BBQ Grilling: 3 Tasty Compound Butters To Complement Your Recipes

AP photo/Matthew Mead -- Compound Butters

From Denny:  Whether you are grilling or baking in the oven specially infused butters offer wonderful flavor choices to celebrate your food!  Chef Sara Moulton is known for easy recipes that can be done at home with a minimum of fuss.  She's also one of my favorite food teachers as she is so relaxed, giving even the novice cook a boost of confidence.

Her first recipe is for an herb butter.  Do you have some favorite herbs that you just can't cook without?  This recipe is all about your favorite combination of herbs, though she does suggest a few to get you started.  While you could substitute a Vidalia sweet onion in place of shallots, well, shallots are that much sweeter, and, oh, so wonderfully flavorful so try to find them in your area.  Shallots, a favorite of classically trained chefs, are usually in plentiful supply in the spring and summer months, often into autumn.

Are you more in the mood for a citrus butter?  Chef Moulton combines the zest and juice of lemons and limes for a sublime summer taste that everyone will enjoy.

How about something more substantial for those manly men who enjoy a great grilled steak?  Oh, this recipe is for you!  Combine this steak butter with Dijon mustard, a fresh finely minced garlic clove and Worchestershire sauce (we prefer Lea & Perrins at our house though you could use the brand you like),  

If you can't grill outside just use a grill pan on the stovetop to get those prized grill marks, turn it over and place it in the oven to finish.  When ready to plate make sure the steak plate has been heating in the oven. Place a large slice of this steak butter onto the plate and then place the steak on top of the butter.  Talk about awesome taste as the butter melts on the very hot plate, spilling out like a gravy for your steak!  That's the method all the old steakhouses of the 1940's and 1950's used before restaurants went to open charcoal or wood fired grilling.

The beauty of all these butters is that all you have to do is roll them into logs and wrap in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze until ready to use.  Just slice off the amount you need and return it to the freezer.  How simple is that?  You can make these up way ahead of when you will need them.

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BBQ Grilling: Try Grilled Summer Cooling Puttanesca Gazpacho

  AP photo/Matthew Mead

From Denny:  Fancy a cold soup to counter the ridiculous hot heat of the summer?  Gazpacho is everyone's favorite, especially when entertaining for large groups.  This version involves grilling all those delicious veggies like red bell peppers, poblano peppers, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and a head of fresh garlic.  

Let the charred peppers cool before removing the skins and the inside seeds and membranes. Squeeze the cooled soft garlic cloves out of their papery skins and into the food processor.  Add the delicious flavors of capers, Kalamata olives, anchovies, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Make the soup as chunky or as smooth as you like.  Chill well before serving.  To serve, garnish with yummy ricotta cheese and fresh torn herbs like cilantro and basil.  Then sit back and wait for the compliments to arrive!

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BBQ Grilling: Goat Cheese Stuffed Grilled Sweet Potatoes

                    AP photo: Matthew Mead -- Goat Cheese-Stuffed Grilled Sweet Potatoes

From Denny:  This is a delicious unusual recipe twist for the popular sweet potato.  We all know that goat cheese is a low salt and low fat alternative to the regular highly salted - OK, totally yummy - cheeses.  

I've tried goat cheese as the soft melting quality cheese in my omelets and found it a bit sour in comparison to  my favorite cheddar cheese but eventually created a medley of white cheddar, fontina or mozzarella in addition to just a touch of goat cheese for my favorite blending of flavors..  

Yet that slightly tangy sour taste is the perfect healthy complement to the very sugary sticky sweet potato.  This recipe also adds fresh thyme and olive oil for aromatic delight and lots of fresh garlic and butter for robust flavor.  To sweeten it up a bit the zest of an entire orange is added for that citrus brightness that pairs so very well with sweet potato!

It's advised you slice the sweet potato in thick chunks so it is easy for the thick smear of cheese, oils, herbs and citrus zest to adhere better.  If you like your potatoes to have a bit of crispness on the skin, then open up the aluminum foil in the last 10 minutes of grilling to brown and crisp up a bit.  

Also note that you will require a microwave to partially bake the potatoes before placing on the grill.  This recipe is best done at home instead of at some remote fishing camp with no electricity - like we have so many of here on the Gulf Coast, especially Louisiana. :)

This is such an easy recipe it is kid friendly and a good choice to help teach the kids to learn how to grill by helping you with the prep work.  What creative kid would not enjoy smearing a gooey mess onto those sweet potatoes?  I rest my case. :)  Enjoy!

