Recipe: Grilled Chicken Fajita Dinner In A Pouch

This easy-peasy yummy dinner takes little prep time, so you can spend your time enjoying the great outdoors on a summer evening, instead of cooking away in the kitchen. Grilling food in foil packets makes it easy to cook a full meal at once, and clean up of course is a snap - you won't even get the grill dirty! Enjoy this tasty summer dinner for a picnic with friends, or just a lazy summer evening at home in the backyard.

Grilled Chicken Fajita Dinner In A Pouch
(Serves 4.)

Ingredients:

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

4 teaspoons Mexican seasoning powder or chili powder
4 tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 lbs chicken, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
2 bell peppers, diced small
2 onions, diced small
tortillas for serving (optional)

Directions:

• Mix Mexican seasoning and lime juice together in a bowl, then add the chicken and bell peppers, and cover with plastic wrap. Put in refrigerator for up to 2 hours.
• Make 4 pouches out of aluminum foil and spoon mixture (including the liquid) into the center of each pouch, dividing ingredients equally.
• Fold edges of pouches tightly and form envelopes, leaving a bit of room for hot air and expansion within the pouch.
• Put on grill set at medium-high and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, turning the pouches several times to cook evenly.
• Serve on tortillas with toppings such as sour cream or guacamole, if desired.  This meal may also be served over a salad.

Full Meal Deal – Make It All Right On Your Grill

Grilled meals are usually pieced together with only a portion of the meal made on the grill while the rest is cooked indoors and then served together. But who wants to be the one stuck in the kitchen while the fun is happening outside around the grill?

Today, we have so many gadgets and gizmos on our grills there is no reason we are not able to fix all of our meal on the grill itself. Let's take a look at four complete meals that are made on the grill in the same amount of time, or less, than you would make indoors.

Grilled Stir Fry

(Photo credit: batigolix)

Stir-fry is usually made in a wok or a deep pan on the stove. Been there, done that. You add a bunch of spices and liquids to season it up. Why not develop flavor while you are cooking the vegetables and meat instead of at the end?  By grilling the vegetables, you bring out the hidden sweetness trapped inside as the outside is caramelized over the fire. The meat also takes on the flavors of the grill, so when they are all combined, all you need to add is a little soy sauce at the most and dinner is ready to enjoy. Pick a protein and a few veggies or even fruit and give it a shot tonight.

Grilled Picnic

Picnics were made so you can enjoy the outdoors. Why coop yourself up in the house to cook for the great outdoors? Grilling is a perfect option for picnics. Think about grilled potato salad, or perhaps a hot grilled cabbage salad with spicy vinaigrette dressing. And grilled sandwiches are a no-brainer.  So, why not invite your grill to the picnic?

Grilled Pot Pie

One great benefit of the grill is that it has a cover. This cover can be lowered or raised to adjust the temperature. When the cover is closed, a grill acts a lot like an oven, which means that pot pies are fair game. A pot pie cooked on the grill not only has all the delicious ingredients that you are used to, but if you cook it on a charcoal grill with a little cherry or oak wood thrown in for kindling, you get a flavor you never would have expected. If you want to take pot pies to a new level, cook them on the grill.

Grill packet ready to cook.(Photo credit: sporkist)

Grilled Packets

One of the easiest ways to make a full meal on a grill is to enclose it in a foil packet. Just about anything goes with this kind of technique. The trick is to combine ingredients that taste good together as well as cooks at the same rate. Fish is an easy choice. Take a nice salmon fillet, put it over a bed of kale, top it with a big wedge of lemon and some sweet onion, and you have one amazing dinner. Cut up a sweet Italian sausage and combine with parboiled potato wedges and bell pepper strips.  Seal the packets well and you can even add a little butter or olive oil.  Be sure to cook with the cover closed and turn the packets around a few times during the cooking time.  This is the perfect way to make individual servings at the same time.  You can even customize each individual packet to suit your guests.

