Nothing like being called up last minute to do a bbq for new clients, but as usual I was able to pull it off without a hitch! (Thank God!) The host couple were friends of friends, who were visiting from Australia on business for a couple of weeks. Call it a Hello/Goodbye barbecue. I love these types of small causal gigs where I get to showcase my personality as well as my food. I adapted a bunch of previously posted recipes and turned them into this simple afternoon barbecue. Here’s a few pics from the day of yours truly in action.

MENU:

ANTIPASTO PLATTER
Trio of Hummus: Roast Sweet Pepper, Basil-Artichoke & Lemon-Parsley
Cheese & Salamis
Assorted Flat Breads & Baked Pita Chips
BUFFET
Mini Turkey Sliders with Caramelized Onions
Sweet Soy Glazed Chicken Skewers
Grilled Skirt Steak with Cilantro Pesto
Grilled Asparagus Spears with Tomato & Herb Infused Olive Oil
Roast Mini Potato Salad with Herb Vinaigrette
Baby Spinach Salad with Shaved Fennel, Pear & Gorgonzola with Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette

DESSERT
Fresh baked cookies and customized cupcakes! Perfect ending to a great day!

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

It’s hot enough here that I could, if I wanted to, fry an egg on my bald head, which means barbecue season is still hangin’ in there….. just like the smoke over LA. I’m definitely not complaining since the poor Paddies have barely had a chance to put a flame to the barbecue this year. Ironically my parents have 3 barbecues (couldn’t tell ya why) but unfortunately they’re mostly used as gatherers of rust and leaves. With this being Labor Day weekend everyone here is in full barbecue mode so this is a great easy tasty recipe that can be done in advance and brought to the beach or just throw them on the grill if you have some peeps comin’ over. Either way there’s some good eatin’ here. Shit, I’m starting to write the way my Texan missus speaks, yikes. Think I need a trip to Kerry to sort me out!

RECIPE:
Serves 4

5 lbs organic chicken, portioned

Marinade:
1/4 cup fresh cilantro – rough chopped
1 large garlic clove – minced
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup low-sodium tamari (soy sauce)
3 tbsp agave
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:
Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add chicken to bowl and, with clean hands, mix the marinade into the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours up to over night.
Once ready to cook, fire up the grill.
Grill all chicken pieces to desired temperature knowing that any dark meat chicken will take slightly longer to cook.

TIP: When grilling meat I like to cook by indirect heat. I have one side of my grill fired up on high heat and the other side on low heat. I sear or brown the meat on the high heat side on both sides and then move it over to the low heat side. Close the lid. By using this method the grill becomes more like an oven and the meat cooks slowly through thus not burning and remaining juicy and moist.

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

I got some pictures yesterday of my niece’s first day at big girl school (what a dote!) and then it hit me–summer is almost done, or for those of you across the pond it never really got started. Sorry ’bout that.
Here Stateside we celebrate Labor Day on Monday, meaning it’s a bank holiday weekend and our last official Summer hoo-ha before Autumn starts creeping in. We’ve been suffering a heat wave here this past week, so I made some refreshing ‘burgers’ that are a great idea for your last ’summer’ weekend.

RECIPE:
Serves 4

1 lb sushi grade Ahi Tuna
2 tbsp low-sodium tamari (soy sauce)
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp wasabi paste
1 lime – zested
squeeze of lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro – chopped
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

For Garnish:
sprouts (if you’re into them)
avocado
lettuce

DIRECTIONS:
Chop the tuna into chunks and add to a food processor. Pulse a few times to break down tuna.

In a large mixing bowl add olive oil, tamari, lime juice and zest, cilantro, ginger, S&P. Mix and add to tuna. Blend until well combined, (1 minute approx) mimicking ground meat.
Form into 4 x 4oz burgers.
Preheat large non-stick saute/grill pan on medium heat for 1 minute. Sear burgers for 2 minutes each side for rare or longer for more well done.
Serve with fresh sprouts and avocado on a toasted whole wheat bun. If, like me, you like a condiment with your burger try my ginger spiced homemade ketchup to give a great contrasting sweet n sour flavor.

