1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 red onions, thinly slivered lengthwise
1 1/2 pounds sweet peppers (such as red bell or Gypsy), stemmed, seeded, and slivered lengthwise
1/2 cup ruby Port
1/3 cup drained capers
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
 Salt and freshly ground pepper
12 chicken thighs (6 to 8 oz. each)
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

Hints and Suggestions:
1 cup barbecue sauce for basting the chopped steaks
1 clean basting brush with a long handle
Extra tank cooking gas, if a long weekend OR
Spare bag charcoal briquettes

In a chilled mixing bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, applesauce and pepper. Add ground beef and mix the mixture well. Form into four 3/4 inch thick steaks. Grill steaks on an open grill for 10 to 15 minutes, on medium heat. Turn the steaks once and be sure to brush frequently with additional barbecue sauce. Serve the cooked steaks on warm toasted buns with the shredded lettuce. Serve with additional barbecue sauce if desired. Makes four delicious mouth watering servings. This recipe is a keeper. Enjoy with a glass of fresh brewed iced tea. Happy Eating!

To grill the chicken over indirect heat, first light a charcoal fire using two chimney starters. Then, when the coals are ready, dump them onto one side of the grill.

1 chicken, 4 to 4 1/2 lb.
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup pilsner beer
1 cup barbecue sauce



Prepare a grill for indirect grilling over medium heat (see note above).

Rinse the chicken inside and out with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the chicken with the olive oil, salt and pepper.

Pour the beer into the center cup of a vertical chicken roaster. Place the chicken on the roaster, with the tips of the drumsticks pointing down and away from the body. Set the roaster on the grill, away from the heat, cover the grill and cook for 30 to 40 minutes. Baste the chicken with 1/2 cup of the barbecue sauce, turn the roaster 180 degrees and cover the grill. Continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone, registers 170ºF, 30 to 40 minutes more.

Transfer the chicken to a carving board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Carve the chicken into serving pieces and arrange on a warmed platter. Brush the chicken with the remaining 1/2 cup barbecue sauce and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Authentic dishes aren't always necessarily traditional ones. New twists on old favorites using fresh, natural ingredients often yield delicious dishes. In fact, one reader recently sent us her updated version for pizza saying: "Depending upon your choices for toppings, this can be a very healthy and guilt-free addition to your favorite foods." We certainly agree.

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 8 Portobello mushroom, cleaned with stems removed

Mist or brush both sides of mushroom caps with olive oil. Grill mushroom caps for 4 to 5 minutes, under a lid or foil tent, stem side down. Turn and grill the other side for 4 to 5 minutes under a lid or a foil tent. Fill mushrooms while they are still on the grill with any of the following:

• Pesto sauce
• Roma tomatoes, sliced
• Grated mozzarella cheese
  
  
• Fresh mozzarella cheese slices
• Red pepper rings
• Fresh slivered basil leaves
  
  
• Favorite pasta sauce
• Cooked ground turkey, beef, or soy sausage
• Grated parmesan or soy cheese
  
  
• Crumbled Turkey or Soy Bacon
• Crushed pineapple
• Crushed red pepper
• Provolone cheese slices

Cover mushrooms after they are filled with a foil tent for just a few minutes longer until cheese is bubbling and toppings are heated.

Catfish Tacos with Thai Cabbage Slaw

This Asian twist on fish tacos is a celebration of colors and textures with crisp purple cabbage, bold red onion, creamy green avocado and crunchy orange carrots. The Thai flavors of lime, peanut, chile and a hint of coconut bring new life to a classic. Grilling the fish makes these tacos lighter and healthier than the common battered and fried version.

Serves 6

For the Tacos

• 2 pounds catfish fillets (about 3 fillets)
• oil for the grill
• flour tortillas
• avocado, thinly sliced
• fresh cilantro leaves
• lime wedges

For the Thai Slaw Dressing

• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 2 juicy limes)
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon red chili paste
• 1/2 cup coconut milk, more if needed
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon honey, more to taste
• red pepper flakes (optional)

For the Thai Slaw

• 2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage (about 1/4 to 1/2 of a small cabbage)
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1 daikon radish, shredded
• 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced

To make the Slaw Dressing, whisk fish sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, chili paste, coconut milk and peanut butter together in small pot over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Thin with coconut milk if needed to obtain a sauce that pours easily. Taste and adjust seasoning with honey and red pepper flakes.

To make the Thai Slaw, combine red cabbage, carrots, daikon and red onion in a large bowl. Toss with half of the slaw dressing. Set remaining dressing aside for serving with the tacos.