Your grill is a great place to create easy meals.  Don't limit your grilling experience to hamburgers and hotdogs, or even steak and chicken.  Imagine full meals coming off your grill so you can grill more frequently, preparing delicious treats for your family. Why not try something new tonight and take your whole meal outdoors!

Recipe: Grilled Chicken Salsa Verde Burritos

From Asian to Mexican, grilling can bring many exotic flavors right to your own backyard. Today's recipe features spicy salsa verde and creamy avocado for a tasty and easy meal great for a quick lunch or dinner in a shady spot on a hot summer day!

Grilled Chicken Salsa Verde Burritos (Serves 4.)

Flour Tex-Mex tortillas (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, skin and bones removed
olive oil for grilling
salt and pepper
1 cup salsa verde
8 small tortillas (corn or flour)
1 avocado, sliced thin
2 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese

Directions:

• Set your grill up for medium-high heat.
• Rub the chicken with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place chicken on grill, close cover, and cook for 5 minutes, flip and cook for 5 more minutes.
• Remove from grill and let rest on a cutting board for 3 minutes; then slice chicken into thin strips and place in large bowl.
• Add salsa verde to bowl with chicken and stir gently to combine; set aside
• Place tortillas on the grill just until grill marks appear, flip and do the same to the other side. Remove to working surface.
• Lay out tortillas and divide the chicken slices, avocado, and cheese evenly between all the tortillas and roll up into a burrito.
• Makes 8 small burritos.

Recipe: Grilled Teriyaki Pork Tenders

Mmm-mmm-mmm!  Go Asian with your grilling this week with this tasty twist on Teriyaki. This simple and easy recipe uses the fresh summer flavors of green onions and bell peppers, combined with spicy ginger and Teriyaki sauce for a delicious main dish in minutes. Great for a quick summer weeknight meal.

Grilled Teriyaki Pork Tenders(Serves 4.)

Ingredients:

1 lb. pork tenderloin
1 red bell pepper
4 green onions
4 Tbsp Teriyaki sauce
1 tsp fresh grated ginger root
4 tsp olive oil

Directions:

• Set your grill to medium-high heat and preheat.
• Put tenderloin on grill, cover grill, and cook for 5 minutes, then turn over and cook for another 5 minutes.  Remove and let rest on cutting board while you prepare the other ingredients.
• Clean the red bell pepper and cut into thin strips.
• Wash and trim the onions and cut each lengthwise in half.
• In a bowl whisk together the Teriyaki, ginger root, and olive oil.
• Cut the tenderloin into 1/2 inch thick slices, and separate into 4 equal portions.
• Place four large aluminum foil squares on a work surface.
• Arrange 1/4 of the pork on each square, then cover with 1/4 of the red bell peppers and 1/4 of the onion.
• Carefully pour the Teriyaki mixture over the meat and veggies and fold and seal the aluminum foil tight.  Teriyaki is quite salty so you may not need to salt the mixture, but taste and decide.
• Place the 4 packets on the medium-high heat grill, cover and allow to cook for about 8 to 10 minutes or until hot and steaming. Spin around once during this cooking time.
• Remove and let rest for 3 minutes before opening.

5 Brand Name Grills – Compare Before You Shop

'Tis the season for great grilled meals!  This month we'll be exploring the fun and tasty world of grilling, and of course, you've got to start with a good grill! There are so many different types of grills out there that it can be overwhelming comparing one to another. If it's time to get your wish-list together for a new grill, you may want to know a little about what you'll be looking at before you head to the store. Here is a quick review of the top five competitors so you can start narrowing down your choices.

Char-Broil

Char-Broil grills have long been known as great performing grills with fantastic features including a warranty that covers the grill’s lifetime or 99 years, whichever comes first. They are made with excellent electric ignitions, porcelain cast iron burners, porcelain coated cooking grates, and a whole lot of accessories. These grills also come with durable stainless steel bodies so they don't rust easily. A great choice for the grilling maestro, or maestro wannabe.

