… there’s hair, and skin, and clothes that smell like smoke! I’ve had a charcoal smoker for years and use it every now and then. The reason I don’t use it more often (besides the need to immediately take a shower afterward to get rid of the “Smokey The Bear” smell) is because it seems like a lot of work to have to keep adding charcoal and keep the fire going all day long. But then, while in Payson at Barb’s earlier this week, I spotted an unassembled electric smoker in the garage and said, “Cool, and electric smoker!” To my delight, Barb said, “You can have it, it’s just been sitting there for four years.” I was so excited, I don’t think I said my usual, “Really, are you sure?”  So, Connor and I assembled it yesterday and I am putting it into service today to make smoked pulled pork. Thank you, Barb! ( I think that’s #5 – inside joke!)  xoxo

Smoked pulled pork barbeque may sound like strenuous work, but it’s not, it’s simply a gentle, slow cooking process that is ideal for outdoor smoking. It is time-consuming though, so be sure that you or another willing subject are around to tend to the smoking meat every hour for about 6 hours.

That may sound like a pain in the “you know what” but the actual hands-on time is minimal. It only takes about 15 to 20 minutes to set up the smoker, make the basting sauce and spice rub, prep the pork and get it on the grill rack. Then every hour you baste the meat and check the wood and add more if needed, which takes only a couple of minutes each time. And since the high temperature today in Scottsdale is 113 degrees… that is a very good thing indeed. As can see from the picture below – I keep an eye on the “smoke” from the inside where it is a lovely 76 degrees! The real work comes after the meat is fully cooked. The “pulling” takes some time, so grab a husband, a kid, or a willing friend and pull away.

Not surprisingly, I purchased my pork shoulder at Costco, which meant that the smallest piece they had was 15 pounds. It was actually 2 shoulders and I trimmed off about 1  3/4 pounds of fat, so each shoulder was just about right, coming in just over 6 pounds. Feel free to use your favorite purchased BBQ sauce, but I’m including the recipe for my favorite homemade sauce, courtesy of Tyler Florence – it is amazing! So if you have the time… actually we both know you have the time because you’re hanging around the house basting the pork, so I’ll rephrase that – if you are so inclined, give it a try! These would be the perfect main courser for next year’s July 4th BBQ!

Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Basting Sauce
1 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Spice Rub
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon Trader Joe’s “21 Seasoning Salute” or other multi-spice blend
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt

Pork and Smoker Setup
Smoking chips (I used hickory)
2 cups white wine (if desired, otherwise just use water)
6 pounds pork shoulder (butt)

Tyler Florence’s Ultimate Barbecue Sauce
1 slice bacon
1 bunch fresh thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Freshly ground black pepper

Assembly
10 buttered and toasted hamburger buns or other rolls of choice
Pickled red onions (from yesterday’s post)
-and/or-
Purchased coleslaw

Basting Sauce: Place all ingredients in a small pan and simmer until the sugar has melted. Pour into a glass measuring cup and set aside.

Spice Rub: Place all rub ingredients in a small bowl and blend

Pork and Smoker Setup: Prepare the smoker according to manufacturer’s directions. Soak the smoking chips in hot water for at least thirty minutes and then drain. Add chips to smoker according to manufacturer’s directions.

Fill the water pan with wine, water, 1 tablespoon spice rub and 1/4 cup basting liquid to the level directed by the manufacturer’s directions and place pan in smoker.

Brush the pork once over with the basting sauce and then rub in all of the spice rub. Place prepared pork on smoker grate and cover.

After one hour, use a long handled grill brush to baste the pork with the basting sauce. Repeat this on the hour for the next 5 hours. While the pork is smoking, make the barbecue sauce.

Tyler’s Ultimate Barbecue Sauce: Wrap the bacon around the bunch of thyme and tie with kitchen twine so you have a nice bundle. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the thyme and cook slowly 3 to 4 minutes to render the bacon fat and give the sauce a nice smoky taste. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly without coloring for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, give the sauce a stir, and turn the heat down to low. Cook slowly for 20 minutes to meld the flavors.

Finishing Pork: Use and instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat, it should be 190 degrees. Continue smoking and basting, if needed to reach that temperature, then remove the pork and leave to sit for 45 minutes covered in foil.

The pork is now ready for shredding so go to it with a couple of forks or if preferred, just use your hands. Place the shredded meat in a large bowl and toss with half of the barbecue sauce.

