Category: Tailgating (Page 8 of 10)

      Grilling season!

      April 29, 2011 /

      It’s getting closer to grilling season. In some parts of the country, it’s already here. Or hell, some of you will grill when snow is on the ground, and there isn’t a whole lot wrong with that. Anyway, here is a set of recipes I posted on Grub for Guys a couple years ago. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

      Grilled Chicken with Pineapple Jalapeno Salsa
      There is nothing like barbecue chicken in the summer, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend time waiting for bone-in, skin-on chicken to take forever to grill while the fat drips into the fire and burns your chicken. Me, I will take my chances with a boneless chicken breast, but dressed up for maximum flavor. Here is a simply marinated chicken with a bright, flavorful and spicy salsa to top it with.

      Ingredients
      4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
      ¼ cup olive oil
      2 limes, divided
      Kosher salt & black pepper
      1 cup fresh pineapple, cut into very small chunks
      ½ cup peeled, seeded cucumber, also cut into small chunks
      ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
      1 jalapeno pepper, stem removed, seeded and chopped very fine

      Directions
      Combine olive oil, juice of one lime, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a large re-sealable plastic bag. Add chicken and marinate for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. In a small bowl, combine pineapple, cucumber, cilantro, jalapeno, juice of one lime and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside. Preheat grill or grill pan to medium high. Remove chicken from bag and grill for about four minutes per side, or until no longer pink and slightly charred on the outside. Serve chicken topped with salsa. Serves 4.

      Tequila Lime Pork Tacos
      Ingredients
      4 boneless pork loin chops
      ¼ cup tequila
      2 limes, divided
      2 Tbsp. packaged taco-seasoning mix
      2 Tbsp. olive oil
      ½ cup cilantro, divided
      Kosher salt & pepper
      12 small corn tortillas
      1 mango
      ½ cup shredded manchego cheese
      ½ cup shredded cabbage or cole slaw mix
      Guacamole (store bought, or mash one peeled avocado with some salt, chopped cilantro, and lime juice to taste)

      Directions
      In a large re-sealable plastic bag, combine tequila, juice of one lime, seasoning mix, olive oil, ¼ cup cilantro and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add pork, and marinate for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Peel and chop the mango and put the chunks in a small bowl. Put cheese in a small bowl, followed by cabbage in another bowl and guacamole after that. Also have some chopped cilantro and small lime wedges at the table. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high and grill a few corn tortillas at a time for about 30 seconds per side or until a couple of small char marks are made and tortillas are warm but still pliable. Set aside and then add pork to grill. Cook for about 3-4 minutes per side and then let rest on a cutting board for about 5 minutes. Cut pork into small chunks and put in a bowl. For serving, place some pork on a corn tortilla, top with mango, cheese, cabbage, guacamole, and some cilantro and a squeeze of lime if you like. Makes 12 tacos, which you can divide according to how many hungry people you’re serving. This recipe goes great with a Corona or two (ore more).

      Wasabi Cole Slaw
      This is a kickass side dish that will open your sinuses. It goes well with any grilled meat, or on top of burgers, hot dogs or sandwiches.

      Ingredients
      ½ head green cabbage, finely shredded (or 1 bag cole slaw mix)
      ½ cup regular or light mayo
      ½ cup wasabi mayo
      1 Tbsp. soy sauce
      ½ Tbsp. fresh ginger
      1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
      ½ Tbsp. honey
      Kosher salt & ground black pepper to taste

      Directions
      Combine all ingredients except cabbage in a large bowl until well blended. Add cabbage and toss to coat. Serve immediately or let blend flavors in fridge for an hour or two. Serves 6-8.

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

      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

      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

      Super Bowl Spread III

      February 3, 2011 /

      It’s that time again, and here are my all new recipes for Super Bowl Sunday that were posted on Bullz-Eye’s Grub for Guys last night. Hope you dig!

      Super Bowl Spread III
      Buffalo Chicken Nachos, Brat & Wisconsin Cheddar Pizza, Deep Fried Pierogies, and Apple-Bacon Brownies

      You would think coming up with new and interesting Super Bowl recipe ideas would be difficult to do year after year, but when you think about the endless combinations of food that are available, it’s not that difficult. What IS difficult is trying not to eat all of everything when something you create tastes good. That’s a problem I encountered when making Buffalo chicken nachos, and hopefully you will enjoy them as much as I did. And with that, here is this year’s Super Bowl spread, and we included one recipe each to represent Green Bay and Pittsburgh. And while each recipe serves 4-6, that will vary based on how hungry everyone is, and also what else there is to eat at the party.

