Crispy Pan Roasted Parmesan Chicken

Today we are going to look at a one pan roasted chicken recipe that uses Parmesan cheese for both flavour and to achieve a wonderfully crispy skin without any frying.


Ingredients:

9 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Coarse Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
Garlic Powder
Lemon Juice
Olive Oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese


For this recipe we used chicken thighs as they are moist and produce the best results for high heat pan roasting.


Place your chicken thighs on a shallow, ridged roasting pan (lined with foil if you wish) and drizzle / brush the juice of about 1/4 of a lemon and about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over them evenly.

Then season them liberally (or to taste) with the salt, pepper, cayenne and garlic powder.

Place the thighs in an oven preheated to 450 degrees and roast for 20 minutes.

Keeping the oven hot, remove the thighs and sprinkle the 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese over them. The 1/2 cup is a guideline, you can use a little more if you wish. Be sure to use proper Parmesan cheese for this as, while a little more expensive, the pre-grated, powdery style does not work as well or taste as good.

Place the thighs back in the oven and roast for another 15 minutes at 450.

When finished cooking let sit for 5 minutes before serving. (Remember, if you are ever concerned, Health Canada says chicken is done when it has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees)

The melted cheese, along with the oil and high heat, creates a crunchy, crispy skin that is very satisfying and that is hard to believe is not deep fried.

Goes well with anything you enjoy chicken with like sides of noodles, salad, rice and white wine.

Enjoy. 

Classic Slow Cooker Beef Stew w. Carrots, Mushrooms and Peppers

Today we are going to take a look at making a classic slow cooker beef stew. With carrots, mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes, red wine and beans, as well as a variety of seasonings, this is a very satisfying winter meal that will cook away all day in your house as you attend to all the many things we need to at this time of year.





Ingredients:

2 lb. stewing beef cubed
1 large can diced tomatoes (do NOT drain) - If you can use one that has "herbs and seasonings" or "Italian seasoned"
1 cup dry red wine - An Italian or Mediterranean red works well. We used Toro Bravo from Spain
1 - 10 ounce can of condensed tomato soup - Campbell's has one with basil and oregano and if you can find it or another brand like it, use that one
1 - 10 ounce can of condensed beef broth
3-4 carrots, sliced
3-4 small white onions or 1 large white onion sliced - alternately you can use 3-4 small shallots sliced
2 sliced, seeded sweet peppers - I like to use a couple of different colours. Here I used one green and half each of a yellow and red pepper
2 cups sliced mushrooms
3-4 minced cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons mustard powder
1 teaspoon (or to taste) cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 can (14-16 ounces) white kidney (cannellini) beans

Put the beef in bottom of your slow cooker. Blend in the garlic, Italian seasoning, mustard powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.

Add the mushrooms, onion, peppers and carrots and blend together.

Add the tomato, the cans of condensed soup, wine and Worcestershire sauce and stir everything together.

Cover and cook on low for 10 hours. You want the beef to be fork tender so try to cook the full 10 hours or even 11 or 12 hours if possible.

After the cooking time is done, add the can of beans, blend in, cover again and cook on high for 10 minutes.

This deep, rich stew is a meal in itself though it goes nicely with a baguette or garlic bread, rice or mashed potatoes, and some more red wine.

Enjoy.

White Wine & Vinegar Chicken w. Olives, Capers & Garlic

Today we are going to make a chicken dish that is colourful and totally delicious. It is prepared by first seasoning the chicken and cooking it in the oven in vinegar and wine and then covering it with a sauce based around this as well as olives, capers and garlic.

I have adapted this recipe from one that originally appeared in the New York Times. 

To start you want to season your chicken for baking. For this recipe we used 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs.



Seasoning Blend:

1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Toss your chicken in the olive oil. Place on a rimmed oven baking tray skin side up and then season with the turmeric, cumin, salt and pepper.

Once the seasoned chicken is in the tray, pour 1/4 cup of rice vinegar and 1/4 cup of dry white wine over and around the chicken.

Place in an oven preheated to 450 degrees and cook until done, 25-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the following ingredients together in a bowl.

Sauce Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 cups of crushed, pitted green olives.
1 small jar of capers
2 -3 cloves of grated garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil

Once cooked, remove the tray from the oven and place the chicken on a platter.

