low flame

2. Cut up the eggplant and zucchini into small quarters or halves. Cut up the onion into small slivers

3. Assemble the pizzas: Top each flatbread with tomatoes then layer the eggplant and zucchini. Top those veggies with onions and mushrooms (try to get into the crevices so your pizza isn’t mile high). Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Drizzle 1 TBS oil over each and season with S & P and red pepper flakes

4. Transfer to grill

5. Grill, covered for 5-10 minutes or until crust is dark brown and cheese has melted.

6. Top with additional Parmesan, slice and serve!

 

Bacon Onion Turkey Burgers

               Oh the deal of the day! Aka, manager’s special. Or better yet, a great bargain right under your nose! I hope you know what I’m referring to. If you don’t, let me try to explain…What I think it is is some piece of supermarket good that the store has to get rid of asap and so they price it almost ½ off. There are usually a lot of these in the produce aisle but I shy away because old and odd colored fruit/veggies schkeeve me, but there are also some usually in the meat department. And this, my friends, is what I call BINGO! Countless times I’ve bought roast chickens, stir fry mixes, sausage rings, and cutlets at a ridiculously low cost. Now there aren’t always great Ds of the D, so you can’t establish your weekly dinners around them but you can find some awesome eats from time- to- time. So- keep those eyes peeled and scour that meat row!

                Hence, this post: Bacon Onion Turkey Burgers. It really should be titled Jazzed Up Turkey Burgers with Browned Onions and Bacon Smothered in Cheddar. I think you see why I shortened it, J But really, this recipe rocks. I honestly hate plain turkey burgers as does my entire family. They remind me of eating a dried up hockey puck, ugh, they put the ggrrrr in gross! However, when you add bacon, onions and cheddar to them, the world just seems brighter! Haha, well at least your dinner doesJ Not to mention, I got the turkey burgers for $1.00!! Anyway, I think you’ll love this recipe, it’s super easy, a little tedious, but oh-so-yummy. I served it with salad but I’d recommend some oven fries if you have them. Burgers and fries sound way better than burgers and salad, duh!

 Bacon Onion Turkey Burgers

Serves: 4

OBJ: TCW be able to turn a deal of the day into a delicious dinner

Ingredients:

1 lb turkey burgers, already formed

1 onion, diced

2 ½ bacon slices, chopped into ¼ inch pieces

1 TBS extra virgin olive oil

1 TBS fresh parsley, minced or 1 tsp dried

2-3 C baby spinach, cleaned

12-16 thin slices extra sharp cheddar, from block

S & P: salt and pepper

4 fresh Kaiser rolls

Procedures:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2. In a medium sauté pan, heat oil. Once hot, add onions, bacon, parsley, S & P, stir well.  Cook over medium flame for about 15-20 minutes or until bacon is browned and onions are light brown and very soft

3. Scrape mixture onto paper towel-lined plate to sop up grease, pat top of mixture with towel too, transfer mixture to mixing bowl

4. Add turkey burger meat, spinach and a pinch more pepper to bowl, use your hand to mix very well. Divide meat mixture into 4 sections and shape each into a patty

5. Place patties onto rimmed baking sheet and bake on bottom shelf of oven for 25 minutes, or until cooked through

6. Remove from oven, place 3-4 slices of cheese over each patty to just about cover each top, place back in oven for 2 minutes for cheese to melt. Also at this time, place rolls in oven to toast for the 2 minutes if desired

7. Remove burgers and rolls from oven, assemble and enjoy!

 

 

 

Prosciutto-Wrapped Shrimp

              So although I know I am d*mn good wife, I still sometimes ignore my husband’s kitchen requests. This is usually for one of a few reasons: 1- I’m already making something he likes 2- I don’t have the ingredients to make whatever he wants at the moment he asks 3- I don’t feel like having it or 4- We just had something just like it so I don’t want it again!

               But to give him credit, he knows these reasons fairly well and has cut down on his requests….except for one. This one, he just hasn’t stopped talking about. Enter, Prosciutto-wrapped shrimp. Now I don’t know exactly how long he has been asking for this, but I do know that I couldn’t take hearing it anymore and just got to business! Which wasn’t that hard at all as I love shrimp, I love prosciutto and I love appetizers! Not to mention, I love anything that tastes like a 4 star dish yet takes almost no time to make.

