Category: On the Grille (Page 13 of 15)

      Quick and easy grilling

      April 10, 2011 /

      Okay, so it’s 82 degrees here in Wisconsin on April 10. Of course, it’s not going to stay that way for long, and a cold front is about to collide with the warm air and created strong storms. Yikes. It’s a windy 82, but then again, true warm weather is not far away, and that means it’ll be time to fire up the grill. Here are some quick and easy grilling recipes I posted on Grub For Guys a few years back…..enjoy!

      Are you tired of grilling steaks (okay maybe that’s a stretch), burgers and hot dogs? Well, here are a few items good for summer grilling that you may or may not have experimented with before. As always, a Corona or two or three is always good for your left hand while your right hand flips the food. Each recipe serves four, or two really hungry guys.

      *Note: A lot of my published recipes don’t exactly fall into the realm of health food, but most commercial marinades are loaded with sugar and high fructose corn syrup. And when you can make your own from scratch as easily as this, then why not do it?

      Tasty Chicken Skewers
      Ingredients
      4 chicken breast halves, cut into one-inch chunks
      ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
      2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
      2 garlic cloves, minced
      1 tsp. dried oregano
      ½ tsp. kosher salt
      ¼ tsp. ground black pepper

      Directions
      Combine all ingredients in a large zip-lock bag and add chicken. Marinate in refrigerator for one hour. Divide chicken chunks between four skewers. Grill over medium-high heat until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

      Oriental Pork Chops
      Ingredients
      4 medium bone-in pork chops
      2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
      2 Tbsp. soy sauce
      2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
      1 garlic clove, minced
      1 tsp. minced ginger (from the jar is fine)
      ¼ tsp. kosher salt
      ¼ tsp. ground black pepper

      Directions
      Combine all marinade ingredients (everything but chops) in a large zip-lock bag and shake to combine. Add chops, and marinate in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Grill over medium-high heat for about four minutes per side or until pork is no longer pink in the center.

      Grilled Shrimp
      Ingredients
      20 raw shrimp, cleaned and de-veined
      cooking spray
      Cajun seasoning
      Salt
      Pepper
      Cayenne pepper

      Directions
      After cleaning shrimp, divide them between four skewers and spray lightly with cooking spray. Then sprinkle spices on both sides. Grill over medium-high heat for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until the shrimp are opaque white in color.

      Sides
      If you really want to get to know your grill, try cooking vegetables or even fruit. Good and easy vegetable choices are thickly sliced zucchini, potatoes, or bell pepper. For fruit, try grilling banana halves (while still in the skin) or peach halves. Be sure to spray any of those modestly and remember that cooking times for these items are generally much quicker than for meats.

      Food on a Budget, Healthy, Ingredients, On the Grille, Recipes, Tailgating, Your Kitchen

      Peanut butter banana burger (and beer greens)

      April 4, 2011 /

      This was one that I posted last year on Grub for Guys and with grilling season just around the corner, I thought it would be a good time to bring it back out. It’s sort of a tribute to Elvis, but mostly a tribute to those who like peanut butter and burgers and don’t mind trying them together. Enjoy!

      Making a good burger is an art form. There are so many variations now, and so many different meats to use to make burgers, we could spend days talking about them. Well let’s stop talking and start grilling. Here is a unique Elvis-style burger that tasted better than I even expected it to.

      Peanut Butter and Banana Burger
      I’ve come to learn that peanut butter and bananas really do go well together. And while you might think putting them on a burger is weird, think again. The flavors complement each other to create something unique and if I do say, pretty awesome.

      Ingredients
      1 pound ground beef
      4 good hamburger buns, sliced
      Kosher salt
      2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
      ¼ cup finely diced pineapple
      ¼ cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
      2 bananas

      Directions
      Slice bananas in half length-wise and spray or brush with vegetable or canola oil. Grill over medium high heat for 1-2 minutes per side. Cut into 2-3 inch slices. Combine beef with cilantro and pineapple, and form into four patties. Sprinkle with salt, and grill for 3-4 minutes per side or until desired doneness. Toast buns on grill for 30 seconds or so if desired. To assemble, spread 1 Tbsp. peanut butter on both sides (1/2 Tbsp. per side) of buns. Lay banana slices on bottom half and place burger on top of bananas, and bun top over that. Hide the ketchup, because….well, it doesn’t really mix with peanut butter. Serves 4.

