Grilled Stuffed Jalapeno Chiles

I have recently really started liking the show on Food Network, The Kitchen.  It's fun because it has a group of chefs with totally different styles and it shows how they use different ingredients and give some good tips as well.  

A few weeks back the Mister and I were watching their Father's Day episode and one of the chefs made these.  My husband immediately said he wanted these for Father's Day the next day.  So he got them.  

They turned out super yummy, but I think they are too hot for most kiddos, so he and I had to polish them off ourselves, which wasn't a bad thing ;)  Super easy, super yummy, and a great way to use up some of your garden peppers!  

Grilled Stuffed Jalapeno Chiles
Yield:8 poppers
8 whole fresh jalapenos
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 slices center-cut smoked bacon

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill or stovetop grill pan over high heat.


Grill the jalapenos until browned or blistered on all sides and slightly softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.


Meanwhile, mix the cheese and oregano in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
To remove the seeds from the jalapenos, make a crosswise cut at the stem end of each jalapeno, then slice lengthwise down the middle, being careful not to cut the jalapeno completely in half. Peel open the sides of each jalapeno and, using a spoon, gently scrape out the seeds and veins. Fill the cavities with 1 tablespoon of the cheese-oregano mixture. Wrap 1 slice of bacon tightly around each stuffed jalapeno to seal in the cheese.


Grill, starting the poppers on the side where the bacon-wrapping ends, until the bacon is crisp and fully cooked, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of Marcela Valladolid (Food Network's The Kitchen)

Grilled Artichokes

This was my first attempt at cooking artichokes whole like this myself...I LOVE artichokes and order them when and where I can, so when I glanced and saw these at the store it clicked that I should finally try them.

 They were really easy, and they turned out really yummy. The balsamic vinegar and the spicy aioli were perfect combo to the grill flavor. These will be made again for sure at this house!

Grilled Artichokes

Marinade:

1/3 cup olive oil
3 T balsamic vinegar
2 T salt
1 T Black pepper
1/2 T white ground pepper (optional)
Cayenne pepper to taste
1/2 T Oregano flakes
+/- 1 1/2 T Lawery’s
1 T minced garlic

 Spicy aoili:

 1/2 cup mayo
tapatio hot sauce {or whatever your fave is.}

Cut the artichoke in half first, {so it doesn’t fall apart later}, then place in boiling water for about 20-25 minutes.

Spoon out the feathery middle part, without hurting the heart, the best part. Spoon the marinade over the insides of the artichoke and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Heat grill or indoor grill pan and cook for 5-10 minutes, turning every few minutes. Remove once there is a nice char.
Recipe Source: Big Red Clifford

Grilled Thai Pork or Chicken Kabobs with Peanut Dipping Sauce

 We just busted out our first kabobs of the year.  There is seriously nothing more satisfying than grilling or smoking your own dinner outside and having it taste completely awesome!!  I love trying out new marinades with different meats to find tasty combinations.  This one was a winner indeed.  A little kick, and the peanut sauce on the side was fab.  We served it up with some grilled asparagus freshly picked from down the street and some couscous.  So, so good!

Grilled Thai Pork or Chicken Kabobs with Peanut Dipping Sauce


3 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons honey
Juice from 1 lime squeezed 
3 Cloves of minced garlic
1 Tablespoon of Siracha
Shake of red pepper flakes
1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
Cubed chicken/pork

Mix all ingredients, place in freezer bag or large bowl.  Marinate for at least a few hours before grilling (Can be frozen for easy meal prep ahead of time).  

Recipe Source:  Ms. Simplicity

Peanut Dipping Sauce


3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. honey
½ tsp. minced garlic
½ tsp. siracha hot sauce
¼ cup water
chopped peanuts to taste

Recipe Source:  Favorite Family Recipes

Bang Bang Chicken Skewers with Grilled Summer Veggies

Every time we have gone to Bonefish Grill, the hubs always orders Bang Bang Shrimp.  I am not much of a seafood gal, but I tasted one anyhow and LOVED the sauce!  On a future trip, I saw they had some bang bang chicken and I'm hooked!  This chicken is not the same as they do in the restaurant...I wanted a little healthier version rather than the breaded variety (although delicious).  

