Cook It Blog it-another entry

Last monday, for memorial day, I braved the torrential downpours and grilled out.

I made Brushetta, with Basil from my garden, and grilled a really nice steak.

The bruschetta recipe :

3-4 roma or plum tomatoes

1 clove garlic, minced(about 1tsp from a jar)

1/2 TBSP extra Virgin Olive Oil

3-4 Basil leaves

1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

french baguette or italian loaf.(use whole wheat baguette for healthier alternative)

In a pot of boiling water let the tomatoes boil for 1 minute. Drain off water and rinse with cold water. Peel skins off of tomatoes.

Cut tomatoes in half and dig out the seeds and discard. Chop tomatoes fine.

Wash basil leaves, roll up and slice thin(chiffonade). Make sure basil is chopped fairly fine.

In bowl combine tomatoes, chopped garlic, basil, 1/2 TBSP Olive Oil, 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

Take bread and slice. Brush olive oil onto the tops of the bread. Place oil side down on a baking sheet. Bake at 450 until golden brown. Top with tomato mixture and eat! YUMMMMMM!!

STEAK:

Preheat your grill, you want about a medium-high flame. Bring your chosen steak up to room temperature. If you start with a cold steak it will be tough.

with a knife make slits in the surface of the steak, just a few per side. Brush on Extra Virgin Olive Oil and massage in gently. This will help tenderize the steak.

sprinkle with Lawrys Seasoned Salt mixed with equal portions of McCormick Montreal Steak seasoning.(I use about 1/2 TBSP per side, I like a little zing.)

Spray a little pam on your grill and place steak. SHUT THE LID AND DONT MOVE IT FOR AT LEAST 6 MINUTES!!! Turn and cook 6 minutes on other side.

Depending on how pink you like your meat you can either take it off, or cook it longer.(It also depends on how thick the steak is. The thinner the steak, the less amount of time you want to put it on. I like my steaks medium, still pink in the center)

Less pink, leave it 8 minutes per side. You dont want to be flipping it over and over, that will dry it out.

Put it on a plate and LEAVE IT ALONE!!!! Dont cut into it for at least 6-7 minutes. If you cut into it right away it will dry out. By letting it settle it will stay moist and juicy.

ENJOY!!!

Cook it. Blog it! First entry

I joined the blogroll of Modkidboutique cooking club. Basically you cook something, and blog about it. So here is my First Entry since joining. It is a grilled dish, perfect for summer, yet budget friendly and super easy to do.

The zucchini and squash and peppers were from my own garden and I used the Chicken tenderloins, which cook faster and are much less expensive than Chicken breasts. If you have Chicken Breasts, you can cut them down into strips for quicker cooking.

GRILLED CURRY CHICKEN WITH ZUCCHINI AND MIXED PEPPERS

For better flavor let marinate a minimum 2 hours in the fridge. You can let them soak all day if you want. The longer you let them marinate the better your chicken will taste.

You can also use olive oil on the vegetables for a lighter option.

GRILL TIP: Before turning on your gas grill or lighting your charcoal, whichever grilling method you prefer, make sure your grill is clean. Then spray the grill with a light coating of PAM. This will keep everything from sticking.(trust me on this) And yes, put on everything at the same time! You want the chicken to finish cooking first so you can take it off while the veggies finish cooking up. This really is an important step in the process. If you cut into it right away all the juices will run out and leave you with dry chicken. But if you let it sit while the veggies finish cooking(about 5 minutes) you will have the most tender, tasty and moist chicken.

The peppers will get spicier as they roast. The jalapenos raw were spicy.(ohh, my mouth is hot, I need to take a drink)The jalapenos roasted were REALLY spicy. (as in sweat under your eyes and crying for no reason spicy). So just be careful. Don't be roasting scotch bonnets or Habaneros if you cant tolerate the heat when they are raw. Don't want any spice? Use bell peppers. I used a Poblano which had a nice mild burn when roasted. It was a pleasant slow burn which really wasn't bad at all.

Serve with couscous or brown rice for a nice healthy light meal.

You could also do this under your oven broiler.
Want to make it "kid fun"?? Thread your marinated chicken onto soaked skewers and grill them that way. Kids think it is more fun when they can eat off of a stick.

Please try it, and let me know how yours turns out. I really think this will be your new favorite grilled chicken recipe.


Bon Appetit Mes Amis!