So, tomorrow is July 4th and the biggest barbecue day of the year. I’m having my own barbecue tomorrow for my friends and I’m really looking forward to it. I love the traditional barbecue foods of burgers, hot dogs, ribs & all that good stuff but I also like to do some different types of dishes as well. This is a great healthy recipe for grilled steak tacos. I love people to get involved in the cooking so I serve these up and let everyone help themselves. You’ll love how easy and tasty this is and your guests will be well impressed you went the extra mile to something a little different.

RECIPE:
Serves 4
1 lb flank steak
1 red pepper – sautéed
8 corn tortillas (2 per serving)

STEAK MARINADE:
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 lime – zested
¼ cup olive oil
2 tsp salt
Mix marinade ingredients together and rub into steak. Marinate covered in the fridge from 4 hours to over-night.

AVOCADO SALSA:
1 large avocado – diced
1 Roma tomato – diced
1 tbsp fresh cilantro – chopped
squeeze fresh lime juice
S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat your grill on high.
Remove steak from fridge 30 minutes before grilling to let meat return to room temp.
Once grill is hot, cook steak for 3-5 minutes each side for medium-rare to medium.
NOTE: Very important to let the cooked meat rest for 10 minutes after grilling before carving. This lets the juices redistribute evenly back into the meat and not all over your cutting board.
While the meat is resting, mix all the salsa ingredients together and refrigerate.
TIP: When carving, slice thinly on the bias against the grain. (The grain being the lines you will see on the meat) Always cut across these otherwise the meat will taste chewy!

To assemble: place some sliced steak in each warmed tortillas along with some red pepper and finish with a nice dollop of the avocado salsa.

If you want to do small bite sized tacos like I did, get the kids involved and with large cookie cutters, cut them out. You can even cut the leftovers into strips and bake them to use with some guacamole for your barbecue.

Now, off you go to get grilling.

Happy 4th guys.

The name says it all!

RECIPE:
Serves 2

1 bunch baby beets (red and golden)
1/2 red onion – thinly sliced
1 fennel bulb – halved, stem removed, thinly sliced
1 lemon – zested
1/2 lemon – juiced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
2 oz goat’s cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Begin by trimming the stalks from the beets and cook them in boiling salted water until tender, 20-30 minutes approx. While the beets are boiling, add the sliced red onion and fennel to an ice bath. This will crisp them up and add a beautiful crunchiness to the salad. Once beets are cooked, drain well and peel skins under running cold water. Cut into quarters and chill in the fridge until cool. When cooled, drain onion & fennel and pat dry with a kitchen towel.
To assemble salad simply mix all the components together. Taste and season.

Happy 4th!

Ok, Bobby Flay–you published your best California Burger, dubbed the ‘L.A. Burger’ in June’s Food Network Magazine and though it looks pret-ty good, I think I can do better so I’m challenging you with my version. Looks like it’s official–we have a real (virtual) THROWDOWN!

I actually made two versions–gotta think of the vegetarians. Our versions are now at the hands of the public. Vote for your favorite version by leaving a comment below. Will it be Bobby’s L.A. Burger, My California Turkebello Burger or my Venice Beach Burger?

I will say however, that I tried Bobby’s grilled sweet potatoes and they were brilliant (recipe below). Gotta give credit where credit is due!

VENICE BEACH BURGER
(inspired by my latest trip to Real Gourmet Burger)
Serves 2

1 zucchini – sliced lengthwise ¼” thick
1 yellow squash – sliced ¼” thick
2 portobello mushrooms- cleaned, stalks removed
1 red bell pepper – halved and seeded
1 tbsp fresh thyme – chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsps balsamic vinegar
Dollop of homemade hummus
homemade guacamole (as much of  your favorite recipe as you can heap on there)
S&P

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat your grill to hot. While the coals are heating add sliced zucchini, squash, red pepper and mushrooms to a large mixing bowl and toss together with olive oil, balsamic, thyme, S&P. Set aside for 30 minutes to marinade.