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

Why is it that I like cumin so much? I don’t have many memories of eating it growing up (apart of learning how to use it at Ballymaloe). So what is it that attracts me to its peppery nutty flavour? It’s really just down to how good it makes food taste.

Along with flavour cumin has many health benefits including aiding digestion, supplying a good source of iron and research is starting to show that cumin seeds may also have anti-carcinogenic properties. It’s also a must have in many Mexican and Middle Eastern dishes and is available both in its whole seed form (like we used in the last post) or ground into a powder. Actually, now that I look back, I’ve used cumin in several of my recipes from tortilla soup to glazed baby carrots to Spanish potatoes and of course last week we used cumin in conjunction with our turmeric recipes.

RECIPE:

Serves 2

1 1/2 lbs Organic/Sustainable lamb shoulder or leg of lamb – cut into uniform pieces (Ask your butcher to cut it for you, much easier)
1/2 green pepper – cut in cubes
1/2 red onion – cut into cubes
1 tsp ground cumin
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 lemon – zested

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat barbecue or stove top grill pan.

Begin by mixing the oil, cumin, salt and lemon juice in a small bowl.  Assemble the kabobs as per the photo, alternating between lamb and red onion with green pepper at the top and bottom of each skewer.

TIP: Soak the bamboo skewers in water for at least 2 hours before grilling. This will help prevent the skewers from burning.

Once together and ready to cook, brush all sides of the lamb with the olive oil mixture. Spray your grill or grill pan with oo spray. Sear the lamb for 15 minutes on all sides or until nice and pink inside, 130F for medium rare.

Tatziki

1 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
1 tbsp fresh mint
1/4 cup diced cucumber
1/2 lemon – zested
pinch S&P to taste

Mix all above ingredients together and serve with grilled Lamb. This works really well with it. Cool and refreshing. (Sounds like a toothpaste commercial!)

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

What to do with the leftover pesto from Tuesday’s post, ‘Heirloom Tomato Salad with Cilantro Pesto Beans‘? (The entire pesto recipe is available there.) How ’bout a quick dinner idea using shrimp? For this recipe we’ll be using the pesto as a marinade instead of a dressing–see how versatile it is! I’ve used pesto to marinate chicken before and knowing how delicious that turned out I was excited to try the shrimp.

RECIPE:

1 lb local or wild medium shrimp (21-30’s- between 21 and 30 per pound) Peeled & De-veined (P&D’s if you want the lingo)
1/2 cup cilantro pesto
7 x 8′ wooden skewers

DIRECTIONS:
Soak the wooden skewers for at least 2 hours. This will help prevent them from going up in flames when they hit the grill.
I prefer to marinate the shrimp first before skewering to keep the skewers nice n clean. Marinate the shrimp for at least 2 hours up to 6.
Once marinated, with clean hands skewer 3 shrimp on each skewer. You can of course use larger metal skewers if you prefer. The skewers are really only for cooking purposes so you don’t end up loosing some shrimp on the grill.

On a preheated hot grill, sear each skewer for 2 minutes each side until shrimp turn opaque and are firm to the touch.

See how easy it is to make something exciting out of leftovers?!

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

Summer is the best time for beautiful vibrant colors in the garden and it’s the best time for tomatoes! I couldn’t resist picking up these brilliant heirloom tomatoes at the weekend. I’ll warn you, they were pricy (3-4 bucks a pound!) but their taste is worth it, I promise you. In order to ‘qualify’ for this weeks Summer Fest I put them together with some French Beans (Haricot Verts) and since our herb garden is booming, we have cilantro out the ying yang so I decided to make……cilantro pesto. A lovely fresh twist on the usual basil pesto!

The key here with the beans is to just cook them until they go to this bright green color and are still nice ‘n’ crisp. The contrast of the sweet tomatoes and the fresh taste of my garden cilantro is light yet full of flavor. If you’re having bbq this weekend, make this–It’ll go down a storm.

RECIPE:

3 lbs heirloom tomatoes – make the trip to your Farmers’ Market–defo worth it for these!
1 lb French beans – trimmed

Cilantro Pesto:
Makes 2 cups (extra for another time)

2 bunches cilantro – packed
2 cups baby spinach – packed
1 lemon – zested
1/2 lemon – juiced
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts – toast in a dry heated saute pan for 3-4 minutes stirring periodically until browned
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (low fat preferably)
1 1/2 cups olive oil
S&P to taste

Add all pesto ingredients in a food processor, except for olive oil. Blend and while blitzing gradually pour in olive oil. Season with ¼ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper. Done.