Then, without cleaning or draining it in anyway add the sauce ingredients to the tray with the juices and vinegar and wine from cooking.

Using a spatula gently stir everything together making sure to scrap up any pieces or bits attached to the pan.

After you have fully blended everything add a cup of chopped fresh parsley and stir in.

Pour all the contents of the pan over the chicken and serve.

This dish goes well with  rice or egg noodles as a side.

Enjoy.

Spicy Ground Pork Stir-Fry w. Garlic, Jalapeno and Mushrooms

Today we are going to take a look at a ground pork stir-fry dish with Asian inspired flavours that goes really well on either rice or with noodles.

This spicy dish is relatively quick and easy to make and is great the next day as well.








Ingredients:

2 lb. ground pork
1/2 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup Asian style hot chilli sauce - Yeo makes one. Alternately you can blend together a Heinz style chili sauce and a sriracha style sauce in whatever
proportion you like spice/flavour wise
1/4 cup water
1/2 - 3/4 lb sliced mushrooms
1 unseeded jalapeno pepper chopped
1 grated carrot
1 celery stalk chopped
4 cloves fresh garlic minced or grated
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp black vinegar
1 tbsp rice vinegar (if you do not have black vinegar use 2 tbsp of rice vinegar
salt and black pepper to taste

To start in a large, deep saucepan or wok saute the sliced mushrooms in some olive oil over medium-high heat for about 2-3 minutes. Add the ground pork, garlic powder and ground ginger and cook, stirring constantly, until fully browned.

Then add all the other ingredients blending as you go.

Once you have mixed it all together bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce heat and let it gently simmer for around 15-30 minutes or until it is reduced to a level you like.

This is terrific served spooned over rice in bowls. Alternately it goes well (especially as a leftover) tossed into lo mein, ramen or another noodle of your choosing.

Enjoy.

Slow Cooker Pork Roast w. Garlic and Vegetables

Recently we looked at a very easy way to make curried lamb chops in your slow cooker. Today we are going to do a slow cooker pork roast with vegetables that makes a for a great fall or winter meal.

For this recipe you want to use a 4 - 6 lb. boneless pork roast.

Take your roast out 20 minutes before cooking and season it liberally with sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder and herbes-de-Provence (you can substitute dried rosemary for this if you wish).

In a large saucepan heat some olive oil over medium high heat and brown your seasoned roast for a couple of minutes a side.

Place the browned roast in your slow cooker and pour any juices and oil in the pan from the browning over it.

Then surround the roast with the following ingredients:

1 large chopped carrot
2 chopped celery stalks with the leaves
5-6 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved
3-4 small onions or large shallots, halved
1 lb. or so of sliced mushrooms

Once you have added all the vegetables pour in enough vegetable broth to just reach the top of the roast in the cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Once it has finished cooking place the roast on a large platter and surround with the vegetables. Ladle some of the cooking broth over top and let the roast sit 10 minutes before slicing.

Serve with the vegetables and mashed potatoes or a salad.

Enjoy.

 

Slow Cooker Curried Lamb Shoulder Chops w. Garlic & Onion

Today we are going to take a look at a way to make bone-in lamb shoulder chops that is easy to do yet results in deliciously moist meat that you can cut with a fork. The chops are also seasoned with garlic and curry powder and then cooked for several hours in the slow cooker over a bed of onions.

To prepare you want to season your lamb shoulder chops liberally with curry powder, garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper.

Let the chops sit seasoned in a bowl or freezer bag in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.

When you are ready to cook chop up two medium sized onions and place into the bottom of your slow cooker. Add 2-4 cloves of minced garlic.

Place the seasoned lamb chops over the onions, cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

It is that simple.

The chops will be incredibly tender and full of flavour.

Serve with the onion on top. Goes well with rice and a salad as well as red wine.

Enjoy.

Charcoal Grilled Steaks w. Garlic Butter

Today we are going to take a look at a method of charcoal grilling steaks where the grill grate is placed right on top of the charcoal. It is then topped with garlic butter at the end of grilling for exceptionally tender meat.