We paired ours up with some yummy zucchini, summer squash, green bell pepper, red onion, and couscous for a delicious dinner.  If nothing else, make the sauce and try it on some different meats, with your chicken nuggets...experiment and see what you like!

Bang Bang Chicken Skewers with Grilled Summer Veggies

4 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 zucchini, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 red onion, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 12-oz package of mushrooms, cut in half
1 pint grape tomatoes
Olive oil, a few tablespoons for drizzling
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
2 teaspoons chile garlic sauce, or more to taste

Soak wooden skewers for 30 minutes before using. You can also use metal skewers.

Thread the chicken, zucchini, onion, mushrooms and tomatoes onto the skewers (keep each thing separate since they have different cooking times). Drizzle the chicken and veggies with oil, then season with salt and pepper.

Whisk together the mayonnaise, Thai sweet chili sauce, and chile garlic sauce. Set aside.

Pre-heat your grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Add the skewers. Cook the veggies for 6-8 minutes, or until tender, and the chicken 10-12 minutes.

Remove the skewers from the grill and let rest a few minutes. Remove the chicken and veggies from the skewers before eating. Toss the chicken with the sauce and serve alongside the veggies.

Recipe Source:  Taste of Home Cooking

Big Kahuna Chicken Teriyaki Sandwich

We busted out the grill for the first time this year!  Nothing is better than food from off the grill.  From March to October I bet we use the grill AT LEAST 4 times a week, otherwise I am a crockpot girl.  I can't stand the heat from the oven!  So be watching for lots of yummy grill recipes in the coming months :)


I was hoping this sandwich was as good as it sounded.  It was!  I love it when that happens :)  The teriyaki sauce with the brown sugar was fabulous on both the pineapple and chicken.  The pepperjack cheese gave a good kick as well.  Can't complain, dinner was great!


Big Kahuna Chicken Teriyaki Sandwich



4 chicken breasts
1 bottle Teriyaki sauce (we used Lawry’s brand)
3/4 c. brown sugar
4 slices deli ham
1 can sliced pineapple (or you can use fresh which would be even better)
4 slices Pepper Jack cheese
4 large hamburger buns


Pound chicken breasts until they are about 1/4″ thick all around. Place in a large Ziploc bag. Combine Teriyaki sauce and brown sugar until sugar dissolves. Add 1/2 of the mixture to the bag with the chicken and seal tightly. Place bag in refrigerator for at least 4-5 hours. Separate remaining Teriyaki mixture into 2 separate bowls (to prevent cross contamination use 2 separate brushes too)– one for the pineapple, one for the chicken. Open pineapple can and save a little of the juice in a bowl. Place chicken and pineapple on the grill (medium heat).


Recipe Source:  Favorite Family Recipes

Bacon-Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

First off, lets just say I'm not quite happy with this picture...I am sick of the gray skies outside!  Inside pictures just don't do food justice.  


Secondly, these are dang tasty!  It's a good twist to normal old kabobs.  Absolutely divine :)


Bacon-Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

From:  Our Best Bites


1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs

About 8 oz. lean bacon, NOT thick-sliced (thick bacon is too hard to work with in this recipe)

1 large can pineapple chunks (you won't use all of them)

Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste and Glaze

Kebab skewers or toothpicks

The easiest way to handle the bacon situation is to remove it from the package and while it's still all stuck together, stretch it out a little (lengthwise). If you're using center-cut bacon (and the "slab" is not as wide as regular bacon), just cut it in half. Otherwise, use kitchen shears to cut the slab into thirds. Refrigerate until ready to use, partially because it's easier to work with cold bacon and partially because you don't want to kill any dinner guests with dead pig germs.

Using kitchen shears, cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. You can gauge about how many pieces you'll need by how many pieces of bacon you have; you probably won't use all the bacon, but you'll need about 8 oz. or 2/3 of a standard-sized package of bacon. So count the bacon pieces and keep that in mind when cutting up your chicken.

Drain the pineapple and set up a little work station with skewers, bacon, chicken, and a 9x13 baking dish (for big skewers) or a sturdy Ziploc bag (for toothpick skewers). Wrap a piece of bacon around a chicken piece, secure with toothpick/skewer, and top with a chunk of pineapple. Repeat twice if using large skewers.

When all chicken pieces have been sufficiently staked, pour Teriyaki sauce over everything, reserving about 1/4 c., and marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours, no longer than about 8.

