Food Challenge: Grab and Grill

It's that time of year, time to get outside and cook the way nature intended, over an open fire. That's right, it is grill and barbecue season and that means we at Saltbox House challenge our readers and authors to do just that; to grab and grill something.  There's nothing hard about grilling on a simple gas grill, but when it comes to Charcoal grilling it may get tricky. Either way, we challenge you to fire up your long time favorites or venture out and try something new. Good luck! 

Fun facts about Barbecuing

Briquettes were invented by Ford and Edison- in 1920, Henry Ford made his own briquettes from sawdust and wood chips that where laying around in his car factory. he put it together with the help of Edison. Later on, Kingsford bought the invention and commercialized it (It was a success).
 

Father's Day is the biggest BBQ day next to the 4th of July
 

* When it comes to who will be barbecuing it is dad 60% of the time. But, when it comes to who chooses what to BBQ, it is mom 100% of the time ;).
 

The Most common BBQ items are: burgers, chicken, hot dogs, and corn on the cob

General Grilling and BBQ Tips:
 

SETTING UP A CHARCOAL GRILL-

Use high quality hardwood charcoal to make the hottest, longest lasting fire.

Line the bottom of the fire bowl with aluminum foil.

Allow the starter fluid to remain on the coals for a minute before lighting.

Let the coals burn for about 35 minutes before placing food on the grill.

Allow 1 inch space between the coals.
 

STORING BRIQUETTES-

Charcoal briquettes should always be stored in an airtight plastic bag since they will absorb moisture very easily-that way, you will have as good as new briquettes next time.
 

CLEANING TRICK-
Window cleaner sprayed on a warm grill (not a hot grill) will make it easier to clean. Do this shortly after you are done barbecuing your food.
 

A COMMON MISTAKE-

Always turn steaks and chicken with tongs to avoid puncturing them. By not puncturing them, your meat will not dry out and will remain as juicy as ever.

BBQ SAUCE & POULTRY-

BBQ sauce generally has sugar in it so it can burn easily.

Don't put the BBQ sauce on until it is almost fully cooked.

The best way to BBQ Poultry is to cook on a lower heat and for a longer time period.

COOKING AHEAD OF TIME (GRILLING FOR MANY)-

You can have burgers ready to go by reducing their grill time.  Layer your patties between tin foil on a cookie sheet and bake them at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Then finish them on the grill. For hot dogs, bake for 10 minutes.

Flavor Tricks:

Bury an onion wrapped in foil in the coals for an hour, you love the flavor it gives to your burgers.  

Different herbs can be placed on the coals to flavor food. Some of the best are Rosemary and Basil .

When wrapping corn in tin foil for barbecuing, place a sprig of marjoram next to the ear of corn.
 

Wood chips on the coals will add flavor

Nut Shells on the coals will also add flavor

Safety Tips:

If coals ever get inflamed or too hot, you can always lay lettuce leaves on them.

Coat your grill with oil (spray is best) before starting the fire then clean it shortly after you are done barbecuing.
Never spray the oil on the grill after the fire is started if you want to keep your eyebrows ;)

Never re-use the same plate or utensils that you handled your raw meat with.

Barbecue Resource- Bader, M. 2003. 20,0001 Food Facts, Chef Secrets, & Household Hints. USA, Bader Publishing.

Grilling Basket

Ok, I can't share this tool without saying who recommended it to me. A year ago, I shared a recipe for veggie skewers on this blog and Alison commented about using a grilling basket and how it worked for her. This summer I decided to buy one to try it out. I was amazed! I put all of my veggies in the basket and they were all evenly grilled together (No more sticks for me). Now Alison, I want you to tell me any other suggestions you have as I might be doing this wrong.

The Cooking Tool highlight allows you to rave about a specific cooking tool or set of tools. This can be an appliance, gadget, or cookware. These cooking tools are there to make it a little easier in the kitchen. It is hard for me to see an infomercial and not say "I think I could use one of those" and at the same time also think "Who would use that?". However the case my be, I think I have to go by someone I know who has used one and not the "non-paid actor" on TV. So, if you love it, share it! It also helps to share what you like to do it with.

First, I prep my veggies by cleaning, cutting and blanching (some do not require blanching). My grilling veggies of choice are: Red onions, peppers, red potatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, asparagus (now that Nichole recommended it), eggplant, and corn. I blanched the potatoes, squash and zucchini because they have thicker skins.

Next, I marinade the veggies in a gallon size plastic bag with some olive oil and herbs. I have also used ready made marinade or teriyaki sauce and they turned out great. I marinade them for 15-30 minutes.

Last, I dumped them into the grilling basket over a hot grill and continued to turn the basket over every 5 or so minutes until they are done.

The results are delicious!

Thank you Ladies for inviting me!!