Blanch the beans in a pot of boiling salted water for 30 seconds until bright green color. Drain and refresh in bowl of ice water until completely chilled, Drain.
To assemble salad: Lay slices of the heirlooms around platter. Toss the french beans in enough pesto to coat and lay in middle of platter. Drizzle a little pesto over each tomato and season with S&P to taste. That’s it! Don’t be afraid to try all the colors of heirloom tomatoes. Ask your local vendor which ones will be the best and tuck in!

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

I saw this idea in a recent Cooking Light magazine and I must admit, it intrigued me. What?–Chefs can’t get inspired by another’s recipe? Bollix!
I loved the fact that it used ingredients perfect for this time of year and it used something I don’t usually cook with, blackberries. This is seasonal cooking at its best guys.
The original recipe was Grilled Pork with Blackberry Sage Sauce but I decided to take it a step further, transforming the fresh blackberries into a marinade instead. I’m telling you, I was bang on!

As you know, pork has had some bad raps in the past but you can easily work it into your healthy diet with out worrying. The tenderloin is the leanest cut of pork. A 3-ounce serving contains 120 calories and 2.98 grams of total fat, which is as lean as a skinless chicken breast. I will stress that buying organic or grass-fed meat is the way to go here. (More of my research on this to come.) Don’t be afraid of this recipe. It probably looks complicated but it really is super easy.

RECIPE:
Serves 4

1 lb Organic or grass fed pork loin
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (for roasting)

PORK MARINADE:
1 lb blackberries
2 shallots – minced
1 tbsp fresh sage – chopped
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp agave (vary this amount depending on how sweet or tart the blackberries are)
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat medium saute pan on medium heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and saute shallots for 1 minute, stirring. Add everything except broth and simmer for 2/3 minutes until berries start to break down.

Add broth and simmer for 5-6 minutes. Pass the marinade through a sieve retaining the liquid. Discard the contents of the sieve. Let liquid cool completely before adding pork loin to marinate.

Marinate pork from 2 to 6 hours, refrigerated. You could marinade it over night if you wish.

Remove pork from fridge 1 hour before cooking.

Preheat oven to 420F.

To cook: either sear on a hot grill or in a hot saute pan. I used the grill to get some added flavor from the charcoal and brilliant grill marks. Sear all sides until nicely browned, 4 min. each side approx. Place seared pork on a foiled oven tray. Add the chicken broth to the tray and pop in the oven for 20 minutes approx or until internal temp. of 165F. (You probably know this is one on my favourite tricks to keep lean meat moist.) Once cooked, remove and let rest for 10 minutes loosely foiled before carving. This will let the meat relax and the juices redistribute back into the meat.

NOTE: Resting meat after roasting is an important technique and ensures the meat stays juicy.

TIP: I add the broth to the pork while roasting to create some steam in the oven and helps keep the meat moist. I use this technique when cooking lean proteins like pork, chicken or turkey.

SERVE WITH
I paired my berried pork with glazed baby carrots. DID YOU KNOW? For the best anti-cancer boost you should cook carrots whole? A new study from scientists at Newcastle University found that the anti-cancer properties of carrots are enhanced 25 percent if they are cooked whole rather than chopped up beforehand AND they taste better when cooked this way. It happens to be my favourite way to cook (and eat) carrots so this is great news.

GLAZED BABY CARROTS:

8-10 oz baby carrots
Trim the green tips from the carrots. Place them in a mixing bowl with 1 tsp agave/honey, 1 tsp ground cumin, S&P, drizzle olive oil. Toss together and lay in a single layer on foiled oven tray. Lay a sheet of foil over and pop in oven for about 10 minutes. Easy and delicious.

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

Suferrin’ Succotash! Remember that saying from Sylvester the Cat in the Looney Tunes cartoon? That was pretty much the only time I had heard the word succotash and as a kid I had no idea what it was or meant. Come to find out succotash is food (no wonder why I liked the saying!) The Missus had me believing this dish originated in the South, which would make sense why I had never heard of it, apart from the cartoon. But during my research on what the name means I found out it all began in the Rhode Island area, if you can believe that. The name is taken from the Naragansett Indian word msickquatash, “boiled whole kernels of corn,” from the Narragansett language once spoken on Narragansett Bay, which is present-day Rhode Island.

