Blackberry-Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

Just when I think having twins couldn't possibly be any more amazing, I discover something new that just makes my heart explode. Last week it was the babbling they do at each other, apparently understanding what the other is saying. The week before that it was that when one learned to climb the stairs, the other one insisted he do it too (with much less ease, grace, and a lot more grunting). And the week before that it was their love for chasing each other around in their walkers. Can you imagine anything cuter than two tiny babies chasing each other with extraordinarily fat legs? Heart explosion.  

But this week I came to an extra extra special realization.  From now until who knows how long, probably the end of time, when one gets sick - so will the other. Awesome. Sure, regular siblings have similar challenges, but twins just CONSTANTLY gravitate toward one another. They play with the same toys. In fact, the only toy they ever want is the one that the other one is currently playing with/slobbering all over. So the germ swapping is immediate, unavoidable, and miserable. And yet somehow it was so cute to watch them respond so differently to the same cold...one acted like someone amputated his leg and that there was no way he was coming out of this alive, while the other just continued smiling, squealing, and stuffing his face with McDonald's pancakes. Two very different boys, two very distinct heart explosions.

In the midst of all this sickness, I decided to make grilled marinated pork tenderloin.  Why? Because it tastes great with wine.

If you decide to make this - and you won't regret it - make sure you leave enough time for marination. Is that even a word? I doubt it. Pork is one of the few meats that really does take on a 24 hour marinade perfectly; it infuses flavor without making the meat gummy or overly saturated.  I recommend at least 8 hours, but if you can swing 24, do it. Plus, if you're making this for a summer BBQ, how great to have your main dish basically done before guests arrive? All you have to do is pop it on the grill. You will LOVE this sweet and flavorful pork.

Recipe (serves 4-6)

• 2 pork tenderloins
• 1 cup blackberry preserves
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 crushed bay leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Mix all the marinade ingredients in a large ziploc bag, add the pork and refrigerate for as long as you can, up to 24 hours. Mine was probably actually more like 27 when it was all said and done.  Then, you can grill the pork tenderloin perfectly and easily using this 7-6-5 method. It works perfectly.  Heat the grill to high. Remove the pork from the marinade (reserve the extra if you want to reduce to a sauce).  Place the pork on the grill, cover, and leave undisturbed for 7 minutes. Flip the pork over, cover and grill for 6 more minutes. Turn the grill OFF, and let sit in the covered grill for 5 minutes. The pork should register about 140, then you can remove from grill, cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes (it will keep cooking a bit here and raise about 10 degrees).  Our grill gets SUPER hot - like hard to keep below 500 hot - so I usually only leave it in the last phase for about 4 minutes. If your grill stays closer to 400, I would do the full 5. But even when I do the full 5, the pork is not too overcooked or dry.  Anyway, that's the way to do it. If you want, you can reserve the extra marinade and reduce down on the stove for 10 minutes or so and serve with the pork. Make sure to bring it to a boil for at least 10 minutes since it was hanging out with the raw pork.

Sweet and Spicy Grilled Chicken

What a pleasant surprise this was! Chicken, rubbed with just a few simple things you probably have at home (although I can't for the life of me remember why I had Coriander), and grilled. This chicken is so flavorful, you'll want to make it over and over.  

I got this recipe from the NY Times. If you don't subscribe to NY Times Cooking, do it now. My mom turned me on to it and it's the best decision I've ever made. Yes, the best.

The only thing I did differently is instead of making their sauce with dijon and chives, I made my honey mustard sauce that my husband is obsessed with. We put that sh%$ on everything. I don't measure, but it is about a tablespoon each of dijon and honey, a squirt of whole grain mustard (or brown mustard), 2-3 tablespoons light mayo, a pinch of salt...and that's it.  I modify to taste so add more honey if you want it more sweet, or more dijon if you want more kick. BUT, this chicken was so good we barely even touched the sauce.  Happy summer grilling!

