Mark's Magnificent Meat Rub

From:  http://singingwithbirds.blogspot.com/

Combine:

• 1 cup of kosher salt
• 1/4 cup of white pepper
• 1/4 cup of Lawry's Garlic Salt.

Add it to a cute jar, add a label, and Ho! Ho! Ho!, I'm thinkin' a bow for a fabulously inexpensive, fast and easy Christmas Neighbor Gift....yes, it's that good and that cheap. I'm lookin' for jars on sale!



Sprinkle it on your meat before grilling and rub it in. Slap it on the grill and....

you will have the most delicious, well seasoned steaks...no steak sauce needed!

http://singingwithbirds.blogspot.com/2010/08/fire-up-grill.html

Foil DInner Tips

Foil Dinner Tips


With summer winding down I thought I would share a thing or two we have learned about foil dinners and how to make them the very best.



• Line the foil with a leaf of cabbage to keep your dinner from burning.

• Use tater tots instead of plain potatoes to cook faster and add more flavor

• Ingredients we like to use: Hamburger patty, tater tots, onion, any other veggie we have around (Broccoli, Cauliflower, Zucchini, carrots, snow or sugar snap peas, etc)

• Add onion to flavor even if you don't like to eat it

• Add salt and pepper over the whole thing

• Use two layers of regular foil or one layer of heavy duty, roll the edges to form a pouch.

• If customizing the dinners to people's preferences, use a sharpie to mark with initials

There's nothing like unwrapping a pouch full of fire cooked goodness just when the air starts to get a little cool at night.

Fajita’s

• 2 lbs of skirt steak, chicken breast (deboned), slice your meat up first

• 1/2 c olive oil
• 1/3 c lime juice (freshly squeezed for better flavor and fell free to put more- lime never hurts)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 c vinegar
• 1/2 c chopped onion
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tbsp paprika
• 1 can beer
• 1 large onion sliced
• bell pepper
• flour tortillas
• Lime wedges- as many as you want
• whatever garnishes you want.... toppings are endless

Let this marinate for several hours- overnight for best results!

Heat up your grill. (For best results) You will need iron skillets to cook the meat and veggies. Bring your olive oil (and even lime juice to squeeze on the meat as you cook) outside with you to put on the skillet so the meat and veggies do not stick to the pan. The skillets will make the meat and veggies caramelize- YUMMY!!!

Tips:

Assemble your fajita and squeeze lime juice on it- I learned this trick from a friend who lived in El Paso

Daddy's Tangy Grilling Sauce (Paula Deen)

This is soooo yummy!! I like to use the bone-in chicken breast with skin because the skin soaks up the sauce and is so good!!!


1 cup of Worcestershire sauce
1 stick of butter melted (of course! what recipe of hers doesn't have a stick of butter?)
2 juiced lemons

Just combine these three ingredients and lather it on the chicken while you grill!

Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing

• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon white sugar, or to taste (optional)
• 5 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes


1. In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl, and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade.

3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.

These were HEAVENLY! I lined a grill basket with tinfoil and put the chicken and some marinade into it and grilled the pieces that way. I used dried rosemary and cut the sugar in half. I also used low fat ranch dressing and completely omitted the salt because it just isn't necessary. These were melt in your mouth MOIST and DELICIOUS!! The marinade from the grill basket was also incredible poured over white rice.

EDIT: I've since made this recipe on the stove top and in the oven in order to use up all the marinade (which is INCREDIBLE on rice) and both alternate methods are good by the oven is a better 2nd choice as the stove top method tended to dry the chicken out a bit but still tasted great! I bake it with all the marinade on 450 for 20 minutes. Melt in your mouth moist!
 I have also marinated thie veggies that I used also (Vidalia onion, red and green bell pepper, and yellow squash) and it came out absolutely luscious. I made this with both the dried rosemary and again with the fresh rosemary, and I think that the fresh rosemary really adds a lot to the flavor. This will be a favorite recipe in the summer grilling months at our home!

Pizza On The Grill

• 1 ready made pizza crust
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh sliced mushrooms

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate.