Assembly: Spread the toasted buns lightly with barbecue sauce and pile the bottom sides high with the pulled pork. Spoon on a large spoonful of pickled onions and/or coleslaw and top with the top half of the toasted buns. Dig in! …I’m off to take a quick shower  :-)

Serves 10

I found  out today that I am older than the fajita. This makes me seriously depressed! I can deal with being older than say; cell phones, laptops, GPS, and a wide assortment of of technological gizmos or even the microplane zester!  But older than fajitas… that’s just not right!

According to Wikipedia, “ Sonny Falcon is believed to have operated the first commercial fajita taco stand at a weeklong outdoor event in Kyle, Texas,  in 1969 (let’s just say I was already in elementary school by then). He also went to rodeos, fairs, and outdoor festivals selling his fajita taco. An Austin reporter christened him ‘The Fajita King’ and Falcon was able to trademark the name.” And according to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word fajita is not known to have appeared in print until 1971 (at least I was still in grade school at the time).

Originally only skirt steak was used for this Tex-Mex icon, but today, popular meats include chicken, pork, shrimp, and just about all cuts of beef.  As an example; my sister Sloane had boneless bottom round on hand, so she marinated it overnight and we grilled that up for a quick and delicious fajita dinner. Thank you Sloane, and I have to say that the Dos Equis and my winning our 7 person/3 hour marathon of Mexican Train Dominoes did relieve a tiny bit of my new found realization about just how old I am!

Sloane’s Fajitas

Juice of 6 limes
1/4 canola oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

4 pounds boneless bottom round, thinly sliced across the grain
1 of each; red, yellow, and orange bell peppers; seeded, cored, and sliced
1 large sweet onion, peeled and thickly sliced

10 flour tortillas, wrapped in foil
2 avocado, peeled and diced
Pico de gallo
Sour cream

In a medium bowl blend together the lime juice, oil, garlic, vinegar, cilantro, sugar, red pepper flakes and cumin. Pour 3/4 of the mixture into a 1 gallon zipper-style bag and add the beef, seal and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or even overnight is fine. Pour the remaining 1/4 of the mixture in another gallon zipper bag and add the bell peppers and onions, refrigerate and marinate at least 1 hour.

Prepare a grill to medium-high heat.  Remove the beef from the marinate and grill directly on the rack, discard the marinade. Cook about 4 minutes per side. Meanwhile remove the vegetables from their marinate and place them in a grill basket and cook for about 6 or 7 minutes until the vegetables are just barely limp and beginning to char slightly.

While the peppers and onions are cooking, place the foil wrapped tortillas on the grill to heat though.  When all is cooked and heated; serve by topping warm tortillas with a few slices of beef, peppers and onions. Top with avocado, pico de gallo, and sour cream. Roll up the tortillas to enclose the filling and enjoy.

Makes 10

Mole – when most gringos think of mole, they immediately think “Oh, that Mexican sauce that has chocolate in it.” Not necessarily true, there are a wide number of sauces that are moles and only one of them contains chocolate. The word mole comes from the Nahuatl word “milli” which means “sauce” or “concoction”.  The most common or widely known mole in America is guacamole, meaning “avocado concoction”.

Moles can be black (negro), red (rojo), yellow (amarillo), and green (verde), to name but a few. Mole negro is the most labor intensive to prepare. It traditionally has six varieties of chile peppers, seeds, nuts, spices, herbs and chocolate.

Another confusion here (possibly it is only my own person confusion) is the spelling of chile/chili/chiles/chilies – as in chile pepper. I am certain that I have spelled it a variety of ways on this site in previous posts. But beginning today… I am going to go with the expertise of chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author, Mark Miller. Mark wrote the definitive book on the matter in 1991, The Great Chile Book, which is fabulous resource for all things chile!  On page 6, Mark addresses the subject, “…Even the spelling of the word chile gets confusing, as it variously appears as chili and as chilli. These alternate spellings depend on how the word is used, or which part of the country you’re in, and even on personal whim! … chile refers to the plant or pod, while chili refers to the traditional dish containing meat and chiles… and chilli is the commercial spice powder that contains ground chiles…”  Now, we’ll just see how long I can keep myself from getting confused, since my spell check shows all spellings of the word as wrong, except chili and chilies, darn it!

This mole verde is outstanding on fish, chicken, eggs, and pork. Marissa and I even ate the leftover sauce with chips. Quite honestly, I would not be ashamed to just use a spoon to finish it off!