Grilled Salmon with Blueberry Salsa

Fruit salsa sort of amazes me. It doesn't amaze me as much as how El Chapo the Mexican drug lord escaped a maximum security prison via a mile long tunnel (seriously - a getaway motorcycle? He must have some amazing networking skills)...but it amazes me nonetheless.  For someone who grew up in Wisconsin, flavor combinations just didn't really exist unless it was in the form of a casserole and consisted of different cream of _____ soups (and those casseroles still hold a special place in my heart, btw).  So the concept of fruit, onions (whaat), jalapeno (whaaaaat), and cilantro (wtf) tasting good together is a hard one to grasp.  And yet, Whole Foods is making all sorts of fun fruit salsas now and I trust everything they do. So I made one with blueberries, served it on top of salmon, and LOVED IT. 

Recipe

• 4 grilled salmon fillets (or other fish or chicken)
• 3 cups blueberries
• 1 lemon
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt

Place the blueberries in a food processor and pulse just a few times - you want to break them up a bit but leave plenty of large pieces.  Alternatively, you can chop them by hand if you don't have a food processor.  Place the blueberries into a bowl.  Add the juice of one lemon, jalapeno (add some seeds if you want a bit more heat), bell pepper, cilantro, red onion (one of the only times I will ever tell you to get red onion instead of sweet), sugar, and salt. Mix everything together and let marinate for at least 30 minutes before serving. I also think this would be an awesome summer appetizer served with tortilla chips.  Or on top of some baked brie. Or on top of some cream cheese with crackers. Or on top of a spoon like I was doing.

Fresh Corn on the Cob with Lime Butter, Queso Fresco and Ancho Chile

Does it bother anyone else when something is called 'fresh' in the recipe? I did it here just to test it out.  

I mean, wouldn't you always assume the ingredients to be fresh? Or should it be specified that in fact this recipe was made with week old corn on the cob? 

"Week old Corn on the Cob with Lime Butter, Queso Fresco and Ancho Chile.'

I suppose 'fresh' could also imply not canned or prepackaged.

"Canned Corn on the Cob with Lime Butter, Queso Fresco, and Ancho Chile.'

For the record, this was indeed made with fresh corn on the cob. My only point is that in most cases 'freshness' should be implied and shouldn't have to be stated. 

I feel the same way about 'homemade.' Like when someone posts something like 'Making homemade chicken rice casserole for dinner!.'  Um, yeah. You're making it.

Anyway, onto this corn. THIS CORN.  We love corn on the cob and it was fun to trick it up a bit.  Or is it trick it out? My street lingo is getting worse with age.  

Just a few simple ingredients made this corn super delicious and special and pretty, but still let the FRESH CORN flavor shine through.

New summer staple.

Recipe

• 4 ears corn on the cob, peeled and soaked in water
• 1/2 stick butter, room temp
• 1/2 lime
• Queso Fresco
• Ancho Chile powder
• Salt

After soaking the corn in water, grill the ears on med-high for about 10-20 min, turning frequently to get charring on all sides.

While the corn is grilling, set out two small plates. On the first,  mix the butter and juice from half a lime. Spread the butter out to prepare for rolling the corn.  On the second plate, crumble plenty of queso fresco.  When the corn is done, let it sit for a couple minutes to cool down a bit, then roll it in the lime butter.  Season with plenty of salt. Follow with the queso fresco, then top off with a sprinkle of Ancho chile powder to taste.

Marinated Grilled Vegetables

Once in a while I can make my food look good rather than just taste good.  This is one of those moments, and I hope everyone can recognize that.  Because tomorrow I am going to post some terrible looking but delicious tasting fish tacos. 

Grilled vegetables are a summer staple at our house (and it officially feels like summer in Texas).  And sometimes, we marinate them first.  This combo was particularly good!

Recipe

• 1 cup soy sauce
• ¾ cup balsamic
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• Lemon pepper or pepper
• Mixed vegetables of choice 

Mix all of the marinade ingredients together (all except the lemon pepper and mixed veggies).  Slice your vegetables of choice and place in two large Ziploc bags (I had two full bags of eggplant, red bell pepper, zucchini, onions, and asparagus).  Season with lemon pepper or pepper, marinate for several hours, then remove from bags and grill 20-30 minutes over medium-high grill. Yay nice weather!

Salmon and Pineapple Kabobs with Honey-Brown Sugar-Soy Sauce Marinade

I don’t marinate salmon too often, because I love the simplicity of lemon, olive oil, and salt and pepper with the delicious fish.  But when I do marinate, my favorite is a sweet soy sauce flavor – I think it pairs perfectly. This past weekend we did marinated salmon kabobs with pineapple and onion on our Firewire skewers, courtesy of my sister-in-law. These are so simple to throw together and had tons of flavor – even after only marinating for about an hour.  Plus it was the first thing my husband and I could agree on after he asked me if I wanted beef bourguignon.  No. No I don’t want beef bourguignon in the middle of August in Texas.

