WHEN YOU DON'T WANT TO TURN ON THE OVEN . . .

                                                                             

It's summer and it's dang hot here in Florida. Too hot to turn on the oven for sure. But you have to eat! Grilling is a good alternative to the oven. Below are some selected grilling recipes to get you through the heat.

First up is Asian Flank Steak. Marinate this overnight, make a big butt salad, grill your steak, and you have a hot weather meal and you don't heat up your house.

Another grilled meal you can try is Soy and Garlic Pork Chops. This recipe also requires marinating. You can add a baked sweet potato, and grill some string beans on the grill beside your chops, and you are set. I've also served it with raw sugar peas.

If you don't feel like grilling, you can use your stove-top and microwave.Thai Shrimp and Broccoli is a one pot Asian influenced dish. Follow the directions and you'll have very little clean-up when you are finished.

Another pasta dish you can make is Cappellini with Sausage and Spinach. This will require a few more dirtied dishes than the Thai shrimp but it's well worth it.

Like gazpacho? This recipe is for a soup similar to gazpacho. You can eat it cold if you wish, although I prefer it to be at room temperature in the summer because I think more of the fresh veggie taste comes through better. Try Chile Cheese Soup and use up all those summer tomatoes.

Technically, you can use only the microwave for this next recipe. For Buffalo Chicken Dip, you need 3 cooked chicken breasts. If you are trying to stay cool, grill the chicken or nuke it. Serve with celery, carrots, or endive leaves.

Looking for a nice cool dessert? Try some Strawberry Pretzel Salad.

TILAPIA WITH JERK SEASONING AND MELON SALSA

(In regards to this pic . . . see  my confession below.)

Melon Salsa Ingredients

1/2 cup of cantaloupe, chopped
1/2 cup of honeydew melon, chopped
2 tsp. of honey
8-10 chopped fresh mint leaves

Combine, and let sit while you prepare and cook fish.

Tilapia

2 tilapia filets
jerk seasoning

Heat oven or grill to 400 degrees. Place fish in oiled pan. Sprinkle with jerk seasoning. Place in oven or on grill for 15 minutes.

When fish is finished, serve with melon salsa.

NOTE - I use Nantucket Off-Shore Rasta Rub. Check out their other offerings here. Nantucket Off Shore

CONFESSION - Usually I keep the salsa in a bowl, rather than on the plate with the fish. I put both on the same plate for the pic, but I won't do that again. Nope, I want my melon salsa in a bowl by my fish. You, however, may do as you please.

CANTALOUPE NUT BREAD

Another nut bread recipe, but the cantaloupe makes it a little different. The bread freezes well.

1 3/4 cup of flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup of nuts (I use pecans)
2/3 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup of cantaloupe pulp

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add nuts and mix. In a separate bowl, cream sugar and oil. Add egg and mix. Then add cantaloupe. Add flour and nut mix, 1/2 cup at a time. Pour batter into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

RISOTTO PARMIGIANO

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RISOTTO PARMIGIANO

5 - 6 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, minced
1 1/2 cups arborio rice (I use RiceSelect)
3 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley (optional)
salt and pepper
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

In a small saucepan, bring stock to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.

In a medium saucepan, saute the onion at medium heat, stirring until the onion is translucent but does not brown. Add minced garlic, rice and stir. Turn heat to medium high and stir in 1/2 cup broth.

Bring heat to medium-high, and pour in about 1/2 cup of the stock, keeping the mixture boiling, stirring continuously.

As the broth is absorbed, continue to add broth as needed, 1/2 cup at a time.

It is important to keep the mixture boiling, but keep stirring to keep it from sticking to the pot.

It may take about a 30 minutes for all of the broth to be absorbed by the rice and for the rice to become tender.

When rice is done, stir in the butter and cheese, then serve warm. Sprinkle with chopped parsley for a garnish, if desired.

The whole cooking process may take 25-30 minutes. Once all the stock has been absorbed, and the risotto is tender, remove the pan from the heat and quickly stir in the butter and Parmesan.

******This makes a SUBSTANTIAL amount of risotto. I usually halve the recipe 

Blueberry Lemonade

1 to 1 1/2 cups of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup of sugar or sugar substitute (I use Splenda)
1/2 pint of blueberries
8 cups of water

Squeeze the juice of approximately 6 lemons. You want 1 to 1 1/2 cups of lemon juice. I then add the sugar or sugar substitute. Make sure to wash and pick any stems from the blueberries. Add them to the lemon juice and sugar. I muddle the berries and then let the mixture sit for a while, until it is the color I like. Then add the water. I don't add ice to my lemonade. I fill a glass with ice and then pour the lemonade over the ice.

