Recipe: 4th Of July Barbecue In A Bag

Barbecue in a bag? Yep! Grilling food in foil packets is great for barbecues, as it gives you a ton of flavor without a ton of work, and cleanup is easy! This 4th of July, try this simple recipe full of fresh summer ingredients, and impress your guests without slaving over the grill for hours.

You can even prepare all of the ingredients in advance and refrigerate, then throw the packets together right before guests arrive, and then enjoy yourself without having to tend to the grill the whole time.

Barbecue In A Bag
(Serves 4 but may be easily adjusted for more.)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup favorite barbecue sauce
1 lb. pork stew meat, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 fresh ears of corn, cut in half
4 to 6 new red potatoes, cut into wedges
1 cup frozen or fresh cut green beans
2 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Set your grill to medium-high heat and preheat.
• Lay out 4 sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil (or however many packets you are making).
• In a bowl, toss together the pork with the barbecue sauce.
• Put 1/4 meat mixture on each of the 4 foil packets.
• Top the meat with the corn, potatoes, and green beans, then divide the butter into 4 equal parts and top each packet with a pad of butter.
• Fold the foil packets up, leaving a little air space at the top, then seal securely.
• Place on grill on indirect heat, cover grill, then cook for 30 to 40 minutes, spinning packets at least once during this time.
• Remove and let sit for 3 to 5 minutes before opening.

Gas Grilling 101: How To Get Grilling Today!

So you just purchased your first state-of-the-art gas grill - just in time for the 4th of July barbecue. Congratulations! Now you just need to figure out how to grill great steaks on it by this weekend.... 

Welcome to Grilling 101! Here you'll find the basics of what you will need to know to get off to a great start. Grilling is an enjoyable pastime that should end with great food. But it is important to understand the basics of your grill, how the heating works, and a few techniques to help you get the most out of your grilling experience.  Let's get started so you can fire up your new grill, and impress your guests this Independence Day!

The Basics

Propane gas grill. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Don't let your gas grill scare you.  Sure, it may seem like a giant piece of fire-breathing metal that can singe your eyebrows and sear a whole cow, but you can handle it!  There are just a few basics you need to know about your grill before you begin cooking on it.  Now, for this discussion, I am assuming that you already have your grill assembled and it's on your patio ready to go.

First, many gas grills have ignition switches powered by batteries, so be sure that your batteries are good. If you press the ignition button and it doesn't click, stop. If you are smelling gas as you turn the dial, something went wrong.  Again, stop. Turn off the gas and read the lighting instructions again.  If you replaced the battery and the ignition still doesn't click, you need to get it fixed. Most serious grillers keep grilling matches handy just in case the ignition lighter fails. Remember to read your owner's manual to find out exactly how to light your gas grill with a match if necessary.

The next most important concept to remember is to be sure your propane tank actually has gas in it. There is a gauge on the tank structure that measures the gas in the tank.  Pay attention to it.  Also, you can install a special gauge to let you know how much gas is left in the tank. Invest in one of these gauges if you want a more accurate measure of when you are running low.  When you are trying to get dinner on the table, it's not a good time to realize you are out of gas. Many gas grill cooking fans keep two gas tanks on hand; one on the grill and one as a backup. It's a good idea, especially if you do a lot of long cooking periods, like rotisserie cooking.

The Heat

Once you are all set and ready to go, you need to understand how your grill heats. It will likely take a few times cooking on it to understand where the hot and cold spots are on the cooking surface. Many people don't consider how important it is to place your food properly on the gas grill. But, when you learn how to use the heat effectively, your grilling enjoyment will increase tremendously.

The cooler spots, also called 'indirect' heat, are great for grilling vegetables and other side dishes, while the hot areas are best for searing or charring meats. When you make use of the different spaces on a grill's cooking area, not only do you have food that comes out perfectly, but you also have food that comes out on time. We really dislike letting food get cold while waiting on other dishes to finish cooking!