How ’bout that for research!

Succotash is a dish consisting primarily of corn and Lima beans, though now it’s been adapted all over the states. In the South any mixture of vegetables prepared with Lima beans and mixed with butter is considered a succotash. In Indiana, according to our Hoosier buddies (Indiana people), succotash is made with green beans and corn instead of Lima beans. Bet you didn’t know succotash was so interesting did you?

I happen to really like this succotash idea because I’m a big fan of all the components that are in the dish. Lima beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber and have good significant amounts of folate and magnesium, all of which are beneficial for your digestive system and your heart. Corn is chock-a-block full of nutrients including fiber & vitamin C. Speaking of C, the peppers are loaded with it and the red pepper is also a great source of vitamin A. Basically you’re nourishing your body naturally, with a brilliant dinner to boot.

RECIPE:
Serves 4

3 x 8 oz Organic chicken breasts with skin (skin to be removed after cooking if desired)
1 cup chicken broth

1 red bell pepper – diced
1 yellow bell pepper – diced
1/2 red onion – diced
2 garlic cloves – minced
2 fresh corn on the cob – kernels removed  or  1 x 15 1/4 oz can corn (go fresh since corn is in season!)
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
2 cups Lima beans (butter or Madagascar beans)
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tbsp fresh cilantro – chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
S&P
olive oil spray

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 420F.
Begin by preheating your barbecue grill on high heat until up to appropriate temperature. You can saute the chicken indoors on your stove if you don’t want to hook up your grill or use a grill pan.
Season chicken breasts with S&P on both sides.

TIP: Double the amount of salt you would normally use simply because when you grill (or saute for that matter) some of the salt will fall off and the meat will actually end up being under seasoned.

Spray your grill liberally with olive oil spray and sear the chicken for 3-4 minutes, skin side down or until golden brown. By keeping the skin on the breast it will protect the flesh from charring and becoming tough when cooking.

Once chicken is seared on skin side, flip over and sear for 1 minute. Once seared,  place on foiled oven tray to finish in oven. My favorite tip for this is to add broth to the roasting tray and pop in oven for 5 minutes or until internal temp of 165F. Since chicken breast is very lean it has a tendency to dry out so this method will create steam in the oven while the chicken is roasting, keeping it nice ‘n juicy. Once cooked let rest for 2 minutes before cutting. This will help the meat to relax and redistribute the juices back into the meat.
Meanwhile (or while the chicken is in the oven), heat a large saute pan on medium high for one min. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil then add in the peppers and onions and cook for about a minute, stirring. Stir in garlic, corn, chili flakes and tomatoes, saute together for 4-5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium then add in the lima beans and saute along with the other ingredients for 2 more minutes.
Taste and season with S&P. Add chopped cilantro to finish.

Serve family style with the grilled chicken on top. How ’bout that for a quick healthy family dinner!

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

GAZPACHO!!!!

This is a recipe given to us by our dear friend Jennifer, a straight shootin’ transplant from Texas. We’ve had some brilliant meals at their place and God love her, she even went so far as to make seitan from scratch (for the Missus).
Did I mention my friends are daring foodies, too? Lucky me!
Here is her famous Gazpacho recipe:

Okay, here’s my attempt to explain the art of making the gift from the Spaniards. These amounts are just guesses as I just throw everything into the blender. You will experiment and find your own ratio of ingredients and at that time you will be able to call it your own recipe.

Get a blender and throw these things in it:

Juice of 1 Lemon
Juice of 1/2 Lime
2 tbsp. Olive oil
3 big shakes of Tabasco sauce (or some other hot pepper sauce)
1 teaspoon of Cumin
3-4 big shakes of Red Wine Vinegar
3 dashes of Salt
6 dashes of Pepper
1 tbsp. of Minced Garlic
2 big whole Tomatoes cut up
1/2 of an old Baguette  (if you don’t have this, bread crumbs work, or just skip it)
1 1/2 tablespoons of Honey
1-2 cans of Tomato Juice
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro (optional – sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t)

NOTE: I forgot the cumin this time and I added some fresh parsley and basil.

