Buttermilk Brined Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:
· 2 cups buttermilk
· 2 cups cold water
· ¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
· ¼ cup hot sauce
· 2 tablespoons salt
· 1 tablespoon black pepper
· 1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced (recommend Vidalia)
· 1 lemon, thinly sliced
· 3 garlic cloves, halved
· 1 whole chicken, cut up
· ¼ cup olive oil
· Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Whisk together first 6 ingredients in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved; stir in onion then lemon and garlic.
2. Put buttermilk mixture and chicken in a large zip-top plastic freezer bag; seal and chill 24 hours. Remove chicken from marinade 30 minutes before grilling; discard marinade and pat chicken dry with paper towels. Brush the chicken pieces with the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Heat grill to medium heat (300 – 325 degrees). Put the chicken on the grill, skin side down and cook, covered for 40-50 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 165 degrees. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Grilled Blueberry BBQ Salmon

Ingredients:
· 1/3 cup fresh blueberries
· 1/3 cup ketchup
· 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
· 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
· 2 tablespoons brown sugar
· ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
· ½ teaspoon onion powder
· 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
· 1 ½ pound salmon filet, whole or cut into portions
· Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Heat a small saucepan over low heat and add blueberries. In about 10 minutes, the blueberries will bubble and burst, then mash with a fork. Add in ketchup, vinegars, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk well to combine and break up blueberries.
2. Turn the heat to medium. Stirring every few minutes, the mixture will start to bubble. When it does, turn the heat down to low and cook for 20 minutes, whisking every few minutes. Sauce will be slightly clumpy and thick.
3. Preheat the grill to high. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Once the grill is hot, lay the filet directly on the grate. Cook for 5 minutes, then gently flip.
4. Brush the BBQ sauce on the salmon and let cook until flaky and opaque, about 5 to 6 more minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon.
5. Serve with remaining sauce.

Molasses Glazed Pork Ribs

Ingredients:
4 pounds pork ribs
2 liters cola
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup honey
¼ cup molasses
1 Tablespoon prepared mustard
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Place the ribs in large resealable plastic bags; add cola. Seal bags and turn to coat; refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
2. Drain and discard cola. Pat ribs dry with paper towels. Combine the salt, pepper, garlic salt and onion powder, and rub over ribs.
3. Prepare grill for indirect heat; using a drip pan. Place ribs over pan; grill, covered, over indirect medium heat for 1 hour, or until tender, turning occasionally.
4. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Brush over ribs; grill, covered, over medium heat for about 10-20 minutes longer or until browned, turning and basting occasionally.

Steak and Potato Kabobs

Ingredients for Dipping Sauce:
· ¾ cup mayonnaise
· 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
· 1 tablespoon olive oil
· 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
· 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
· Salt and pepper, to taste

Ingredients for Kabobs:
· 14-21 baby potatoes or small red potatoes
· 1 pound sirloin, cut into large cubes
· 1 large package mushrooms
· Skewers: metal or wooden (soak for 30 minutes in water before using)

Directions for sauce:
1. To make dipping sauce, whisk together all of the ingredients. Divide mixture evenly into two bowls. Refrigerate until needed.

Directions for Kabobs:
1. To make kabobs: place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until tender about 8 minutes. Drain and allow to cool.
2. Thread skewers alternately with potatoes, beef and mushrooms.
3. Heat grill to medium-high. Grill the skewers, turning occasionally basting with half of the sauce. Cook until the potatoes and mushrooms are brown and beef is cooked, about 8 minutes for medium-rare.
4. Serve with remaining sauce.

Grilled Sweet Potatoes Wedges with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Sweet Potato Wedges:

Ingredients:
· 4 large sweet potatoes
· 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
· Sea salt, to taste

Directions:
1. Prepare the grill for hot, direct heat. While the grill is heating, wash and pat dry the sweet potatoes.
2. Slice lengthwise into ½-inch wedges. Coat the wedges with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
3. Once the grill is hot, lay the sweet potato pieces down on the grill grates. Cover and cook until each side has some grill marks, 3-6 minutes on each side, depending on heat of the grill.


Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:

Ingredients:
· ½ cup mayonnaise
· 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
· 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
· 3 tablespoons honey
· 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Mix the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, Dijon mustard, honey and lemon juice together in a bowl. Can serve immediately or can be chilled.