Chilean Sea Bass with Mole Verde

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large white onion, peeled and chopped
1/2 pound tomatillos, husk removed, washed well, and roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 long green chiles; roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 poblano chile, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsely leaves, chopped
1/3 cup pepitas (unsalted shelled pumpkin seeds)
1 1/2  to 2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 Chilean sea bass fillets
Olive oil

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add oil, onion, tomatillos, and garlic and sauté until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in cumin and oregano. Cook for another minute. Add long green, poblano, and jalapeno chiles and cook for 3 minutes.

Place the mixture in a blender or food processor along with the cilantro, parsley, pepitas, chicken broth, and rice vinegar. Puree until smooth (mixture will not get silky smooth, it will be slightly grainy).

Return mixture to skillet. Partially cover with lid to prevent splattering and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

While mole is simmering, preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Brush the sea bass fillets lightly with olive oil on both sides and season with salt and pepper. Grill fillets until just opaque in the center, about 5 to 7 minutes per side, depending on thickness.  Transfer to dinner plates, top with mole and serve.

Serves 4

Pom tree in my backyard

It’s pomegranate season and I love pomegranates! They are beautiful and delicious. Great eaten straight out of the hand, or seed and juice to use in recipes, and pretty to dry and use in floral, household, and holiday décor.

Plus pomegranates are a “Super Food”.  A single pomegranate or 1/2 cup of its juice provides 40% of an adult’s recommended daily allowance of vitamin C, and is a rich source of folic acid and vitamins A and E. One pomegranate also contains three times the antioxidant properties of red wine or green tea.

Researchers report that the pomegranate’s antioxidants can keep bad LDL cholesterol from oxidizing (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, May 2000). In addition, pomegranate juice, like aspirin, can help keep blood platelets from clumping together to form unwanted clots. Researchers has found that eight ounces of pomegranate juice daily for three months improved the amount of oxygen getting to the heart muscle of patients with coronary heart disease (American Journal of the College of Cardiology, Sept. 2005). Pomegranate compounds help prevent prostate cancer or slow its growth. In mice, treatment with pomegranate extract delayed the development of tumors and improved survival (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Sept. 26, 2005).

To juice a pomegranate, cut it in half (as you would citrus) and juice using a citrus juicer or reamer. Pour mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer. One large pomegranate will produce about 1/2 cup of juice.

Barbecued Pomegranate Chicken Thighs

8 chicken wings (about 3 1/2 pounds), skin and fat removed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup tomato based barbecue sauce
1 cup pomegranate juice, reduced to 1/2 cup
1 tablespoon Frank’s Red Hot Original sauce or 1 teaspoon Tabasco
2 tablespoons honey mustard
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.  Place the thighs out in a single layer on a baking sheet and season on all sides with salt and pepper. Bake for 55 minutes.

In a large pot over medium-low heat sauté the garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Stir in barbecue sauce, reduced pomegranate juice, hot sauce and honey mustard. Bring to a boil then lower and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until thick. Stir in butter until melted. Set aside.

During the last 15 minutes that the thighs are in the oven, preheat the grill to medium-high heat.

Toss the baked wings in the sauce to coat.  Place thighs on grill and cook until the sauce begins to form a crust on the meat, about 5 minutes per side.

Serves 4

My friend of more than 17 years, Lorie, was in town this weekend from California. I decided on a light and refreshing salad and an Asian theme.  We had store-bought sushi for appetizers and green tea martinis.  The sushi was a hit… not so much the drinks.  Luckily, Lorie brought a bottle of champagne, so we switched to the bubbly after each drinking about half our mar“tea”nies.  Oh well, it was worth a try.  For dessert – a tart lemon sorbet and thin ginger cookies -both store-bought.  It made for an easy and relaxing meal, leaving plenty of time to catch up and reminisce.

Teriyaki Steak Salad

2  New York  strip steaks, fat trimmed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons purchased teriyaki sauce, divided

1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1/3 cup olive oil

6 cups shredded Napa cabbage
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup diced orange, red, or yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup very thinly sliced red onion
1/2 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced
1/2  pound green beans, trimmed, blanched, and halved
1/2 cup diced English cucumber
1/2 cup salted cocktail peanuts, optional

Preheat barbecue to medium-high heat.  Season steaks with salt and pepper on both sides, place steaks in an 8-inch Pyrex dish and coat with 1/4 cup of the teriyaki sauce; let stand 15 minutes.

