Cuke It Up

HOT. Ugh. It’s summer! I hate running the oven in the summer. :-p

So we’ve been using the grill a bit more often now. I’ve been trying to get creative but I’ve really been a tad lost these days. I’m busy with so many things that I neglect the cooking.

BUT. Yesterday I splurged and bought a bunch of thin steaks on sale at Hannaford. I love Hannaford meats. They are really good, quality meats and the prices are usually pretty good. I’d been to Walmart and was disgusted at the meat section there. I don’t know what happened, maybe the head meat man is on vacation, but the places was a mess. Old, browning meat – filthy, half-empty shelves – HIGH prices! I skipped WM this time and took the extra time to go to Hannaford. I’m glad I did. We feasted on grilled steak. The last time I made steak was… well…… hmmm… maybe…. 19 years ago? It didn’t turn out so well so I guess I’ve been kind of gun shy.

My husband loves steak but the reason I don’t make it very often is because it turns out so dry. I made sure I slathered these babies in plenty of balsamic vinegar salad dressing (I was out of spiedie sauce) and cooked them gently. But you know what made the steaks? My daughter’s Tsatsiki cucumber dip. WHOA.

It was perfect, just perfect. It was cool and crisp and tangy, just the right everything to go with the steak. The last time she made it was in January… and I have no idea why we waited so long to make it again. It’s very healthy and it goes with everything– flat bread, salad, on meat and fish, everything. In case you missed the recipe last time, no need to wait for invitationbox.com invitations– here it is again!!

Tsatziki Cucumber Yogurt Dip
32 oz. tub of plain yogurt
1 cucumber, peeled and grated (or diced into very tiny cubes)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried dill weed (more or less, depending on your taste)
Salt to taste

The most tedious part is grating the cucumber. I guess you could toss it in the food processor as long as the machine doesn’t make it into soup…. but I think the chunks are delicious. Definitely give this a try. Yum!!!

Salamida’s Lemon Garlicious on Roast Chicken

I received some of that yummy Salamida marinade– the Lemon Garlicious marinade– from the folks at Salamida. They asked me to try out some of their spices and marinades and mention them on my blogs. Wooo! I love to grill with Salamida products during the summer… but we got two feet of snow, so I don’t think I’m pulling out the grill anytime soon. Some folks still have to pack up their winter pop displays! But I really really wanted to try the marinade, so I marinaded my roaster chicken.

I slathered the chicken with onions and elephant garlic cloves. And I tucked in a few potatoes for good measure.

I baked in a slow oven (300 degrees) for about four hours. Mmmm the house smelled good.

The chicken was incredibly tender; it practically melted in our mouths. The potatoes were SUPERB. I like the light garlic taste of the marinade, but wasn’t too fond of the lemon. I don’t like lemon, in general. This was light enough to make the chicken very luscious, though.

I wrote about the Upstate New York phenomenon that is Salamida marinades here. We love the marinades; I go bananas for the original Spiedie marinade. If you place an order, use the discount code SAUCE3 at Spiedie.com, you will get 15% off your order. The coupon code is good until April 1st. This is the best marinade EVER. It’s not all that expensive, and you can order online, which is nice.

Grilling Tips from the Grill Champ Mike Davis

Oooh yeah. The smell– the delicious, saliva-stimulatin’, stomach-rumbling smell of grilling meat and veggies. Drives me CRAZY. I recently caught wind of some great grilling tips from the Pit Master himself, Mike Davis. Check this out!!

National Champion Pit Master Mike Davis of Lotta Bull Barbeque in Oklahoma shares some of his secrets:
• When cooking larger cuts of meat, always use an indirect heat as a source. Using the direct heat method will char the outside of the meat without allowing the inside to cook properly.
• When grilling, use a “smoker” box of aromatic hardwoods such as mesquite, hickory or pecan to give that distinctive wood smoked flavor.
• Use olive oil or any other cooking oil to coat the surface of vegetables to add crispness and to hold on spices and seasonings.
• Using a spray or baste during cooking will help keep the meat moist and flavorful and will help to keep the meat from drying out during the cooking process.
• A mustard slather can be used to thoroughly coat the meat to help hold spices and seasonings in place during preparation.
• Pay careful attention to pork and poultry when grilling, you must make sure both meats are properly cooked through.
• Always grill in a well ventilated area, away from eaves and overhangs that can trap toxic fumes.
• Just like I prepare for my competitions, frequent heartburn sufferers should come prepared to enjoy the foods you love and start your 14-day course of Prilosec OTC in advance of your BBQ event.

Happy Independence Day! And happy grilling!