Grilled Sirloin and Vidalia Onion Skewers

Ingredients:
· 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
· 8 cloves garlic, minced
· 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
· 1 lemon, juiced
· 1 teaspoon paprika
· 1 teaspoon sugar
· ½ teaspoon dried oregano
· 2 pounds beef sirloin, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
· 4 tablespoons butter, melted
· 1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
· 6 to 8 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 1 hour
· 4 large Vidalia onions, cut into 2-inch cubes

Directions:
In a shallow dish, whisk together the vinegar, garlic, Parmesan, lemon juice, paprika, sugar and oregano. Add the beef cubes and marinate, covered, for 1 hour.
Light the grill or preheat the broiler. In a bowl, add the melted butter and bouillon and stir until the bouillon is completely dissolved.
Remove the beef from the marinade and discard marinade. Skewer the beef and onion cubes separately. Brush the onions and the steak with the butter mixture.
Put the skewers on the grill, or if broiling, transfer the skewers to a foil-lined baking sheet and broil. Turn once, until the onion is tender and the beef is cooked to the desired doneness.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter S’mores on the Grill

Ingredients:
8 large chocolate chip cookies
4 teaspoons hot fudge ice cream topping
4 large marshmallows
4 peanut butter cups

Directions:
Spread the bottom of four cookies with fudge topping.
Using a long-handled fork, grill marshmallows 6 inches from medium-hot heat until golden brown, turning occasionally.
Carefully place a marshmallow and a peanut butter cup on each fudge topped cookie, top with remaining cookies.
Serve immediately.

Grilled Shrimp Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
3 cups uncooked small pasta shells
1 pound peeled, deveined and de-tailed small shrimp
½ cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons horseradish sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 large cucumber, seeded and chopped
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
While pasta is cooking, grill shrimp over medium heat either on outdoor grill or grill pan.
In a large bowl, mix together sour cream, mayonnaise, horseradish sauce, salt and pepper. Stir in shrimp, cucumber, celery and pasta.
Refrigerate until serving.

Chipotle Fish Tacos with Slaw and Avocado

Ingredients:
· 4 (6 to 8 ounce) cod fish fillets
· 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
· 1 (7 ounce) can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
· 1 lemon
· 4 cups coarsely shredded cabbage
· ¼ cup mayonnaise
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 1 teaspoon pepper
· 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
· 4 large flour or whole wheat tortillas
· 1 avocado, chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat outdoor grill or grill pan to medium heat.
2. Sprinkle each fish fillet with the Old Bay seasoning on both sides. Remove two chipotle peppers from the can and chop them up. Spread the pepper mixture on each side of the fish fillets. Half the lemon and sprinkle the juice of whole lemon on the 4 fillets.
3. Grill the fish about 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
4. To make the slaw, mix together the cabbage, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and vinegar. Cover and refrigerate until time to serve.
5. To assemble tacos, layer fish, slaw and avocado on a flour tortilla.

Bacon Wrapped Corn on the Cob

Ingredients:
· 8 ears of corn
· 8 slices bacon
· Chili powder, to taste
· Spray butter

Directions:
1. Preheat the grill to medium high heat.
2. Gently pull back the husk exposing the corn. Don’t remove the husk. Remove the corn silk and use a brush to make sure all the silk is removed.
3. Take a strip of bacon and wrap around the corn. Sprinkle with chili powder and spray with spray with butter. Fold the corn leaves back over, covering the bacon and corn. Tie the leaves with twine and repeat the process for each ear of corn.
4. Place the ears of corn on the grill and cook, turning occasionally until bacon is cooked and corn is tender, approximately 20 minutes.

Grilled Chicken and Fresh Vegetables

Ingredients:
· 6 boneless or bone-in chicken breasts
· 2 small zucchini, cut into ¼ inch slices
· 2 yellow squash, cut into ¼ inch slices
· 2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 2-inch pieces
· 2 large onions, cut into 8 wedges
· 1 cup Vidalia onion dressing
· 1 cup Italian dressing
· ½ cup chicken broth or dry white cooking wine
· ¼ cup soy sauce
· Cooking Spray

Directions:
1. Place chicken breasts in a large zip-lock freezer bag. Place zucchini, squash, peppers and onions in another zip-lock freezer bag.
2. Whisk together dressings, broth and soy sauce, reserving ½ cup for another use (it’s great as a dressing for salad or slaw). Pour remaining marinade evenly over both chicken and vegetables; seal bags and chill for 8 hours, turning occasionally.
3. Remove chicken and vegetables from marinade; discard marinade. Arrange vegetables evenly in a lightly greased grill basket. Spray grill with cooking spray. Place chicken and grill basket on grill rack.
4. Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (about 350-400 degrees) for about 18 minutes or until vegetables are tender and chicken is done, turning once.