Preheat grill to medium heat. Rub both sides of fish with a little oil. When grill is hot, use tongs to rub the grate with an oiled paper towel. Grill fish 5 to 7 minutes on each side or until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Meanwhile, wrap a stack of tortillas in foil and place on grill over low heat, turning once while the fish cooks.

When the fish is done, remove it from the grill and cut into pieces. Pile fish in warm tortillas. Top with Thai slaw, sliced avocado, cilantro leaves and extra Thai slaw dressing. Serve with lime wedges.

Nutrition Info

Per serving (About 13oz/About 1 ½ tacos/364g-wt.): 660 calories (330 from fat), 36g total fat, 10g saturated fat, 43g protein, 43g total carbohydrate (7g dietary fiber, 7g sugar), 90mg cholesterol, 790mg sodium

 Cooking spray
4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon rind, divided
2 tablespoons honey mustard
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup whole-wheat couscous
1/4 cup sliced pimiento-stuffed olives
1/4 cup sliced pitted kalamata olives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon pepper

GRILLED STUFFED PORK TENDERLOIN 

FEEDS: 4-6

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• 2 T. canola oil
• 3 C. fresh arugula
• 1/2 C. herbed chevre cheese
• 2 pork tenderloins
• 4 strips bacon

LET'S COOK

Heat the oil in a saute pan, add the arugula, season with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook, tossing frequently, just until it’s wilted. Turn off the heat and stir in the herbed chevre. Set it aside.

Next, lay out the pork tenderloins and butterfly them from end to end. Season a bit with salt and pepper. Divide the chevre mix between the two pieces of pork, then spread the mix from end to end in the very center. Close up the pork, enclosing the chevre mix.

Lay out the bacon and stretch it, pressing and pushing it as you go. Wrap the pork tenders with two strips of bacon each. Secure on either end with toothpicks.

Grill the pork, laying it on it’s side so the open end is not facing down. Cook about 10 minutes per side on a medium high flame. Time depends on your flame and your grill height from the fire. Stay with the items, don’t cover and venture away. When it’s done, remove to a cutting board and allow to sit for at least 5 minutes before slic-ing. Then, remove the toothpick, slice and serve.

MORE IDEAS:

You can substitute baby spinach for the arugula with excellent results.

Vietnam is a grilling nation — ordinary cooks and chefs alike rely on this method daily to cook dishes such as grilled pork with rice noodles or grilled beef with rice paper. A common source of grilling fuel is charcoal made from coconut husks.

Grilling is still closely linked to our earliest history of subsistence and survival, which may explain the somewhat ritualistic nature of much backyard grilling. There's something solemn and ceremonial — but with an undertone of joy — about the preparation for each year's first meal cooked outdoors over direct heat.

And that's what grilling is: cooking food over direct heat, usually with temperatures exceeding 500°F. Small, tender cuts of meat, small whole fish, shellfish and vegetables are best done this way.

Barbecuing, on the other hand, uses much lower temperatures from indirect heat and "smoking" to achieve that delicious smoky flavor. Barbecuing works best for large cuts of meat such as whole pigs or turkeys and for tougher cuts like brisket or spareribs that benefit from long slow cooking.

Indirect grilling is a hybrid method wherein the food is cooked adjacent to the fire or coals but not directly over them. Temperatures range from approximately 350°F to 400°F and wood chips may be used if a smoky flavor is desired. This is a forgiving method best used for smaller, more tender cuts.

True pit cooking is neither grilling nor barbecuing but a method more akin to roasting or steaming.

Learn more about grilling, dry rubs, meat selection and grilling recipes.

Grilling is the original cooking method, most likely appearing shortly after our early ancestors learned how to control fire. Over time, grilling evolved from chunks of meat on a stick held over an open fire to today's more sophisticated gas and charcoal grills. In between came many innovations developed by various cultures around the world.

A Chicago metalworker named George Stephen (who owned a metal working company called Weber) brought grilling into the backyard of Everyman by fashioning the first leisure grill from a harbor buoy. That happy invention, together with the expansion of suburbs and the American middle class after World War II, served to firmly establish grilling as a family food ritual.

Afghanistan sits astride a confluence of ancient trading routes connecting the Middle East, central Asia, eastern Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Grilling is important in all those areas so it's no surprise that it is central to Afghan cooking. Lamb, quail and chicken are common grilling fare, usually with yogurt based marinades that include onion, garlic, chiles and cumin. Grilled meals are often accompanied by thin chewy bread, nutty rice pilaf, pickles and coriander sauce.