Meanwhile,  whisk remaining 3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce , lime zest,  lime juice, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and olive oil, in small bowl to blend. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Transfer half of the dressing to medium bowl; toss in cabbage. Divide mixture between 4 dinner plates.

Pour remaining dressing in the same bowl and add the tomato halves, bell pepper, onion, apple green beans, and cucumber; toss well and top cabbage on plates, dividing evenly.

Grill steaks until cooked to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer steak to cutting board and allow to rest 5 minutes; slice thinly. Arrange steak slices atop salads.  Drizzle with any remaining dressing from bowl and any steak juices on board.  Sprinkle with peanuts, if desired, and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Summer was officially over Monday, but it lingers here in Arizona for quite some time to come!  This is a gorgeous and refreshing summer salad.  No need to heat the kitchen, just fire up the grill. I serve this with a cold and crisp Rosé wine and slices of warm crusty French Bread.  Oh darn, I just realized that you will need to turn on the oven to toast the hazelnuts, oops!  Well, the reason I forgot is because when I bring home a package of hazelnuts, I immediately toast the entire bag and then store them in the freezer and just pull out the prepped nuts when needed, you can do the same and you’ll be ready to go for the next recipe that calls for them too, because hazelnuts are almost always used toasted and skinned. To toast and skin the Hazelnuts: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place hazelnuts (also known as filberts) in a single layer of a baking sheet. Toast in the middle of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly colored and the skins begin to blister.  Remove from oven and immediately wrap the nuts in an old (but clean) kitchen town and allow to steam for 2 or 3 minutes.  Rub the nuts in the towel for a minute or two creating a lot of friction between the nuts and the towel, to remove the loose skins.  All of the skins won’t come off, so don’t worry.  Carefully pick out the nuts and set aside. Shake the towel outside or over a trashcan, be careful or those little skin bits will be all over the kitchen. You will want to use an old towel because the skins will stain the towel, so just wash it and use it the next time you are preparing hazelnuts.

Grilled Chicken, Peach, and Fig Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 small shallot, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen and thawed, pureed

Salad
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
4 fresh figs, stemmed and halved
2 ripe nectarines, halved and pitted
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 cups mixed greens and/or baby spinach
5 strips bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1 cup toasted and skinned hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

Vinaigrette: Whisk red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, garlic, shallot, mustard, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Drizzle in olive oil while whisking to emulsify.  Stir in blueberry puree. Chill until ready to serve.  Makes about 1/3 cup.

Salad: Preheat a gas or charcoal grill, or place a grill pan over medium-high heat. Lay the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Pound chicken with mallet or the bottom of a skillet to 1/3-inch thickness.

Brush the chicken, figs, and peaches with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill fruit for 2 minutes on each side and chicken for about 3 minutes per side, until cooked through. Transfer chicken and peaches to a cutting board, allow to rest 2 minutes, then slice chicken in thin strips on the diagonal. Slice each of the peach halves into 4 wedges.

Place the greens in a large bowl and toss with 1/2 of the vinaigrette. Divide greens between four dinner plates. Place the chicken, peach wedges, and fig halves in the same bowl and toss with the remaining vinaigrette. Top the greens with the chicken and fruit, dividing evenly. Crumble the bacon over the top and sprinkle with the hazelnuts. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

It’s a great Sunday at the Hopkins’ house – the Cardinals win! And it’s finally cooling off outside so I was able to garden this morning, I don’t think it even hit 100 degrees today!  Plus my Dad is over for dinner and after a few hands of cards it’s time to give my husband and dad what they really want – meat and potatoes! Hope you enjoyed your weekend as too. :)

Grilled New York Strip Steaks with Roasted Tomatoes and Olives

4 ripe heirloom tomatoes, cored and halved
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata or Niçoise olives, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves

4 New York strip steaks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss tomato halves and olives with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place tomatoes, cut side up in a lightly oiled 2 quart glass baking dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper.Roast in preheat oven for 45 minutes.Remove from oven; sprinkle thyme leaves on tomatoes and scatter olives on baking dish with tomatoes and roast an additional 15 minutes.Preheat a grill to high.

During the last 15 minutes that the tomatoes and olives are in the oven grill the steaks.Season steaks with salt and pepper and grill over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes per side.To serve, top each steak with two tomato halves and the olives.