Once the coals are ready, grill the vegetables for 3-5 minutes each side (depending how hot your coals are) or until cooked through. Once peppers are charred place in a ziploc bag for 10 minutes to soften. Remove and peel skins from peppers. That’s it folks! Toast your bun and you’re ready to assemble. I have to admit that I prefer to use whole wheat buns for my burgers but I had to use what was left in my pantry from a past gig. I hate to let food go to waste. (Do I get any brownie points for that?!)

To assemble burger, smooth a layer of hummus on the bottom bun. Create layers of the vegetables on top (my order was peppers, portobello, zucchini then squash followed by fresh homemade guac on top. No mayo, no cheese, perfectly vegan, though you wouldn’t miss the meat in this bad boy.

CALIFORNIA TURKEBELLO BURGER
(as seen in my mugshot at the top)

RECIPE:
Serves 2

10 oz. ground turkey breast (the leanest–helps keep me trim for my mankini)
1 tsp whole grain mustard
dash Worcestershire sauce
S&P (pinch for burgers, sprinkle for veg)
1 red bell pepper – halved and seeded
1 zucchini – sliced lengthwise ¼” thick
1 yellow squash – sliced ¼” thick
2 portobello mushrooms- cleaned, stalks removed
1 tbsp fresh thyme – chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsps balsamic vinegar
homemade guacamole (as much of  your favorite recipe as you can heap on there)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your grill to hot. While the coals are heating add sliced zucchini, squash, pepper and mushrooms to a large mixing bowl and toss together with olive oil, balsamic, thyme, S&P. Set aside for 30 minutes to marinade.

While veg are marinating, prepare your turkey burgers. Combine ground turkey, mustard, Worcestershire and S&P in a large mixing bowl. Make two 5 oz patties.
TIP: This can be done a day ahead of time if you’re making enough for a party.

Once the coals are ready, grill the vegetables for 3-5 minutes each side (depending how hot your coals are) or until cooked through. Once peppers are charred place in a ziploc bag for 10 minutes to soften. Remove and peel skins.

Ground turkey breast is super lean which means it cooks quick but it also sticks. Before putting burgers on, spray grill with olive oil spray. Grill turkey patties for about 10-15 mins. approx depending on how hot your coals are, turning once. Pierce with fork and if juices run clear they’re ready.

TIP: By mixing the mustard into the patties they’ll help prevent the turkey from drying out as well as give them a little kick.

To assemble: Throw down the mushroom followed by the turkey patty. Layer pepper, squash, zucchini followed by a heap of homemade guac. Done!

Whatever you do, DO NOT let these awesome “fries” persuade you–they’re the business and will defo be on my grill this weekend!

GRILLED SWEET POTATOES WITH LIME & CILANTRO (Courtesy Bobby Flay)
Serves 4

3 large sweet potatoes – unpeeled and cut into wedges
1/4 cup canola oil (though I used olive oil)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
2 tsp fresh lime zest
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS
NOTE: My directions are slightly different from the original but the end result is the same.

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Cut each half into quarters. Place in pot of salted water and bring to a boil. You’re actually par-boiling the potatoes so don’t cook them all the way just about ¾ done.
Preheat grill to medium or place a cast-iron grill pan over medium heat.
Mix 1 tbsp salt, pepper, lime zest, cilantro, cayenne and oil in a small bowl. Brush each potato wedge with the oil mixture and season with S&P. Grill until golden brown on all sides (including skin side) for about 1 1/2 mins. per side or until cooked through. The natural sugar in the potatoes will create a lovely caramelized look when cooked. Transfer to a platter and watch them disappear.

Now it’s time for you to vote!! Choose your favorite by leaving a comment below. 4th of July is a great weekend to try out the burgers!
Happy grilling and best of luck, Bobby!

