by Kathy Douglas | Sep 2, 2019 | Appetizers, Entrees
Nothing beats a grilled cheese sandwich except this skewered, deconstructed sandwich, cooked on a bbq grill. Tossed in olive oil and Za’atar spices, it’s a grilled baguette, halloumi cheese, and cherry tomato delight finished with a sprinkle of olive oil, more Za’atar, and fresh basil leaves. Great as an appetizer for six or dinner for three.
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tablespoon Za’atar spice plus more for sprinkling
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
18 cherry tomatoes
12 two-inch cubes of baguette
8 ounces of Halloumi Cheese, cut into 12 cubes
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, small leaves or larger torn into smaller pieces
Equipment
6 metal skewers
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat a grill or grill pan to medium high. Add the olive oil, 1 tablespoon of Za’atar spice, garlic powder and the salt to a large bowl. Whisk the spices and oil together. Add the cherry tomatoes and baguette cubes to the bowl; toss to coat. Make each skewer by alternating two pieces of baguette, three cherry tomatoes, and two pieces of Halloumi per skewer. Brush the remaining oil mixture left in the bowl over the cheese pieces on the skewers.
Grill, turning frequently, until the cherry tomatoes skins just start to break, the bread is toasted and the cheese is slightly browned.
Remove from the grill on to a platter. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle over a little more Za’atar spice and top with the fresh basil leaves. Makes 6 skewers.
by Kathy Douglas | Aug 19, 2019 | Entrees
Our Kentucky State Fair menu was a real winner and loaded with farm freshness – corn and zucchini cakes topped with hickory smoked avocado sour cream crema, and buttermilk marinated chicken that was grilled and glazed with a peach barbecue sauce. All served over fresh arugula.
Peach BBQ Sauce
INGREDIENTS
1 cup tomato sauce
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, chopped
½ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup peach preserves
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until thick and coats the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Add to a blender and process until smooth.
Serve warm or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week.
Grilled Buttermilk Chicken
INGREDIENTS
2 cups buttermilk
1 lime, zest and juiced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoons ancho chili powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
kosher salt
black pepper
8 boneless chicken breasts
Grape seed oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Whisk together the buttermilk, lime zest and juice, garlic, chili powder, coriander with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour the marinade into a large resealable plastic bag, add the chicken, seal the bag and refrigerate. Marinate the chicken up to 4 hours.
Preheat the grill pan to medium high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Brush with oil and lightly season with salt and pepper. Grill until golden brown and charred on both sides and cooked to 165 degrees in the thickest part. Brush with Peach BBQ sauce and serve.
Smoked Avocado Crema
INGREDIENTS
1 medium avocado, pit removed, cut in chunks
¼ cup sour cream
¼ teaspoon toasted cumin
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
INSTRUCTIONS
Place the avocado in a bowl. Wrap the top of the bowl with plastic wrap. Use a Smoking Gun and trap enough smoke to form a dense cloud under the plastic. Let stand, undisturbed, for 5 minutes.
Release smoke, remove plastic wrap. Taste a small piece. If a stronger smoke flavor is desired, repeat the smoking.
Add the avocado and the remaining ingredients to the work bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Serve over the corn cakes.
Corn & Zucchini Cakes
INSTRUCTIONS
1 cup fine yellow cornmeal
½ cup stone ground corn, we prefer 8-row flint corn
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 ½ cups buttermilk
¾ stick unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
2 cups fresh corn kernels with scraped corn milk
1 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed to remove excess moisture
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
4 tablespoons Ghee or clarified butter
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. Place the sheet pans in the oven.
In a large bowl, stir together both cornmeals, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, and eggs. Stir in the corn, zucchini, and chives. Add to the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula until just moistened and all the dry is absorbed. Rest 10 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee or clarified butter on a flat griddle over medium heat until it sizzles. Drop ¼ cups of batter into the griddle leaving space between them to spread. Cook for 2-3 minutes, turn, and cook for 2 minutes more or until both sides are browned and the center of the pancake is firm. Keep the cakes warm in the oven on the parchment lined sheet trays. Continue cooking the rest of the batter by adding more clarified butter as needed. Serve topped with Smoked Avocado Crema.
Assembly
INGREDIENTS
2 cups fresh arugula
Olive oil
Kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Toss the arugula in a small amount of olive oil to just coat. Add a pinch of salt and toss. Place on each plate a small amount of arugula. Top with a corn & zucchini cake, topped with avocado crema. Then top with a chicken breast and more Peach BBQ sauce.
by Kathy Douglas | Aug 12, 2019 | Appetizers, Entrees
Fresh off the grill, this delicious dish is spicy and cheesy. Seasonal Anaheim peppers are stuffed full of corn, chorizo, and cream cheese, then topped with crispy panko bread crumbs and Mexican cheese before grilling.
INGREDIENTS
6 large Anaheim Green Chiles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
6 ounces Mexican cheese mix, finely shredded
½ pound fresh chorizo
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 green onion, thinly sliced
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
¼ cup fresh corn
1 tablespoons lime juice
freshly ground black pepper
kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare an outdoor grill or stove top grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat.
Slice the top ⅓ off the Anaheim green chiles, remove the seeds and white membrane inside the chilies; set aside. Chop the chili tops into small pieces and set aside.
In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat; add the garlic and breadcrumbs, cook 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove from the heat and add to a small bowl; add ½ the cheese mixture and toss; set aside.