Serves 4

Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus with Asparagus-Mint-Basil Pesto

Pesto
12 ounces asparagus, ends snapped off, discard ends
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons tasted pine nuts
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
Potatoes
1 1/2pounds small Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Cut asparagus stalks in half. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon salt and asparagus, blanch 4 minutes, drain and refresh under cold running water. Trim off just the tips of the asparagus and set aside.

Turn on an empty food processor; drop the garlic cloves through the feed tube to finely mince. Turn off and add the mint and basil leaves, pine nuts, and asparagus stalks (not the tips).With the food processor running, slowly add the cup of olive oil. Use the pulse button and add in the Parmesan.Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  Cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Place potatoes on foil and drizzle with olive oil, toss to coat. Season with Italian seasoning and salt and pepper. Place baking sheet in the oven and roast for 15 minutes, remove from oven and toss, stir in reserved asparagus tips, return to oven and cook about 10 minutes more or until potatoes are just tender.

Place the potatoes in a serving bowl, toss with 1 cup of the asparagus pesto and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4

Brandied Mushrooms

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 pound crimini mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup fat free half-and-half
2 tablespoons brandy
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh Italian parsley

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add olive oil and butter, when butter is melted, immediately add mushrooms and toss well until they absorb all the oil and butter, sauté, stirring often until mushrooms release their liquid, about 10 minutes.

Mushrooms releasing their liquid

Add minced garlic and thyme and sauté 1 minute. Increase heat to high and stir in the half-and-half and brandy. Boil to reduce liquids until a thick sauce is formed, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, stir in fresh parsley.

Serves 4

I promised myself that I would post before 10PM today, and it’s a promise I am keeping! I need the sleep! I have been obsessed, which is what happens when I get into something new. If I love a book, I don’t put it down until it’s finished. Example- a few summers ago, when the 5^th Harry Potter book was released on a Friday morning, I bought two copies (well, we always bought 2 copies, one for each of my kids’ libraries). One copy went with Dave and the kids on a plane that afternoon back to Illinois to see his family. The other was with me, in bed, which I read straight through, no eating, no sleeping, no anything (except toilet-breaks!) until the book was finished. Mind you this is an 800+ page book. Then on Saturday morning, when I’d finished it, I got dressed and shopped for that next weeks’ classes, came home and went to bed until the next morning. But that’s how it is and that’s how it’s been with these posts too. I’m going to have to get on a more day-light schedule! Most of today’s daylight has been spent putting up links to sites I wanted to share with you. Most are cooking sites or blogs, and some of the others are friends’ sites. Then there are sites that are just filled with lovely and artistic photos, many Paris inspired!

photo from The Paris Apartment

Like this gorgeous photo (I have died and gone to heaven!) from The Paris Apartment! So check them out and enjoy! The following recipe was partially inspired by a sandwich I had this summer in California.  It was with grilled chicken and had a tasty and unique corn-onion mayonnaise. I haven’t been able to get that mayo out of my mind since.  I picked up skirt steak with the intention of making fajitas, but then found in the newly arrived Sept issue of of Bon Appetit a sandwich recipe using…Grilled Corn Mayonnaise! Funny how things like this show up in different places around the same time… so now here is my version…

Fajita Sandwiches with Caramelized Corn-Onion Mayonnaise

Marinade

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 shallot, peeled, root cut-off and halved
1 tablespoon freshly ground cumin seed
1 teaspoon each; cayenne pepper, kosher
salt, and freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds skirt steak

1 cup frozen petite corn kernels, thawed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup peeled and diced red onion

3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 small garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin seed

Olive oil
4 demi-baguettes, sliced in half
horizontally, and partially hollowed out
2 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers
1 large red onion, peeled and cut in half

Place all nine marinade ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Pour into a gallon-size zip-lock bag, add the skirt steak, seal the bag and refrigerate for 1 hour. Bring to room temperature before grilling.

Meanwhile, heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn; stir until beginning to dry and brown, about 6-7 minutes. Transfer to small bowl. Add the tablespoon oil to skillet. Heat over medium-high heat. Add onion, sauté until onion is tender and begins to brown, about 12 minutes. Add onion to the corn in bowl and season with salt and pepper. Whisk mayonnaise, white balsamic, cilantro, basil, garlic, and cumin in medium bowl. When corn-onion mixture is cool, add to mayonnaise, season with salt and pepper then refrigerate until ready to serve.