Preheat grill; when about 350-400 degrees, place skewers on grill and baste with reserved Teriyaki sauce. Cook about 7 minutes and flip skewers. Baste again and cook another 7 minutes.

*If serving at a party, you can keep the appetizer-sized skewers warm in a crockpot set to low or an electric roaster set to 170 degrees.

**If cooking in oven, preheat oven to 400 and bake about 20 minutes, turning once, following the same basting instructions.

"Nacho Libre" Corn on the Cob

Oh Nacho Libre...such a quotable show!  It was on tv the other day and I saw them eating the mexican style corn, and remembered a recipe I had saved called "Nacho Libre Corn on the Cob."  After trying this Elote recipe, I knew I'd love this one.  This one is a little simpler, and I can never turn down feta cheese!  I'm sure cotija cheese would be wonderful, but feta was already in the refrigerator.


Nacho Libre Corn on the Cob
From:  Favorite Family Recipes


Husk your corn and wrap in tinfoil.  Grill the corn until all sides get a little brown. 

Brush the corn generously with a half mayo half sour cream mixture.

Roll in cotija cheese - kind of a mexican feta, you can sub for feta if you want.

Season with chili powder, then squeeze fresh lime juice over the top.

Grilled Corn Summer Breakfast Hash

I knew I'd be making this as soon as I saw the picture.  There is something about cooking with fresh, local, in-season ingredients.  It uses lots of fresh produce, and some veggies in season here at the end of the summer--corn and zucchini.  I also need to get cracking on the peach and raspberry recipes while there are some really good ones in the stores.  

The grilled corn in this is definitely my favorite part, but all combined together, these veggies are AMAZING!  Throw a fried egg on top and....well....PERFECT!  I love that this works for a fancy breakfast or a weeknight dinner.  It reminded me of something I may order for brunch somewhere.  Awesome :)

Grilled Corn Summer Breakfast Hash

From:  How Sweet it Is

4 slices of bacon, chopped
4 medium yukon gold potatoes, chopped into cubes
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 medium zucchini squash, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red pepper, chopped
2-3 ears grilled corn on the cob, cut off the cob
1 teaspoon olive oil (you may not need this)
2 green onions, chopped
3-4 large eggs
smoked sea salt + pepper

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add chopped bacon and cook until crispy and fat is rendered – about 4-5 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Add potatoes with a sprinkle of salt and pepper to the bacon fat and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring and tossing every few minutes. While potatoes are cooking, heat another skillet on medium high and cook your eggs as desired, then set aside over low heat.

Add peppers and onions (and another little sprinkle of salt and pepper) to potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring. At this time you may need to add the additional teaspoon of olive oil depending on how much bacon fat is left. After 5 minutes, add in the zucchini and garlic and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring. Turn off heat, then stir in grilled corn and bacon. Top with sliced green onions. Serve with an egg on top.

57 Zesty Honey Chicken

• Summer days are surely winding down.  This will be our last year in Ohio and I'm trying to take everything in, the last of the fireflies, the beautiful fall-like weather, and the wonderful people here.  This chicken was great, tweaked it slightly and loved the results :)
  57 Zesty Honey ChickenFrom: Food.com
  1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (we used all breasts)
• 1 cup Heinz 57 steak sauce (A1 was cheaper this week...turned out great still!)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/2-1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
  

1. Marinate chicken in italian salad dressing for at least one hour prior to grilling.
   Grill chicken until cooked through (12 to 15 minutes for breasts, 25 to 35 minutes for thighs) brushing with sauce the last 5 minutes.
2. For sauce, combine 57 Sauce and remaining ingredients.
3. Divide sauce in half. Brush chicken often with one half of sauce during last 5 minutes of cooking time.
4. Serve chicken with remaining sauce for dipping. Makes about 1 1/2 cups of sauce.

Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs

Summer days are quickly winding to an end....I'm trying to take advantage of grilling season while I can!

There's nothing like good grilled meat.  This ranch-y marinade was a little different than anything I have ever tried....in a good way!  The chicken was very moist and flavorful, and the rosemary adds to the yumminess as well.  

Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs

From:  Real Mom Kitchen

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing
• 3 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar, or to taste (optional)
• 5 boneless skinless chicken breast halves – cut into 1 inch cubes

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl, and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 4 hours (I did 4 hours).
2. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.