Chimichurri Meatballs

Chimichurri sauce

1/2 a bunch of fresh parsley
1/2 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup red wince vinegar
1 TB minced fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
minced zest and juice of 1/2 of a lemon
salt to taste

Combine all ingredients for chimichurri in a large bowl. Cover. Let stand at room temperature to combine flavors.

Meatballs

1 lb. of ground chuck
1/2 lb. of ground pork
1/4 cup of panko crumbs
3 TBS. minced scallions
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp of kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 egg
2 TBS. olive oil, divided
1/2 cup of feta cheese

Blend all meatball ingredients together (except oil and feta) in a bowl; do not overwork. Form 1 inch balls. Place 1 TBS of oil in skillet , at medium-high heat. Fry half of the meatballs until heated through, about 5 minutes. Place on platter already drizzled with chimichiurri. Heat remaining oil and fry the rest of the meatballs. Add them to platter, along with feta. Top all meatballs and cheese with chimichurri.

My Newest Addiction

Green Curry Paste

4-6 Long Green Hot Finger Chile Peppers

2 tbsp. Chopped Shallots
1 tsp. Kaffir Lime Rind (If you can't get the Kaffir, substitute another type)
2 tsp. Chopped Garlic
2 tbsp. Chopped Ginger
2 tbsp. Chopped Lemongrass
1/2 tsp. Cumin Seeds
1/2 tsp. Coriander Seeds
1/2 tsp Salt

Put in food processor and process until ingredients form a paste. Add a little oil if needed.


I used the paste to make chicken and vegetables with green curry paste.

Lemongrass!!

Forget that schlepping all over the Daytona area for fresh lemongrass. I now have my own lemongrass plant!

Just one step closer to green curry.

Cerchio in Ormond Beach

I'm a fan of Stonewood Grill and Tavern, and Peach Valley Cafe. Recently I read an article on the owners of Stonewood Grill and Tavern, and Peach Valley Cafe and found out that they also own an Italian restaurant, Cerchio. I was very excited to try Cerchio's food. Both Stonewood and Peachtree are chains, but they really don't have a chain feel to them, at least to me. I guess I expected the same from Cerchio's. I was disappointed. The place screams "Olive Garden" to me. Yeah, the decor is a little nicer, but other than that . . .

I ordered the eggplant medallions ("Tender eggplant, hand breaded, flash fried to a golden brown, topped with fresh ricotta on a bed of rustic marinara") for an appetizer. My friend chose the Artichoke Fritte ("Tender artichokes, flour finished, flash fried and served with dijon aioli"). The eggplant did seem to be hand breaded and it was fried perfectly. However, I like my eggplant with that large, oozing slice of provolone on top of it. This dish was sprinkled with cheese and seemed lacking. Judy's artichoke appetizer was quite good, but the dipping sauce certainly did not seem to be dijon aoili. In actuality, it tasted just like the sauce served with Bloomin' Onions at the Outback.


I ordered the Ravioli Caprese for an entree, the half portion. ("Tender ravioli filled with fresh mozzarella, vine ripe tomatoes and basil, finished with our house made aurora sauce") This came highly recommended by our waiter. For some reason, I had it in my head that this would be more of a pasta salad. I'm not sure where I got that from. I was expecting fresh tastes. What I got was what seemed to be typical frozen ravioli in a sauce that tasted like a rosa sauce.

Judy went with the sampler dish. (top photo) It isn't listed on their web site and I can't remember what it was called. I know that the Chicken Parmesan and the Ravioli Caprese were part of the meal. She was able to substitute for the third dish and chose gnocchi with bolognese sauce. She felt the same way I did about the ravioli and both of us were put off by the mushy texture of the gnocchi. The chicken was quite tasty though.

Of course, we wanted dessert and coffee. The coffee was fresh, dark, and made just right. The tirimisu tasted like the Olive Garden's and the Chocolate Au Cream was frozen and gritty.

Overall, the food was good/OK, but simply not the quality I was expecting. I went there with high expectations that weren't met. At least not during this outing. Would I recommend to friends? Yes, but with a disclaimer that they should go expecting chain quality food.

One thing I would go back for - their pizzas smelled and looked delicious. I'd be willing to give Cerchio's another shot and try their fire roasted pizzas.

Soy and Garlic Pork Chops

Many many years ago . . . I was given a recipe for grilled pork chops. Amy, the recipe donor, tried to impress upon me just how great these chops were. I shrugged and smiled, thinking to myself, "Soy sauce, garlic, and brown sugar? I don't think so." Then I made them. I changed my mind.