Preheat grill to medium-high. Remove steak from marinade, discard liquid and pat steaks so they are not dripping in marinade. Brush inside of bread, bell peppers and onion halves with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place peppers, onion, and steak on barbecue grates and grill until steaks cooked to medium-rare, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from grill and allow steaks to rest. Grill peppers and onions until charred, about 8 minutes. Place vegetables in a plastic bag and seal to allow them to steam. When cool enough to handle, peel and seed the peppers, then cut peppers and onions into thin strips.

Grill bread; cut side down, until warmed and browned or very lightly charred, about 1 minute. Cut steaks diagonally against the grain into 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick strips.Spread a spoonful of mayo on the bottom halves of the bread, arrange steak slices, peppers, and onions on top. Spoon additional mayonnaise on the top slice and press the sandwiches together.

Serves 4

Dinner has been decided upon for this lovely (it’s only supposed to get up to 99 degrees today!) Sunday. And not decided by me, but instead by my garden.  I went out this morning, while it was only 84 degrees, and noticed that if I didn’t do something about the luscious basil going wild and the very tall bay laurel tree in my garden that they would take it over.  I’m thinking about a starter of flatbread with basil in the dough, with a basil oil and roasted tomatoes with – wait for it… basil pesto!  And maybe salmon grilled on top of the bay leaves and lemon slices and also some yukon gold potatoes braised in stock and more bay leaves.  I’ve had crème brûlée scented with fresh bay leaves before and although it was delicious, I really don’t want to stand over the hot stove in the summer “stirring constantly” (two of my least favorite words!) a steaming custard.  After painting that little picture for myself, the crème brûlée definitely OUT!  So something else maybe with the bay leaves for dessert – any thoughts out there?  I am off to the movies….

……I am thankful no one came up with any dessert ideas because I was actually to busy to even think about dessert today! Dave and I saw Inglorious Basterds early this afternoon and LOVED it!  This from a girl who has to put her hands over her eyes during the icky parts!  And there were plenty of icky parts, but I still want to go back and see it again!   I’m not a huge Quentin Tarantino fan, I liked Kill Bill(s) and  Pulp Fiction but this movie was just so cool, and Brad Pitt… love him even more than before, if that is possible.  What about Christoph Waltz?  If he isn’t nominated for an Oscar, there is something wrong in the movie biz!   Enough about that, this is a “cooking/food blog” so on to the rest of the that part of the day…  After the movie and a Costco run, arrived home at about 3:00 and began making the Grand Basil-Bay Dinner.  Good friends, Chris and Kathy Froggatt, were to arrive at 6:00, with nice wines in hand!  It was a great evening with good friends.  They recounted their wonderful vacation-cruise to Monaco, Italy, and Greece (ready to go tomorrow after hearing about it all!)  Amidst all the catching up and garden touring, I totally burned (we’ll call it charred!) the flatbread while grilling it.  But we enjoyed it anyway because the Bay Leaf Roasted Tomatoes that topped it were still tasty and the Baileyana Chardonnay  that Chris brought somehow washed away all thoughts of those nasty carcinogens we were ingesting.  Dinner itself went off much better.   We had a fabulous Chasseur Pinot Noir from Sonoma and the bay laurel flavors present in the fish and potatoes were truly sublime. Kathy is not a salmon fan, so I did a “personal-size” piece of halibut for her.  I think the individual size is a really nice presentation for a more formal dinner.  A bit more work to individually wrap each piece of fish, but it’ll cook faster and it does look fancy!  One last note about the salmon.  It is drizzled with olive oil, and any fruity olive oil will do, but I adore our own local Queen Creek Olive Mill Meyer Lemon Olive Oil. It is available locally at A.J.’s or can be ordered online at http://www.queencreekolivemill.com/productdetail.jsp?ProductID=28. And if you are a neighbor or live close enough to drop by, just give me a call if you want to make any of the dishes with the fresh bay leaves.  You can have all you’ll need, free for the taking.  The salmon recipe uses way too many leaves to purchase at the store in those tiny herb packages (when you can find it).   So don’t be shy, the bay tree grows better when it is pruned, so you’ll be doing me a favor, really!