This method is similar to one known as "dirty" grilling steaks where quite thick cuts are placed on the charcoal with no grill for a somewhat longer cooking time. This was apparently a favourite of President Eisenhower, but don't let that deter you. At any rate, while I like that approach I find this method works better for cuts of around an inch to an inch and a half thickness and also avoids what can sometimes be an overly ashy flavour if you either don't heat the coals enough or heat them for too long.

Either way, this method is most suited for chunk charcoal as opposed to briquettes.

To start you want to use classic BBQ steak cuts like T-bone, rib eye or striploin/New York strip for this. About 45 minutes to half an hour before grilling take the steaks out to season. I generally use Montreal or Chicago style steak spice, but sea salt or garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper always works as well. After seasoning both sides drizzle some olive oil over them and let stand at room temperature until cooking.

Prepare you charcoal BBQ as usual but once your coals are ready place your grill right on top of the coals as opposed to on the rungs elevated above them. You may have to use more charcoal than usual or keep it clustered in a mound at the center to do this if you have a rounded or Weber style BBQ.

Place your grill right on top of the charcoal

Put your steaks on the grill right above the charcoal and cook to your desired doneness,  though really you want steaks rare, rare-medium or medium-rare now don't you?

I cook a lot of steak and can tell when it is done to my liking by timing and touch, but if you are learning here is a pretty good introduction to the various methods. In time and with practice you will find your preferred way.


(Remember if you are nervous about such things you can always use Health Canada's guidelines which recommends cooking to 145 degrees F. and medium-rare).

When the steaks are around 2 or 3 minutes away from being done, place a large dab of garlic butter on top of each one as it finishes cooking. You can buy garlic butter at most grocery stores but it is also very easy to make by whipping together a half cup of softened, room temperature salted butter with 2 or 3 finely minced cloves of garlic. If you want to kick it up a bit add some finely minced fresh jalapeno.

The garlic butter will melt into your steaks making them extra moist and adding layers of buttery garlic flavour. Terrific stuff.

As always let your steaks stand after cooking 3 to 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with your favourite red wine and enjoy.

See also: BBQ Corn in the Husk with Lime and Chili Pepper Flakes

See also: Lamb & Chicken BBQ Burgers

Light and Crisp Steak and Vegetable Lettuce Rolls

Today we are going to take a look at a way to make a lettuce wrap with marinated steak and vegetables that is inspired by Asian flavours.

To begin you want to get some thin cut steak filets. You want these as thin as possible. 

Slice the filets coarsely into strips. It is easier to do this if they are partially frozen.

In a bowl toss the strips in the following quick marinade:

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon of an Asian-style hot sauce (I used Saigon Hot Chilli Sauce which is slightly sweet with a nice heat level)

1 minced clove garlic
squeeze of lime juice

dash of cayenne pepper

a drop or two of honey

Adjust the ingredients depending on how much steak you are making. 

Let the steak strips sit in the marinade for around an hour.

Meanwhile, slice some cucumber rounds cut on the bias, into long, thin pieces. Toss these in a bowl with some salt, a little rice vinegar and some red pepper flakes. 

Slice a carrot into matchsticks,  and toss with 1/4 Napa cabbage shredded and 1/2 a small sliced red onion in a third bowl with some rice vinegar and lime juice. 

In a small amount of olive oil fry up your beef strips until done, which should really only take around a minute or so.

Lay out some washed (shake or pat dry) romaine lettuce leaves. You can also use Boston or iceberg lettuce if you choose. 

Top each lettuce leaf with some steak, cucumber and the carrot, cabbage, onion blend and roll. You can also add some room temperature rice if you like and, of course, more hot sauce and lime juice. Serve with lime slices.

If you wish you can secure the rolls with a toothpick, but I rather like the messy eating. 

Enjoy.

Spicy Seaweed Soup

By Natalie 

A novel way to use seaweed, this is a hearty and delicious spicy soup.

To begin soften a big handful of dried wakame in water for about 10 mins. Drain. Chop into manageable pieces. Set aside.

In a large pot heat 1 TB of olive oil over medium high heat. Add 1 chopped onion, 2 stalks diced celery, 1 diced carrot, 2 cloves minced garlic and 1 thumb-sized knob of minced ginger. Saute for approximately 5 minutes.