Argentina has perfected Asado, a ranch-style pit barbecue in which whole goats and beef sides are slowly cooked over charcoal in a covered pit. Grilled rare beef steaks, called Parilla, are also popular in this country with a cowboy, or gaucho, culture. Such meals are commonly accompanied by salads, salsa criollo (onion and tomato relish) and chimichurri, an olive oil-based condiment with dried oregano, hot pepper flakes, salt and pepper, that can also include fresh parsley, garlic and wine vinegar.

Brazil has a culinary tradition known as Churrassco. Meaning rustic or simple, it evokes a gustatory nostalgia for meat cooked on a sword over an open fire, a sharp knife to slice it and seasoned only with sea salt. Restaurants specializing in this type of food use large rotisseries in which the fatty cuts are on the top tier so the melting fat flavors the leaner cuts below. Huge portions are common.

India is the country most frequently associated with Tandoori cooking in the minds of Westerners, though it was, and still is, a method used broadly from the Middle East to the Indian subcontinent. It's an indirect form of grilling in large clay urns that are heated up to 800°F with wood or charcoal and used to bake bread and cook casseroles as well as meat. The meat is generally marinated with vinegar, tamarind or lemon juice seasoned with ginger, garlic and spice mixtures called masala. It's then cooked on long metal skewers lowered vertically into the urn where juices drip onto the foods below increasing flavor.

Indonesia, along with Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, are known for the miniature kebabs called saté, also spelled satay. There are hundreds of different kinds depending on the region but generally saté is a thin bamboo skewer loaded with strips or balls of meat or fish that are often marinated before being grilled. Typical marinades include dark soy sauce with lime juice, sugar, garlic and local seasonings. Peanut-based dipping sauces are common accompaniments.

Jamaica's jerk has earned world fame as a uniquely flavored barbecue featuring pork or chicken. The meat is washed with lime juice or vinegar, marinated in a fiery concoction of Scotch bonnet chiles and a host of spices that includes allspice, a main component of jerk's flavor. The meat is traditionally cooked on a makeshift grill of sticks cut from the Allspice tree (Pimenta dioica) that are placed between cinderblocks over a shallow trough containing a smoldering, smoky fire. The sticks burn in the process, lending their own smoky flavor to the meat. Jerk is often eaten with a simple fritter made from flour, cornmeal and sugar, and breadfruit cooked in the coals.

Japan has two grilling traditions. Robatayaki is a haute cuisine style normally found in more exclusive restaurants that use tiny hibachi-style charcoal or gas grills to cook meat, eggs, seafood, vegetables, nuts — you name it! Yakitori parlors are small, informal eateries — a combination café and bar that serves cheap, quick meals on skewers such as chicken and eggplant grilled over charcoal on long narrow troughs. The beverage is usually beer and the emphasis is on healthy small portions with minimal fat content.

Mexico is a primary source of barbacoa, an early form of grilling that evolved into today's celebrated American barbecue - a unique cultural and culinary phenomenon. The original meaning of the word — a wooden structure used for drying or roasting meat — is still accurate in areas of the Caribbean and Central and South America where this method is used to cook fish, meat, vegetables and tortillas.

Morocco claims great versatility in the use of grilling. Kebabs, sausages, roasts, seafood, stews, tagines and bread are all routinely cooked on or in a grill of some kind. It's the preferred method for quick and casual meals. One feature of open grilling is chunks of lamb alternated with lamb tail fat on skewers which allows the fat to melt and flare up in the fire, flavoring the meat. Mechoule is the haute cuisine of Moroccan grilling, wherein whole lambs are split and cooked in a wood-fired clay oven situated below ground.

SOY GRILLED VIDALIAS

Onions are higher carb than most vegetables. On the other hand, they're extremely nutritious and taste incredibly good - and certainly aren't as high carb as, say, a potato. So Dana grills some onions bus the watches her portions.

2 large Vidalia onions
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp. Splenda

Peel your onions and slice them pretty thickly - about 1/2-inch or a little thicker. Mix together everything else. Lay your onion slices in a grill basket, or on a small-holed grill rack over a medium fire. Baste them with the soy sauce mixture, and grill them until they're limp, with brown spots; then serve.

Yield: If you can bring yourself to share these between 6 people, each of you will get 4 grams of carbohydrate and 1 gram of fibre, for a usable carb count of 3 grams; 1 gram protein.