Grilled Pigs in a Blanket

I love a good quick dinner. I love cooking something that I KNOW for a certainty that my 3 year old will eat, which doesn't happen often. These fit both of those criteria. It was definitely a fun recipe to throw on the grill and turned out great :)


Grilled Pigs in a Blanket
From: Mmm Cafe


12 hot dogs
American cheese, if desired
1 recipe pizza dough (see below), cut into 12 long strips

Heat your grill to 400 degrees.  Grill each hot dog as to put grill marks on them.  Don’t worry if they are not all the way cooked through. Remove from grill and place on each dough strip a half a slice of American cheese (if desired) and top with one grilled hot dog. Wrap dough in a twisting motion around hotdog.  Spray outside with nonstick spray and place on the top rack of the grill.  Let cook there for 13 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally, or until golden brown.


Pizza Dough
1 1/2 cup warm water
2 Tbs oil
4 and 1/4 cup flour
2 tsp salt
3 Tbs sugar
a little less than 1 tbs. rapid rise yeast
Combine sugar, yeast, and warm water in mixer. Allow to sit for 3 minutes. Add oil, flour, and salt. Knead until combined. 

Mexican Corn on the Cob {Elote}

So to start off, my husband said this is the best corn he has EVER had.  Interested?!  We love grilling our corn, in fact I can't remember the last time I boiled corn.  This was a delicious change to our usual grill recipe (which is still very good).  There is something about the smoky char the grill gives combined with other yummy ingredients that makes your mouth want to do a happy dance :)

Mexican Style Corn on the Cob

From:  Our Best Bites

4 ears corn
3 T mayo
2 T sour cream
1/4-1/2 t lime zest
1/2 t fresh lime juice
1/4 t cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 t chili powder
tiny pinch kosher salt
1 C crumbled Cotija Cheese* (use fresh parmesan or queso fresco if you can’t find Cotija...we used parmesan)

Cook corn by method of choice (we like the char of the grill).  While it’s cooking, combine mayo, sour cream, lime zest, lime juice, chili powder, and pinch of salt.  Store in the fridge until ready to use.  (For even better results make the sauce ahead of time).

Grate Cotija cheese (or parmesan) with a fine-hole cheese grater and place on a plate.

When corn is finished cooking, immediately spread sauce all over it and then roll corn cob in grated cheese.  Serve with lime wedges for squeezing and extra chili powder or cayenne sprinkled on top if desired.

Bacon Ranch Potato Foil Packets

I have been loving cooking potatoes/squash/asparagus/any veggie you can think of on the grill!  Such a fun way to spice up your side dishes!  These were yummy, got a little char on them, which was great..and you can never go wrong with bacon :)


Bacon Ranch Potato Foil Packets
From:  Cassie Craves

3 sheets of heavy-duty foil
10-12 baby red potatoes, thinly sliced
6 slices of cooked and crumbled bacon
1 packet ranch dressing mix
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter
Sour cream for serving, if desired

1. Spray each sheet of foil with cooking spray. Top each piece with equal portions of potatoes, bacon, and ranch dressing mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to each serving. Wrap securely.

2. Grill for 20 to 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve in foil, topped with sour cream if desired.

Chili Rubbed Chicken with Mango Salsa

I decided it was high time we got back out on the grill. It has been so humid, I didn't want to even send my hubby out to do my grilling...he would have melted! This chicken turned out great, has a good kick of spice and balanced with yummy mangos. Lets just say that this salsa rocks! I ate the leftovers with a spoon for a snack later on. On not to mention this is dang good for you...always a bonus. And the yummy corn in the picture...recipe for that is soon coming :)


Chili Rubbed Chicken with Mango Salsa
From: Mmm Cafe


Rub
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. chile powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. onion powder

Salsa
2 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced
1 Tbs. chopped fresh mint (I used cilantro...delicious!)
1 Tbs. minced onion
2 tsp. seeded and minced jalepeno pepper
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
Grated zest of 1 lime

Toss chicken breasts with olive oil to coat. Combine all spices and rub over both sides of the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Grill chicken, turning once, just until charred on both sides.

To make salsa, combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Serve salsa on top of chicken.