Although maybe I do. I love beef bourguignon.

Recipe

• 2 lb salmon
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ½ cup orange juice
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup honey
• Juice from ½ lemon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon chopped garlic (the jarred kind – more if you’re into garlic)
• Pepper
• Chopped pineapple and onion for the skewers

Mix the marinade ingredients together in a Ziploc bag. Cut the salmon into about 2-inch pieces and add to the bag. Marinate for about one hour (up to 8 if you have time).  Add all your onions to the same skewer (s), as these take longer to grill.  Brush these with olive oil and salt, and grill for about 15-20 minutes or until tender.  Add the pineapple and salmon together on the other skewers, and grill until the salmon is cooked through.  Don't these Firewires look fun? Plus I love saying Firewire. Firewire Firewire. Highly recommend!

 We loved this, and I ate the leftovers on a salad the next day with Kraft toasted sesame dressing. 

So so good! 

Dr. Pepper Can Chicken

I’d like to give a shout out to the dinner captain this past Sunday night, my husband. He decided on beer can chicken. Decided Dr. Pepper might be tastier. Decided to buy two whole chickens to try one on the grill and one in the oven. Decided to rub it with our favorite BBQ dry rub. All great decisions that resulted in one fantastic Sunday dinner.    

I would also like to give a shout out to my sister who was in town, and took on the role of drink captain.  This is what happens when Ingri is the drink captain:

Amazing things.

Recipe

• 1 3-4 lb chicken
• Dry rub of choice (we use a spicy brown sugar pork/poultry rub)
• Olive oil
• 1 can Dr. Pepper
• Beer can chicken stand (optional) - find at Amazon or BBB

You can do this one of two ways: Grill or oven.  In either case, preheat to 350.  If using the oven, line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil.

Pat the chicken dry.  Sprinkle it with tons of your favorite dry rub or spices. Drizzle with olive oil.  Pour out about ½ of the Dr. Pepper. Poke holes along the top of the can and sides (high enough so you don’t leak all of the Dr. Pepper like John did the first time around – his only fail of the evening).  Place the can in the chicken stand, fit the chicken around it (right side up), then cook for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a thermometer reads 160.  Let sit several minutes before carving. 

Here's the oven variation:

Loved this. Will make it again and again.

Grilled Salmon with Charred Corn Relish

I don’t know what the defining quality of ‘relish’ is, but I chose to call this relish instead of salsa due to the lack of spice.  This is sweet, and my favorite summer dish of 2014. Though I guess to be fair I have minimal posts to compete with this year.  Easy, summery, and oh so good – make it for the 4^th!

Recipe

• 4 center cut salmon fillets
• Oil, S&P or Seasoning for Salmon
• Lemon
• 4 ears corn
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 sliced avocado
• 3 heaping tablespoons freshly chopped basil
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar

Grill the corn until charred on all sides, 10-20 minutes depending on grill temp.  Let cool, then saw the kernels off using a serrated knife. Combine the corn, tomatoes, avocado, and basil in a bowl.  Generously season with salt and pepper. Squeeze in the juice of half of a lemon (or lime would due too, if they didn’t cost $4,000/lb right now), and stir together with the olive oil and balsamic.   

Season the salmon with olive oil, juice from the other half of the lemon, and S&P or blackening.  Grill over medium high heat until it flakes, then serve with the corn relish.  I love this so much I may never change this recipe, but it did cross my mind that a touch of cheese or sour cream could be a magical addition.

Sweet Soy Grilled Salmon

Soy sauce + orange juice + brown sugar = always good.  Don’t you think? I love that combination.  And I love that combination on salmon, so I made it this weekend for our Memorial Day BBQ. Salmon, marinated for hours and hours, grilled to perfection with a sweet glaze on the outside. And I ate the leftovers cold all week (I love leftover salmon straight from the fridge).