Note: You may find that your slices fall apart into individual rings when you turn them. If this bothers you, here's a trick: before slicing your onions, pierce them with wooden or bamboo skewers (soak them in water for at least 1/2 hour first) a half-inch apart, then slice between the skewers. Your slices will come out neatly skewered across the rings, for easy turning.

MINI VEGETABLE BURGERS

These tasty mini burgers in a crispy coating are bursting with fresh vegetables and flavored with Gruyère cheese.

2 medium potatoes (do not peel)
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped broccoli florets
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup washed and finely chopped white part of a leek
1 cup chopped button mushrooms
1 cup frozen or canned corn
1 teaspoon soy sauce
3/4 cup grated Gruyère cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Seasoned all-purpose flour (flour mixed with a little salt and pepper)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup bread crumbs
Vegetable oil for frying
15 mini buns
Lettuce
Ketchup

Cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling water for 25 to 30 minutes, then peel and grate. Meanwhile, melt the butter and sauté the onion for about 3 minutes. Add the broccoli, carrot, leek, and mushrooms, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the grated potato, corn, soy sauce, cheese, parsley, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste. Form the mixture into 15 mini burgers, coat with flour, dip in the beaten egg, and then dip in the bread crumbs. Dip in the egg once again and then coat with another layer of bread crumbs to make a crispy coating for the burgers. Sauté in a small amount of oil in a skillet until crisp and golden on both sides. Serve on their own or in mini buns with a little lettuce and ketchup.

Makes 15 mini burgers.

Tip: Onions and leeks have a protective action on the circulatory system that helps to prevent blood clots. With children eating more and more junk food, fatty deposits in the arteries can now be found in even the youngest of children, and in later life these deposits may lead to heart disease, as will arterial blood clots. When fat deposits and blood clots break loose and clog the arteries, the result is a heart attack or stroke.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Let stand 30 minutes before serving. Serve over grilled fish or grilled chicken.

Serving Size

Makes 2 cups.

Marty dear, these recipe's are looking so good...and thanks for the grilling and handling of food tips...very very importent...Thank you!

Hugs, Jandi

 [ send green star]

2. Remove skin and eyes and cut pineapple into 1/4-inch dice. Combine with remaining ingredients and refrigerate a few hours.

Cooking Tip
As with so many dishes that involve chile peppers, add the smaller quantity to begin with, and then let the dish sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Taste again to determine if you can tolerate more heat.

Picnics and outdorr grilling can be lots of fun as long as you plan for the situation. You can't be too careful when handling and packaging food for cooking and eating outdoors. Summer heat increases the chance of bacterial growth in foods, and bacteria are more likely to grow in foods that are high in protein and moisture — meats, poultry, seafood, dairy products and egg dishes. Here are some helpful reminders on how to keep your food safe and tasty.

Here are a few more tips to help keep your food safe:

• A well insulated cooler packed with ice or reusable cold paks is a fine alternative to a refrigerator.
• Make sure the foods you pack in the cooler, whether purchased or made at home, have been kept below 40°F.
• Open the cooler as infrequently as possible to retain cold air.
• Although it may look nice to set all of the food out on the picnic table, it is safer to leave cold foods in the cooler until right before eating.
• Wash your hand thoroughly before and after handling food. Clean your cutting surfaces and utensils with hot, soapy water after each use.
• Thaw and marinate meats, poultry and seafood in the refrigerator - not at room temperature.
• Cook meat, poultry, and seafood thoroughly. Don't start to cook, then stop, intending to finish later, as bacteria grow faster in partially cooked food.
• Eat hot, grilled foods immediately and serve on clean plates.
• Any food that has been left out on a picnic table or in a cooler with melting ice for more than 2 hours must be discarded.

• Don't cross-contaminate. When cutting raw meats, be sure to keep their juices away from other food.
• After cutting raw meats always wash hands, cutting boards, knives, and counter tops with hot, soapy water.
• Sanitize cutting boards regularly and consider designating a special cutting board.
• Thaw and marinate meats, poultry and seafood in the refrigerator — not at room temperature.
• Cook meat, poultry, and seafood thoroughly. Don't start to cook and then stop, intending to finish later, as bacteria grow faster in partially cooked food.
• When taking food off the grill, always use a clean plate. Never put cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat.
• Eat hot grilled foods immediately and serve on clean plates.
• Bacteria grows rapidly at room temperature, so never leave food out for over 2 hours. If outdoor temperature is above 90°F, do not leave food out longer than 1 hour.