Weber One-Touch Gold Grill (Photo credit: ckelly)

Weber


Perhaps the best known brand in the world of grilling, Weber grills have always been known for their great craftsmanship and superb products. Originally, Weber only made charcoal grills, but now they are a force to contend with in the gas grill arena. Weber has the know-how to make a wide variety of grills for just about any budget. The great thing about these grills is even the cheaper ones don't skimp on quality and can last you for many years. The less expensive models just have fewer special features, but keep the same high quality basic structure.

Uniflame

Uniflame grills are a hard bargain to contend with. They are often the lower priced grills in the store, but they are actually quite nicely made. The grills are loved for their ability to cook and heat evenly, which is not so easy to boast about. Some of the higher priced grills often have difficulties translating the same heat over the surface of the grill, but Uniflame does a great job of consistency.  With a Uniflame, you will not be getting a top of the line grill, but you will get one that works well enough to get the job done.

The Broil King Barbecue (Photo credit: Jordon)

Broil-King

When it comes to gas grills, Broil-King has definitely earned a great reputation. They have been around a long time, which gives them serious credibility. If you wanted a grill that feels solid in both construction and cooking, Broil-King is the grill for you. Grates made of high quality cast iron, double tube burners, linear control valves, and fantastic storage options, all give Broil-King the much deserved reputation of being a griller's grill. Broil-King grill parts are made to last and can be easily replaced if needed, which adds a whole new dimension to their performance.

Brinkmann

Brinkmann offers lower priced grills with tons of features, some models even have as many as five burners, and infrared capabilities! Though the construction is somewhat lacking in terms of weight and heft, if you are looking for a lot of features without a heavy price tag, Brinkmann grills are the way to go. These grills also have large cooking areas, side burners, porcelain coated cast iron cooking grates, rotisseries, and electric ignition. These are features you'll also find in the more expensive grills, but here you'll find them at a reduced price.

So now that you know a little about each of the top performers, you should be able to put together a proper wish list. Happy shopping, and be sure to check back later this week and in the weeks to come for some yummy grilling recipes to put your new grill to good use!  


Good Grills for Good Grillin':
  

Recipe: Roasted Asparagus Penne Dressed With Parmesan Garlic Butter

Get creative with this tasty summery pasta recipe featuring the fresh sweet taste of roasted asparagus simply dressed with butter and Parmesan cheese - yum! Your dinner guests will think this gourmet meal took hours, but it's actually really simple and easy.

Roasted Asparagus Penne Dressed With Parmesan Garlic Butter
(Serves 4 to 6.)

Ingredients:

1 bunch fresh asparagus, cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces
3 tsp olive oil
1 pkg (8 oz) penne pasta
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
2 Tbsp butter, room temperature
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped
salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Put a big pot of salted water on the stove, and bring to a boil.
• While waiting for the water to come up to a boil, put asparagus on baking sheet, drizzle with the 3 tsp olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and use your hands to coat the asparagus pieces throughly.
• Put the asparagus in preheated oven for 10 to 13 minutes or until just starting to get a few specks of golden brown - don't let them get too soft or turn dark brown.
• During this time, cook the pasta until al dente; drain well, put back in the pot, cover, and keep warm.
• Check the asparagus; it should be almost ready to come out.  But, just before you remove the asparagus, sprinkle the sesame seeds over and put back in the oven just for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until you can smell the sesame seeds; remove and set aside.
• Get out a big serving bowl and put the butter and garlic in and smash together with a fork until smooth and garlic is incorporated, then add the Parmesan cheese and mix again until combined.  
• Now pour the warm pasta into the bowl with the garlic-cheese-butter mixture and mix until pasta is coated, then pour the asparagus into the bowl, scraping in all the oil from the baking sheet, too.
• Toss, sprinkle with chives, taste for seasonings, salt and pepper if necessary, and serve warm.

Getting Creative With Fresh Pasta Ideas For Summer

There is something in the air when the first days of summer roll around. Everyone is excited to plan some fun, and some good eating!  The same standard pasta dishes we make all winter just won't do when the days are hot and the nights are balmy. It's time to get the creative juices flowing.  We need to think fresh, both in ideas and ingredients.