You may recall my first experience with Real Gourmet Burger from last October. That was quite the experience seeing those ginormous burgers coming from the kitchen. Back in Dublin a few weeks ago I knew I fancied hitting the place up again -it was that good the first time around. Impressive that a burger joint left such an impression on me since I don’t eat a lot of burgers. Though this time ’round we weren’t near Ballsbridge, but as luck would have it we ran right into the Dun Laoghaire spot by chance on our way to the farmers’ market in Dun Laoghaire, south Dublin. This time I felt like a seasoned pro. The place was jointed which is always good to see. We sat at the counter near the kitchen where I had a birds eye view of the monsters coming out. I tucked  into a beef burger this time  and I wasn’t disappointed. Damn tasty, so much so that I decided to keep some on my shirt for later! If you’re ever in Dublin I would defo recommend giving this place a go.

As a tribute, tomorrow I’ll be posting my version of the Portobello Burger the Missus had back in October (pic below). Wonder if I can get it as high…stay tuned!

The infamous Kogi BBQ

“Food on the Go” has its meanings. It used to mean, well still does, a fast food drive through. Grab a greasy quickie (still talking food here peeps) and eat it while you drive from point A to point B. A hot dog stand comes to mind for New Yorkers. Eat and walk. My version usually means a bag of almonds and a protein drink, but then we all know I’m not your typical guy.

You may have noticed there’s a new kid in town which is taking cities across the nation by storm: the Food Truck–and it’s a booming business. Haven’t heard of them? Let me think of the best way to describe them…Ever pass by a construction site and see the taco trucks serving up lunch? (States side anyway.) You may know them as “roach coaches”, not quite renowned for having the best quality food but more of a cheap ‘n’ cheerful street food. Well these new Food Trucks are basically pimped out glorified roach coaches. It’s true these taco trucks aren’t a new idea though this latest crop of mobile food trucks have taken the concept to a whole new level, offering quality ingredients and a large variety of cuisines. Here in LA (on Abbot Kinney alone) there are sometimes 4 different ones catering to the shop owners, shoppers and even the late night bar clientele. The range and variety of food is super ranging form Korean tacos (Kogi) to Barbie’s Q (down-home bbq) to organic meals (Greentruck, whose serviettes & packaging are made from bio-compostable products and is run on bio-diesel) to ice cream sandwiches (Coolhaus). In Brooklyn it’s ribs, Manhattan has desserts and dumplings, DC has On The Fly.

Afraid? Don’t be. These companies have just taken their businesses to the streets. Instead of having one stationary restaurant or store where people may or may not travel to, they are taking the food to the people in all different neighborhoods throughout the city AND they’ve gotten smart about advertising their locations. The first high profile pioneer was the brilliant mastermind of Kogi Korean BBQ, whose headquarters is based in NY. They would let their peeps in NY know when and where they’d be stopping and they’d then Tweet (@kogibbq) about it, thus creating a craze that is still going strong. I don’t think I’ve ever passed by this truck without a line wrapped around it. They’ve been known to feed up to 800 peeps at one stop. Crazy.

Have a read here from the LA Times to see how Kogi came to be. Quite interesting and inspiring I think.

As I was thinking about writing about this ‘phenomenon’ I came across an article this past week in the LA Times Business section about a cupcake business here in LA, Sprinkles Cupcakes, who have just launched their “Sprinklesmobile”. Brilliant. I’ve been to this place and they do make good cupcakes. They’re conscious of not diluting the market with their brand by opening too many stores so they figure they can hit some new markets frequently by bringing the cupcakes to them. Interestingly, they plan on using social media platforms, Twitter and Facebook to ‘talk’ to their potential customers and decide where to sell their product. It’s not only the name of the game for techies, it’s the wave of the future for all businesses. Are you on board?

Image courtesy of LA Times

I’m doing some research for an article I’m writing about this subject, so let me know if you have seen the truck phenomenon in your area. Keen to find out if it’s just a US craze or if it’s gone global so do you have a local company delivering quality food in your town, city or country?

And if not, I may have just given you a brilliant business idea!

Cheers.

On my travels I had a great time exploring and enjoying delicious French food. If you saw Top Chef Master’s last night you got a taste of how serious French chefs are. Their training is like the military; structured, no-nonsense, all about technique, full of pride. A lot of my meals in France contained tarragon, a classic French cooking favorite. No stranger to Irish cuisine, its taste is similar to anise and licorice and is often combined with fresh parsley, chives, tarragon and chervil, otherwise known as fines herbes. Besides it’s unique taste, tarragon has a long history of health benefits, such as treating stomach cramps as a digestive aid while promoting a healthy appetite. Gotta love it when your food does double duty.