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BBQ Grilling: Red Onions, Shishito Peppers with Peanut Sauce

AP photo:  Red Onions, Shishito Peppers with Peanut Sauce

From Denny:  When it comes to summer entertaining we all like to fire up the grill.  Well, here's a finger friendly recipe for those chili pepper nibblers and snackers who want to try the latest Shishito pepper sensation in the food world.

The peanut sauce is a medley of awesome flavors: smooth natural peanut butter, red wine vinegar, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, soy sauce and your favorite hot sauce.  All that's left to do is add some other good recipes to your party menu like this grilled chicken dunked in that famous Alabama White Sauce!

BBQ Grilling: Butterflied Barbecue Chicken with Alabama White Sauce

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BBQ Grilling: Butterflied Barbecue Chicken with Alabama White Sauce

AP photo: Matthew Mead -- Butterflied Barbecue Chicken With Alabama White Sauce

From Denny:  With all this ridiculous hot weather across the nation we are all left wondering if we are the ones getting grilled!  But wait!  Time to grill that famous summer BBQ chicken, this time with the Alabama White Sauce becoming so popular.  

If you are not familiar with Alabama White Sauce it's based on mayonnaise.  Yucky mayonnaise, you say?  Hey, all that oil delivers the spicy flavor of this unusual sauce and the mayonnaise taste is completely changed by the following:  There is plenty of cider vinegar and lemon juice to cut the oil and the addition of cayenne pepper, black pepper and horseradish definitely spices up the taste.  The recipe for this sauce follows so you can make your own. 

This Alabama White Sauce recipe is from Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama, the restaurant famous for this sauce.  They have also been featured on the Food Network.  And hey, if you can't travel to Alabama, Big Bob's does sell gift baskets of their famous sauces on their web site.

During the rest of the week I'll be posting these recipes below that would make a great complement for a stellar entertaining menu:

BBQ Grilling: Red Onions, Shishito Peppers with Peanut Sauce

BBQ Grilling: Grilled Puttanesca Gazpacho

BBQ Grilling: Tasty Compound Butters To Compliment Your Recipes

BBQ Grilling: Goat Cheese Stuffed Grilled Sweet Potatoes

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Chef Recipe: Simple Tasty Coleslaw For Your BBQ

Cover via Amazon

From Denny:  Looking for a new coleslaw recipe to impress the family and friends at your next barbecue?  This one is tasty as it includes both red and green cabbage which play off each other well both for color and taste.  The red cabbage is not as bitter as the green.  Carrots, red and yellow bell peppers help to sweeten the cabbage along with the mayonnaise.  The 1/4 cup sugar used looks like a lot but not in relationship to the 16 cups of cabbage.

Spices?  Lots of fresh herbs like Italian flat parsley, thyme, cilantro and basil.  Dry spices added are small amounts of cayenne pepper and cumin.  If you want to kick it up another notch to the salad dressing you could add some garlic powder and smokey paprika to your taste.

If you are visiting New York City be sure to pay this Texas barbecue restaurant a visit.  Just check out this menu for the yummy sides like favorites of mac 'n' cheese and collard greens, sweet potato bourbon mash, chili and corn pudding.  (Have the corn pudding recipe and will put up this one too.)

Apparently, you can buy their original barbecue sauce and habanero hot sauce off the site too.  They sell three cookbooks:

Taming the Flame: Secrets for Hot and Quick Grilling and Low and Slow BBQ
Soaked, Slathered and Seasoned: A Complete Guide to Flavoring Food for the Grill
Pizza on the Grill: 100 Fire-Roasted Recipes for Pizza and More

When I pull these recipes off mainstream network sites they never add all the interesting things about the restaurant or explore their sites like I would enjoy seeing.  So, you know I just had to google it and explore the site for us. :)

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5 Tasty and Weird Bacon Recipes

From Denny: OK, I've been hearing about the popularity of "bacon blogs" and wondered "is there anything you can't pair well with bacon?" Answer: not much as "the pig" is quite versatile. I see why the pig has so many devotees.