Recipe

·       5-6 skinless center cut salmon fillets

·       1 cup soy sauce

·       ½ cup orange juice

·       ½ cup brown sugar

·       1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger

·       ¼ teaspoon minced garlic

·       ¼ teaspoon pepper

Mix all marinade ingredients in a large Ziploc bag, add the salmon, and marinate for 8 hours.  Take the salmon out and grill on a hot grill (400 degrees or so) for about 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Ours was served with a grossly excessive number of sides. I can’t help myself, Sundays do that to me. 

My niece described this salmon as ‘epic.’  But for full disclosure she also said that about my Vaseline chapstick.

Cedar Plank Salmon with Sweet Mustard Glaze

Have you ever wondered what all the cedar plank salmon hype was about? Did you know there was cedar plank salmon hype? Well, there is, and I found out why this weekend.  IT IS AMAZING.  It infuses the salmon with so much flavor and keeps it so moist, and when you take it off the grill it sort of smells like a brand new house. Yes, a house. From the wood.

I bought my planks at Whole Foods.  I actually never really planned on making cedar plank salmon, but they sell the planks right next to the seafood section and they are only $2. Well done, Whole Foods. Nice product placement.

This might be the easiest dinner on the planet. I can't be sure about Mars or Venus.

1. Soak the planks in salted water
2. Heat the grill to medium
3. Drizzle each salmon with olive oil, then S&P
4. Top each salmon with 1 tablespoon each of Dijon mustard and brown sugar
5. Place salmon on the plank
6. Grill for 15-20 minutes

You could also grill over indirect heat for 20-30 minutes, if you want a more slow roasted salmon.  

That's all I've got for now, have a good week!

Pimento Cheeseburger

Have you ever melted pimento cheese on a burger?  DO IT.

Greek Chicken Pitas with Tzatziki Sauce

Hello. I fell off the blogosphere, I'm sorry. I have been traveling like a crazy person so food has been sort of an afterthought. That's a lie, food is never an afterthought for me.  But cooking has been.

I've been having a strong craving for Greek food ever since we got back from Greece and Turkey. While I never ate a chicken pita while I was there (nor did I see it on any of the menus), I've been hooked on eating tzatziki sauce. And tzatziki sauce goes great on chicken pitas.

I marinated my chicken in a bottled Greek vinaigrette, then grilled and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces. I warmed whole wheat pitas, then we topped with chicken, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, feta, and tzatziki (recipe follows). Loooove this dinner - so simple and healthy. I like my tzatziki really dill-y, so adjust to your taste.

This picture is after I remembered that I wanted feta on mine.  How did I forget the cheese?? I don't know. I must have been blinded by the tzatziki.  Sorry, I will stop saying that word.

Tzatziki Sauce

• 1 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup chopped cucumber, seeded
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• dash pepper

Chop the cucumber into small pieces (really small if your husband claims he hates cucumbers but you know he likes tzatziki. Oops, last time), and cut out the seeds. Mix with the yogurt, dill, lemon juice, olive oil, S&P.  Chill until ready to serve.

Corn and Veggie Kabobs

Aaaaand another way to eat corn.  Isn't this fun-looking? Unnecessary, but fun.  Slice the cob into thirds, along with your veggies of choice. I chose red pepper, mushroom, and onion, and then tossed them with a pinch of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I kept the corn plain, because I knew there would be plenty of buttering and salting going on later.

Thread the vegetables onto the skewers (a bit tricky for the corn, but if you stab it through, then twist it a bit to increase the hole size you should be good to go), then grill for about 20-30 minutes over medium heat. 

Sweet Orange-Soy Chicken Skewers

This is the third entree I've posted from our 4th of July dinner (see BBQ Pork Tenderloin and Lobster Rolls). I have a problem, but I promise you we're not obese. There were veggies involved too.

Brown sugar and soy sauce were meant to be together. You could come up with a thousand marinades out of that combination, and never go wrong. I added orange juice last week to my chicken skewers, and they were summer perfection. You could get a little more involved by adding some spices like ginger or garlic, but I decided to keep it simple.

Recipe

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup orange juice

Cut the chicken into 2-inch pieces.  Mix marinade ingredients, then add to a Ziploc bag with the chicken. Marinate 8 hours or overnight. Thread onto skewers, and grill for a couple minutes on each side.  Deeeelish!