Basil Flatbread with Roasted Tomatoes, Basil Oil and Pesto

Basil Oil

1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
3/4 cup olive oil

Blanch basil in medium saucepan of boiling water 10 seconds. Drain. Rinse under cold water. Squeeze basil dry between paper towels. Transfer to blender. Add oil and puree until smooth. Transfer to small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 3/4 cup

Tomatoes

6 large tomatoes, each cut in half horizontally
6 fresh thyme sprigs
6 fresh bay leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons peeled and minced garlic

1/4 cup olive oil
lemon ends (optional if leftover from making salmon recipe)

Preheat oven to 35o degrees. Place tomatoes, cut side up, in 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Place thyme sprigs and bay leaves on top of tomatoes. Sprinkle with garlic and salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil.

Bake until tomatoes are slightly brown around edges, about 1 hour.

Pesto

3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 1/4 packed cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Place the garlic and basil in a food processor.  Process until a rough paste forms.  Add half of the cheese and oil and process until the paste is smoother.  Add the pine nuts and the remaining oil and cheese.

Preheat barbecue to medium heat. Form each dough piece on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to a floured pizza peel or baking sheet. Brush topside with Basil Oil. Place flatbread, oiled side down, directly on grill rack. Grill until bottom is golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Brush top of bread with Basil Oil. Using spatula, turn bread over; grill until golden, another 1 or 2 minutes.

Arrange Roasted Tomatoes on flatbreads. Loosely cover with foil; grill until heated through, about 3 minutes. Top each a little of the pesto. Cut each flatbread into 8 pieces.

Serves 8

Bay Leaf and Lemon Wrapped Grilled Salmon

5 ounces fresh bay leaves (about 80 leaves)
3 or 4 lemons, very thinly sliced into rounds
2 1/2 to 3-pound center-cut salmon fillet with skin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil (or Queen Creek Meyer Lemon Olive Oil)

Lay ten 2 foot-long pieces of kitchen string, side by side and 1- inch apart, on work surface. Overlap bay leaves atop strings in rectangle about same size as fish. Top bay leaves with overlapping rows of lemon slices. Sprinkle lemons with salt and pepper.

Lay salmon, skin side down, on top of lemon. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper; drizzle with olive oil.

Top salmon flesh with overlapping rows of lemon slices, then again with bay leaves. Tightly tie strings, beginning with the middle pieces of string and working toward each end; encasing fish with lemon slices and bay leaves. Place tied fish on grilling basket. This process may be done up to 2 hours ahead. Wrap basket in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before grilling.

Preheat barbecue to medium-high. Grill fish, in basket for about 15 to 20 minutes per side, or until just firm to touch. Transfer fish to cutting board. Cut and remove the strings, and the top layer of bay leaves and lemons. Cut into slices and using a spatula slide pieces, along with bottom layer of bay leaves and lemon slices to dinner plates.

Serves 6

Inspired by recipe in July 2009 Bon Appetit

Bay Scented Braised Potatoes

2 pounds small Yukon Gold potatoes
1/4 cup chicken broth

5 fresh bay leaves
5 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a skillet just large enough to hold the potatoes in a single layer, combine the potatoes, broth, bay leaves, garlic, olive oil and 1 tablespoon salt. Cover and cook over low heat, shaking pan occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 35 minutes. Check the broth occasionally and add a little more if the pan begins to dry. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 6

Roasted Peppers with Bay Leaves

1 red, 1 yellow, and 1 orange bell pepper; roasted, peeled, seeded and quartered
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 fresh bay leaves

Immediately after peeling peppers, while they are still warm, place peppers in a bowl, stir in the minced garlic and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in bay leaves. Allow to marinate for about at least 1 hour at room temperature.

Serves 4

Connor’s California Club Pizza

Dough
1 tablespoon or 1 package dry yeast
2 cups flour, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups sliced rotisseri chicken breast
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup cooked thick bacon, crumbled-about 8 slices
3 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 large tomatoes, two diced, the other two each sliced into 8 slices
1 avocado, sliced into 16 slices

Dough: In the large bowl of a standing mixer, combine 1/4 cup lukewarm water, the yeast, and 1/4 cup of the flour. Let stand for 20 minutes, this is called the sponge.

Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups flour, 1/2 cup lukewarm water, the olive oil, milk and salt and mix thoroughly. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, elastic, and a little bit tacky to the touch, about 8 minutes.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl and turn the dough over to cover with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap…

and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Place a pizza stone in your oven and preheat to 500 degrees.