Check out the savory bacon recipes:

Bacon Explosion (BBQ)
Bacon Pie
Bacon Balls (mini-cheese balls)
Bacon Bread
Clams Casino



Bacon Explosion

This is a calorie monster, weighing in at 5000 calories! Read that as "bring your friends" to this BBQ because it reigns as King of BBQ.

Ingredients:

2 pounds thick-cut sliced bacon
1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage, casings removed
3 tablespoons barbecue rub
3/4 cup barbecue sauce

Directions:

Using 10 slices of bacon, weave a square lattice like that on top of a pie: first, place 5 bacon slices side by side on a large sheet of aluminum foil, parallel to one another, sides touching. Place another strip of bacon on one end, perpendicular to the other strips.

Fold first, third and fifth bacon strips back over this new strip, then place another strip next to it, parallel to it. Unfold first, third and fifth strips; fold back second and fourth strips. Repeat with remaining bacon until all 10 strips are tightly woven.

Preheat oven to 225 degrees or light a fire in an outdoor smoker.

Place remaining bacon in a frying pan and cook until crisp. As it cooks, sprinkle bacon weave with 1 tablespoon barbecue rub. Evenly spread sausage on top of bacon lattice, pressing to outer edges.
Crumble fried bacon into bite-size pieces.

Sprinkle on top of sausage. Drizzle with 1/2 cup barbecue sauce and sprinkle with another tablespoon barbecue rub.

Very carefully separate front edge of sausage layer from bacon weave and begin rolling sausage away from you. Bacon weave should stay where it was, flat. Press sausage roll to remove any air pockets and pinch together seams and ends.

Roll sausage toward you, this time with bacon weave, until it is completely wrapped. Turn it so seam faces down. Roll should be about 2 to 3 inches thick. Sprinkle with remaining barbecue rub.

Place roll on a baking sheet in oven or in smoker. Cook until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees on a meat thermometer, about 1 hour for each inch of thickness. When done, glaze roll with more sauce.



Bacon Pie

Ingredients:

12 Bacon slices (crisply cooked, crumbled)
4 Eggs (beaten)
1 cup Shredded Cheese
1 cup Baking Mix
1-1/2 cup Milk
1/8 tsp Ground Black Pepper
1/3 cup Onion (chopped)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Sprinkle cheese, bacon slices and chopped onions on a greased pie plate.

Stir milk, eggs, baking mix and black pepper in a medium bowl with a fork.

Pour this blend into pie plate.

Bake it for about 40-45 minutes.

Bacon pie is ready.



Bacon Balls

Bacon, cream cheese, cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese and... Miracle Whip mayonnaise??? Yep, and these are awesome tasting! They are basically mini-cheese balls. A shot or two of Louisiana hot sauce would complete this recipe in my not so humble opinion! :)

Ingredients:

1 lb bacon, cooked until crisp, cooled and drained on paper towels
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins brand)

Directions:

Process the bacon in the food processor until finely minced. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and Miracle Whip with an electric mixer until well mixed.

Beat in the remaining ingredients (except the bacon). Beat in the bacon only until mixed.

Shape into two small cheese balls and wrap each well in plastic wrap. Chill overnight.

Serve with crackers or pita chips.

To serve, you can leave the cheese ball as is, or roll in finely minced parsley, chopped nuts or finely shredded cheese. This keeps well for a few days in the refrigerator.



Bacon Bread

Super simple recipe for a bread, cheese and bacon combination. You might think you had died and gone to heaven. Of course, with this much fat in a recipe you just might go to heaven...

Ingredients:

12 slices bacon, diced
1 (1 pound) loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil, divided
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (1 ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix

Directions:

In a skillet, cook bacon over medium heat for 5 minutes or until partially cooked; drain on paper towels.

Roll out dough to 1/2-in. thickness; brush with 1 tablespoon of oil. Cut into 1-in. pieces; place in a large bowl. Add the bacon, cheese, dressing mix and remaining oil; toss to coat. Arrange pieces in a 9-in. x 5-in. oval on a greased baking sheet, layering as needed. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until doubled.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cover with foil; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until golden brown. Yield: 1 loaf.



Clams Casino

From: Rhode Islands' Narraagansett Pier Casino, originating in the early 1900's. Shellfish and pork marry for one tasty dish.