The best way to begin to get acquainted with your grill is by holding your hand over the different areas to see where it feels hottest. You can also get an infrared thermometer that will give you more exact measurements, but your hand will usually suffice. Either way, be sure you figure out where the heat is high, medium, or low. Then follow your grilling recipes to get the best results.

The Technique

When talking about grilling basics, of course we have to include steak! So, we'll start there. It is very important that your steaks be at room temperature before putting them on the grill.  If the steak is cold, it will toughen up as it cooks.  Now, if you ask friends about the proper grilling technique for steak, you may hear from some to “only flip once.” This is a common misunderstanding among beginning and even some intermediate level grillers. The idea of only flipping your food once really only applies if you are cooking a steak rare.  Otherwise, it's difficult to do. There are two main flaws with this type of reasoning.

Steaks on a grill (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you place a piece of room-temperature meat on a 350 to 400 degree grill, even if you oil the meat or the grill grates, the meat is going to stick to the grill as the oil burns away.  And, if you leave a piece of meat on a 350 to 400 degree surface for 5 to 7 minutes before you turn it, you could be biting into a burnt piece of meat rather than the juicy steak you were expecting.  A minute or two just to sear the meat surface first will suffice, so, flip, flip, flip, flip is just fine. Your grill manual will have some great advice on this as well. 

Now let's talk chicken. If you've been stocking up on boneless, skinless chicken breasts for grilling season, stop!  The bone and skin both help keep the chicken moist and flavorful.  You can always remove the skin and the bone before serving if you like. You'll save a ton of money - and your chicken will be much tastier!

With that said, perhaps you're a fan of crispy chicken skin.  In that case, another technique that is often misunderstood is how to get the skin crispy without drying out the chicken.  Many grillers mistakenly believe that crispy skin comes from grilling chicken at a high heat.  It's exactly the opposite.  Set your chicken skin side down on medium heat directly over the heat source until the skin chars nicely, then flip over and move to indirect heat, keeping the grill only on medium heat.  Close the grill and let the chicken cook until it's done. This technique ensures crispy skin and chicken that is cooked through without the outside burning up.  Slow cooking is the trick to perfectly juicy chicken and crispy skin.

See how easy it is to grill with just a few tips?  Once you get a grilling success or two under your belt, you'll be ready to expand your repertoire.  But I bet you return to these classics over and over again so you can show off your skill as a Grill Master!

Now get your grilling tongs at the ready, and prepare for some tasty grill recipes coming later this week just in time for the 4th of July!

Recipe: Sea Scallops With Lime & White Wine Sauce

This quick, easy, delicious dish makes a great "date night" or special occasion meal on a warm summer evening. Lime juice, garlic, and white wine make a delicate and tasty sauce for the mild sweetness of sea scallops, which go great with summer. You and your honey will be enjoying your special dinner in no time!

Scallops With Lime & Savory White Wine Sauce
(Serves 2.)

Ingredients:

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1 Tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups chicken broth
2 limes; one juiced, one halved and cut into thin slices
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 lb. sea scallops
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
cooked linguine or rice

Directions:

• Put butter in a saucepan along with garlic and cook over low heat until garlic is just fragrant and softened.
• Add white wine and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, then add the chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer, allow to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the juice of 1 lime to the saucepan, then add the cilantro, stir, remove from heat, cover and set aside.
• Prepare the scallops by putting them in a large bowl with 1 Tbsp of olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. 
• Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add scallops, cooking very quickly, stirring until golden brown on the outside and cooked through, about 3 or 4 minutes at the most.
• Add the lime slices and continue cooking, stirring, for 30 seconds longer, then turn this mixture into a large serving bowl and pour the sauce from the saucepan over the scallops, cover and let sit for a couple minutes.
• Serve over linguine or rice with the sauce poured over.