      Beer Greens
      Does the thought of making greens like collard greens, turnip greens, kale or chard scare you? It scared me too, but I learned how to do it and to flavor them the way a man should flavor his green vegetables—with beer. This recipe is a good side to any burger or chicken.

      Ingredients
      1 bunch greens, washed and coarsely chopped (kale works best for this recipe)
      1 medium onion, diced
      1-2 garlic cloves, minced
      2 slices deli ham, diced (about 1/3 cup)
      2 Tbsp. olive oil
      1 12 oz. bottle of beer
      Hot sauce to taste
      Kosher salt and pepper to taste

      Directions
      Heat olive oil in large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. When you feel the heat if you place your hand about three inches from the pan, add onion and garlic. Sautee until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add ham and continue cooking for about 1 minute. Add greens and stir until they cook down, about 2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper, then beer. Lower heat to medium-low, and cover. Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add hot sauce to taste and more salt and pepper if necessary, and serve. Serves 4.

      Ingredients, On the Grille, Recipes, Your Kitchen

      Kitchen Sink Lazy Saturday Sandwich

      March 28, 2011 /

      Okay, it wasn’t exactly a lazy Saturday but I was at home writing this past Saturday around noon, and my wife called to say she was on her way home from running some errands with our 3-year old in tow. And that she was hungry. Now, we have both been watching what we eat more often than we’d like to be, but I had gone grocery shopping and shopped when I was hungry. That mean I bought lots of bad stuff….i.e. good stuff. So I asked her….”no restrictions on lunch?” She said, to my delight, “No restrictions.”

      So I whipped up my own version of a a sandwich I had read about somewhere else. I took two perfect sub rolls and cut them in half. I sliced up some red pepper and some onion and fried them in olive oil for about 10 minutes on medium low so they would start to caramelize. I took some white American cheese and put slices down on the bottom half of the rolls. I slid the peppers and onions over and added about six thin slices of maple ham to the pan and fried them until brown but not so well-done that they were like bacon (not that there is anything wrong with bacon, but we wanted softer ham for this). I put the ham on top of the cheese on each bun.

      Then I sprayed another nonstick pan with cooking spray and when it was hot, cracked four eggs into the pan. I flipped the eggs gently after the white started to set, and then removed from heat after about 30 more seconds.

      Then I put some peppers and onions on each bun, and topped each with two eggs, still intact, and broke each yolk onto the sandwich. I think my wife’s words were, “This is f–king delicious.” Yeah, no rules, just good food. We were not hungover, but I believe this would be a monster sandwich to eat when hung over. Or just if you’re really, really hungry for lunch or even breakfast. Or late at night…or hey, anytime!

      Note: We were so hungry that we forgot to take a photo, so the one above is a replacement until we make these kickass sandwiches again.

      Ingredients, On the Grille, Recipes, Your Kitchen

      Steak and Potatoes 2

      March 21, 2011 /

      Spring is here, and oddly enough, it’s even warm enough here in Wisconsin to fire up the grill. In my case, our grill was destroyed, knocked over by the blizzard of 2011 in early February, so we have to buy a new one. So until then, we have to use an indoor grill pan, which really is not the same thing but does the job in a pinch. But I digress. What follows are a couple of recipes that are perfect for this time of year–it’s cold enough outside where you don’t mind firing up the oven, and therefore making my twice baked potatoes. But it’s definitely warm enough to grill outside with a light jacket. Well, unless you live in Arizona or Texas or Florida. Anyway, here are those recipes that I published on Bullz-Eye’s Grub for Guys a couple years back:

      Flank Steak with Grilled Tomato Salsa/Twice Baked Potatoes
      We started this series with a basic grilled steak, baked potato and grilled asparagus. Now, we’re back with a couple of recipes that take seriously a dude’s craving for red meat and white potatoes, with a bit more difficulty than the first recipes we gave you. After all, you should be an intermediate chef by now, right? Anyway, grilling season is year-round in some places, such as here in Tennessee. So let’s get to it……

      Flank Steak with Grilled Tomato Salsa
      Ingredients:
      1 flank steak, 1.5 pounds or so
      6-8 small plum tomatoes
      1 thick slice onion
      Cooking spray
      1 Tbsp. olive oil
      2 tsp. Red wine vinegar
      ½ tsp. sugar
      Kosher salt and pepper to taste