Add 2 quarts water and 2 chicken or vegetable bouillon cubes. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer until everything is mixed and the cubes dissolved. 

Add 1 TB sesame oil, 4 TB soy sauce, 4 TB apple cider vinegar and 4 shakes of cayenne pepper (or to taste). Bring to a boil for a bit. Add the seaweed and 2 cups of cooked rice- great way to use up leftovers like rice and vegetables. Taste and adjust seasonings and water content. If the soup is a bit too thick add a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water at a time to dilute.

Simmer gently for 10 or 15 minutes until all the flavours are blended.

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Top Sirloin Roast in a Red Wine Garlic Jus

Today we are going to take a look at doing a top sirloin beef roast in the oven with a red wine jus where you brown the roast in olive oil prior to roasting.

This method provides a terrific balance of texture and flavour, especially if cooked to an ideal rare-medium or medium-rare. It is perfect for a 3-4 pound roast.

To begin, take out the roast and season liberally with sea salt and black pepper and then sprinkle with a tablespoon of mustard powder. Let sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour.

In a large saucepan heat some olive oil to medium-high and then brown the roast on all sides for at least 5 minutes a side to get a good texture.

Set your roast in a roasting pan.

Add 1 1/2 to 2 cups of red wine to the pan. You want to use a hearty wine that pairs well with beef. I used Bulls Blood Merlot-Keikfrankos from Hungary. Then sprinkle six minced cloves of garlic over the roast and into the wine in the pan. Pour two tablespoons of  Worcestershire sauce over the roast and then, finally, sprinkle the roast with about a tablespoon of dried basil leaves.

Place the roast in an oven preheated to 350. Roast for approximately 20 minutes a pound to get medium rare. If you want to test doneness by temperature you can use this handy chart. 

Let the roast rest for 10 minutes prior to carving.

Carve onto a large platter and then spoon some of the red wine jus from the pan over the beef slices just prior to serving.

Be sure to reserve some of the jus for people to spoon over their own servings. Pairs well with rice, a crusty French-style bread and, of course, more red wine.

Enjoy.

See also: Beef Roast with an Onion Jus

See also: Simmered Beef in Gravy

Bread and Garlic Soup

Today we are going to make a soup that is absolutely perfect for the season and that is inspired by similar soups made in Spain, Portugal and elsewhere.


It uses very basic ingredients that most people have lying around at any given time and is also an excellent way to not let stale bread go to waste.


While many recipes for this style of soup use chicken stock, I like to use beef stock as I like the flavour and find that it makes the soup more hearty.

Ingredients:

Loaf or part of a loaf of stale rye / French / country style bread
10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 cup olive oil
3 eggs lightly beaten
6 cups beef stock (or chicken or vegetable stock)
3 tbsp. paprika
1-3 teaspoons of cayenne pepper, depending on how spicy you want it. Traditionally this is a fairly spicy dish.
1/2 cup dry white wine
salt and pepper to taste, though the dish benefits from the liberal use of both
chopped fresh parsley

To make this it is best to use a slightly stale loaf of rye, french or country style bread. First you want to lightly toast slices of the bread and then rip them apart into pieces.

Next heat up 1/2 a cup of olive oil in a large saucepan or pot. Be sure to use this much oil even though it is more than you will need to saute the garlic.

When the oil is hot add the 10 cloves of sliced and garlic and saute for around 3-5 minutes.

Then add the bread, paprika, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper. Saute the seasoned bread in the oil (adding more olive oil if needed as it is absorbed) for around 5-8 minutes until the pieces are nicely browned. Then add the white wine and continue to saute until the wine is absorbed by the bread, around 2 minutes more.

After the wine is absorbed add the 6 cups of beef broth. Bring the broth to a boil and let boil for two minutes and then slowly add the beaten eggs stirring as you go. Let the broth with the eggs boil for two minutes more.

Serve topped with freshly chopped parsley as a garnish.

Great on a cold fall night.

See also: Taco Soup

See also: Pepper Goat Soup

Eggplant, Black Mushroom, Lentil and Wild Rice Stew

Submitted by Natalie


Today we look at a delicious vegetarian dish with spinach, black mushrooms, lentils, wild rice and eggplant that is excellent as a main or side and that combines lots of flavour with a pleasing texture.