2. Roll out prepared pizza dough to a size that will fit your grill. Place on grill for 5 minutes, or to desired doneness, and flip over. Now add the sauce, cheese, green bell pepper and mushrooms.

3. Cover the grill and allow to cook over low/med heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

I keep the pizzas small (6 inches) so they are easy to move around. After cooking the first side, I take them off the grill and add the toppings then put them back on. I use a gas grill with mesquite chips - excellent flavor. I use a combo of mozzarella and smoked gouda cheese. 
Make sure you have all of your prep work done, there is no time to waste after you flip the crust over. Also, slice your veggies small/thin. Turn down the heat after flipping

Absolutely DO NOT set your grill to high heat when making this pizza.

Grilled Lemon Chicken

• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1. In a bowl, mix the lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, garlic, red bell pepper, salt, and pepper. Set aside 1/4 cup of the mixture to use for basting. Place chicken in the bowl, and marinate at least 20 minutes in the refrigerator.

2. Preheat grill for high heat.

3. Lightly oil grill grate. Drain and discard marinade from the bowl, and place chicken on the grill. Cook 6 to 8 minutes on each side, until juices run clear, basting occasionally with the reserved marinade.

Beer Butt Rosemary Chicken

• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can beer
• 1 orange
• 1 (3 pound) whole chicken
• 1 large sweet onion, sliced
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• seasoned salt, to taste
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 red potatoes, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking dish. Pour out half the beer from the can, spray the can with cooking spray, and set it upright in the center of the baking sheet.

2. Cut 2 thin slices from the orange, and set aside. Cut the rest of the orange into large chunks. Loosen the skin over the breast of the chicken, and insert an orange slice, an onion slice, and 1 rosemary sprig under the skin of each side of the breast. Place the orange chunks and 2 sprigs of rosemary into the cavity of the chicken.



3. Spray the outside of the chicken with cooking oil spray, and sprinkle with seasoned salt to taste. Place the chicken onto the beer can in an upright position, with the can inserted into the cavity of the chicken. Pour the chicken broth into the baking dish, and place the rest of the sliced onion and the potatoes into the broth.

4. Roast in the preheated oven until the skin is crisp, the meat is no longer pink at the bone, and the juices run clear, about 1 1/2 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before slicing

Lemon Pepper Grilled Chicken

• 1/4 cup lemon pepper
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
• 5 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 cups dry white wine
• In a small bowl, mix lemon pepper, dry mustard and crushed dried rosemary.
• Place chicken breast halves in a medium bowl. Rub with garlic. Introduce the lemon pepper mixture and rub it into the chicken. Pour in lemon juice and dry white wine. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours before grilling.

• Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate.

• Cook marinated chicken breasts on the prepared grill until meat is no longer pink and juices run clear, or to desired doneness.

*Holy cow, this is some majorly good grub! And easy to boot. I love how the spices are used with a very generous hand. It adds so much flavor, and it's not even salt/sodium laced. Short on time? - bake in the oven covered with foil, *with* all the marinade. I made sure to pound the chicken breasts thin for more even cooking - and because I prefer the thinner texture. I used a lot less white wine than called for (just enough to make sure the chicken pieces were sitting in it, but not fully immersed by it), and I baked for 15 minutes at 350F, and then increased to 400 for the remaining 10 minutes. Perfect, juicy, succulent chicken! I plated them and then spooned some of the liquids over each piece for extra moisture (not that it even needed it). :) The lemon pepper seasoning I have is McCormick's, "California Style", which includes onion and garlic powders.. but it quite heavy on the peppery spice. I
loved this recipe! made it as a freezer meal (marinade and chicken breasts in a freezer bag and tossed in the freezer) - delicious!

Tangy Shrimp and Scallops

• 28 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 28 sea scallops
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 7 tablespoons lemon juice
• 5 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika

1. Place shrimp and scallops in a large re-sealable plastic bag. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and paprika. Microwave at 50% power for 1-1/2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir to blend; set aside 1/3 cup for basting. Pour remaining marinade over shrimp and scallops. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 1 hour, turning occasionally.