I've lost the actual recipe that she gave me, but here is the way I do it. I've used fresh garlic rather than the powder she had listed and I switched the regular soy sauce for low sodium.

• 4-6 center cut pork chops

Marinade

• 1 cup of low sodium soy sauce
• 1 head of bruised (before peeling and chopping, use the flat side of a knife to crush the cloves. This will also make it easier to peel the skin from the cloves.) and then coarsely chopped garlic
• approx. 1/4 cup of brown sugar (I don't really measure mine. I want the soy to thicken a little.)
• chopped ginger (optional, I add it when I have it.)

Stir all marinade ingredients together. Let sit for a few minutes so the sugar can dissolve. Then stir again before adding marinade to pork chops.

Place the pork chops in a 9x12 glass dish. Pour marinade over them. I usually marinate the chops for 24 hours in the refrigerator, turning them occasionally. The original recipe said to marinate for an hour at room temperature, but I think they have a much better flavor with the lengthened marinade time and leaving pork out on my counter for any length of time concerns me.

Then grill.

New Cookbooks

Some of my recent purchases:

Martha Stewart's Cupcakes; 175 Inspired Ideas for Everyone's Favorite Treat

This is a beautiful book. I'm not really a Martha Stewart fan, but after I picked this up and looked at it, I knew I had to have it.

On the "Gotta Make" list

• Tiramisu cupcakes
• Chai tea mini cupcakes
• Blackberry-cornmeal cupcakes
• Snickerdoodle cupckes
• Chocolate Fleur De Sel cupcakes

Beer Can Chicken and 74 Other Offbeat Recipes for the Grill
by Steven Raichlen

This is another beautiful cookbook. His explanations are concise and easy to follow. In addition to the recipes, he gives great grilling tips.

• On the "Gotta Make" list
• Lacquered Saigon Chicken
• Ginger Ale Chicken
• Thai Coconut Chicken
• Kielbasa-Barbecued Cabbage
• Mozzarella S'mores

Make Mine Vodka; 250 Classic Cocktails and Cutting Edge Infusions

by Susan Waggoner and Robert Markel

The Stonewood Restaurant down the street from me has infused vodkas. The make a blueberry martini with their own blueberry infused vodka and it is superb. That is what got me interested in infusions. And when I saw this on the discount table, I had to have it.

On the "Gotta make" list

• Blackberry Buck
• Cherry Bomb
• Devil's Torch (just for the name alone)
• Persephone's Kiss
• Windex (again just for the name alone)
• Limoncello
• Vishnyovka (sour cherry)

Curry Bible; Exotic and Fragrant Curries from Around the World by Mridula Baljekar

Nice heavy hardcover book. The photography is stunning.

On the "Gotta Make" list

• Thai green curry paste
• Mussaman curry paste
• Chicken Biryani
• Lamb Dhansak
• Coconut beef curry

My triumphant return

Alright . . . I guess the title is overkill. I just don't get to use the word triumphant often and it sounded good.

Once again I return from the deep, dark, sucking hole of life to my food blog. I've missed it. With grad school, it is almost next to impossible to have a lot of fun. It's too time consuming. But I only have two classes left so at least the end is in sight.

I'm on a food kick. I've made chicken Marsala and a Parmesan risotto this week. All of my current desires are food related. I want a kitchen torch (I will make creme brulee and s'more cupcakes!!), a good food processor, a rice steamer, and a pastry bag with lots of piping tips. (Now tell me I'm not a food geek.)

I've also been buying cookbooks. And I need to stop. The deal I made with myself was that I could fill the one bookcase with cookbooks. Then I had to stop and at least sell some if I wanted some new books. I'd say I could jam maybe one more in there.

I have already planned some of my upcoming posts. I have 2 restaurant reviews, recent cookbooks purchases, soon to be arriving cookbooks, and a plethora of recipes. Now let us see if I actually do it.

Classic Tiramisu

6 egg yolks
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups mascarpone cheese
1 3/4 cups heavy (or whipping) cream
2 packages (3 ounces each) ladyfingers
1/3 cup coffee liqueur

Combine egg yolks and sugar and whip until thick and lemon colored, about 1 minute. Place in top of double boiler over boiling water. Reduce heat to low and cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Add mascarpone cheese, beating well. Whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into egg yolk mixture; set aside. Line bottom and side of 3-quart bowl with ladyfinger halves. Brush with coffee liqueur. Spoon half of egg yolk-cream mixture into ladyfinger-lined bowl. Repeat ladyfingers, espresso and cream layers. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. 10 to 12 servings.