I was inspired by the tastes of France to liven up an American staple, the burger. These are made with ground chicken, an excellent low-fat alternative to high-fat mince. Having a barbecue? Try them as sliders. Don’t stop there–continue the Mediterranean journey with a mixed green & fennel salad. Can you tell I’m ready to go back?

BURGER RECIPE:
Serves 4

4 x 4-6 oz burgers (approx 1-1½ lb) ground chicken
¾ cup red onion – small dice
1 large garlic clove – minced
2 tbsp fresh tarragon – chopped
½ lemon – zested
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
low-fat cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
In preheated (medium low heat) sauté pan, sauté red onion in 2 tbsp olive oil for 1 minute, stirring. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and let cool.

Once cooled add onions to chicken along with chopped tarragon, lemon zest, mustard and S&P.
With clean hands, mix well. Roll burgers into 4-6 oz sized burgers.

This can be done ahead of time and refrigerated.
Remove burgers from fridge 30 minutes before cooking to let them return to room temp.

Preheat a large griddle and cook each burger for 3-4 minutes each side until cooked through. Of course you can fire up your grill for these as well. Serve with low-fat cheese on top and you’re off to the races.

NOTE:
This is also a great party idea or if you’ve got a group of friends coming over.
Simply sear the burgers for 1 minute each side and then finish in 425F/220C oven for 4 minutes until cooked through. By doing the burgers this way you can feed more people at one time and keep them sweet!

MIXED GREEN SALAD WITH SHAVED FENNEL AND GOAT’S CHEESE RECIPE
Serves 2

2 cups mixed greens
½ fennel bulb– thinly sliced and put in an ice water bath to crisp
1 oz goat’s cheese
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey (I like to use Agave Nectar instead. Still sweet but better metabolized by the body)
S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Drain sliced fennel completely and mix with greens along with the goat’s cheese and lemon zest.
Add olive oil, balsamic, honey / agave and pinch of salt.

Cheers!

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

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Until now, relish was considered a veg at Major League ballparks. Now look how far we’ve come in America’s game! Though I’ve never been to Dodger Stadium, this gives me good reason to start cheering for the men in blue (that’s what they’re called, right?)

This is potato salad my way. That means no mayo. Instead I use whole grain mustard dressing mixed with fresh herbs to dress the potatoes which makes for a clean fresh taste that won’t weigh you down. Literally. Good news for your bikini/mankini body. Bring on summer!

RECIPE:
Serves 2

8oz baby red potatoes – halved
1 garlic clove – minced
1/2 red onion – thinly sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp green onion (scallions) – thinly sliced
S&P

Vinaigrette:
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 garlic clove – peeled & chopped
1 tbsp fresh oregano
1/2 lemon – juiced
1/2 cup olive oil
S&P to taste

Pop the mustard, garlic, lemon juice and oregano in a food processor and with the machine running drizzle in the olive oil. Taste and season with S&P. Alternatively if you haven’t got a processor, add the mustard, minced garlic, chopped oregano and lemon juice in a bowl. Stir and whisk in the olive oil to lend. Taste and season. This recipe will make more than you need for this dish so don’t add it all in at once.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven 400F. Begin by tossing the potatoes in 1 tbsp olive oil, S&P and garlic. Place on a foiled oven tray in a single layer and roast for 20 minutes, approx or until cooked. Once roasted, let sit on tray for 5 minutes (they’ll be easier to peel off the foil and won’t stick). Meanwhile saute the onions in 2 tbsp on medium low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want to caramelize them and not burn them on a higher heat. By caramelizing them the natural sugar of the onions will come out and give your salad a delicious flavor. Once cooked take off the heat and let cool.

To assemble salad:
Place the potatoes, onions & scallions in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 tbsp of dressing to coat. Toss well. Taste and season with S&P. If you need more dressing go for it but keep in mind the potato salad should not be runny or drenched in dressing. A light coating is perfect.