BBQ Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Hi!! I'm back, after 2+ weeks on vacation. A wonderful vacation - I must say - cruising across the Aegean Sea with John's family, trapped on a boat with endless amounts of food and wine. My kind of paradise. 

So, since our trip ended right at the start of the 4th of July weekend, we skipped our usual Wisconsin lake weekend and stayed in the Dallas heat. I had to find some way to celebrate of course, so I made a dinner that consisted of 3 main courses: BBQ pork tenderloin, sweet orange-soy chicken skewers, and lobster rolls. A perfect way to dive back into eating light after 2 weeks of binging. Grilling is healthy though so we're fine.

I'll start with the BBQ pork tenderloin. I will tell you that as I was making this marinade (it's an original, at least as far as I can tell), I didn't think we would like it. In fact, that's when the chicken skewers got thrown into the mix as a backup. But, I was wrong. It turned out just as I had wanted it to, a sweet and tangy pork with a bit of spice - very flavorful. I've said it before and I'll say it again, pork tenderloin is the perfect spring/summer dinner party entree (I guess I don't know why it couldn't be fall too). 

Recipe

For the pork:

• 2 pork tenderloins
• olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of your favorite BBQ pork rub (*or you can make your own, see below)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

For the marinade:

• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon worcestershire
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard (or a squirt of yellow mustard would do)
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Prepare the pork by brushing with olive oil, then sprinkling with the dry rub and brown sugar. Mix all the marinade ingredients together. Add the pork and marinade to a large ziploc bag, then marinate at least 8 hours or overnight (I always do overnight). 

To grill, heat the grill to medium-high. Remove the pork from the marinade, transferring the rest of the sauce to a pan. Grill the pork about 5 minutes on each side over direct heat, then transfer to indirect heat for another 5 or so. The temp should register around 140.  Remove the pork from the grill and tent with foil for about 10 minutes before slicing.  Meanwhile, bring the reserved marinade to a low boil. Serve with pork on the side. 

Enjoy the rest of your 4th of July weekend!

*You can easily make your own dry rub with spices in your pantry:  I like to use about equal parts of paprika, salt & brown sugar, half part cumin, and sometimes a pinch of granulate onion or garlic

Grilled Herb-Dijon Chicken

Hi! I hope y'all had a great Memorial Day weekend.  It's one of my favorite holidays because I forget about it and then it pops out of nowhere and you get a day off.  

Per Memorial Day requirements, we grilled. But we had just returned from a weekend of KC barbecue and burgers, so we wanted something a bit lighter. It's no secret that I love Central Market, and this chicken was inspired by one of their marinades. Perrrrrrrfect summer grilling recipe....will be making it again and again (my husband is eating it right now for the third night in a row).

Recipe

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - pounded thin
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1-2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Pinch Paprika

Mix all marinade ingredients (everything but the chicken!) - in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Blend into a thick paste.  Cut small slits into the chicken to help absorb the marinade.  Pour the marinade into a ziploc bag and add the chicken.  Let sit for at least 4 hours or overnight.  Heat the grill to high, then cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side.  Happy summer! 

I'm flying around the world tomorrow so if I go missing, it's because I am.

Peach Balsamic Grilled Pork Tenderloin

It may be hard to focus on the pork in that picture with those giant roasted carrots taking up half the screen, but please try. The carrots will get their moment later.

This past weekend was a really, really fun one. My parents were in town from Wisconsin, where they escaped a blustery late-spring snow storm for one of the most beautiful weekends in Dallas.  They got 6+ inches of snow on Thursday, causing a day of flight delays and late arrivals. I always tell them that as I much as I love them, I don't know if I could live there again. That weather is bull$#@%.

On Saturday night we stayed at our house and cooked, ate our body weight in cheese before dinner (the Wisconsin in all of us), and drank one too many bottles of wine...and had one of the most enjoyable nights we’d all had in a long time. I think, at least. I guess I don’t really know where it was on their scale of enjoyability, but it was very high on ours.

Anyway, on to the food. Pork tenderloin is my go-to dinner party meal, especially in the spring or summer. It’s so easy to marinate the night before, then throw on the grill for an easy and delicious meal. I always grill it the same way: 5 minutes on each side of medium-high indirect heat, then 5-7 minutes over indirect (until inside reaches 140). Then cover in aluminum foil for 10 minutes…it turns out perfectly moist and flavorful every time.