Cooking Temperatures for Natural Meat
We highly recommend that you cook all meat thoroughly to kill any harmful bacteria. This does not mean that you have to cook the meat until it is dry and tough.

• Ground beef, lamb and pork: 160°F
• Ground poultry: 165°F
• Beef roasts and steaks: (at least) 145°F; (for medium) 160°F
• Pork chops, roasts and tenderloin: 160°F
• Poultry: 180°F

How to use an instant read thermometer
Insert the thermometer into the middle of the thickest part of the meat being careful not to touch bone. Wait a couple of minutes before reading. For whole poultry, insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh.

Don't Hold the Mayo!

Many people are uneasy about eating chicken salad, potato salad, and similar dishes at summer picnics because they have heard that foods made with mayonnaise are the most likely ones to cause food poisoning. And somehow, the mayo has gotten the blame for this problem.

Scientists have shown, however, that adding mayonnaise to food does not make it more dangerous, because the acid in the mayonnaise can actually prevent or slow the growth of bacteria that cause food poisoning. Mixed foods, like chicken salad, probably get their bad reputation simply because they are handled a lot during preparation, and this can contaminate them with bacteria.

To prevent bacterial food poisoning, the basic rule is to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Perishable foods (with or without mayonnaise) may not be safe to eat if they have been held at temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit (4-60 degrees Celsius) for more than two hours. In very hot weather, over 90 degrees Fahrenheit, that time should be reduced to one hour.

One practical way to keep foods safe for a summer picnic is to keep them in a cooler with ice or reusable cold packs until you are ready to eat. If you use ice, remember to pack the food in tight containers or plastic bags to prevent the food from getting wet when the ice begins to melt.

If you are taking hamburgers or other raw meat to a cookout, the meat should be placed in a cooler and kept separate from other foods. Uncooked meats contain relatively large numbers of bacteria, some of which could be harmful. Fortunately, the bacteria that commonly cause food poisoning are sensitive to heat. Therefore, proper and thorough cooking will most often kill them, making the meat safe to eat. These bacteria can cause problems, however, if they cross-contaminate other foods, such as salads, which will not be cooked prior to being eaten.

Although one doesn't often think of handwashing at a picnic, bacteria and viruses are no respectors of vacation or leisure-time activities. If no handwashing facilities will be available, take pre-moistened towels with hand soap added, and fresh ones for 'rinsing'. These precautions are particularly important for those who prepare and handle the food!

so let's grill one....

Grilled Banana Split with Simple Chocolate Sauce

Keep the embers hot and the party aglow with this twist on the classic summertime treat. Kids will enjoy helping with preparation and adults will appreciate the subtle orange cinnamon flavor of marinated and grilled fruit. It's a party!

Serves 4

• 4 ripe bananas
• 8 large strawberries
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 tsp unbleached cane sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• Good quality vanilla ice cream
• real chocolate sauce (to make your own, see below)
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• real whipped cream (optional)
  
  Simple Chocolate Sauce
  
• 4 TB unbleached cane sugar
• 4 TB unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup water
• 2 TB butter (optional)
• 1/2 tsp real vanilla extract

Prepare the sauce:
Combine the sugar and cocoa powder in a small saucepan. Blend with a little of the water until smooth, then stir in the remainder of the water. Bring the mixture to boil, reduce heat and then continue to simmer for five minutes to reduce and thicken slightly. Remove from heat, stir in butter until melted. Stir in vanilla and serve.

Prepare the Banana Split:
Leaving skin on, wash bananas thoroughly, then cut in half crosswise and then again lengthwise, ending up with four pieces from each banana. Cut strawberries in half to make two pieces from each.

Whisk together orange juice, cane sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add bananas and strawberries and toss gently to coat. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes or up to 3 hours.

Grill bananas and strawberries cut-side down over medium-low heat about 2 or 3 minutes. Remove strawberries and set aside. Turn bananas over and continue cooking skin side down about 5 more minutes or until the skin pulls away from the banana.

Remove skins from bananas and place 4 pieces into each serving bowl. Top with ice cream, then sauce, then whipped cream. Place 4 pieces of grilled strawberry on top. Garnish with chopped nuts.

Marty Dahling...this cost a fortune...but you are worth it.....I will have it installed immediately.... It was the most expensive...and has more thingys then you may ever use...but knowing you..you will use it all!....Much Love and Use it in Good Health!....Have the men delivering it, make sure it is set up immediately!  Grilling Classes can begin as soon as you wish! 

ta ta....off to the Chef's Elite Uniform Association to order your beautiful monogramed uniforms!

 [ send green star]