Ingredients:

1 chopped onion
1 small eggplant, chopped into bite sized pieces.
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon tandoori masala spice
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (optional for non-vegetarians) 
1/2 teaspoon Vegeta seasoning dissolved in 1/2 cup boiling water (or 1/2 cup vegetable stock)
3/4 cup of re-hydrated black fungus mushrooms-sliced and cut into smaller pieces.
1 cup small orange lentils-washed1 cup cooked wild rice, slightly al dente 
1 cup chopped spinach
cayenne pepper
water

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan to medium-high. Add the chopped onion and chopped eggplant and saute for 5-10 minutes using a bit of the stock to keep it moist as eggplant is very absorbent.

Add the re-hydrated black fungus mushrooms, the tandoori masala and the cumin, and saute for a couple of minutes more, allowing the seasonings to sizzle and become aromatic.

Add the remaining stock, wild rice, lentils, garlic, a dash of cayenne pepper, the Worcestershire (optional), apple cider vinegar and soy sauce, and 1 cup of water and simmer for 35-45 minutes until the lentils are nice and soft.

With a few minutes left to cook, add the chopped spinach, stirring until it melds into the stew.

When ready stir in 1 teaspoon of butter and mix in until creamy, sprinkle parsley over the stew and mix slightly.

Serve in bowls and squeeze some lemon over each portion. Perfect served as well with a jammy soft boiled egg. Add a dash or two more of cayenne and/or desired hot sauce over top for a bit a extra kick.

Enjoy.

See also: Spicy Red Cabbage and Sesame

See also: Zucchini Fundido -- A spicy appetizer or party dish!

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Chili Garlic Shrimp

Today we are going to take a look an easy and quick way to make a mildly spicy and very tasty shrimp dish that can either be a side dish, a great afternoon snack with cold beer, or a light main if served with some ramen or udon style noodles.

It can even be prepared using thawed precooked shrimp, though it is best made using uncooked, peeled shrimp which really takes almost no time at all.

The ingredient portions listed here work for around a pound of shrimp.




Ingredients: 

2 minced cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon chopped or grated ginger
1 medium diced onion
1 heaping tablespoon chili garlic sauce
1 teaspoon mustard powder
3/4 cup vegetable broth or, if you have it, 3/4 cup of water and 1 teaspoon of Vegeta seasoning

Heat some olive oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat and add the onion, ginger and garlic. Saute for around 1-2 minutes and then (if uncooked) add the shrimp and chili garlic sauce, mustard powder and saute stirring constantly for around 2 more minutes.

Add the broth, bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes or until the shrimp are done to your liking. Shrimp cook very quickly and when they have that classic, pink shrimp look they are done!

If you are using precooked shrimp follow all the steps but do not add the shrimp until the very end and simmer them for only around 2 minutes.

Pour all the saucepan's ingredients in a large serving bowl and, if desired, garnish with some chopped green onion.

Enjoy.

See also: Fiery Caribbean style peel-and-eat shrimp

Clay Baked Garlic Chicken

Today we are going to take a look at a delicious way to prepare a whole chicken in the clay baker that also has the added bonus that it produces incredible, soft and delicious clay baked garlic cloves that you can enjoy on the side.

We have looked at clay baking several times in the past. If you are unfamiliar with it I wrote a post that was an introduction to clay baking on a previous blog that you can read called "The simple art of Clay Baking"


We have also looked at making a whole chicken in the clay baker as well and this version uses some of the same ingredients.

As always when clay baking, fill both halves of the baker with water and let them soak at room temperature for 15 minutes prior to cooking.

Meanwhile, take 4 heads of garlic and cut off about half an inch from the top of each. Do not peel or separate the cloves. Rub one of the heads all over the chicken and then insert it into the cavity of the chicken.

Then further prepare your chicken by brushing about a tablespoon of olive oil all over it and seasoning it liberally with salt and pepper and around a tablespoon of paprika. When you have finished seasoning the chicken squirt the juice of one half lemon over it.

Place the remaining 3 heads of garlic in the bottom of the clay baker after it has soaked and you have emptied out the water from both halves. Add 1 large onion, halved, to the bottom of the baker as well. Pour into the bottom 1 cup of chicken broth.