Let's take a look at how three simple ideas can help freshen up your time honored pasta traditions this summer.

Be Creative

Pasta salad with shrimp, chicken and vegetables (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If any food can be thought of as 'fun,' pasta would fit the bill. There is so much versatility with pasta that there is no reason to be stuck in the “same old, same old” mode.  For example, add some food coloring to the cooking water with the pasta. Experiment with this and have fun.  Boil several pots with different colors and create your own rainbow palate of pasta. Try different shaped pasta, but remember that the larger heavier pastas won't color as well as the smaller lighter styles.

For kids you might like to try this fun meal idea. Make a batch of green 'wagon wheel' pasta and toss together with diced fresh carrots to create a two color cold pasta dish kids will love. You might want to do a batch of red 'wagon wheel' pasta and toss with green sweet peas, flip-flopping the other color combination. Serve both cold pasta dishes and create an 'opposite day' meal. You might even get your kids to eat their vegetables when they're in a salad surrounded by colorful pasta. Of course you can buy tri-color pasta, but making it at home is a great way to provide a little entertainment for the kids, as well as provide a healthy meal.

Colors are certainly fun, but what about flavors?  We're not talking about buying pasta in different flavors.  We're talking about imparting flavor into the pasta from the liquid they're cooked in. Use good rich stock or broth, either chicken, or vegetable, or even beef. This is a great way to give pasta an extra flavor punch, but why stop there? Thin out some tomato juice with a little water and try that. How about lemon juice?

And don't forget that just by adding vegetables or fruit to the cooking water you will impart those flavors into the pasta. Spinach is the first one that comes to many people's mind, but don't stop there. Consider the entire produce section and have fun!  And why even stop there? What about wine or beer?  Who knows, maybe Guinness Spaghetti will be the next big hit with your friends.

Be Fresh

The rest of the year may be all about rushing around trying to keep our schedules straight, but during the summer, time just seems to slow down. We move a little slower, take time to enjoy the splendor of a beautiful day, consider our health and well being as top priority for a change.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Summertime is a great time to reconsider what we put into our pasta dishes. Sure, it may be super easy to buy a jar of pasta sauce, but why not take the extra time and create our own with fresh produce? After all, the ingredients are right there, hanging from the vine or fresh at the market.

Using fresh ingredients in our pasta dishes gives us a whole new outlook on our healthy eating habits.  Not only does it brighten up the dish, but cooking with fresh ingredients makes us feel strong and in control. We know we are eating right, and feeding our family right.

Be Safe

Food safety is a concern, always, but especially during the summer. The main culprit causing the concern is the food served at picnics and cookouts.  Pasta salads are a favorite, but since many of these dishes are made with mayonnaise, sour cream, or yogurt, they are naturally suspect in warm weather conditions.

Spoilage happens when these types of salads get warm sitting out on the picnic table. The best and simplest solution is to skip the creamy salads entirely. During the summer, opt for vinaigrette style dressings. These are the oil and vinegar type of dressing which are normally whisked together with other seasonings and ingredients that do not need constant refrigeration.  When creating your pasta salad to serve at a picnic, just keep this simple tip in mind:  if you wouldn't leave a particular ingredient on your kitchen counter, don't put it in your salad.

Even salads made with all spoil-resistant foods still need to be kept as cold as possible.  When transporting the salad, keep it in an insulated cooler with ice.  When you put the salad on the table, set it in a larger bowl or tray filled with ice, and keep the entire set-up covered with aluminum foil to hold in the cold.  With these few safety precautions, your salad will be safe to eat.  And with all your creativity, your salad will also be fun to eat.

During the warm summer months, as you are trying to think of something to bring to the picnic, consider a delicious pasta salad. Have fun with creative ideas, use fresh ingredients, and keep safety in  mind. With these three tips, you'll be able to enjoy a different fun pasta salad at every picnic!