Divide the dough in half. Form each half into a 10-inch circle on a lightly floured surface.
Place one round of dough onto a pizza pan or a pizza peel that will be used to slide the dough onto the hot pizza stone. Be sure to dust the pizza peel liberally with flour or cornmeal so that the assembled pizza will slide off easily. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes or until crust just begins to brown. Repeat with remaining half of dough.

Brush the pizza crust with olive oil. Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded mozzarella on the crust, followed by 1/2 of the crumbled bacon and 1/2 of the chicken. Return to oven until cheese is melted, about 3 minutes. Repeat with remaining crust.

Assemble: Combine the iceberg lettuce with romaine lettuce in a large bowl. Stir in mayonnaise and mix until lettuces are well coated, then gently stir in the diced tomatoes.

Cut each pizza into 8 slices. Top each slice of pizza with a slice of tomato and 1 slice of avocado. Top each with lettuce mixture and serve immediately.

Makes 2 pizzas, 8 slices each

California Pizza Kitchen Thai Chicken Pizza

Pizza Dough
1 tablespoon or 1 package active dry yeast
2 cups flour, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon salt

Spicy Peanut Sauce
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon peeled and minced ginger
2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon chili sauce
2 tablespoons water

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

4 green onions, slivered diagonally
1/2 cup white bean sprouts
1/4 cup shredded carrots
2 tablespoons chopped, roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Dough: In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine 1/4 cup lukewarm water, the yeast, and 1/4 cup of the flour. Let stand for 20 minutes, this is called the sponge. Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups flour, 1/2 cup lukewarm water, the olive oil, milk and salt and mix thoroughly. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, elastic, and a little bit tacky to the touch, about 8 minutes.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl and turn the dough over to cover with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a boil. Remove from heat and divide sauce into 2 equal portions. Chill one portion, set aside the other.

Cook the chicken in olive oil over medium-high heat, stirring, until just cooked; 5 to 6 minutes, do not overcook. Coat the chicken with portion that was set aside. Place chicken in refrigerator.

Divided dough in half and form each half into an 8-inch pizza, place on baking sheets that have been sprayed with Pam. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Spread half of the remaining sauce evenly over one of the pizzas to within 1-inch of the rim. Cover sauce with 3/4 cup cheese. Distribute half the chicken pieces over the cheese followed by half the green onions, bean sprouts, and carrots. Sprinkle an additional 1/4 cup cheese over the toppings and top the pizza with 1 tablespoon chopped peanuts. Repeat with remaining ingredients for a second pizza.

Transfer the pizzas to oven and bake until crisp and golden and the cheese is bubbly, 9 to 10 minutes. Remove pizzas from oven. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro over the surface of each pizza.

Makes 2 pizzas

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

Dough
1 tablespoon or 1 package dry yeast
2 cups flour, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon salt

Chicken
5 boned and skinned chicken breast halves
3 cups tomato-based barbecue sauce, divided

1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups shredded Fontina cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded smoked Gouda cheese
1/2 small red sweet onion, very thinly sliced and separated into rings
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Dough: In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup lukewarm water, the yeast, and 1/4 cup of the flour. Let stand for 20 minutes, this is called the sponge.

Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups flour, 1/2 cup lukewarm water, the olive oil, milk and salt and mix thoroughly. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, elastic, and a little bit tacky to the touch, about 8 minutes.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl and turn the dough over to cover with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Chicken: Combine the chicken and 1 cup of the barbecue sauce in an ovenproof dish and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (or as long as overnight). Return the chicken to room temperature before cooking.

Cover the marinated breast with foil, and cook in a preheated 325 degree oven until tender and just past the pink stage inside, about 30 minutes. Let the chicken cool, then cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. Preheat grill to high heat.

Knead the risen dough, place on a baking sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal and shape into a 12-inch circle. Brush dough on one side with olive oil and place oiled side directly on grill grates, while this side is cooking brush “up” side with olive oil, grill for 1 to 2 minutes and turn over, grill second side for another 2 minutes. Remove from grill and top with a layer of each of the cheeses, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Using the remaining 2 cups of barbecue sauce, spoon a layer of sauce over the cheeses. Arrange the chicken and onion rings on top and drizzle evenly with olive oil. Return to grill grates and cover grill, heat for 3 or 4 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Remove from the grill to a cutting board. Sprinkle with the cilantro; slice, and serve immediately.

Serves 8-12