A1 Steak Sauce Beef Marinade

If you're looking for a last minute idea for the cookout, this A1 Steak Sauce Beef Marinade was pungent and garlicy, with just a tad of an oriental flavor profile. I used beef tips and let it marinade for a good six hours, it can go longer or shorter if desired. I cooked mine on the grill over medium/high heat and it made a very nice Sunday dinner:@) Tip: Don't use the special balsamic for this recipe, a cheaper version is just fine. For a robust marinade like this, I like to keep the grilled veggies a little more on the tame side, just olive oil, S&P...

Other beef marinades: Basil Marinade - Robust Marinade for Beef - Teriyaki Marinade - Garlic & Thyme - Sweet & Spicy - Sesame Marinade

A1 Steak Sauce Marinade-from here

1 C olive oil

1/2 C balsamic vinegar

1/4 C Worcestershire sauce

2 Tblsp A-1 Steak Sauce

1Tblsp soy sauce

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1. Add everything to zip top bag, mix well.
2. Add beef and place in refrigerator, let marinate at least 4 hours to overnight.
3. Grill or cook as desired.

Eat Well and Have a Happy Day:@)

Teriyaki Grilled Pork Tenderloin and Grill Pan Vegetables -Homemade Teriyaki Sauce & Barbie's 4th of July

My crew is in agreement, the best way to cook a tenderloin is on the grill, and we have several different types of homemade marinades here on PIM. But an old favorite is this Teriyaki Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Grill Pan Vegetables. Once you make a homemade teriyaki sauce, I don't think you'll ever go back to the bottle folks:@) And I do like to leave the meat marinate overnight, longer is better! As for what vegetables to grill, peppers and onions are a must, from there anything goes... Zucchini, yellow squash and broccoli are all good options.

This truly was a lovely meal,

and a nice way to use up some snow peas from the garden:@)

Teriyaki Sauce
1/4 C soy sauce
1/4 C vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced-I use a garlic press
1 tsp ground ginger-Pick up a new jar if you've had it for a while
1 Tblsp molasses
~Mix well

For Dinner:

One unflavored pork tenderloin

3 large bell peppers, colors of choice, large chopped

1 large sweet onion, large chopped

1 small zucchini, 1/2" chunks

20 oz can pineapple chunks, drained

handful snow peas, optional

1. Add teriyaki sauce to large zip top bag and add tenderloin. Place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.
2. Heat grill to medium high.
3. Remove meat from bag, place on plate. Add vegetables to bag and coat in sauce.
4. Grill meat: Think of it as a rectangle, 4 minutes on each side. Remove to carving platter, cover with foil for 10 minutes.
5. Towards end of cooking time add vegetables to heated grill pan. Stir occasionally until cooked to your desired level of doneness.
6. Add veggies to serving platter, add carved meat and pour any juices over everything.

And Barbie hopes you have a nice place

to cool off this 4th of July too:@)

Pic in my solar fountain 2022.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

Yogurt Dip with Lemon and Dill

This Yogurt Dip with Lemon and Dill had my crew divided... It was liked by some, while others felt it was kind of lacking ~something... I still wanted to share it because it's very similar to a Weight Watchers dip recipe, but my version does call for a little sugar, while still being healthier than most other dip options. And if you're used to marinating chicken in yogurt before grilling, I think this flavor profile would work well for that too, just stir in a little olive oil. I say try it for yourself if you like dill and lemon folks! And if you figure out what might make it even better... Please let me know in the comments:@)

Yogurt Dip with Lemon and Dill

For each 5.3 oz Greek Plain Yogurt:

1/4 tsp dry dill weed

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp salt, or to taste

3/4 tsp sugar, or to taste

1/4 tsp fresh lemon zest

1. Mix everything well, let mingle covered in fridge for at least an hour. 
2. Stir and serve with vegetables or potato chips.

