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Everyone loves a good BBQ. And we know that men flock to stoke the coals and flip the fare — definitely a guy thing! Whether it’s hotdogs, hamburgers, salmon, chicken or veggies, on warm summer nights everything tastes better cooked on the grill.
So for you’re favorite Dad there is a new book, Dad’s Awesome Grilling Book, by Bob Sloan — just in time for Father’s Day. And I have included a recipe below for Grilled Corn with Chipotle Butter.
Let’s face it, in the summertime, the last thing you want to worry about is spending a lot of time inside cooking dinner. Firing up the grill is a great way to get outdoors and get everyone fed in a matter of minutes!
A great meal from the grill can be as simple as having a great marinade or a great rub. Choose your protein, an array or whatever your pleasure, be it meat, fowl or vegetable, and marinate or season up your entrée choice. Throw on some asparagus spears, corn on the cob or zucchini and you have a quick and easy meal.
Sometimes I like to start with slices of rustic bread, grilled till toasty and then rubbed with a garlic clove. Top with chopped ripe tomatoes drizzled with EVOO and some sea salt – sprinkle with a little chopped basil, oregano , a sprinkle of fresh grated parm.
Moving on to the main dish I’ve got a recipe for Balsamic, Honey & Thyme Marinade which is good on just about anything. And if you want to grill up your dinner even faster, my Dish D’Lish French Seasoning Salt is great on a fat steak. Or try my Cha Cha Chipotle Lime Seasoning on chicken breasts –- grilled up and then topped with some fresh tomato pico and some grilled corn. Voila! instant dinner!
If cooking with a marinade or rub that contains sugar, be sure to grill on medium-low heat to prevent burning; honey or sugar can scorch on high heat.
Then finish off your quick summer meal with a big bowl of fresh local berries … maybe with a little ice cream, too. Or if the grill is still hot – try out my recipe for Grilled Banana Sundae with Caramel. Simplicity never tasted so good!
Happy Grilling!
Kathy’s Balsamic Honey & Thyme Marinade
Makes 2/3 cup
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp minced fresh thyme
3/4 tsp coarse-cracked black pepper
pinch of red chili flakes if you like a little heat
Mix marinade ingredients in a zip-top plastic bag. Add food, and marinate, refrigerated, for 30 minutes or longer.
This amount is enough to marinate 8 chicken breast halves, salmon fillets, or jumbo portobello mushrooms, or 2 to 3 pounds pork tenderloin. Grill food on medium-low heat to prevent the sweet marinade from burning.
Copyright © 2009, Kathy Casey Food Studios®
Roasted Corn with Chipotle Butter
From Dad’s Awesome Grilling Book, by Bob Sloan – Chronicle Books
Makes 6 ears
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
2 chipotle chiles in adobo, seeds removed and finely chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 ears corn, husked
In a small bowl, use a fork to mash together the butter, chipotles, garlic, salt and pepper until just combined. Transfer the mixture to a 12-inch piece of plastic wrap and use the wrap to roll the butter mixture into a log roughly the size of the original stick of butter. Place the butter in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Grill the corn over medium-high heat for 10 to 12 minutes, turning frequently as the bottoms begin to turn a golden brown.Serve immediately, with the chipotle butter on the side.
Grilled Banana Sundaes with Caramel Sauce
Makes 4 servings
4 bamboo chopsticks or 10-inch bamboo skewers
2 large ripe but firm bananas
vegetable oil, as needed
1 pint tropical-flavor ice cream (I served both Häagen- Dazs pineapple coconut and mango ice creams)
high-quality caramel sauce – as needed or sub chocolate sauce
sweetened whipped cream (optional)
sundae goodies and garnishes: chopped fresh pineapple, sliced kumquats if in season, Trader Joe’s Dark Roasted Pistachio Toffee, edible flowers or toasted coconut
Soak chopsticks or skewers in water for 10 to 15 minutes. Peel bananas and cut each crosswise into 2 pieces. Carefully thread each piece lengthwise onto a skewer. Lightly brush bananas with vegetable oil on each side.
On a preheated, medium-high to high grill, cook bananas for about 12 minutes total, turning with a spatula every 4 minutes or so, to get caramelized grill marks on them. Bananas should be nice and soft when cooked.
Serve atop scoops of ice cream in large bowls. Let guests finish topping their sundaes with sauces, whipped cream, fruit, toffee and garnishes.
©2009 by Kathy Casey Food Studios®