Ingredients:

24 small clams in the shell
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled

Directions:

Open clams; remove clams from shell. Wash shells; place each clam in deep half of shell. Discard remaining clam shell halves. Sprinkle clams with a little salt. Blend butter, chopped green onion, chopped bell pepper, chopped celery, lemon juice, and crumbled bacon. Top each clam with a scant tablespoon of the butter and vegetable mixture. Arrange the clams casino shells on a bed or rock salt in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 425° for 10 to 12 minutes. Clams casino recipe serves 8 as appetizer.

*** ALSO: Chef Sandra Lees Easy Frozen Chocolate Cookie Cake

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Video: Making the Best Burger from the 21 Clubs Famous Chef

From Denny: It's still summer and Labor Day weekend is coming up quickly! Take some tips from this famous chef at the 21 Club about their famous burgers. And invite me over to your place, pahleez! :)

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Video: Making the Best Burger from the 21 Clubs Famous Chef

From Denny: It's still summer and Labor Day weekend is coming up quickly! Take some tips from this famous chef at the 21 Club about their famous burgers. And invite me over to your place, pahleez! :)

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Recipe: Shrimp and Grits

Image by frs via Flickr

From Denny: Shrimp and Grits is a favorite comfort food here in Louisiana! Here is their version of this simple dish from the Grillroom Restaurant.

Roasting Grits for Fuller Sophisticated Flavor

As to making grits, we love Quaker Quick Grits (never instant). Then, in a dry saucepan on medium heat I dry roast the raw grits. This is great for those who want to reduce gluten in their diet or may be non-insulin diabetics, eager to reduce too much starch in a favorite food. Dry roasting is great for using for most grains to accomplish that goal.

Don't over roast the grits or too much starch is burned off and then they won't stick together properly when cooking. If you do over roast them you can add raw grits to the boiling water to help pull it together. It's a fix but not as good as doing a lighter roasting. I go for the smell to tell me when it's roasted perfectly. It begins to lose the raw smell and develop that savory nutty scent of roasting.

Make sure the water is already boiling as the grits roast quickly and can burn if you are not ready to empty them into the cooking pot. Pour in a sifting motion and whisk the dry roasted grits into the boiling salted water. Make sure you use a wire whisk as you add the grits to the boiling water so you won't get any lumps. Then I add some clarified butter to the cooking grits. That's for the plain version.

To spice it up for a late breakfast, lunch or dinner meal I add some garlic powder, turmeric (turns it yellow for a festive look, especially on a white plate, and turmeric spice gives it a slight curry flavor), a bit of Cajun seasoning (a light touch as it is salty), some favorite chili powder and voila! yummy! You can always add your favorite cheese and turn it into Cheese Grits.

For the non-Southerners who are asking "what the heck is a grits cake?": What this restaurant is doing for the grits cake portions is pouring hot grits to cool in portion size shapes. Cooled grits are often cut into portions and fried or baked to heat for another dish. It's a great way to use up leftover grits. Of course, the ducks from the tiny pond in our back yard - otherwise known as the Locust Brothers when it comes to leftovers like grits - usually demand their grits meal for the day because they so love it! They also love cat food... :)

Shrimp and Grits


From: the Grillroom


Ingredients:

6 shrimp each, 16 to 20 count size

1 ounce olive oil blend

1 each grit cake portion

1/2 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning

2 ounces white wine

4 ounces oyster BBQ butter

2 ounces pepper mix

1 ounce Cajun tasso ham, 1/4" x 1/4" diced

1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper mix

1 teaspoon parsley, chopped

1/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

1 each lemon wedge

1 each thyme sprig

Directions:

Place the grit cakes in the oven to heat throughout.

Heat a saute pan over high heat and add the oil.

Add the shrimp, peppers, onions, and ham. Season with 1/2 Tbsp. of Cajun seasoning and the salt and pepper mix. Saute briefly. Add the white wine and reduce until dry. Add the BBQ oyster butter and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the shrimp are cooked throughout.

Bank the grit cake pieces off of each other in the center of a square plate. Pour the saute mixture over the top of the grits, arranging the shrimp so they are on top.

Garnish with the chopped parsley, thyme sprig and the lemon wedge


Cajun cuisine, Shellfish, Shrimp and Grits, Fish and Seafood, Olive oil, Cook, Home, Grits, Shrimp, Barbecue, BBQ, Chili powder, Cajun