I am so excited to have been ask to be a part of this blog! My name is Amanda Danaraj. I am married with 2 girls Madilyn and Emma ages almost 4 and almost 2. I dedicate my love of cooking to my mother, who taught me how effortless it is to have fun in the kitchen. Its such a joy now to cook with my own daughters and see this love growing within them too. Truly I believe if you let kids help they will dive right in.

This homemade trail mix below is super easy and fun to make with kids. It really reminds me of fall with the colors. Enjoy!!

HOMEMADE TRAIL MIX

• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 cup coconut
• 1 cup whole almonds
• 1/4 cup flax seeds
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup canola or olive oil
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup cheerios
• 1 2/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine the oats, coconut, honey, oil, sugar, and salt. Stir until well coated. Add the flax, almonds

and sunflower seeds. Mix well. Spread mixture out on a large baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes.

Remove the oat mixture from the oven and allow to completely cool. In a large bowl, stir in cheerios, apricots, and chocolate chips. Store in an airtight container.

Sweet Trail Mix with Quaker Cereal

For more on Quaker Products and Recipes go to: http://www.quakeroats.com/home.aspx

To go along with the daily menu for this month, we decided to do a trail mix to show up the chocolate with almonds day. There are many options out there to get trail mix but, I truly believe that the best ones compiled are the ones you compile yourself. Before we headed off camping last week, my family went to the grocery store to take advantage of the bulk bins. You might already be thinking, you can buy already mixed trail mixes in bulk at that grocery store. Well, my thoughts on already mixed trail mix is that your never 100% sure what is in it or how it was put together, you always try to get the M&M's anyway (instead of the mysterious dried colored fruit), and you can't seem to agree on one that everyone would like so you might try to mix two together and end up with a lot of leftover stuff no one ate in the first place. Besides, making your own can be a lot of fun! See how we did it.

Our recommended product of the week is Quaker Cereal. Cereals like Life, Corn Bran, and Oatmeal squares we enjoy using in our trail mixes. For our trail mix today we using Quaker Oatmeal squares. These will hold up better than Life cereal, which are a much more brittle. We also like it because it tastes like an oatmeal cookie and has a little sweetness to it which is perfect for today's trail mix. When we make our salty trail mix, we like to use the Corn Bran and it turns out perfect.

At the bulk bins, my family and I each picked out something that we would like in the trail mix. We picked Dried bananas, cherry crasins, chocolate and almonds.

We mixed them together until it looked equally proportioned and then bagged it up and put it in the freezer so the chocolate chips would stay firm. After that, we stored it in the cooler when we weren't eating it. It was great.

*
Do you prefer Salty or Sweet Trail Mixes or what ingredient to like to add to your trail mix the most?

Cooking Tool: Camping Pie Iron

I love the outdoors! We went camping this weekend for the 4th of July and one of our favorite things to do when camping at night is to sit by the open fire, eat, sing, and just tell stories. One thing that makes the campfire experience even more fun is when we roast hot dogs, marshmallows and make pies or grilled cheese sandwiches. These pies don't really compare to that of dutch oven cobbler but, it is fast and easier. We made apple pies and grilled cheese sandwiches this weekend and thought it was the perfect way to introduce our cooking tool of the week, the Pie Iron.

I have used the pie iron for camping since I can remember. My uncle and aunt would bring theirs on our family camp outs growing up and we couldn't get enough cherry or berry pies. It was fun to make your own and see what other neat things you could make over the fire. They are very easy to use and are long enough for kids to use them safely. They are not that expensive and if you like to camp a lot, it might be something to think about getting. You can buy them at almost any camping or online store.

How to use them:
Butter or spray inside both cooking plates. Add your bread. For this one, I used Potato bread. It is ok if the bread is a little bigger, you can trim the crust or push it into the plate and clamp it.

Put a big scoop of pie filling in the center. I also spread some cream cheese inside both slices to make it even better.

Place into fire or grill.
If cooking in the fire, try to wedge it into hot coals or two hot logs to help it cook evenly. Don't forget to turn it either.

When it is golden brown on both sides, it is done.

Having just a grilled cheese, also works out. They are delicious!

Other suggestions:

Stuffed french toast

(with already cooked bread)

Toad in a hole

(cut hole into two slices of bread, can also use two eggs)

Any grilled sandwich like a tuna melt

Cheeseburger (with already cooked hamburger)

Quesadilla (with small flour or corn tortillas)

Grilled Burritos (they would be small unless you have a double iron)

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Have You Tried These or Think You Would Like One?

"They Call it Dutch Style"

The great outdoors has always had a special place in my family. Growing up, my family and I would just pack up and go fishing and camping some weekends and sometimes for a week or so. Now, I'm not talking about the camper/trailer/cabin camping although we have many memories of renting a little cabin now an then. I am talking about sleeping under the stars or in a tent, carrying the water from the pump or river, the no shower no shame policy :), and of course, cooking your food over an open fire. Now days, we still enjoy camping every summer with our families, however, the closest we get here in the big city is having a bon fire on the beach (I'm not complaining either). The food seems to make the memories stick better, I think. Along with rainbow trout, peach cobbler brings back memories of our camping days as a family more than any other food. This particular recipe is the easiest dutch oven, outdoor cooking, great tasting peach cobbler you will ever try. It is so easy my 2 year old daughter made it and I cooked it. Don't believe me, you should try it for yourself. I've been making this peach cobbler in and out doors since I can remember and it just keeps getting better every time.