                So here is the recipe, it’s very simple, very flexible if you have more or less mouths to feed, and quite tasty. I held off on salt entirely since this type of meat is mega-salty! I’m a salt freak, but even I didn’t miss it here! Also, I served it on a bed of spinach for both presentation and to “beef up” this appetizer. And finally, the balsamic drizzle truly made the dish a winner for me. The sweet vinegar complimented the salty prosciutto perfectly, so if you’re contemplating not using it, bad idea!

                So with that, get to the fish market, meat market, drop your salt, and wrap away! Enjoy…..

Prosciutto-Wrapped Shrimp

Serves: 2

OBJ: TCW be able to create a dish her husband has been asking about for way too long!

Ingredients:

7 colossal shrimp, peeled, cleaned, deveined, and tails removed

¼ tsp dried parsley

4 slices of Prosciutto cut in ½

2 Cups Fresh spinach, cleaned

Extra virgin olive oil

1 ½ tsp Balsamic vinegar, quality brand will make a difference here

Fresh ground black pepper

Procedures:

1. Preheat indoor grill to high, or outside grill to medium

2. In a small bowl, toss together shrimp, a big pinch black pepper and parsley

3. Place shrimp on one end of ½ piece of prosciutto, wrap prosciutto around shrimp so that the tail is still exposed...

4. Repeat with remaining prosciutto and shrimp...

5. Place wrapped shrimp on grill, if using indoor grill, cook for about 10 minutes on one side, flip and cook for another 5 minutes on other (**this cooking time all depends on size of shrimp, type and quality of grill so be careful not to undercook as it will be raw! Shrimp cooked through is white in color all the way through**)

6. On a medium sized plate, spread spinach on bottom, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with black pepper

7. Place shrimp on top of spinach, drizzle with balsamic, serve!

Double Bacon Chicken Burgers

            

                Honestly, I know nothing can replace an all-beef burger. It is an irreplaceable item that deserves all the fame it gets. However, I think this recipe makes for a pretty close runner up for a healthy substitute. Notice I did not write replacement, I wrote substitute. Subs rotate in and out, replacements stay for the long haul. So with that, I am not replacing my beloved burger with this recipe, I am merely substituting it in for nights when I want something bistro-like, satisfying, and lighter to sleep on.

                I must also say that this recipe has pushed me to the side that prefers chicken burgers over turkey ones. I do like turkey burgers and even have a recipe on here that features them, but after eating this the other night; I admired the tenderness and juiciness a lot more than when I was eating the turkey version. I think what happens is with a turkey burger, the turkey flavor overpowers anything else going on in it yet with a chicken burger, the meat is rather bland so it absorbs all flavors and allows them to shine. Now, that is what I think, I claim not to be a food scientist.  I’m just a gal looking for the best way to enjoy her bacon on her burger! Enough said……EnjoyJ

Double Bacon Chicken Burgers

Serves: 4

OBJ: TCW be able to convince her husband that a chicken burger can be just as tasty as a beef burger

Ingredients:

1 lb ground chicken

½ medium sized onion, minced

1 slice bacon, cut into small cubes

2 tsp olive oil

1 egg

½ tsp dried parsley

¼ C Panko breadcrumbs

¼ C BBQ sauce

1 TBS mayonnaise

Thinly sliced extra sharp cheddar cheese (about 8 slices in total)

Lettuce, sliced tomato and 6 cooked and crispy bacon slices (for topping of burger)

S & P, salt and pepper

Procedures:

** Make BBQ sauce to set aside- mix BBQ sauce and mayo together**

1. In a medium sized sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium-low heat

2. Add onion, cubed bacon pieces, a pinch S & P and let cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Once onions are translucent and bacon is browned, remove from pan and place in a bowl to cool

3. In a large mixing bowl, use a fork to mix ground chicken, egg, parsley, a generous pinch S & P, and onion/bacon mixture (use rubber spatula to get all drippings!) together

4. Add Panko and mix to combine

5. Divide into four sections and shape into patties, place on a plate, cover and let set in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes

6. Meanwhile, preheat indoor grill to high

7. Once grill is hot, oil grill and place patties on top, cover (I use foil) for 10 minutes. Flip, cover and let other side cook for about 8 minutes. Remove cover and place cheddar slices on top, cover again for about 1-2 minutes to let cheese melt (total cook time: 18-20 minutes, make sure inside is completely cooked- all meat is white)

8. Place patties on bottom halves of sesame or poppy seed buns, top with tomato slices, lettuce and crispy bacon slices, smear top halves of buns with prepared BBQ sauce and place on top of burger. Enjoy!