Tag: BBQ

Tuscan Style Grilled Tuna Steaks

Since our local supermarket had some great looking tuna steaks, we had to buy them. Both of us like tuna tartare (yes, the raw stuff) but we wanted to try grilling the steaks. The result was great!  This is perfect for a small get together over the long weekend, which is why I am posting this early this week!

Tuscan-Style Grilled Tuna Steaks
As seen on Food Network with Rachael Ray

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 12 min

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 fresh tuna steaks, 8 ounces each, 1-inch thick
1 lemon, zested
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, about 2 tablespoons leaves stripped from stem
Handful flat leaf parsley
3 cloves garlic, crushed
Coarse salt and black pepper or grill seasoning
Extra-virgin olive oil, for cooking

Rinse and pat tuna steaks dry. Place zest on top of cutting board. Pile rosemary and parsley leaves on top of zest. Pile garlic and some coarse salt and black pepper or grill seasoning on top of herbs. Finely chop the garlic, herbs, and spices. Drizzle the olive oil over the tuna steaks just enough to coat each side. Rub herb and garlic mixture into fish, coating pieces evenly on each side. Let stand 10 minutes.

Grill tuna steaks 6 minutes on each side or 4 minutes on each side, if you prefer pink tuna at the center. Cook steaks over: high setting on indoor electric grill, medium high heat on outdoor gas grill or, 6 inches from hot, prepared charcoal.

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Chinese Chicken Hoisin Pizza

I first came across this recipe several years ago. I have to admit that I love Hoisin Sauce which you will find in the Oriental section of any grocery store (even in Mexico). If you buy  some flatbread or a prepared crust and those precooked chicken strips, this recipe is K.I.S.S.  Cooking it on the BBQ keeps the kitchen from heating up!

VEGAN friends…you can substitute your favourite grilled tofu for the chicken!

Chinese Chicken Hoisin Pizza

  • Prepared pizza dough (or your favourite flatbread)
  • 2 T oil
  • 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
  • 2 grilled skinless chicken breasts
  • 4 onions finely sliced
  • 2/3 cup cilantro leaves
  • 1/3 cup red pepper in paper thin strips
  • 1 cup mozzarella
make it
Roll out dough if using fresh. Brush with olive oil. Place directly in center of BBQ for 1-3 minutes. Flip over and spread hoisin sauce, chicken, onions, cilantro and pepper. Sprinkle cheese over top. Move off heat and grill 5-10 minutes with lid closed.
OR
Brush flatbread or prepared crust with oil and brown one side on BBQ. Flip over and spread ingredients. Close lid and grill until cheese melts.
Salt and pepper to taste.

BBQ Shrimp with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce

Life can be a bummer sometime when your main computer dies and that is where all of your recipes are! Fortunately I was able to go to my Canadian Living Recipe Box site and pull this recent one up for you. If you have never used an online recipe box they are great. When we were in California I could pull out my recipes from the various sites. Primarily I use Kraft Foods and Canadian Living.
This great holiday appetizer recipe comes from Canadian Living Magazine (see note at the bottom). I did these on the stove top grill and they were great, just turn halfway through cooking.

Ingredients

  • 2 lb raw jumbo shrimp , (about 18) peeled and deveined
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tsp grated lime rind
  • 4 tsp lime juice
  • 2 tsp Asian hot chili sauce (I use Sambal Oelek chili paste which is in the Oriental section at Super Centre or Saveway  in Canada)
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Preparation

Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce: In saucepan, bring vinegar, sugar, 2 tbsp (25 mL) water, lime rind and juice, hot sauce and garlic to boil over medium-high heat. Whisk cornstarch with 1 tbsp (15 mL) water; whisk into pan and boil until thickened, about 1 minute. Set aside. (Make-ahead: Let cool; refrigerate in airtight container for up to 2 days.) Stir in coriander.

In large bowl, toss shrimp with oil and half of the sauce; let stand for 10 minutes. Place shrimp on greased grill over medium-high heat; close lid and grill, turning once, until pink, about 6 minutes. Serve hot with remaining sauce for dipping. Source : Canadian Living Magazine: September 2006; Get

Baked Beans/Frijoles canadienses

Had a great BBQ at the beach home of our friends Cindy and Dan and about 20 people. These beans were a hit with the Yucatecans as well. I have made them many times before at home in Canada too with the same raves…here is the recipe…

Frijoles Canadienses…

1 medium white onion finely chopped

3 cans (16 oz.) Heinz or Bush brand beans with sauce.* (see note below)

½ lb. smoked bacon unsliced**(see note below)

1/3 cup ketchup

2 T molasses (available at Chedraui Norte & Pacsadeli in Merida)

2 T brown sugar

1 T cider vinegar

½ tsp. dry mustard (Coleman’s)

¼ tsp. thyme

¼ tsp. ginger

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

 

Slice the bacon into small chunks the size of Chiclets or a little bigger. Fry until not too crispy. Mix all of the ingredients in the cooking container and stir well.

If cooking in the microwave, use a Corning ware casserole dish with a cover. Cook covered 10 to 15 minutes on high.

My preference is to use the slow cooker! Mix all ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours, stirring every half hour or so. The beans will then thicken up!

  • In Mexico I use cans of frijoles churros and NOT bajos! You can find BUSH beans at Chedraui or Pacsadeli…
  • Also in Mexico, I use the Peñaranda brand – Tocino Ahumado  en trozo available at Superama in Merida. Cut it up the size of Chiclets as well or a little larger depending on your preference.

 

 

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork – KISS

This recipe is so easy, a child could do it. Well, in fact my daughter gave me this one…LOL. I am setting up a category – KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid..these will always be very simple recipes with minimal ingredients and prep time. These will be great recipes for the summer ahead!

My daughter used this on some wonderful onion buns, but more recently we used it to make soft tacos. If you do the latter, accompany it with some shredded lettuce, grated cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese, chopped onions, some different salsas, sour cream, cilantro, etc. Let everyone fix their own…

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

2 to 4 pork tenderloins with the silver and fat removed as much as possible (I used 6 loins for 45 people).

1 can of Coca-Cola  (use enough to cover all of the pork)

1 cup of BBQ sauce…whatever your favorite is…

cloves of garlic (to taste)

Cut slits in the tenderloins and insert the garlic cloves (as many as you want)

Put loins in slow cooker and pour over them the Coke and BBQ sauce.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

In the last hour use two forks to pull the pork apart and return it to the cooker to soak up some juices.

Serve immediately with buns or tacos.

Can be made ahead and rewarmed in a low oven for about 30 minutes.

Gee I wonder how this would work with boneless chicken breasts??? Maybe use a bit of Chinese Hoisin Sauce?