      Buffalo Chicken Nachos

      Ingredients:
      1 bag sturdy tortilla chips (or 3-4 cups)
      3-4 chicken breast halves, trimmed of visible fat
      Cooking spray
      Salt and pepper
      1 cup Buffalo chicken hot sauce (Frank’s is always a good choice)
      ½ cup chopped tomatoes
      1/3 cup chopped celery
      ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
      ¼ cup pickled jalapeno peppers

      Directions:
      Spread chips in a large baking dish and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mist a large nonstick grill pan or large nonstick skillet with cooking spray, sprinkle some salt and pepper over chicken, and grill for 4-5 minutes per side or until no longer pink in the center. Let rest on a plate for a few minutes, then cut into bite-sized pieces. Place chicken pieces in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, and add hot sauce. Let simmer for 3-4 minutes, then pour chicken/sauce mixture over nachos. Sprinkle with remaining ingredients, and bake for 5 minutes or until blue cheese is melted and chips just begin to brown. Serve immediately, and be ready to make more.

      Brat and Wisconsin Cheddar Mini Pizzas (Green Bay)

      Ingredients:
      2 small ready-made pizza crusts (such as Mama Mary’s)
      Olive oil
      1 small green pepper, diced
      1 small sweet onion, diced
      1 pre-cooked bratwurst (Johnsonville beer brats are awesome), sliced
      1 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese (Wisconsin cheese is really good, but any kind of good cheddar will do for this pizza)

      Directions:
      Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Brush pizza crusts with a bit of olive oil and set aside. Heat about 2 teaspoons of oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, and fry pepper, onion and brat slices for about 5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Sprinkle pizza crusts evenly with cheese, then spread brat mixture over the top. Bake for about 7-8 minutes, or until the edges of the pizza begin to brown. Cut into slices or bite-size pieces and serve.

      Deep-Fried Pierogies (Pittsburgh)

      Ingredients:
      1 box frozen mini potato and cheese pierogies (Mrs. T’s are always good)
      Vegetable oil for deep-frying

      Directions:
      Heat about two inches of oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat (or use a deep-fryer if you have one and prefer that) until you can feel the warmth easily when placing your hand about an inch away from the oil, or until a safe cooking thermometer shows the oil to be about 350 degrees. Remove pan from heat briefly, and very carefully lower about 10-12 frozen pierogies into the oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or just as they begin to brown, and then remove with a slotted metal spoon or spatula to a paper-towel lined bowl. Repeat process for as many batches of pierogies as you need, making sure the oil rises to cooking temperature before adding pierogies each time. Serve with ketchup for dipping on the side.

      Apple-Bacon Brownies

      Ingredients
      1 box Brownie mix (with or without walnuts)
      1 egg
      ¼ cup vegetable oil
      ¼ cup water
      1 small apple, peeled and diced
      4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
      2 tablespoons applesauce

      Directions:
      Prepare brownies according to package directions (you usually have to add egg, oil and water), adding apple, bacon, and applesauce. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for about 15-20 minutes and then slice brownies into small squares to serve.

      Ingredients, Recipes, Tailgating, Your Kitchen

      Super Bowl Spread II

      January 27, 2011 /

      Here is last year’s Super Bowl spread post, and the second in a series of three. That’s because next week we will unveil a new Super Bowl spread on Grub For Guys.

      Buffalo Turkey Meatballs, Steak Bites, Olive Poppers, Smoky Chipotle Dip, and Fiery Snack Mix

      Hey guys….last year, we introduced you to some dude-friendly Super Bowl eats that you could pile on your plate before settling in for kickoff. This year, we took that concept a bit further, but without making things any more difficult than need be. Because really, you’ve got all that pre-game stuff to watch, and you have to drink a few beers to prime your gut for the barrage of awesome food that will ensue. Well, that’s just a suggestion. Meanwhile, here is what we came up with for Super Bowl 2010. All recipes serve four, so multiply them accordingly…….

      Buffalo Turkey Meatballs
      You know, I think I have published more than a few recipes that feature Buffalo chicken sauce. That’s because for guys, that spicy, tangy, peppery awesomeness stimulates our salivary glands like a Victoria’s Secret model. Well, here’s a way to get that wing sauce flavor without the mess of chicken bones.

      Ingredients
      2 stalks celery, finely chopped
      3-4 baby carrot sticks, finely chopped
      1 Tbsp. olive oil
      1 lb. Ground turkey
      1 egg
      1/3 cup bread crumbs
      1/3 cup Buffalo chicken sauce (we like Buffalo Wild Wings medium sauce), and more for dipping
      2 oz. crumbled blue cheese
      Salt and pepper

      Directions:
      Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium heat and then add celery and carrots. Sautee for about 5 minutes, or until they begin to soften. Allow to cool slightly, then place in a bowl with turkey, egg, wing sauce, blue cheese, breadcrumbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Form into 1-inch meatballs. Re-heat skillet, which should have some remnants of olive oil left, and add half of the meatballs, browning on all sides. Put meatballs on a plate and add second batch, browning them on all sides. Then put reserve meatballs back in skillet and place in oven. Bake for 10-12 more minutes, or until cooked through. Heat about a cup of wing sauce in a small saucepan and serve meatballs with a few spoonfuls of sauce on top.

      Steak Bites
      This one is super easy, and on Super Bowl Sunday, you need easy!

      Continue reading »

      On the Grille, Recipes, Tailgating, Your Kitchen

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