Recipe

·         2 pork tenderloins

·         1 jar peach preserves (about 1 cup)

·         ¾ cup balsamic vinegar

·         ½ cup brown sugar

·         ¼ cup olive oil

·         ¼ cup honey

·         3 tablespoons soy sauce

·         Dash Worcestershire

·         2 bay leaves, crushed

Mix all ingredients in a large Ziploc bag, add the pork, and marinate at least 8 hours or overnight (I always do overnight!). Grill as directed above, and enjoy!  I served with wild mushroom risotto, roasted carrots, tomato mozzarella salad, and cheesecake. Recipes to follow!

Thanks mom and dad for a wonderful weekend, and for appreciating the art of eating as much as we do.

Flank Steak Fajitas

75 degrees and sunny on a February day in Dallas meant grilling needed to be incorporated into our Sunday dinner. We’ve also been eating a lot of Mexican lately, which I think is sort of like chocolate: the more you eat the more you want. So, grilling + Mexican = fajitas. What kind to make? Steak, because I’m feeling iron-deficient lately. At least I think that’s what it means when you have an overwhelming craving for meat, right?

The key to a good flank steak is a good marinade, and this gives great Mexican flavor. My mom made a similar recipe a few months ago that sparked this idea, and I just modified with a few of my favorite ingredients (Worcestershire, zest of any kind…). For those of you living in the chilly Midwest, you may want to pocket this recipe until you can enjoy it on the patio with a margarita.

Recipe

• 2 lbs flank steak
• ½ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup water
• Zest from one lime (about 1 tablespoon)
• ½ onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 spoonful canned jalapenos (optional)
• ¼ teaspoon each S&P

Mix all the marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag, and add the steak. Marinate for at least 6 hours or overnight.  Remove the steak from the marinade and season with coarse salt.

Heat the grill to high, and grill the steak about 5 minutes per side.  Let sit for about 5 minutes before slicing (thin and across the grain).

Serve on warm tortillas with grilled veggies and sour cream. And guacamole and grilled potatoes.

 

Easy Weeknight Chicken Kabobs

I highly recommend this recipe for all of you working mothers out there - prepare them on Sunday (it takes 3.6 minutes), throw them on the grill Monday when you get home and you have a healthy and delicious meal for your family. I am not a working mother - you need kids to be one - but if I were I would make this every single week. You can make meal this without kids, too.

Recipe

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into two-inch pieces
• 1 onion, quartered and sliced
• 3 bell peppers, any combination, quartered
• 1 lb mushrooms
• 1 bottle Lite Zesty Italian dressing
• 1 lemon

Place the chicken and vegetables in a large Ziploc bag.  Drizzle with juice from lemon, throwing the lemon halves into the bag. Pour in the entire bottle of Zesty Italian dressing. Marinate several hours or overnight.

I like to separate the chicken and vegetables on the kabob skewers, because I like to grill my vegetables a little longer. But, do what you want. I'm not the boss of you.  Grill the chicken skewers for about 8-10 minutes, flipping once. I like the vegetables on there for about 10-15. You might feel a little bit like Super Woman (is that supposed to be one word?) after making this meal, like maybe you CAN do it all. I went back to realizing that I can't the next day, but it felt good while it lasted.

Grilled Filet Mignon with Mushroom Sauce

It's hard to make a good steak better, but this sauce does it. Seriously, we ate it the next day with a spoon. Next time I will make a triple batch. Serve this at your next dinner party - it's so easy!

Recipe

• 1 lb sliced mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 sweet onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup red wine (I used Castle Rock Pinot Noir)
• 3/4 cup beef broth
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• several dashes worcestershire
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Melt the butter over medium heat, then add the onions and cook for several minutes. Add the red wine and let it reduce a bit, then add the mushrooms, beef broth, and worcestershire. Cook for about 10 minutes, bringing to a low simmer, letting it reduce and thicken. Reduce the heat to low, and stir in the heavy cream, rosemary, and pepper. Continue simmering until the sauce thickens. Add more beef broth if you prefer a thinner sauce.

I'll leave the steak grilling up to you, I am no expert. I think we grilled our two 6 oz filets for about 4-5 minutes on each side for medium. Spoon the sauce over the steak, and serve!