Beef Roll-ups with Pasta Salad

We thought the combi-nation of spinach, mushrooms and asiago cheese sounded good so we created some beef roll-ups.  We like to use thin sliced top round rather than flank steak in these dishes.  Start by sauteing 4 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced in about 3T olive oil.  Add a clove of minced garlic near the end so the garlic doesn't burn.  Then add a handful of fresh spinach leaves and cook until barely wilted.  Place a slice of asiago cheese along with the sautéed mixture on the meat, roll them and secure with a skewer.  They were grilled for about 10 min, turning after 5 for medium rare.

The pasta salad is your favorite cooked shape with chopped celery, carrots, some sliced kalamata olives, mayo and Lauries Season Salt to taste.

BBQ Beef with Baked Beans and Cole Slaw

We have had a tough time with BBQ beef.  We have always used brisket and it comes out tough and dry.  So, this time we used an eye of chuck roast; specifically, it was an eye of chuck, and finally got a product we liked.  Start by making a rub by mixing  1/4C paprika, 1T Aleppo Pepper flakes, 1T ground cumin, 2 cloves of garlic, minced, and salt and pepper to taste.  Rub the meat about 24 hrs. before cooking.  Place the meat on a slow grill for about 5 hrs (at 250 F).  The beans and slaw have been here before.  Top the beef with your favorite bbq sauce and serve as a sandwich or just sliced meat.

Grilled Bacon-wrapped Scallops with Potatoes and Asparagus

Here's a summer meal done entirely on the grill.  Start by rinsing the scallops and wrapping them in a strip of bacon.  Fix the bacon with a skewer.  The potatoes take the longest so put them on the grill about 20 min. before the scallops and asparagus.  The asparagus and scallops are misted with oil to keep them from sticking to the grill.  Grill the scallops for 5 min. on a side, turning the asparagus as the scallops cook.  We finished the scallops with some lemon butter and minced parsley.  Tasty dinner and the kitchen stays cool!

Chicken Kabobs with Rosated Redskin potatoes

First, make a marinade by mixing 1/3C olive oil, the juice from one lemon,  clove minced garlic, 3T fresh rosemary leaves and salt and pepper to taste.  Chunk up 1lb of boneless, skinless chicken breast, 1 red onion, some bell pepper(we like to use a variety of colors), and 8oz fresh mushrooms and put them in the marinade.  Toss these in the marinade over a period of 3-4 hrs.  

Coat some small redskin potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Skewer the potatoes seperately from the chicken etc.  The potatoes take about 30 min to cook on the Weber, the kabobs about 20 min.  

We served the meal with sliced tomatoes and onions.  That's fresh, chopped parsley on the potatoes and basil on the tomatoes.  A chilled Pinot Gries goes very well with this meal.

Brats with Horseradish Sauce

The only thing different and somewhat new here is the sauce.  Mix 1C sour cream, 1 clove minced garlic, 3T prepared horseradish, 1T minced chives, salt and pepper to taste.  Spoon onto the brat and top with diced onion and other favorite condiments.  

Tandoori-Style Grilled Salmon

Whisk together in a bowl 1/2C plain yogart, 1T freshly chopped parsley or cilantro, 1T fresh lemon juice 1 clove minced garlic, 2t minced ginger, 1T Tandoori seasoning( We use Penzey's).  Place the salmon, skin side down in a glass dish and pour the marinade over.  Marinate for from 4-24 hrs in the refrigerator remove and retain the excess marinade and then grill it until it easily flakes with a fork, about 10 min. As the fish cooks, brush on the extra marinade.  We served the salmon with roasted potatoes, green beans and sliced tomatoes and onions.  A nice mild but flavorful way to fix fish.

Chicken in Poblano Cream Sauce

The original recipe called for baking the chicken in the cream sauce but we used pre-cooked shrimp mixed with the sauce over pasta instead.  For the sauce, roast, then skin devein and seed 3 poblano peppers.  Chop them roughly and blend to a puree in a food processor with 1/2C milk.  In a pan prepare a roux from 2T butter and 2T flour.  Add a clove of minced garlic and salt and pepper to taste.  Add the pepper mixture and bring to a simmer, stirring until the sauce thickens.  Add 1/2C heavy cream and 1/2C sour cream and stir.  This is where the sauce is poured over browned chicken breasts, topped with 1 C shredded mozarella cheese and baked for 20-30 min at 350 F.  The recipe recommends serving it with rice.

We mixed the cheese into the sauce, added 1 doz. precooked shrimp and served over pasta garnished with chopped cilantro.  

We also had steamed green beans and served a green salad and a chilled Rose` wine.  Tasty, but I added a bit more heat in the form of Tabasco sauce, on the plate.