Recipe: Citrusy Spinach & Sirloin Salad

Cool, fresh salads make great summer meals, and this one pairs juicy sirloin steak with citrus, ginger, and spinach for a fresh, zesty, and satisfying lunch or light supper.

Citrus Embellished Spinach And Sirloin Salad
(Serves 4.)

Ingredients:

1 lb. top sirloin steak
salt and pepper to season
2 Tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 grapefruit
1 orange
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp freshly grated ginger root
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
dash salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup good light olive oil
10 oz. baby spinach

Directions:

• Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of steak.
• Put 2 Tbsp cooking oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When oil sizzles, add steak and sear on both sides quickly, then flip again and cook each side for 4 to 5 more minutes or until steak is done to your liking.
• Remove steak from pan to cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes.
• While the steak is resting, peel and segment the grapefruit and orange over a large bowl to save the juices, putting the fruit aside in another bowl. 
• Into the bowl with the juice collected from the fruit, add vinegar, garlic, ginger, mustard, honey, and a dash of salt and pepper to taste, and whisk until combined. Continue whisking while slowly drizzling oil into the mixture.
• Slice the rested steak very thin against the grain and at a diagonal.
• Make salad by tossing together the spinach, fruit, together with dressing, then top with steak and toss gently.
• Serve immediately.

7 Tips for Indoor Citrus Growing Success

As we mentioned last week, growing your very own citrus garden will take planning and a bit of work, but it's something you can do, even in very small spaces, and with very little experience. The following is an overview and a few tricks to help give you a citrus green thumb.

Potted lemon tree. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1. Pot plants correctly - A deep container, either clay or ceramic, works well. Citrus roots are fairly deep, so you'll need a pot that allows roots to grow down deep. Be prepare to have about 3 or 4 pots in progressively larger sizes on hand for the transplants.

2. Use a sterile all-purpose potting mix - If you can't find a potting mix designed especially for citrus, just make sure your potting mix is slightly acidic. Peat moss is a good additive to bring acidic levels up. If you're unsure, ask at any garden shop and they can help you. You can also add citrus rind peelings to the soil to get the acid levels up.

3. Give mature citrus trees a chilly bedtime - During the day, you want a warm location, but citrus likes to be chilly at night. A temperature around 50 to 60 degrees is good for a citrus tree's bedtime, but only after your citrus plant grows up.

4. Provide lots of the right light - A southeast facing window works well in most regions. The plant will get sunlight, but not get scorched, as they might in a southwest window.  If you don't have enough natural light, think of adding plant lights to create a 'grow station.'

5. Maintain evenly moist soil - Don't let the soil dry out between watering. Keep the soil moist, making sure you don't add so much water that the plant is sitting in a puddle. Stick your finger in the soil and if it feels dry more than an inch below the surface, add water.

6. Keep the humidity high - Citrus plants want a humidity level around 50 to 60 percent. Keep that in mind when you choose the location for growing your citrus tree.  Mist your plants daily and group the plants together.  This helps both to make it easier for you to mist your plants, and it also creates a little ecosystem where the plants are sharing their humidity with each other.

7. Control pests - The most likely pests are white-flies and spider mites. Natural insecticidal soap controls virtually all the pests for houseplants. Do the research and choose a method that works best for you and your environment.

Fun All-Natural Citrus Planting Trick

Okay, you've got all the step-by-step instructions and tips for planting and growing citrus fruits from seed to tree.  But, do you want to do something a little bit off the grid?  Here's a fun spin on planting citrus that you, and especially your kids, may enjoy doing.

• Choose a large, thick citrus fruit.  A grapefruit works well, but a thick orange would work, too. Juice the fruit and take out enough of the membrane to form an empty bowl shape.  Separate a couple seeds and rinse them off.  Spoon some good potting soil into the 'fruit bowls' and place your seeds in the soil of both halves of the grapefruit, tamping the soil down lightly.  Water and place in a sunny area just like you would a regular pot. Make sure you provide lots of sunshine, warmth, and water so the seeds sprout.