Place the seasoned chicken on top of the onion, garlic heads and broth and insert one half lemon into the cavity of the chicken.

Put on the top of the clay baker and place into a COLD oven (always remember this or your clay baker may crack). Set the oven to 425 degrees and cook for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. After cooking remove from oven and let sit 10-15 minutes before carving and serving.

Serve each portion with some of the onions and garlic cloves. Clay baked garlic is a real treat that is so soft you simply squeeze out onto your fork, rice or chciken!

Goes well with rice and your favourite dry white wine. Personally, I enjoy these kinds of chicken dishes with a very chilled Portuguese Vinho Verde.

Enjoy.

See also:  Clay Baked Chicken: Clay baking a whole chicken..."Roman" style

See also: Clay Baked West Indian Style Pork Chops

Sugar For My Honey, Muskoka Brewery, Frenched Pork Roast & more -- The Top 5 Food Posts of 2016!

A few days ago we posted the Top Ten Blog Posts of 2016 on The Left Chapter. As any regular reader of this blog knows, The Left Chapter also has many food related posts.

There have been posts about Stove-top Caribbean Style Braised Oxtail, 11 year old Julia's Quick & Tasty Peanut Butter Cookies, Spicy Red Cabbage and Sesame, 12-Hour Slow Cooked Caribbean-Style Oxtail, Quick Pickled Jalapenos and Carrots, West African Peanut Chicken and many, many more!

We also looked at some favourite restaurants and vintage cookbooks.

I want to thank everyone who contributed recipes to the blog and to our readership for such a great year and I look forward to what 2017 brings.

Here, without further ado, are the top five food related posts for 2016:

1) Sugar For My Honey - An Exceptional Austrian/German Bistro-Cafe in South Etobicoke

2) The beers of Muskoka Brewery -- Canada's first 'living wage' brewery

3) Frenched Pork Rack Roast with Montreal Steak Spice.

4) BBQed Rainbow Trout with Herbs-de-Provence & Garlic Butter

5) Sauteed Garlic Pepper Steak with Provencal Mushrooms and Onions

Thanks again for a great second year.

Do you have a left point-of-view or opinion, a recipe or a story you want to share?

Send them to The Left Chapter via theleftchapter@outlook.com!

See also: Black Lives Matter, Right Sector, Canadian Labour & more -- 2016 on The Left Chapter in review

See also: Caribbean Goat, Michael's West Indian, Ukrainian Cookery & more -- The Top 5 Food Posts of 2015!

Marinated BBQed Beef & Mushroom Skewers

Today we are going to take a look at a terrific way to make beef kabobs on the BBQ using the relatively inexpensive packs of cubed stewing beef that you will find at most large grocery stores.

We will be making them with a side of BBQed marinated mushrooms.


Stewing beef is often regarded as an inferior beef cut as it tends to be pre-cubed from tougher cuts and to require long cooking times to make it moist and delicious.

But, thanks to the type and length of marinade we will be using, this beef will taste great after just a few minutes of cooking on the grill.

The first step is to take your beef cubes and put them in a large mixing bowl. We used 2 lb. of beef. Season the cubes liberally with pepper and Montreal Steak Spice. Then pour into the bowl enough Balsamic Vinaigrette style salad dressing to cover the cubes.

You can buy a pre-made bottle or make your own by mixing together thoroughly:

1 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste (remember that Montreal Steak Spice is already salty)
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

These portions should work with 2 lb. of beef, but you can adjust according to the amount you are making.

Cover the marinading beef and let sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours and hopefully for as long as 12 hours.

Meanwhile, take your mushrooms and place them in a large mixing bowl whole. I like to season them with French Fry Seasoning (there are several brands) and black pepper, but you can also just season with salt and pepper.

The mushrooms we are going to marinade in a garlic and herb marinade that also works well with any other number of vegetables such as chopped red onion, chopped peppers, etc.

You can, again, buy a ready made marinade or make your own by mixing together thoroughly:

6-8 cloves of minced garlic
1 cup EVOO
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Again, cover and let marinade in the fridge for the same amount of time as the beef.

When almost ready to cook, get your charcoal BBQ going as we laid out in a previous post. 