      Directions:
      Preheat your grill or grill pan. Sprinkle steak on both sides with salt and pepper and set aside. Spray the tomatoes and onion slice with cooking spray, salt and pepper. Grill over medium high heat, turning a few times (try hard to keep that onion together!). Once they become tender and slightly charred, remove from grill. Put steak on grill while you make salsa. When tomatoes have cooled slightly, cut off the stem end. Place tomatoes, onion, olive oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper to taste in a blender and pulse a few times until it resembles a chunky salsa. Meanwhile, grill steak for about 4-5 minutes per side for medium (a little less if you like it rare-medium rare, a little more if you like it well done). Let steak rest on a platter for about 5 minutes before slicing into ¼ inch strips on the diagonal. Serve with the salsa on the side. Serves 3-4

      Twice Baked Potatoes
      Ingredients:
      2 large baking potatoes (Idaho is best)
      ¼ cup milk (skim or low fat is fine but whole milk is best)
      ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
      2-3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
      ½ tsp. salt
      ¼ tsp. pepper
      Snipped or dried chives (optional)

      Directions:
      Preheat your oven or toasted oven to 450 degrees. Rinse and scrub dirt off of potatoes, pat dry, then pierce a few times with a fork before placing in the oven. Roast, turning once, for one hour. (Once again, I have to advise against microwaved potatoes or foil-wrapped….you want a crispy skin, don’t you?) When cool enough to handle, cut the potatoes in half, and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Put the skins back in the oven to brown for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, add the milk, butter, cheese, salt, pepper and optional chives to the potato flesh. If the mixture appears too dry, add a few more drops of milk or shreds of cheese. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins and bake for another 15 minutes or until brown on top and warmed through. Serves 4, or 2 hungry dudes.

      Healthy, Ingredients, On the Grille, Recipes, Tailgating, Your Kitchen

      5 things you should eat on St. Patrick’s Day

      March 14, 2011 /

      It creeps up quickly, the start of spring does. And with it, comes a hint of warmth in the air, NCAA March Madness, South by Southwest, and of course, St. Patrick’s Day. And while we all like a good pint of Guiness or other beer of choice on this Irish-inspired holiday, it also brings to mind a few choice food items. Well, it does in my mind, and this is a food blog, so let’s talk about the 5 things you should eat on St. Patrick’s Day:

      1. Corned beef and cabbage–Well, duh. But we have to mention it, because it’s the gold standard of St. Patty’s Day fare. And it’s really simple, assuming you work from home or have a few hours to let it simmer. Here is a basic corned beef and cabbage recipe from Food Network, but you will likely find the same premise for cooking corned beef anywhere on the Web.

      Chef Jim2. Variations of corned beef and cabbage–This would include the classic Reuben sandwich, and I posted a recipe for a grilled version on Bullz-Eye.com’s Grub for Guys last year. I also posted related recipes right here on Mikey’s Kitchen the last few days for Braised Cabbage with Guinness, and for Corned Beef Meatballs.

      3. Irish Stew–There are so many great Irish stew recipes out there, so here is a link that will help you narrow your search down a bit, and one that includes different variations on this classic dish. I should mention, however, that traditional Irish stew is made with lamb. That said, here is my own recipe for beef stew with beer that can aptly pass for the real thing, especially after you’ve downed a few.

      Chef Jim4. Bangers and mash–Okay, full disclosure. I’m Irish and I’ve never tasted bangers and mash. I’ve had sausage, and I’ve had mashed potatoes, but have never had them together. I know, shoot me. But anyway, this is an assignment for a future column here–both to have bangers and mash, and also to try cooking it. Meanwhile, here is a super easy version you can try at home.

      5. Irish soda bread–This is a malty bread with raisins, and for whatever reason, always tastes best on St. Patty’s Day or a few days before. Make sure to slather it with some real butter and wash down with a pint of your favore beer, or some Irish coffee. You can try making your own, or just try any bakery or even grocery store this time of year.

      Yeah, I know. I didn’t include Shepherd’s Pie. I could have squeezed it in if I made corned beef and cabbage and variations 1 and 1a. But then I thought about it–I don’t recall shepherd’s pie being a St. Patty’s Day specialty, so I’m going to make the executive decision to not include it here. Well, unless you’re curious about it and want to try it. Until then, I will vow to make shepherd’s pie some time soon on this site. Fair enough?

      Until then, enjoy St. Patrick’s Day and please, as they say, enjoy responsibly. That’s a fancy way for saying that if you’ve tossed back a few, don’t get behind the wheel. Of course, eating any of the above to soak up the alcohol is always a good thing. Enjoy!

      Ingredients, On the Grille, Recipes, Your Kitchen

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 Mikey’s Kitchen

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