For today's cobbler, I am using Wolfgang Puck's Cast Iron Dutch Oven and baking it in my oven. This recipe can be cooked in a regular cake pan if you don't have a dutch oven pot. If you have a regular dutch oven, you can just place hot charcoals accordingly above and beneath your dutch oven, on a cement surface.

Step #1

Dump in the Peaches

1-2 small cans or 1 large can of sliced peaches including the juice

(light syrup is best)

Step # 2

Dump in the Cake Mix

A regular box of yellow cake mix

(try to dump over all of the peaches)

Step # 3

Dump the 7-Up

Pour 12-16 oz of 7-up or any other lemon/lime soda all over cake mix

(You do not have to stir, see the foaming bubbles, the carbonation does the stirring for you)

*Hint after about 10 minutes of baking, if some cake mix is still sitting on the surface, fork through the batter a little until there is no longer dry cake mix showing.

Bake, uncovered, in a pre-heated oven @ 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until done.

(Just like a regular cake, poke it with a fork or toothpick, see if it comes out clean)

I suggest to serve it with powdered sugar, cream, whipped cream, milk or vanilla ice cream. See how moist that cake is? So good.

Have you tried any regularly outdoor or dutch oven cooking in your home?

"Grillin" Chicken Cordon Bleu

I created these a while ago when I was still single and have always called them Chicken Cordon Bleu. Although they are not breaded like normal Cordon Bleu's, they still have the same concept. My method for these "Stuffed chicken breasts" are to cook them over the grill and rub my seasoning mixture all over and inside them.

Seasoning Rub (sorry, I don't have amounts, I go by smell):

Chicken soup base

Minced Garlic

Basil

Thyme

Parsley

Rosemary

Salt

Pepper

Lemon Juice

Olive oil and a little water

Chives or minced onions

Mix together in a small bowel.

*If the rub is too runny, you can put dried bread crumbs, potato flakes, or cracker crumbs to help soak up the water and keep it on the chicken.

Flatten out your boneless, skinless chicken breasts with a meat tenderizer, plate, or even a hammer will work. You don't have to make it too flat, just enough to roll it together. Lay each breast out and brush with seasoning mix (I'll rub it on with my fingers). Lay 1-2 slices of ham and cheese and tuck and roll your chicken breasts to look like this. Then rub your seasoning mix all over chicken.


Wrap in foil individually and place on the grill on low for 15-20 minutes or until done. As they are cooking, you can open up the foil and spray with olive oil, lemon juice, and/or scoop juices in foil and drizzle over chicken.



It should come out juicy and fully cooked. Just a note, the ham inside might make the chicken look pinker that it really is.



Great sides with this dish are my yellow rice, grilled veggies, and green salad.

Yellow Rice:
For 3 cups of rice
1 1/2 cup of rice3 cups of warm water
2-3 tablespoons of melted butterHandful of grated Parmesan, Romano, and Asiago mixed or one by itself
2-3 Tablespoons of Chicken soup base
1-3 teaspoon of Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon of dill weed
1 Tablespoon of Chives
1 Tablespoon of onion flakes or minced Onions
1 teaspoon of Garlic Powder or minced garlicA equal part mixture of mixture of: Salt, paprika, and parsley (enough for 1- 2 Tablespoons)

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>>>>>>>>Do you think that non breaded will be just as good?

Veggie Skewers

National Something on a Stick Day had me going with what would be fun to do. My fist thought I had to admit was homemade dipped corn dogs. I don't what it is but, they take me back and I know that I enjoyed them a lot as a kid. But, as I grew older and realized the meaning of real food and junk food, I thought that I should cut back a bit and experiment with a more healthier alternative. So, I decided to talk about our families favorite thing to put on a stick. Yes, it is veggies. We basically put largely cut peppers, red onions, yellow squash, and zucchini squash and red potatoes. But, we have gone as far as using egg plant, carrots, and celery. They are all great ideas. The seasonings can be anything from a mixture of Salt, pepper, paprika, parsley, basil, garlic salt, dill weed, onion powder, and oregano.

Another way to get a good seasoning mix of veggies on the grill is to mix a little olive oil, water, your seasonings, and veggies in a bag and marinate them for about 15 minutes or so. The results are great.


But, if time is not there for you to do so, just season them raw before and a little during the grilling process.

The results will still be fantastic!


Sometimes, I feel the need to boil some of my veggies for a minute or two to speed up the process (especially with the potatoes) and if I think I need a softer veggie instead of so crunchy. However, I prefer just grilled as is will most of the veggies.


What are some veggies you have enjoyed grilling?