Meanwhile prepare your skewers. If you have metal ones, you are good to go! If using bamboo or wood skewers as we did here, be sure to soak them in water for 30 minutes so that they do not catch fire while on the grill!

While mixed meat and veg skewers are great to look at and can work, in this case we will be doing the mushrooms and beef separately because of different cooking times.

Take out of the marinade and place the beef cubes onto the skewers trying to center as much as possible and leaving a small gap between each cube. Discard the marinade.

Do the same with the mushrooms.

When your coals are nice and hot, put the skewers directly onto the grill with the beef ones over the coals and the mushroom skewers a little more off to the sides.

The beef skewers will be done in as little as 2-3 minutes a side (turning once) for a medium-rare to medium depending on the size of the individual cube.

The mushrooms will take around 5 minutes a side.

These can be served on or off the skewer and should be served with Tzatziki sauce for sipping on the side. They also go great with a Greek Salad.

An easy and fun BBQ treat.

Enjoy!

See also:  BBQed Rainbow Trout with Herbs-de-Provence & Garlic Butter

See also: Beer Can Chicken with "French Fried" Asparagus on the BBQ!

BBQed Rainbow Trout with Herbs-de-Provence & Garlic Butter

Fresh Rainbow Trout is one of the most delicious fish to BBQ -- especially over charcoal for that delightful smokiness that you get.


Today we are going to do the trout with Herbs-de-Provence and garlic butter, which are perfect for this type of fish.



To make these you need to get trout fillets with the skin on one side. Skinless will not work in this case.

First, season your fillets liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Then season as well with Herbs-de-Provence. In the middle of each fillet place a square slice of garlic butter. Garlic butter can be bought at most larger groceries.

Prepare your BBQ, as we have outlined previously, until the charcoal is very hot. Then lie the trout skin side down on the grill.

The great thing about this technique is that you will not need to flip the fish. Once you have placed the fish you want to cook it 12-15 minutes until done to your liking. You cook it (and lightly smoke it) by doing it about 3 minutes top off (or until it starts to flame up), 2 minutes top on (with the flue fully open), 3 minutes top off, 2 minutes top on, etc...until the fish is done. The butter will also melt into the fish on its own, especially when the top is down.

When the fish is done you lift the fish off with a spatula, carefully trying to keep it intact. If some or all of the now burnt skin stays on the grill, that is fine. Most people do not enjoy the burnt skin, though I have found that some folks are actually fans of it!

The trout will be a little smokey, buttery and with a hint of garlic in with the flavours of the seasonings.

This goes well with rice and an ice cold Vinho Verde.

Enjoy.

See also: Lemon Baked Basa Fillets

See also: Montreal Steak Spice Salmon Fillets

Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs

Today we are going to take a look at a recipe for boneless, skinless chicken thighs that is truly delicious and that is in part inspired by Puttanesca-style pasta sauces.



This is made stove-top and can be done either in a large saucepan or in a Dutch Oven for larger quantities. We will be using a Dutch Oven and using measurements for making around 10-12 thighs.

First, season your chicken thighs liberally with black pepper and with sea salt to taste. Heat some olive oil over medium-high heat in your saucepan/Dutch Oven and then brown the thighs (in batches) for about 3 minutes a side.

Remove the thighs when browned and set aside on a platter.

Do not drain any of the remaining oil or juices. Add to it some more oil if needed, bring back to a sauteing heat and then add 8 minced cloves of garlic, 8 anchovy fillets, a teaspoon of red chili flakes (or to taste) and a small jar of capers. Stir constantly while trying to break-up and dissolve the anchovies and brown the garlic. This should take around 3-5 minutes.

When this is done, put the chicken back in the Dutch Oven, add enough chicken stock to just cover the chicken. Also add the juice of 1 lemon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer the chicken until done, normally around 30-40 minutes.

This is a tart and very flavourful chicken dish that pairs especially well with vinho verde or other chilled white wines.

I like to serve it on top of rice, in its sauce, with some sliced baguette style bread on the side.

Enjoy.

See also: Slow Cooker Seasoned Whole Chicken

See also: Sauteed Seasoned Chicken Breasts in a Garlic Mushroom Sauce