2. Drain and discard marinade. Alternately thread shrimp and scallops on metal or soaked wooden skewers.

3. Grill, uncovered, over medium-hot heat for 6 minutes, turning once. Brush with reserved marinade. Grill 8-10 minutes longer or until shrimp turn pink and scallops are opaque.

**Really good! However, scallops do not hold the flavor of the marinade as well as the shrimp - however, the grilled scallops were SO delicious that they really don't need the marinade flavor! I just squeezed a bit of lemon on my scallops and they were great.

Grill Master Chicken Wings

Ingredients

• Wings:
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup Italian-style salad dressing
• 3 pounds chicken wings, cut apart at joints, wing tips discarded

• Sauce:
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup hot pepper sauce (such as Frank's RedHot®), or to taste

Directions

1. Combine 1/2 cup soy sauce, Italian dressing, and chicken wings in a large, zip-top bag. Close bag and refrigerate 4 hours to overnight.

2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat. In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the 1 teaspoon soy sauce and the hot pepper sauce. Turn off heat and reserve.

3. Remove the chicken wings from the marinade and pat dry. Cook the wings on the preheated grill, turning occasionally, until the chicken is well browned and no longer pink, 25 to 30 minutes.

4. Place grilled wings in a large bowl. Pour butter sauce over wings; toss to mix well.

Footnotes

• The nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of the marinade ingredients. The actual amount of the marinade consumed will vary.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 181
Total Fat: 14.6g
Cholesterol: 41mg

It was pouring rain, so we baked them at 400 degrees for 45 minutes instead of grilling, and they were perfect. The soy sauce in the marinade caramelizes and makes these wings a gorgeous golden brown. They are mouthwatering-lick-the-bones-clean-and-fight-for-the-last wing good. Can't wait for the Super Bowl so that we can try them on the grill.
I doubled the marinade I made 6 pounds of wings, and marinated for 24 hours, I grilled them over Kingsford hickory charcoal, for about 20 to 25 mins to get a nice crisp and a little char on them, then popped them in a 325 degree oven for about 20 mins since I used some large wings.

Grilled Potatoes and Onion

• 4 potatoes, sliced
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Preheat grill for medium heat.

2. For each packet, measure out 2 or 3 squares of aluminum foil large enough to easily wrap the vegetables, and layer one on top of the other. Place some of the potatoes and onion in the center, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and dot with butter. Wrap into a flattened square, and seal the edges. Repeat with remaining potatoes and onion.

3. Place aluminum wrapped package over indirect heat, and cover. Cook for approximately 30 minutes, turning once. Serve hot off the grill.

My Suggestions: Use olive oil instead of butter, because it is healthier and adds a great flavor to the veggies. Add some cloves (or in our case, a whole bulb!) of garlic for added flavor. Don't worry about a pungent flavor; cooked garlic mellows beautifully. Add some fresh (or dried) herbs, such as *basil*, parsley, or dill. Salt and pepper to taste. Also, add other veggies. Don't be afraid to experiment! Grilled zucchini, carrots, and mushrooms are all wonderful. You really don't have to measure, just use as many veggies as you would like. This recipe, as is, is an excellent starting point for us veggie-lovers (such as me!!!)

You absolutely must use the red onions as they turn out sweet with an amazing texture that compliments the potatoes. I quartered my onion and seperated the pieces. Also I always add a sprinkling of celery salt and cayenne to potatoes of this style (a flavor must). And of course added 2 whole cloves of garlic. Also, like others I tossed the potatoes, onions and spices in a little olive oil before putting on foil, also lightly coated with oil. No sticking and the potatoes were perfectly tender after 30 minutes on med heat. YUM!

Smoked Beer Can Chicken ~ Faux BQ Chicken

1 can beer
Springs of fresh rosemary

Spice Rub:
1 ½ cups brown sugar
1 cup kosher salt
½ cup chili powder
½ cup granulated garlic
1 T Thyme
1 T Rosemary
1 T smoked paprika

Pour ½ beer in baking pan, poke a couple of the rosemary springs down into the can of beer, and add 1T of the spice rub . Set chicken onto the can of beer and place on the lowest rack of the oven. Bake 350 until chicken is done.