• When the sprouts turn into little plants, leafing out and getting tall, just pick up the entire grapefruit and plant it in a bigger pot filled with good potting soil. The grapefruit rind will decompose which actually helps fertilize the soil as well as adding acidity to the potting mix, which is often needed in a commercial mix.

This project is definitely a win-win situation.  The grapefruit 'pot' is pretty, totally biodegradable, and adds acid to the potting soil. You might even say this is an all-in-one garden starter kit in a nifty little package.  How fun is that!  Well, nobody ever said you had to take planting a citrus tree seriously!

Recipe: Thai Lime Ginger Seafood Chowder

Thai food is my absolute favorite cuisine! I love all the fresh and zesty flavors, and how well all the fresh ingredients go together to make something amazing.

This recipe may look like it has a lot of ingredients, but most of them are herbs and spices, so it's actually pretty easy to make. You should be able to find fresh ginger, lemongrass, and fish stock at any Asian store.

Oh, and for an interesting flavor twist, use 2 kaffir lime leaves, cut in thin strips, instead of lime zest - if you can find them at the store, or if you have your own kaffir lime tree like I do!  :-)

Thai Lime Ginger Seafood Chowder
(Serves 4-6.)

Ingredients:

Thai seafood soup. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

3 Tbsp peanut oil
1 yellow onion, minced
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp grated lime zest
2 tsp minced lemongrass
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups fish stock
2 cups coconut milk
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, pureed with 1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Salt to taste
2 small cucumbers, peeled and quartered lengthwise, seeded, then cut into small chunks
1 lb fish fillets, use white fish that is firm, cut into 2 inch chunks
1/2 lb medium size shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1/2 lb small sea scallops
1/2 lb lump crab meat
1/2 lb clam strips

Directions:

• In a large soup pot over medium heat, add peanut oil and onion, and cook stirring about 4 to 5 minutes or until just getting translucent.
• To soup pot add garlic, lime zest, lemongrass, ginger, coriander, cumin, and black pepper, cooking and stirring for 3 to 4 minutes until fragrant.
• Add fish stock, coconut milk, pureed cilantro, lime juice, and brown sugar and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer slowly for about 4 to 5 minutes, then season with salt to taste.
• Add to the soup pot the cucumbers and the fish and simmer slowly for 8 to 10 minutes or until fish is opaque, then add the remaining seafood and simmer an additional 5 to 8 minutes or until the shrimp have turned pink.  Serve hot with salad on the side and crusty bread.

Recipe: Crock Pot Oregano Rubbed Lemon Chicken

Crock pots are great for summer cooking, as you can set your dinner to cook and go off and enjoy the beautiful summer weather, without slaving over a hot stove, or heating up the kitchen by running the oven for several hours.

This tasty and simple recipe combines the classic flavors of lemon and chicken. You'll have a tasty dinner the whole family will love all ready when you get back from the pool!

Crock Pot Oregano Rubbed Lemon Chicken
(Serves 6.)

Ingredients:

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 lbs. chicken breast halves, boneless skinless
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup water
4 fresh lemons, squeezed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

• Mix together the oregano, salt, and pepper in a little bowl and then rub this mixture into the chicken.
• Put butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, and when butter melts and skillet is hot, set chicken in and brown it on both sides, about 3 to 5 minutes each side. Remove the chicken and arrange evenly in the crock pot. 
• In the same skillet, add the water, lemon juice, garlic, and bouillon, and bring this mixture to a boil, stirring to get up the browned bits from skillet, then immediately pour over the chicken in the crock pot.
• Cover and set crock pot to LOW and allow to cook for 6 to 7 hours. 
• 15 minutes before the end of cooking time, sprinkle parsley on top of the chicken, cover the crock pot and continue cooking the remaining 15 minutes.
• Serve with a side of rice or potatoes if desired.