This Sunday is Father’s Day for us here in the States as well as in Ireland (where most of fam is) and France (where I just returned from).

In honor of my Irish Dad there was only one dish I was going to cook this weekend and that’s the old reliable Irish staple……lamb (and potatoes–tomorrow’s post!)

Sunday also marks the official start of summer so I thought I’d give you a great recipe if you plan on cracking out your grill this weekend. You don’t obviously need the grill, a grill pan works just as well but the flavor you’ll get from the barbecue is definitely worth it. Don’t have a grill yet? Makes a great Father’s Day gift!

RECIPE:
Serves 6

1 1/2 lbs. minced lamb (6 x 5-6 oz burgers)
3 tbsp fresh mint – chopped
1 large shallot – minced
1 garlic clove – minced
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1 egg white
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Put all the above in a large mixing bowl and (with clean hands) mix thoroughly incorporating all the ingredients together. Roll each burger into 6 oz burgers and lay on foiled tray until ready to cook. Preheat indoor grill pan or outdoor grill on high for 5 minutes.

RAITA RECIPE:
6 ozs fat free plain yogurt
1 tbsp fresh mint – chopped
1/4 cup peeled, diced cucumber
1 tsp fresh lemon zest
pinch of S&P

Mix all Raita ingredients together in bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
To finish: Grill burgers as normal to desired temperature and serve with mint raita.

Tomorrow’s post: healthy potato salad. Fire up that grill already!

Had a great time on my hols but now it’s back to reality, back to the grind. Not before one last jog of the memory. If you were keeping up with my travels you already know I spent a lot of time slacking by the pool with the fam mixed with a perfect amount of sight-seeing. Paris, Grasse, Cabri, Cannes, Antibes, Monaco, Monte Carlo, Vence–all were amazing sites to visit and actually all of them had fresh food markets located around their respective cities–brilliant for a guy like me who eats non-stop.

To recap, we started our journey in Paris, the most romantic city on Earth, they say. We were only there for less than 24 hours but you can definitely feel the ‘love’ vibe–it’s a beautiful city with parks, amazing architecture and art, baguettes, coffee, wine and fashion, not to mention the French Open which was being held during our stay. We may have tucked into a bar (or 3) to catch a match, as you do on holiday. The best meal we had was in this city of love at an outdoor cafe in a prime spot for people watching. A simple lunch of mussels, fresh bread and a bottle of Rosé with the Missus was the business.

Next stop: Nice. We took the train down to meet the fam bam, which was the smartest thing we could’ve done. No stress from flying, just sitting munching on our fresh baguette, cherries and cold beer, enjoying the views of the countryside and the cities we passed through.
Once we got everyone packed in our rental cars we headed to our new home about an hour away in the hills due north of Cannes, near the towns of Les Jaisou, Peymeinade, Sperecedes & Cabri (in case you are familiar with the area). Cabri was a gorgeous little village at the top of the hills which marked the spot for early pints. The views from this town were amazing–you could see the entire coastline of Nice and Cannes from the hilltop. Amazing isn’t it?

Grasse is the world capital of parfumiers. Cannes was still trying to recover from the film fest and you already know about our joy in Monaco and Monte Carlo. One of the best surprises was our half-day road trip to Vence, a medieval town located in the hills above Nice and Antibes. We had good luck in our timing and arrived just as their outdoor market began to get busy. Here you could buy stuff from local artisans such as clothing, shoes, handbags, table linens and torchons, paintings and art in addition to many food stalls. It’s been said to be one of the most expensive streets in France for food. I was excited to see it for myself. It was pretty much a culinary haven of restaurants along with stall after stall of fresh ingredients: fruit & veg, meat, fish & seafood, cheese, bread and wine, sea salts out the wazoo, herbs & spices, and the largest selection of olives I’ve ever seen. Impressive for a small medieval town.
(I just read “ Vence is famous for its spring water, which can be bottled from numerous fountains throughout the town” which makes total sense why we saw people filling their water bottles from the fountains! I thought it was holy water at first which, in hindsight it very well may be to the locals.)