Grilling

Thanks to those who came on Monday! We made Strawberry Chicken Salad with Poppyseed Dressing and Grilled Pizza. The basil pesto pizza was definitely the favorite.

Here are some tips & recipes.

Grilling Tips

• Marinade/rubs/sauces are very important for flavor- it’s best to marinate for 15 minutes to two hours. Some of my favorites are the Montreal Chicken/Steak marinade for chicken or steak, for Mexican meals I love to marinade in zesty Italian dressing and lime juice, hamburgers taste great mixed with some Lipton Onion Soup Mix. If you’re using bbq sauce, wait until the last 10 to 15 minutes of grilling to baste.

• Kabobs: soak wooden skewers in water for 20 minutes to avoid burning. For best results grill vegetables separately from meats- meats cook slower and the vegetables can burn.

• Meats: the biggest mistake you can make is to overcook meat. You want chicken to be cooked just until the pink is gone but it is still tender and juicy. Steaks should be cooked until light pink inside and juicy. For best results heat the grill on high, sear both sides of the meat then reduce heat to a low flame and slowly cook until done. New York strip steak, beef loin porterhouse and filet mignon are very tender meats for grilling.

• Vegetables: lightly coat in oil, place peppers or other vegetables directly on flame and cook just until charred. You can also place vegetables in tin foil, seal and place on the grill to cook.

• Corn: open corn- leaving husks attached- wash and remove hair. Add seasonings if desired. Cover with husks and soak in water for 15 minutes. Place corn on grill and turn the ears every 5 minutes until done (husks will be black and charred when it’s ready). If you want grill marks on your corn open and place directly on grill just until blackened.

• Pizza: lightly oil grill, cook until golden brown, flip- add toppings and cook until brown and toppings are melted. An alternate is to grill both sides then add toppings and continue cooking under the broiler in the oven. Thinner crust cooks better and you must use fewer toppings or your dough will be soggy and cheese won’t melt.

Pizza Dough- Forno Bravo

4 cups flour

2 cups warm water
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

Mix warm water and yeast until bubbly. Add all remaining ingredients until soft dough forms (should not be sticky), rise 1 hour until double in size. Roll into a ball and rise again until double.

Prepare your toppings and have them out by the grill ready to top. Form dough into small, thin circles. Grill over medium heat just until bottom is firm and has nice grill marks- 2-3 minutes, flip, add toppings, close lid and continue cooking until bottom is firm and cheese is melted (if cheese is still not melted move to top rack or you can broil in the oven).

I use this dough for pizza & breadsticks and if you want to add yummy flavor to your crust- just mix in 1/3 cup or so of pesto when you add the flour.

Favorite combinations:
Basil Pesto, Grilled Chicken, Cheese, Broccoli

Lighthouse Ranch Dressing (or other fresh ranch), Spinach, Tomatoes, Cheese, bacon bits

Grilled Chicken Strawberry Salad

1-2 chicken breasts, marinated

1 carton strawberries, sliced

1 large package mixed salad greens

poppyseed dressing (for an excellent homemade recipe click here)

sliced almonds

Marinate chicken for at least 15 minutes in your favorite mix (I like the montreal chicken mix). Heat grill to high. Grill chicken until both sides have nice grill marks- about 5 minutes. Turn down grill and continue cooking just until pink is gone- about 10 minutes. Slice into thin strips. Toss lettuce with poppyseed dressing, strawberries & almonds. Add grilled chicken breast and enjoy!