Sirloin Kabobs

Hey all!  How's everyone's summer going so far?  I thought this week we might talk about some recipes that are perfect for summer suppers.  Darrell's mom sent us the very first squash out of her garden last night so I am going to be cooking up some for supper tonight.  Sirloin Kabobs would be a great main dish to go with our squash.  Let's fire up that grill, fix us a cold beverage and enjoy the sunshine.
Happy Monday!

Ingredients:
· ¼ cup soy sauce
· 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
· 3 tablespoons vinegar
· ½ teaspoon garlic powder
· ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
· ½ teaspoon garlic pepper
· ½ cup lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage
· 2 pounds beef sirloin steak, cut in 1 ½ inch cubes
· 2 green bell peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces
· ½ pound fresh mushrooms, stems removed
· 1 pint cherry tomatoes
· 1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and cubed

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, mix soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic powder, salt, garlic pepper and lemon-lime beverage. Reserve about ½ cup of the marinade for basting. Place steak in a large resealable bag. Cover with remaining marinade and seal. Refrigerate for 8 hours.
2. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add green peppers and cook for 1 minute, just to blanch. Drain and set aside.
3. Preheat grill for high heat. Thread steak, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, and pineapple onto skewers in an alternating fashion. Discard marinade.
4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Cook kabobs for about 10 minutes or to desired doneness. Baste frequently with reserved marinade during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Bacon BBQ Relish Cheeseburgers

Memorial Day is coming up next weekend! Are we ready for a 3 day weekend? Oh, yes. So if you're planning on cooking up a great weekend meal, check out this recipe and all of the recipes this week.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup BBQ sauce
½ cup pickle relish, drained
4 slices cheddar cheese
½ French fried onions rings (canned), crumbled
4 hamburger buns

Directions:
1. Divide ground beef into 4 parts and form into patties. Cook on the grill or in a grill pan until cooked completely.
2. In a medium bowl, combine bacon, BBQ sauce and relish. Set aside.
3. As soon as the burgers come off the grill, lay a cheese slice on top of the each patty and let melt. Once melted, place a patty on each bun. Spoon relish onto top on each patty. Then sprinkle with onion rings.

Grilled Steak with Blue Cheese and Berry Glaze

Ingredients:
4 (9-ounce) beef tenderloin fillets
Steak seasoning
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups red wine (can substitute 1 ¼ cup grape juice and ¼ cup red wine vinegar)
1/2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 pint raspberries
1 pint blueberries
1 pint blackberries
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Blue cheese crumbles

Directions:
Preheat a grill to high.
Season the fillets with steak seasoning and salt and pepper, to taste. Put on the grill and cook desired doneness.
Add the red wine to a medium saucepan over medium heat and reduce it by half. Add the water, then add sugar and berries and cook for about 5 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch and stir until thickened.
Remove the steaks from the grill to serving dishes and top with sauce and blue cheese crumbles.

Grilled Salmon

Ingredients:
· 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
· 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
· 1 tablespoon minced garlic
· 2 tablespoons lemon juice
· 4 salmon fillets, each 5 ounces
· Cracked black pepper, to taste
· 4 green olives, chopped
· 4 thin slices lemon

Directions:
1. Prepare the grill or broiler. Away from the heat source, lightly coat the grill rack or broiler pan with cooking spray. Position the cooking rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source.
2. In a small bowl, combine the basil, parsley, minced garlic and lemon juice. Spray the fish with cooking spray. Sprinkle with black pepper. Top each fillet with equal amounts of the basil-garlic mixture.
3. Place the fish herb-side down on the grill. Grill over high heat. When the edges turn white, after about 3 to 4 minutes, turn the fish over and place on aluminum foil. Move the fish to a cooler part of the grill or reduce the heat.
4. Grill until the fish is opaque throughout when tested with the tip of a knife and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the fish reads 145 degrees (about 4 minutes longer). Remove the salmon and place on warmed plates. Garnish with green olives and lemon slices.

Molasses-Balsamic Steak Kabobs

This is another great recipe from Southern Living's Official SEC Tailgating Cookbook.  Don't forget I'll be giving away a copy on the Friday edition of Cooking with Crevolyn at 8:20 a.m. on WDUN!

Ingredients:
8 (12-inch) wooden or metal skewers
1 (1.5 pound) boneless sirloin steak, trimmed and cut into 1 ½ - inch pieces
4 small, firm peaches, quartered
2 medium-sized green tomatoes, cut into eighths
2 medium-sized red onions, cut into eighths
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Directions:
1. Soak wooden skewers in water to cover 30 minutes.
2. Preheat grill to 350 to 400 degrees heat. Thread steak and next 3 ingredients alternately onto skewers, leaving a ¼-inch space between pieces. Sprinkle kabobs with salt and pepper. Stir together molasses and vinegar.
3. Grill kabobs, covered with grill lid, 4 minutes on each side. Baste with half of molasses mixture and grill 2 minutes. Turn, baste with remaining half of molasses mixture and grill 2 more minutes or until done.