BLEND!

Then dice the following and throw them into the bowl you serve it in:

1 Cucumber
1/2  (or less) Red Onion

Mix well and that’s all there is to it y’all!

ENJOY!

PS–If you weren’t aware, Gazpacho is a cold soup. Though there are 3 main types, the base is always bread, garlic, oil, vinegar and salt. The name “gazpacho” refers to this red Sevillian version, which as you can see, is basically an uncooked cold vegetable soup.

Not only is it refreshing on a hot summer’s day and perfect for a picnic or barbecue, it’s easy to make!

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

A little while ago I had asked if anyone had any requests for recipes. Our buddy, Robb, wanted to know how to cook fish on the grill the healthy way (meaning NOT the fish & butter foil packet idea, the one way he knows well). Our favorite tiny person, Grace, had a request for a healthy summer-inspired lunch idea, other than the obvious choice of leftovers and Robyn wanted to know why she has paprika in her spice rack. All excellent requests so thanks guys! I hope I killed two three birds with one stone with this idea!

Now, let’s get down to brass tacks:

Believe it or not, there are several types of paprika ranging from mild and sweet to hot and spicy. OK, I hear you, Robyn–What exactly IS paprika? Paprika is made from ground peppers (think bell peppers or tomato peppers). “Paprika” is actually the name of the spice and any kind of fresh pepper in Hungarian and along with Eastern European foods, paprika is a staple in both their cuisines.
In American cooking it’s usually considered a garnish (think the infamous deviled egg).
But no stranger to the paprika spice are the Spanish, though their version is a smoked sweet Spanish “pimenton”. Pimenton gets its intense flavor because it is dried over wood smoke.
Then there’s the Californian variety, which is mild and sweet. I’m guessing the kind you have in your cupboard is this variety (and is probably way out of date so get yourself and new bottle!) Paprika has a limited shelf life and should be kept out of direct sunlight and in an airtight container.
If you’re like me you might have two bottles labeled, “Sweet Paprika” and just “Paprika”. The difference? By the smell and taste (and according to some other sites), the stuff is the same.

Ready to try it now?

RECIPE:
Serves 4
4 x 4-5oz wild Alaskan salmon fillets (boneless, skinless)

Salmon Rub:
2 tsp paprika
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 lemon – juiced

Salad Ingredients:
4 cups baby spinach – raw
3 Roma tomatoes – diced
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1 cup brown rice – cooked
1 cup black beans
2 tbsp fresh basil – chopped
1 avocado – sliced

Salad Dressing:
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Agave / Honey
5 tbsp olive oil
squeeze lemon juice
pinch S&P
Whisk together in small bowl. Taste.

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat barbecue to high heat. Mix salmon rub together in a small mixing bowl and add salmon to coat. You might think that grilling fish directly on the grill is a scary thought, that it will stick like a mofo’, but it won’t if you follow how I do it. Once grill is up to temperature, spray barbecue grate liberally with olive oil spray. Place salmon down directly on grill and don’t touch for 3 minutes. Gently lift up one end of fish to see if it’s a nice golden brown color. If so, gently pick up with tongs and turn over.
Let cook for additional 3-4 minutes or until middle of fish is cooked through and flesh is firm to touch.

TIP: To check if fish is cooked, pierce center of salmon with a small knife then remove and touch your lip with it. If it burns you, you’re good. Pretty good, right?

As fish is cooking begin to assemble salad by layering as follows: Spinach, tomatoes, corn, rice, black beans and avocado.
This is a very rustic family style dish so don’t get too hung up on the layering. Improvise!
Prepare dressing. Can be made ahead.

Once salmon is cooked let rest for 1 minute. Drizzle some (or all) of the dressing over the entire salad and place the salmon on top.
Garnish with fresh chopped basil and squeeze fresh lemon juice and that’s your healthy lunch (or dinner)!

This is a great dish to serve on a buffet or an informal dinner party. Just put the dish on the table and let everyone help themselves. A grill pan works great, too.

OK guys, it’s as easy as that! Keep the requests coming!

Cheers!

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