Snack well and have a happy day:@)

Saturday ReView: Barbie Beaded Necklace Halter Top & Pineapple Marinade for Grilling

We're into the dog days of summer folks... Here's a quick little halter top that's just a tad fancier because there's a beaded necklace that holds it up around the neck. I found these aqua beads in the 98¢ bin at Walmart and thought they were the perfect color for summer. One pattern piece, a few hems, string some small beads on wire and wa-la, we have a cute Barbie shirt! The most involved part is adding the shirt to the necklace... But it's really not difficult.

What I did:

1. Cut one piece.
2. 1/4" hem all around. Suggested sewing order: Sides, bottom, under arms.
3. Fold tip towards inside, with needle and thread, gather the very top and scrunch it together, sew it together.
4. Create necklace using my technique HERE, being sure to keep your beads to an odd number**.
5. Sew top onto middle bead of necklace. You have options... Sew thread around each side of the middle bead as I did for this top. **Or, when you're making the necklace add a long piece of string to the middle bead ~before~ you add it onto the wire. You'll use that string to sew the top to the necklace.
6. Add a snap or velcro closure to the top of the back.
7. Done😊

The pattern:

The finished top:

(I sewed my bottom first on this one, I do suggest the order given above.)

The back:

How to make a super easy, no hem, Ken tank top here, 

Now Barbie and Ken have matching outfits for the luau😎

And this Three Ingredient Pineapple Marinade for Grilling Chicken or Pork couldn't be easier and was very good! Sweet, salty and fruity... What's not to love:@) Be sure to give it at least 30 minutes of marinating time, but longer would be even better. Good for kebabs, cubes of meat, thinner cuts of meat, or butterflied chicken breasts. And if you use the pineapple juice from canned chunks you can use the pineapple on kebabs or in a grill pan too.

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🌴Make something summery and have a happy day🌴

Basil Steak Marinade

My son recently contributed a nice steak for our Sunday dinner and I told him I'd make some shish-ka-bobs with it. So the search for a good marinade began... Now, I try to stay away from big proclamations here on the blog for the simple reason that everyone's tastes are different. Case in point: I landed upon a recipe called The Best Steak Marinade in Existence. Of course we just had to try it:@) Did we agree with the bold title? Ah, no. ~But~ this, I'll call it, Basil Steak Marinade is quite tasty and a nice variation from the usual flavor profiles for beef. We found basil the primary flavor, it was different and good. I do suggest letting the meat marinate for as long as you can, at least overnight.

The recipe didn't say approximately how much meat this was for, I'm guessing 2 lbs? 

I made half for 1 lb of steak, that was fine.

I did cube my meat before adding it to the marinade and left it in the fridge for 7 hours.

Fun tip from a competition grill master:

He never places meat directly onto a plate or cutting board for the resting period, uses a rack. 

He says the meat steams and the juices run out and puddle onto the plate.

I picked up a vintage Corning Ware Grill Plate at the thrift store for a couple dollars, 

it's hard to see the ridged plate in the pic above, but it works great:@)

Basil Steak Marinade-from All Recipes

1/2 C olive oil

1/3 C soy sauce

1/3 C fresh lemon juice

1/4 C Worcestershire sauce

3 Tblsp dried basil

1 1/2 Tblsp garlic powder

1 1/2 Tblsp dried parsley

1 tsp ground white pepper-I used black pepper, a nice coarse grind would be best

1. Mix everything, the gentleman put it in a blender, I just used a zip top bag and mixed it with my hands.
2. Add meat and place in fridge for up to 8 hours, preferably longer, give it a squish and turn every once in a while.
3. Cook meat as desired.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

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Lemon Oregano Chicken Kabobs and Mediterranean Marinade

These Lemon and Oregano Chicken Shish-Kabobs are the best thing I've eaten in a while folks. I found the recipe on the Perdue website and have to say, if you're looking for an easy marinade for chicken, you can't go wrong with olive oil, fresh garlic and oregano. I think all the cool kids might call this a Mediterranean Marinade:@) Use whatever veggies you'd like, but zucchini goes well with both lemon and oregano. And whatever you do, be sure to add more onion, there isn't one bite that isn't enhanced by a grilled sweet Vidalia onion! Full disclosure, a few slices of lemon did fall off the skewers and through the grate, but I was still left with lots of flavor. Don't hesitate to try this one, it gets my Darn Good label and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Now, are you supposed to eat the lemons?

I really don't know.

I did try one with a piece of chicken, it was a little much for me personally.

I just squeezed the juice over everything with the remaining pieces, messy but good:@)

Lemon Oregano Chicken Kabobs-from Perdue

1 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into 1" cubes

1/4 C olive oil

2 tsp dried oregano

2 minced cloves garlic, how big should the cloves be? You know your crowd:@)

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Assorted vegetables, onion and peppers 1" square, zucchini aim for 1/2" thick. Cherry tomatoes, scallions, etc. optional

2 lemons cut into 1/8-1/4" slices/rounds

1. Mix olive oil, oregano, garlic and S&P. *At this point you have a choice, you can reserve 1 Tblsp or so of the marinade for brushing the veggies later, or just add the chicken to all of it. I added the chicken, then added the veggies to what was left in the bag after I took the chicken out.* Let chicken marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes or up to 8 hours. I cooked mine at 3 hours, it had lots of flavor.
2. Preheat grill to medium high.
3. Skewer meat and vegetables, aim for a piece of lemon next to each piece chicken.
4. Oil grill grates and cook over medium/low heat approximately 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
5. Sprinkle with salt once off grill and serve.

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Eat well and have a happy day:@)

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Lemon Lime Soda and Soy Sauce Marinade for Grilled Chicken

This Lemon Lime Soda and Soy Sauce Marinade is another recipe that was written up for shish-ka-bobs... But the zucchini was really sad looking at the store so I just used peppers and tossed everything into a grill basket instead. Now, is this the most robustly flavored marinade on my blog? Honestly no, ~but~ it does make a nice mildly flavored chicken, and it's an easy marinade that only calls for three pantry ingredients. That makes it a good recipe to tuck away, especially if you have a little soda left over to use up:@)

Low carb lifestyle? Use sugar free soda.

Posts with my marinade label can be found here.

Lemon Lime Soda and Soy Sauce Marinated Grilled Chicken-from Taste of Home
3/4 C lemon/lime soda
1/2 C soy sauce-they suggest low sodium, I used regular
1/2 Canola oil-I used vegetable oil

1. Mix everything, marinate chicken for 8 hours or overnight. Mine marinated for 24 hours.
2. Grill as desired.

Let's fire up the grill and have a happy day:@)

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Key Lime Yogurt Marinated Grilled Boneless Chicken Breast

If you're looking for a super simple, yet nicely flavored recipe for grilled chicken, you might like this two ingredient Key Lime Yogurt Marinade. I saw this flavor of yogurt at Walmart and just had to pick up a four-pack. I liberally slathered both sides of a butterflied chicken breast with the yogurt, covered the bowl and left it for 24 hours in the refrigerator. My only other ingredient? A hearty shake of Lawry's Original Seasoned Salt on both sides. The hint of lime is very nice and this would be great as is, or in everything from fajitas to salad. Good stuff folks:@)

Key Lime Yogurt Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast
Butterflied chicken breast, pressed to a uniform thickness
Key lime yogurt, plan on 6 oz for two large chicken breasts
Lawry's Seasoned Salt

1. Marinate chicken slathered in yogurt overnight or up to 24 hours.
2. Right before grilling, sprinkle each side liberally with seasoned salt.
3. Grill over medium high heat until chicken is done, turning once.

Eat well and  have a happy day:@)

Grilled Chinese Take Out -Chicken or Pork and Broccoli

When I saw this Chinese Take Out on a Stick recipe it was written up as shish-ka-bobs, and I do love me some kabobs:@) This marinade is very-very-very good, if you like an oriental flavor profile you'll enjoy trying this recipe. But... I suggest not bothering to make kabobs, toss this lovely little meal right into a hot grill pan and you will be happy! (The broccoli will be happier too.) And if you'd like to, toss some pineapple in there,  and it's very rare that I grill out and don't add some onion too. Use chicken or pork, both work perfectly with this marinade. Add this one to your list of things to try folks, I think you'll like it. As a matter of fact, if we ~ever~ can have Sunday dinners again, this is the first meal I'd like to make for my family.

 

 The picture above is pork made in a grill pan, the pic below is chicken shish-ka-bobs:@)

Grilled Chinese Chicken or Pork and Broccoli-from Taste of Home
3 Tblsp soy sauce
3 Tblsp sesame oil
4 tsp brown sugar
4 tsp minced fresh ginger root
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes-I just added a few hearty shakes
1 lb chicken breast cut into 1" cubes
3 C broccoli florets
Onion-optional, my addition
Pineapple-optional, my addition
Serve with rice.

1. Mix first six ingredients in large bowl. Reserve 3 Tblsp for basting.
2. Add chicken to bowl, toss to coat. I like to let the meat marinate for at least 30 minutes.
3. Alternately skewer the chicken and broccoli-if making kabobs.
4. Grill on medium heat for approximately 10 minutes, or until chicken is done. Turn and baste occasionally with reserved marinade.
5. Alternately if using grill pan: Let the chicken marinate, before grilling add the broccoli, onion and pineapple, mix well. Toss into hot grill pan, stir occasionally and drizzle reserved marinade over everything during last couple minutes of cooking.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

Grill Pan Roasted Italian Salad Dressing Marinated Dinner -Chicken, Zucchini, Green Pepper & Onion

Nothing new or ground breaking here folks, just a reminder that this Italian Salad Dressing Marinated Chicken and Vegetable Grill Pan Dinner is the easiest way to make a very flavorful meal in minutes. It's a win-win because as we enter August, we're using the grill so the kitchen doesn't heat up, and it cooks quickly so ~we~ don't heat up too much outside. Gotta love it:@) Add any vegetable you like to grill, I used the readily available summer trinity... Zucchini or yellow squash, green pepper and onion.

If you want to make things fancier, this would be a great shish-ka-bob too.

Grill Pan Roasted Italian Salad Dressing Marinated Chicken and Vegetables
Chicken breast, boneless and skinless, cut on the diagonal approx 1/2-3/4" thick, and then into 1" chunks
Vegetables, cut into approx 1" bite size pieces-I used peppers, onion and zucchini
Your favorite Italian Salad Dressing-We like Good Seasons
Fresh black pepper
Salt to taste

1. Place grill pan on grill and light grill.
2. Add everything (I held out the zucchini until step 3, that's totally my preference and you could add it now), to large bowl or disposable zip top food bag. Cover liberally with Italian dressing, add a few hearty grinds of pepper, and let sit while grill heats up.
3. When grill is hot add zucchini to bowl/bag and stir well.
4. Pour everything into grill pan, spread out into one layer if possible. 
5. Close lid, lower heat to medium high and set timer for 5 minutes.
6. Open lid and give everything a stir.
7. Close lid and set timer for 4 minutes. *Note: if everything looks wet and seems to be steaming more than roasting I raise the heat higher.
8. Cook until chicken is done.
9. Sprinkle with Kosher salt before serving if desired.

Eat well, stay cool and have a happy day:@)

Grilled Dijon Summer Squash -No Added Sugar or Sweeteners

The mustard in this Grilled Dijon Summer Squash side dish was a nice little change of pace. I really liked the oregano too... So I guess what I'm saying is, don't hesitate to add this one to your to-do list if you have some over-achieving zucchini to use up folks:@) I kept mine simple and only used squash and onion, you'll see the recipe recommends peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes too. The marinade doesn't call for anything sweet, so I'm thinking this would also be a nice low carb option.

If I'm making something with mustard in the title, 

I'm going to make sure it's a prominent flavor! I doubled it for this squash.

The marinade is easily cut in half for a smaller batch.

Grilled Dijon Summer Squash-adapted from Taste of Home

1/4 C olive oil
2 Tblsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard-I doubled this
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2" slices
2 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/2" slices
1 medium onion, quartered and separated
1 small sweet red pepper, cut into pieces-I didn't use this
1 small yellow pepper, cut into pieces-I didn't use this
6-8 whole fresh mushrooms-I didn't use these
6 cherry tomatoes-I didn't use these
Sprinkle with Kosher salt before serving if desired

1. Heat grill pan or vegetable grill rack to medium high on grill.
2. As grill heats up, mix marinade in large plastic zipper bag or in large bowl. 
3. Add veggies and toss a few times to coat, let sit for 15 minutes.
4. Grill for 8-12 minutes, turning/stirring once or twice, or until desired doneness.

Enjoy those prolific summer veggies and have a happy day:@)

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Adobo and Lime Grilled Turkey Tenderloins with Asparagus

They were forecasting our first 75 degree Saturday and I told everyone at work I'd be grilling! And boy, these Adobo and Lime Grilled Turkey Tenderloins with Asparagus were a very nice way to fire up the grill for the first time this season:@) I kept it very simple, literally using nothing more than Adobo seasoning, lime, pepper and some olive oil. In a perfect world my asparagus would be a little thicker, but for $1.49/lb... I'll gladly use whatever's available. If you haven't tried turkey tenderloins folks, they are very nice and grill up beautifully. I used a grill pan for this meal, but this cut of meat is perfect for kabobs too.

I think this flavor combination would also be great with chicken or pork.

The Adobo seasoning I used:

 Adobo and Lime Grilled Turkey Tenderloins with Asparagus
1 lb turkey tenderloins, cut diagonally 1/2 thick by about 1" long
1 lb asparagus, cut into pieces
zest of whole lime
juice of half of the lime, reserve the other half
1 1/2 tsp Adobo seasoning
1 Tblsp olive oil
several hearty grinds of black pepper
vegetable oil for grill pan

1. Place turkey and asparagus on counter.
2. Grate lime zest into bowl, squeeze half of the lime into bowl, add Adobo seasoning, olive oil and pepper, stir.
3. Add turkey and asparagus to bowl, mix well with marinade and set aside.
4. Place grill pan on grill and heat to medium high.
5. Rub grill pan with vegetable oil, toss turkey and asparagus into pan, spread out into single layer.
6. Cover and grill medium high for 5 minutes. 
7. Open cover, stir, try to get second side of meat placed towards flame to char. Set timer for 3 minutes or cook until desired level of doneness.
8. Remove from grill, let sit for a minute then squeeze the other half of the lime over meat and asparagus.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

Sweet Mustard Spread with Hot Peppers (Jalapeno, Banana, Habanero, etc.) -Small or Large Batch

I'm hoping your jalapeno plants are hanging in there and still producing like mine are because I truly encourage you to try this Sweet Mustard with Hot Peppers! You'll notice a pucker from vinegar, bite from mustard and the heat will vary with how well you clean your peppers (I cleaned mine well). Such an amazing dip for parties, it's great with pretzels, sausage, cocktail weinies, meatballs, cheese and crackers, and ~help fill in the blank ______. I really think you'll like this if you try a batch, and if you have some red peppers to add in too, well, that would be a beautiful thing:@)

This mustard recipe contains flour, so the Food Police say it's not ok to water bath process and preserve.

So I chose to make 1/4 batch. That gave me a couple small 4 oz mason jars for gifting (the perfect size to add to a platter for dipping), and a couple 8 oz jars to store in the fridge and use as desired.

Even though I'm presenting this as a dip folks, don't hesitate to slather it on a hot dog, brat or hamburger:@) The original post runs her peppers through a food processor, I used a knife and aimed for less than 1/4" diced.

Sweet & Hot Mustard-from PA Country Crafts
Full Batch-approx 14 (8 oz) jelly jars:
4 C white vinegar
1 1/2 C A/P flour
4 C sugar
4 C yellow prepared mustard
36 hot peppers, seeded and small diced-I used all jalapenos, original recipe mixes peppers

One Fourth Batch-approx 3+ (8 oz) jelly jars:
1 C white vinegar
1/4 C + 2 Tblsp A/P flour
1 C sugar
1 C yellow prepared mustard
9 hot peppers, seeded and small diced-I used all jalapenos, original recipe mixes peppers

1. Mix vinegar and flour in large pot over medium heat until flour dissolves. A whisk works best.
2. Add everything else, stir continuously, scraping down sides and cook until bubbly and thick.
3. Pour into sterilized jars, cover and store in refrigerator.

Let's try something new and have a happy day:@)

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Marinated Mozzarella Cheese and Olives-last minute appetizer

Just find out guests are stopping by? Or need one more appy for the party? Mozzarella Cheese and Olives marinated in Italian dressing and orange zest would be a nice easy treat! It offers tons of options too, mix and match anything you like, assorted green and black olives, sun dried tomatoes, fresh crunchy celery, want to add some pepperoncini? Go ahead, you know your crowd:@) This appy gets livened up with fresh orange zest, chopped parsley and crushed red pepper flakes. Just be sure to use your favorite Italian dressing and enjoy!

I really do love all of the pretty colors:@)

Marinated Mozzarella Cheese and Olives
Mozzarella-either a big ball cut into cubes or fancy Bocconcini
Italian Dressing-I like Good Seasons
Drizzle of flavorful olive oil, approx 1 tsp for each cup of veggies
Olives of your choice
Anything else that sounds good
zest of an orange, approx 1/4 tsp for each cup of veggies
Sprinkling of fresh chopped parsley, enough to add pretty color when mixed
a few shakes of crushed red pepper

• No real recipe here folks, add cheese and olives, etc. to a big bowl. Pour enough dressing over everything to coat it, add a small splash of olive oil. Sprinkle with zest, parsley and crushed pepper flakes. Mix well, cover and let marinate in the fridge one hour. Serve with fun picks and enjoy.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone-enjoy the holiday weekend!

Eat well, stay safe and play nice:@)

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Lemon Dijon Chicken, Diabetes Friendly-George Foreman Grill

This Lemon Dijon Chicken has a lot of big flavor for such a quick soak in the marinade! I loved the tangy lemon and dill is always a winner here. This cooks up very quickly and would be great for dinner or a perky addition to a winter salad. Don't hesitate to give the recipe a try folks, and if you don't have a grill they can be made under the broiler.

The recipe called for skewering the meat and just brushing it with the sauce. (Honestly, no skewering is necessary if using an indoor grill.)

I chose to cut the breasts about 1/4" thick and soak the meat in the marinade while the grill heated up. Then I skewered the meat and gave it one final brushing of marinade before placing on the grill.

These were cooked on a George Foreman Grill, I took them off the skewers for pics...

and to nibble on, I was hungry:@)

Lemon Dijon Chicken-from Everyday Diabetic Recipes
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 C fresh lemon juice
2 Tblsp Dijon mustard
1 Tblsp canola oil-I forgot this
2 tsp chopped fresh dill or 1/4 tsp dry dill weed
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
24 (10") skewers

1. Mix first seven ingredients in bowl large enough to hold the chicken.
2. Add chicken to bowl and completely cover chicken with marinade.
3. Plug in George Foreman Grill, allow to heat for at least a full five minutes.
4. Skewer chicken (or simply place chicken on grill), grill until chicken is cooked through, approximately 2-4 minutes.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

Curried Honey Mustard Marinade with Turmeric for Grilled Zucchini and Yellow Squash

Looking for a marinade that will have your crowd excited about eating zucchini? I'm here to help ya folks:@) I first tried this Curried Honey Mustard Marinade last year as kabobs with chicken and knew it was really special with the squash so I decided to post it as a stand alone side dish for the grill. It's a little sweet, has curry and mustard undertones, the added flavor from a nice smoky grilled char and a very pretty yellow hue. This one's a keeper!

The squash can be sliced into long planks and grilled directly on the grates, cubed and tossed into a grill pan/wok (my preference) or chunked and added to skewers. This recipe is plenty for at least two-three 8" squash and is easily cut in half. I mixed it in a zip top bag and kept turning the bag as it marinated.

Curried Honey Mustard Marinade for Grilling Summer Squash-from A Farmgirl's Dabbles

1/4 C honey

2 Tblsp prepared yellow mustard

1 Tblsp vegetable oil

1 tsp curry powder-I used Jamaican

up to 1/4 tsp turmeric, optional, my addition-I'm adding it to everything I can these days folks
A few hearty grinds of black pepper

zucchini and yellow squash, sliced long ways, cubed or chunked
vegetable oil for grill grates or grill pan
Salt once off the grill

1. Mix together first six items, add squash and marinate while the grill heats up. If using a grill wok or basket put it on the grill so it gets good and hot.
2. Oil grates/grill pan/wok and grill veggies to desired level of doneness, I like a little char but for squash to still have some bite, maybe 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt once off the grill.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

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Soy Sauce, Dijon, Garlic and Rosemary Marinade for Pork Tenderloin (or Chicken)

"This is my new favorite marinade, is it on the blog?" Words to warm a mother's heart:@) Marinades that start with soy sauce always have big flavor, add in mustard, garlic and rosemary ~and~ a nice char from the grill... Oh Momma, this was great! I let mine marinate for over 5 hours, I see no problem letting it go longer. The only thing I did differently was, instead of adding slices of garlic into the meat, I minced it and added it to the marinade.

Important note to self: Always oil your grill grates well.
I've added the chicken label, I think this marinade would be great with that too.

Soy Sauce, Dijon, Garlic and Rosemary Marinade-adapted from Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms

1/4 C soy sauce

2 fat garlic cloves, minced-the original calls for 4 cloves, sliced and inserted into the meat

2 Tblsp whole grain Dijon mustard

4 Tblsp honey

2 Tblsp orange juice

1 Tblsp fresh rosemary, minced

freshly ground black pepper

3 Tblsp olive oil

1 pkg pork tenderloins (2 tenderloins, about 2-1.5 lbs)

1. Mix everything except pork in large zip top bag (I smoosh it around with my hand). 
2. Add pork and let marinate in fridge for at least 5 hours, flipping often.
3. Put bag of pork on counter while grill heats up.
4. Grill over medium/high heat with lid closed, for 4 minutes per side (think of the tenderloin as being square, flip it four times).
5. Place on cutting board, cover with foil, let rest about 10 minutes, slice and enjoy!

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Mustard, Brown Sugar and Allspice-George Foreman or Outdoor Grill

This Mustard, Brown Sugar and Allspice Chicken is a great idea for when you don't have a lot of time to let the meat marinate for hours. I also liked that some of the sauce gets set aside to be used as a dipping sauce. The original recipe called for chicken thighs, I opted for boneless breast added to shish-ka-bobs. It was way too windy to do any outdoor grilling so I fired up the George Foreman Grill and it did a nice job. This was a tasty little dinner folks and the sauce would be great with pork or ham too.

Since I used cubed chicken breast I gave it a quick 15 minute soak in a brine while I cut up my veggies, pat it dry before adding to sauce.
Brine: 2 C water, 2 Tblsp kosher salt, 1 Tblsp sugar.

This is another simple kabob idea that would be great with pineapple and more onion... Lot's more onion:@)

Brown Sugar and Allspice Chicken-from Taste and Tell
1/2 C prepared yellow mustard
1/3 C packed brown sugar-I had dark brown, light would be a little prettier
1/2 tsp ground allspice
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs-approx 2lbs

1. Mix sauce in bowl, reserve 1/4 C of the sauce. 
2. Add chicken, mix well to coat with sauce.
3. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 6-8 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through.
4. Serve with the dipping sauce.
5. For kabobs: Simply alternate chicken and veggies/fruit of your choice on skewers. My veggies were given a light coating of olive oil, S&P. Even though the chicken was coated with sauce I gave it one final brushing while on the grill.

Fire up the grill of your choice and have a happy day:@)

Easy Three Ingredient Pork Chop Marinade-Outdoor or George Foreman Grill

This recipe proves that sometimes simple is best. Not only that, but this Pork Chop Marinade is made with three ingredients you most likely already have on hand. I like that in a recipe:@) I'd consider this a nice little last minute marinade to keep on file.

This recipe is easily scaled down for one or two chops on the George Foreman Grill.

Three Ingredient Pork Chop Marinade-from Mel's Kitchen
Four boneless pork chops:
1/4 C olive oil
2 1/2 Tblsp soy sauce
1 tsp Montreal Steak Seasoning-homemade low carb recipe here

1. Mix oil, soy sauce and steak seasoning in plastic bag or baking dish big enough to hold the meat. 
2. Add pork, turn to coat a couple times. 
3. Marinate in fridge from 3-8 hours. Let sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling. 
4. Grill to desired doneness. I had crazy thin chops, it only took about 3 minutes on the George.

Let's fire up the grill of your choice and have a happy day:@)

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Basil Garlic Peppercorn Vinegar-Tutorial

This Basil Garlic Peppercorn Vinegar was a great way to use up some extra basil and I wish I could tell you just how amazing the house smelled when the warm vinegar hit the basil... Now that's an air freshener scent they need to sell:@) I see this vinegar being used for salad dressing and drizzling over tomatoes. Possibly in marinades too. This flavorful herb vinegar couldn't be easier to make, so don't hesitate to whip some up folks.

 A little bottle decorated to gift the friend that shared the basil. 

Imagine that, I had an empty hot sauce bottle:@)

Why the difference in the color? I strained the vinegar into the bottle,

then strained the vinegar but pressed the leaves against the strainer into the jar. I probably won't do that again.

Step by step pictorial:

Add basil, garlic and peppercorns to pint jar.

Add heated vinegar.

Breathe in aroma, relax and love life:@)

After steeping for two days.

Yep, my garlic turned green/blue, but the Food Police say that's ok. I didn't cut my garlic completely in half-no idea why...

At day five.
Pretty much looking like the last pic.

Now, this is your vinegar folks, keep tasting it and strain it when you like it.
I started this Friday after work, everyone loved the smell of it at Sunday dinner,
I tasted a little Monday after work and it was bright, flavorful and very nice.
The recipe says to let it steep for weeks... I did not.

All I can say is, everyone that smelled this vinegar in all it's various stages said they'd like a bottle. 

That's a pretty good endorsement coming from my crowd:@)

Basil Garlic Peppercorn Vinegar-adapted from Food.com
1/2 C basil leaves, coarsely chopped-I just layered mine, rolled them, and bruised them a bit in the jar after adding vinegar
2 cloves garlic, peeled and split in half
2 C wine vinegar or white vinegar-I used cider vinegar, it's just my go-to
3 black peppercorns, optional

1. Place basil, garlic and peppercorns in sterilized pint jar.
2. Heat vinegar to just before it boils, pour into jar.
3. Cap and let sit for 3-4 weeks. I did allow mine to cool off before putting the lid on it.
4. Strain vinegar into sterilized jar or bottle, discard solids. Strain it when you like the flavor.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

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