Honey Molasses BBQ Chicken

This may be my favorite BBQ Chicken recipe ever.  The main reason?  the sauce is amazing.  I used it to marinate the chicken breasts;  then I used some more to baste them while they were on the grill;  then I used more to dip them in.  Please note that I didn't use the same batch for all three of the above because there is this thing called food safety and cross contamination and blah, blah, blah and well, don't do it.  Hospitals are a bad place to be.  Unless, of course,  you're having a baby and then it is totally worth it.

Here are the Cast of Characters:

Note that I did use the thick Worcestershire Sauce because that's all I had and we did fine. 

 

 Cookin' up the good stuff.

Oh, look at those manly hands.  I love those hands. 

 

 The Big Green Egger doing its thang. 

Meal completion.  You'll notice some roasted vegetables, Party Potatoes (because everywhere these potatoes go, there's a party - I'm sorry, that's a bad joke) and for health food sake, watermelon and cantaloupe.   All and all, it was a pretty good meal.  The best part might have been the sweet ending, Peach Pudding. 

Ingredients:
· 2 1/2 cups ketchup
· 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
· 1/2 cup honey
· 1/4 cup Liquid Smoke
· 1/4 cup molasses
· 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
· 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
· 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
· 2 teaspoons onion powder
· 2 teaspoons garlic powder
· 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
· 4 chicken breasts, can use boneless or bone-in
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
·1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, combine the first 11 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Set aside 1/2 cup sauce for basting; cover and refrigerate remaining sauce for later use.
2. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Coat the grill rack with cooking spray.
4. Prepare grill for indirect heat, using a drip pan. Place chicken skin side down over drip pan and grill, covered, over indirect medium heat for 20 minutes. Turn; grill 20-30 minutes longer or until juices run clear, basting occasionally with reserved sauce.

Steak and Chicken Kabobs

How about a great Kabob recipe to go along with our 4th of July recipes this week? I love a kabob and there's not much easier to throw on the grill. Just remember that if you're using wooden skewers to soak them in water for about 20-30 minutes before using. Otherwise, you'll have a small house fire on the grill and it might ruin the whole kabob experience. And we wouldn't want that to happen. 

Ingredients:
-½ cup teriyaki sauce
-½ cup honey
-½ tsp. garlic powder
-½ pinch ground ginger
-2 bell peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces
-1 large Vidalia onion, cut into wedges
-1 pkg. whole fresh mushrooms
-1 pkg. cherry tomatoes
-1 lb. beef sirloin, cut into 1 inch cubes
-1 ½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into cubes
-Skewers (metal or wooden) 

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, mix teriyaki sauce, honey, garlic powder and ginger.
2. In separate resealable plastic bags, put chicken, beef and vegetables. Divide the marinade between them and seal. Refrigerate for about 4-6 hours.
3. Preheat grill for medium heat.
4. Discard marinade and thread the meat and vegetables on the skewers leaving a small space between each of them.
5. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for about 10 minutes, turning as needed. Make sure chicken is cooked through and meat cooked to desired tenderness. Vegetables should be tender.

Enjoy!

Red White and Blue Burger

Ingredients for Burgers: 
-4 ground sirloin or hamburger patties
-Sea Salt
-½ cup Chipolte Mayo (recipe follows)
-4 hamburger buns
-12 strips thick-sliced bacon, cooked
-1 tomato, sliced
-1 small red onion, sliced thin
-¼ cup crumbled blue cheese

Ingredients for Chipotle Mayo:
-½ cup mayonnaise
-1 teaspoon adobo sauce from canned chipotle chilies
-½ teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice

Directions for Burgers:
1.  Prepare a gas or charcoal grill or heat a skillet to medium-high heat.
2.  Season each burger with sea salt and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Remove the burger from the heat and let rest for 3 minutes.
3.  Spread a thin layer of chipotle mayo on the top and bottom of each bun. Place a burger on the bottom bun, then layer the bacon, tomato, and onion on top, and finish with the blue cheese crumbles.
4.  Put the top bun in place and serve warm.

Directions for Chipotle Mayo:
In a bowl, combine the ingredients, mixing well. Season with the salt to taste and refrigerate, covered, until needed.