Labor Day Weekend and more

I was a busy man in the kitchen this weekend.

Last weekend we celebrated my daughter's 2nd birthday. I made "carne asada" flavored grilled chicken for the taco bar we served. I had all 3 grills going for this one.



This weekend I made tri-tip, corn on the cob and a special dessert I have been wanting to try (more about that later). I was going to make my own marinade but then I saw this  at the store and it had the same basic ingredient list so I gave it a try. I added salt and garlic pepper right before tossing on the grill. I did these indirectly (not directly over the coals). And because they were already sliced tri-tip they didn't take long to cook. I seared them off a touch at the end over the coals and then let them rest for about 10 minutes.




That was some really good tri-tip I must say. For a prepared sauce, it was very good with tri-tip.

I also made a desert...chocolate brownie torte with white chocolate mouse and caramelized bananas. Yes that sounds rich, and it was but it was soooooo good.

First I melted bittersweet and 90% cocoa chocolate with some butter to make the brownie. Mixed that in with eggs, flour and vanilla to make the brownie batter. Baked it for about 15 minutes and set aside to cool. Meanwhile I beat some egg whites, whipping cream and melted white chocolate in a pan with whipping cream. Mixed them all together and poured the mouse on top of the brownie. Set it in the fridge overnight to cool and solidify.




The next day I sliced some bananas, tossed with sugar and lemon juice and broiled them on a sheet pan to caramelize (about 3 minutes). When they were cooled off, I put them on top of the mouse and drizzled chocolate sauce (melted bittersweet with cream and a simple syrup) on top to serve.





This dessert is a bit of work but definitely worth it. This was my first time making something like this or using these techniques so I had to redo the sauce a couple times to get it right.

Hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend.

I also stocked up on charcoal this weekend...Lowes had a good deal. 30 some bags of charcoal out to be enough right? 

Happy Labor Day weekend to everyone!

Moroccan Grilled Chicken and Rice

Back in the kitchen tonight!

Tonight I made grilled Moroccan chicken with baked rice. Last night I made a harissa (toasted caraway seed, coriander seed, cumin seed, olive oil, garlic, cracked red pepper, and lime juice) and marinaded the chicken in that overnight.

For the rice I sauteed whole almonds, onion, bell pepper, carrots and cinnamon in grape seed oil. once the veggies were cooked I added in the uncooked rice for about a minute coating the rice with the oil. I then added in chicken stock and some cayenne pepper and brought to a boil. Once it started boiling I transferred the rice mixture to a baking pan and put in the oven for 45 minutes.




Meanwhile I grilled the chicken on the grill....seared on direct heat and then indirect heat for about 30 minutes.



I served it with steamed green beans.



The flavor on the chicken was fantastic. The rice was good but need a touch of seasoning.

Yum!

Braised Pork with Sweet Mustard Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

Friday night fun times in the kitchen.

Tonight I made Braised pork with a sweet mustard sauce, served with mashed tators and green beans.

I started off with some salt and garlic pepper on the chops, and then pan seared them till they had a nice brown exterior. Then removed the chops and set aside.



In the same pan, I added apple juice and de-glazed the pan. I then added soy sauce, brown sugar, dijon mustard, splash of hot sauce and rosemary. Let the sauce simmer a bit and then added the pork back into the pan. I covered the pork with apple slices and some onion, and sprinkled with honey. I tossed the whole pan into the oven @400 for about 15 minutes.



I then removed from the oven and removed the pork chops from the pan. The remaining sauce and apple slices i returned to a boil to reduce.



And here is the final product. The sauce was pretty damn tasty. The pork came out a tad overcooked and I think the reason was that the pan was not hot enough when I seared it, and therefore cooked too much at that point. It still tasted good, just not perfect.



Enjoy!

Chicken with creamy mushroom sauce served on pasta

Tonight I was originally going to make braised pork chops, but when our dinner guests canceled I decided I didn't need to make that much food.

Since it was just me and the wife (and the kids) I made chicken with a creamy mushroom sauce, and pasta.

The chicken was already cut into chunks for a stir fry so I just seasoned with salt and pepper and pan fried them in some butter and olive oil, and a touch of lemon juice. When they were browned I took the chicken out of the pan and set aside.



In the same pan added more butter and tossed in mushrooms and onions, salt and pepper. I had chopped up some garlic but totally forgot to put it in (next time!). Saute the veggies until they are browned. Added a bit of flour and let it thicken a little. I then added some white wine, chicken stock and whole milk (I didnt have any cream). Let the sauce thicken up some, added some thyme.




Served on some pasta with a fresh tomato slice on top for a little color and flavor.



Not too shabby. Next time the garlic needs to go in the mix and some cream would help get that nice creamy flavor. Very simple to make so give it a try!

Homemade Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese

So this week on Masterchef, the contestants had to make Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese. The entire show all I could think of was, I want some.

So today for lunch I decided to use up the rest of our tomatoes and make some soup. I diced up the tomatoes, onion, allspice and boiled in chicken stock for about 20 minutes. I then put that in a food processor to puree.




Meanwhile in the pan I made a roux with some butter and flour, and then poured in the soup mixture. Added salt and sugar to taste.

I had some day old bolilo bread so I used that for the sandwich. Spread some butter, mozarella, and basil and grilled them until the cheese melted.



The soup turned out ok. It could use some refinement and a little more flavor. I think the onion flavor overshadowed the tomato. It still was tasty and hit the spot today!

Vietnamese Grilled Chicken w/ Cucumber Salad

So for Father's day I wanted to grill. My day, I grill...

And I wanted to do something I have never done before. SO I chose Vietnamese grilled chicken and cucumber salad.

The chicken was marinaded in soy sauce, fish sauce, coconut milk, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, brown sugar and onion all blended together until smooth. Let the chicken marinade for about an hour (more would have been even better).

The cucumber salad was simply sliced english cucumber, rice vinegar, brown sugar, onion, and corn oil (+salt). Mix it together and toss it in the fridge to chill.

I then removed the chicken from the marinade and put on the grill over direct heat to sear it. After searing both sides I moved to cooler part of the grill to continue cooking. Meanwhile I put the corn on the cob (buttered and wrapped in foil) over the flames and cooked them until the chicken was done, rotating every so often to keep from burning.

Served with rice this is one easy meal and very tasty. The chicken is delish with the cucumber salad.

Highly rated (30 minute meal if you cut down the marinade time)

Happy Father's Day!

Memorial Weekend Pics

Since I am just too lazy to make official posts, here are some pics of the food...

Pulled Pork:

Burgers and Brats: (in the smoker of course)

BBQ Sauce: