Grilled mojo chicken and eggplant recipes

 

About a month ago I got a grill.  It was one of those days that I won't soon forget, and not because I'm that obsessed with the grill (but I am enjoying it often!).  You see, I have a Corolla, so transporting most furniture, appliances, and other large objects is out of the question.  Luckily my parents visit often and we've transported all kinds of things in Mom's CR-V.  In fact, Dad now has a theory that if you push hard enough you can fit anything in there.  We weren't so lucky with the grill, though.  The grill was too tall to stand up in the back of the CR-V and the permanent extensions on both sides of the body of the grill prevented it from fitting in sideways.  The only way that it would fit was to stick the legs in the car and let the body of the grill and both of the extensions hang out of the back.  Dad sat in the back seat and held the legs, and I crammed myself in the back of the car around the grill legs and hung halfway out of the car to hold the lid of the grill closed.  As we drove out of the Lowe's parking lot, several people pointed and laughed. Luckily we made it home without me or the grill falling out of the car, and I've never been so happy to be home.

Thankfully the trip was worth it, and I really like the grill.  I had almost no grilling experience before, so I've been experimenting with various meats and veggies.  The last few things that I've made have turned out fantastically, though, so I'm gaining confidence in my skills.  This week I decided to try one of my family's favorite marinades, mojo sauce.  This sauce comes from Cuba and has a citrus base that is very refreshing and perfect for most meats, particularly chicken and pork.  This was the first time I've made it (when I was growing up we primarily used the bottled version available in most grocery stores), and it was incredibly easy and turned out really well.

I also made some grilled eggplant, and it was a nice addition to the meal.  Eggplant goes from good to amazing when grilled, and I was so excited to finally find some in the store this week that didn't look like they had been through a war.  

Grilled mojo chicken

(Printable version)

2 large oranges

1 lemon or lime

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)

salt and pepper

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Juice the oranges and lemon/lime and combine juice with olive oil, cilantro, garlic, and salt and pepper.  Marinate the chicken breasts in the sauce for at least 6 hours.  About 30 minutes before you're ready to cook the chicken, sit it out to come to room temperature.  Cook chicken over medium-low heat until done (mine took about 10 minutes per side).  Serves 3-6, depending on the size of the chicken breasts.

Grilled eggplant

(Printable version)

Cut eggplant into 1/2 inch slices.  Spread the slices out onto foil, sprinkle one side generously with salt, and then flip and salt the other side.  Let the slices sit for about an hour and then rinse the eggplant and let drain for a few minutes.  Place the eggplant in a ziploc bag with just enough olive oil to coat all of the pieces when tossed around (it won't absorb much if you do the salting step), and then place the slices on a medium-low grill.  Sprinkle with desired seasoning (simple salt and pepper work great, but use anything you want) and grill each side about 5 minutes, or until they're almost falling apart.  Serves 3-4 per eggplant.

Bison burgers with spinach and queso fresco

(I forgot to take a picture after they were cooked... oops!)

There are some words and phrases that are commonly used in the midwest that I refuse to adopt. You will never hear me say 'pop,' for example. Sure, I understand that referring to every carbonated beverage as 'coke' isn't quite accurate (especially up here in Pepsi-land), but there are many other terms that better describe the product (like 'soda' or 'soft drink'). Otherwise I start singing about weasels, and that's just annoying. Then there are 'parking ramps' - those multi-level concrete structures that hold a ton of parked cars. While I have occasionally used this wording, I still picture a ski ramp in the middle of the street that you drive over and end up flying through the air (in the style of Evil Knievel). 'Parking garage' makes much more sense to me.

The word that confused me most at first, though, was 'barbecue.' When I think of barbecue, I picture pulled pork that falls apart and makes a complete mess but is the most fabulous thing you've ever tasted. Or perhaps ribs that are so tender that they fall off the bone right into your mouth, smothered with a delicious sauce of one style or another, depending on where you happen to be at the moment. And when I was invited to my first bbq in Michigan, this is precisely what I found. It was hosted by a friend from Tennessee who decided to throw a few pork shoulders and several racks of ribs on his smoker and cook them to death, meanwhile whipping up a huge vat of sauce. I was right at home. Soon thereafter friends started planning barbecue after barbecue, and I was very excited. After I heard some of the plans, though, my excitement turned to confusion... hot dogs and hamburgers don't belong at a barbecue. Sure, throw them on a grill and go to town, but that's completely different than a hunk of meat that has been cooked low and slow.

I went to these events and had a good time, but I struggled with the misnomer for a while. Every time that I would hear the word, part of me would instinctively get excited, and then I would have to bring myself back to reality. I do love that people are obsessed with grilling over the summer here (probably because it's only feasible for 3 months out of the year). When I'm lucky, we also throw some veggies on the grill because that's almost as good as real barbecue.

Now that it's been four years, I've finally come to terms with the fact that 'barbecue' doesn't mean barbecue here. But I was ecstatic to get an evite for a 'grilling party' for the 4th of July this year. This friend happens to be a native Michigander, and I am unbelievably happy that she knows her terms for outdoor meat cooking occasions.

As the grilling party approached, I remembered that I had a package of ground buffalo meat from TMZ Farm in Pinckney, MI that I picked up at the Ann Arbor Farmers' Market several months ago. I thought that this would be the perfect time to use it. I'm not one of those people who loves the taste of meat alone (at least not usually), but I think that it can blend well with many other flavors. Thus, I present the bison burger with spinach and queso fresco.

Bison burgers with spinach and queso fresco (adapted from Eating Well)

5 oz spinach

1 lb ground bison

2 oz queso fresco (or feta), crumbled

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp dried dill

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Cook spinach in a large pot of boiling water just until wilted (about 2 minutes). Drain spinach, let cool, and chop. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, mix together with hands just until blended, and form into 4 patties. Cook over medium-low heat on a grill or in a skillet until it's done to your liking (buffalo meat is extremely lean and can't take high temperatures). Serves 4.

These were the best burgers that I've had in a long time. The original recipe is for Greek burgers, but I substituted queso fresco for the feta because I had some leftover from the squash enchilada casserole. They still had a Greek vibe to them, but the queso fresco was more mellow than the feta would have been... and I think I liked it better that way. This is the first bison meat I've had from TMZ Farm, and it was amazing. I think that I've also seen it at the Lansing City Market, and I will likely be heading over there to see if I can get more. It has a more subtle flavor than most of the bison I've eaten before, and it didn't overpower the other ingredients. Perhaps I'll have to whip more of these up for future grilling parties... and maybe even a barbecue.

Grilled peaches and a tupelo honey giveaway

After a huge Memorial Day meal, we needed a light dessert. I was thinking of making a simple fruit and yogurt dessert, but Mom suggested grilled peaches. Peaches are just coming into season in Georgia and South Carolina, so this seemed like the perfect idea.

Grilled peaches with a balsamic reduction (inspired by The Perfect Pantry)

5 peaches, halved and pitted

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp honey (or agave nectar)

Place foil on grill (or, if your grill is very clean, skip this step). Spray peaches with olive oil and place on the foil. Grill over very low heat until the peaches are very tender and beginning to fall apart (about 20 min). While peaches are cooking, heat vinegar and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat until the mixture reduces by about half. Drizzle this over the peaches. Serves 5.

This was fabulous, and is one of my new favorite desserts. The peaches developed a great flavor after being grilled, and this contrasted fabulously with the acidic (and slightly sweet) reduction. I have a feeling that I will be making this over and over once peaches are available in Michigan.

Another honey giveaway!!

To celebrate another great recipe that I made with tupelo honey, I'm going to give away 2 more bottles. Tupelo honey is fantastic because it has a great mellow flavor and never crystallizes (see my previous giveaway for more info). So, leave me a comment about your favorite thing to do with peaches or honey, and I will randomly pick 2 winners who will each receive one squeeze bottle of tupelo honey from Florida. I'll do the drawing at 5 pm (Eastern time) on Sunday, June 7, and unfortunately I'll have to limit this to U.S. residents. Make sure to leave me your email address if you don't have a blog so that I can contact you. Good luck!!

Chicken, shrimp, and veggie kabobs for Memorial Day

Let's just say that I got a little bit carried away for Memorial Day. I had no intentions of making a big meal, but when I started planning a few recipes, it turned into a big production (not unlike what happened when I cooked for Thanksgiving last year). I suppose that's what happens when I cook for multiple people (five, in this case). It's also easier to get carried away when I have a couple of extra pairs of hands (thanks, Mom and Dad!). And I'm also constantly afraid that there's not going to be enough food, so I make enough for a small army. But, the leftovers have disappeared fairly quickly.

The stars of the meal were these shrimp and chicken kabobs. I thought that Memorial Day wouldn't be complete without something on the grill, and kabobs are more fun than slabs of meat (plus, you get to mix in lots of veggies!).

Tarragon and mustard chicken marinade (adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen)

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

Cut chicken into small (bite-size) pieces. Mix remaining ingredients together, and marinate chicken in the mixture for 6 hours.

Shrimp marinade (adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen)

1 1/2 lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup yellow mustard

1/2 cup soy sauce (use wheat-free tamari for gluten-free)

juice of 2 lemons

1/4 cup olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

6 drops Tabasco sauce

1 tsp Cajun seasoning mix

Mix mustard through Cajun seasoning together, and marinate shrimp in the mixture for 6 hours.

Veggies I used for the kabobs:

2 small containers of cherry tomatoes

2 Vidalia onions, chopped into bite-size pieces

2 red bell peppers, chopped into bite-size pieces

1 lb. baby bella mushrooms, halved or quartered

3 medium zucchini, sliced

Soak a bunch of wooden skewers in water for at least 10 min (ideally more). Put veggies and meat on skewers (ideally you should keep chicken and shrimp on separate skewers because they cook at different rates). Spray kabobs with olive oil and grill over medium flames until meat is cooked through, turning occasionally (I'm not sure exactly how long it took because Dad was kind enough to take care of the grilling). Makes about 40 kabobs.

I loved these, and the marinades were perfect. I especially enjoyed the one I used for the shrimp, and I'm planning to use it on salmon very soon. This was a good compromise for my family because there are several people who prefer meat, and several of us who would rather have a veggie-rich meal. The kabobs take a long time to make (and we ended up with a huge mess on the kitchen counter), but they're very festive and much more fun to eat!

Grilled Romaine Hearts

I saw a recipe for grilled romaine, and immediately jumped at the chance to use my grill pan again.

Grilled Romaine Hearts (from FatFree Vegan Kitchen)

1 romaine heart, cut in half

balsamic vinegar

freshly ground pepper

sunflower seeds

Grill romaine halves over medium heat for 2-3 min per side, until browned and wilted. Sprinkle with vinegar, pepper, and sunflower seeds. Serves 1-2.

This couldn't be easier. In fact, it probably takes the same amount of time that it would take to cut up the lettuce and make a salad. It's good, light, and easy. What more could you ask for?

I think I'll try several variations throughout the week... maybe some soy sauce next?

Artist's Arrabbiata with grilled tilapia, eggplant, and zucchini

I was planning to make miso soup tonight, but the weather gods did a good job of preventing that.  When I left my apartment this morning there were a good 6" of snow on the ground, but the roads were fairly clear so I thought it would be fine to run a few errands after my volunteer info session at the zoo.  During the 1.5 hr info session, it snowed a couple of more inches (and has been snowing ever since), and this turned the roads into complete slush.  Days like this make me hate snow even more, because the only way to get where you're going is to turn the steering wheel and hope that you manage to slide far enough (but not too far!) to go in the direction you want to go.  It's a truly frightening experience.  Anyway, I cut down my list of errands to the vital ones, and as a result didn't make it to the asian market.

My meal started out with Artist's Arrabbiata from the cold weather cookbook that Dad gave me.  At first I didn't realize how appropriate this was -- "arrabbiata" means angry in Italian, which is exactly what the snow made me, and the recipe was from the section of the book with ideal dishes for storms.  It's one of the most simple dishes you can make (basically you saute garlic and crushed red pepper in olive oil, add coarsely chopped roma tomatoes and let it simmer for a while, then pour on pasta), but it was so good.  I love the heat from the pepper, and even though most of the tomatoes in the grocery store are pale pink, the romas still have some flavor in the winter.  I can see this becoming a staple for me - it's quick, easy, and cheap.

To go with the pasta, I decided to pull out the grill pan again and cook some veggies.  I found some edible-looking eggplant and zucchini at the grocery store, and decided to go against my better seasonal/local judgement and buy it.  I also grilled some onions, but apparently didn't cook them long enough because only the outer petals were tender and delicious (I'll fix that tomorrow).  Let's just say that I'm not sure I'll be putting my grill pan back in the cabinet because I'm going to be using this thing to death.

And at the last minute I decided that I could probably use more protein than what was in the whole wheat pasta, so I grilled up some tilapia that I had in the freezer.  To make it go along with the Italian theme, I sprinkled an Italian herb mix on it.  It was very good, although the highlight of the meal was definitely the pasta and veggies.  

And now for dessert I have a sweet potato (sprinkled with cinnamon) baking in the oven.  I suppose it's not so bad being stuck inside :)

Grilling sausage and portobellos, and some bean and barley soup

I've done a bit of cooking since I got back to Michigan.... most excitingly I've tried out my new grill pan!  I also managed to acquire tons of meat while I was at home (lots of venison, and a bit of pork sausage).  Almost everything was frozen except for the pork sausage, so I decided to grill up some of that with onions and peppers for dinner on Saturday.  It was really good (and for some reason the grill marks make it taste better).  I'm pretty sure I could eat Bradley's sausage every day and not get tired of it, so I'm glad that I have more in the freezer!  I also made the other package of soup that Mom and I got in Traverse City.  This one is a mix of lots of beans and barley, and it's good, but not quite as good as the pea soup (and hopefully I'll remember that if I decide to buy more next time I'm in TC).  Finally, today I grilled up some portobellos with cheese and onions.  I think that yummy is the only proper description.  Let's just say that I'm going to be grilling a ton of things for the next few months.  I can't wait until squash and eggplant are in season because those are destined for my pan.

In slightly related news, I've been rearranging my kitchen to provide more counter space and make it more useable.  So far it's much better, and hopefully things will be perfect once my spice rack gets here.  I'll probably get it exactly how I want it right about the time I'm ready to move, but then I'll have a new project with my new place (and I can't wait for that for SOO many reasons).