Put the sauté pan back on the heat and add the remaining olive oil then the chopped pepper pieces and chorizo, cook 4-5 minutes until browned. Stir in cilantro, green onion, cream cheese, the remaining cheddar, corn, and lime juice; add black pepper and salt to taste. Fill pepper halves with chorizo cheese mixture; sprinkle with the bread crumb cheese mixture.
Place peppers, skin side down, on hot grill rack; cover and cook 5 minutes or until grill marks appear and cheese melts. Make six servings.
by Kathy Douglas | Jul 29, 2019 | Entrees
A delicious combination of blackberries, blueberries, and ginger create a sweet and tart BBQ sauce. When brushed over pork ribs, and then roasted to crispy perfection, it is an irresistible combination. We served it with farmer’s market fresh green beans and grilled baby sweet potatoes.
INGREDIENTS
For the sauce:
1 ½ cups fresh blackberries or frozen, thawed
½ cup fresh blueberries, or frozen, thawed
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Pinch of kosher salt
For the ribs:
8 country-style boneless pork ribs
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup blueberry and blackberry BBQ sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the sauce:
Add the berries and sugar to a sauce pan. Cook until the berries have completely collapsed and formed a thick sauce. Strain, through a fine mesh strainer and add the sauce to a blender with the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth, measure out ½ cup for the ribs and pour the remaining into a bowl and set aside.
Make the ribs:
Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Dry the country-style ribs with paper towels, and if not cut through, cut the pork into separate rib shaped pieces. Combine the garlic powder, onion powder, and salt in a small bowl then rub all over the ribs. Line a shallow baking sheet with foil and set a cooling rack into the baking sheet. Place the ribs on the rack in the pan and cover with a piece of foil. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the ribs internal temperature is 140˚F. Remove the foil and brush the ribs with half the barbecue sauce. Bake uncovered for about 15 minutes longer or until the temperature has reached 145˚F. Remove from the oven, brush with the remaining sauce and serve with extra sauce for dipping. Makes 4 servings.
by Kathy Douglas | Jul 15, 2019 | Entrees
It gets saucy when we use cherries with pan-seared salmon. Fresh this time of year, we topped the salmon with a sweet and spicy barbecue sauce made from Kentucky Bourbon and fresh cherries. This easy one-pan-and-a-blender-sauce can be used on grilled salmon, chicken, or pork. It’s shown served over yellow beet and apple mash with fresh watercress.
INGREDIENTS
Cherry Bourbon Glaze:
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup green onion
1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
1½ cups fresh pitted cherries
⅓ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
¼ cup bourbon
¼ teaspoon ancho chili powder
½ teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Pan-Seared Salmon:
4 center-cut salmon filets, deboned with skin on
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
For the Cherry Bourbon Glaze:
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and garlic, cook until fragrant and softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cherries and orange juice, cook until the cherries are softened. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.
Transfer the sauce to a high-speed blender and puree. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
For the salmon:
Season both sides of the salmon with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat to very hot. Add the oil and immediately place the salmon into the pan, skin-side down. Cook for 6-7 minutes, turning occasionally or until the internal temperature reaches 145˚. Brush with the glaze and cook 1 minute more. Move to a platter and brush with more glaze before serving. Serve with the sauce on the side. Makes 4 servings.
by Kathy Douglas | Jun 17, 2019 | Entrees
Charred and juicy, grilled steak is one of summer’s best pleasures. Using beefy-flavored hanger steak, we grilled, then coated them in a maple and ancho chili glaze to serve alongside grilled asparagus, onions, and a seared corn cake topped with maple glazed peppers.
INGREDIENTS
Kosher Salt
1 cup polenta or Coarse Cornmeal (We recommend 8 row flint corn)
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
3 tablespoon Woodford Reserve Bourbon Smoked Chef’s Spice Blend, or other steak rub
Olive oil
4 small Spring Onions
12 Asparagus spears
1 Red Pepper, cut into 8ths
1 Yellow Pepper, cut into 8ths
½ cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1 tablespoon butter
INSTRUCTIONS
One hour before you grill, mix the steak rub with 1 tablespoon olive oil to make a paste. Dry the steak with paper towels and rub all over with the paste then let sit at room temperature for one hour.
Prepare the corn cakes:
In a large saucepan bring 3 cups of water and the salt to a boil. Whisk in the corn meal in a slow steady stream and continue whisking to prevent any lumps from forming. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the corn is thick, rich, and creamy; set aside to cool.
Make the ancho maple glaze:
In a small saucepan add the maple syrup, ancho chili powder, and butter. Bring to simmer and whisk. Simmer for 5 minutes, remove from the heat and set aside.
When cool enough to handle, shape the patties into 4” round patties. Add a thin layer of oil to a large sauté pan. Sear the patties until nicely browned on one side, about 5 to 10 minutes. Flip and sear the other side, for 5-8 minutes making sure they are cooked through. Place on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven at 180 degrees.
Preheat a barbecue grill set to high. Brush the onions, asparagus, and peppers with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Grill the vegetables until soft and well-marked. Remove from the grill and keep warm. Place the warm peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. This will steam off the skins, so after 10 minutes remove the skins from the pepper slices and discard, keep the peppers in the bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the ancho maple glaze and toss; set aside and keep warm
Wipe the excess paste from the steak and grill 4-5 minutes per side over high heat for medium rare or continuing to cook them to which temperature you desire. Remove from the grill and cover; set aside 15 minutes to rest. Thinly slice against the grain and brush with the glaze. Serve with the warm vegetables and a corn cake topped with the glazed peppers. Makes 6 servings.
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