Grilled Pork Kebabs with California Fresh Figs

Today I bought some fresh California Figs they had on sale today to go with

the boneless pork tenderloins I had taken out for dinner. When I saw this recipe I just had to try it. I am happy to report it was simply wonderful!! I paired it with homemade fried rice. Let’s just say it was so good that we do not have any leftovers!!From California Fresh Fig Growers Association

Ingredients:

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pound pork tenderloin

4 large fresh figs, halved lengthwise

1 large orange bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1- inch squares

1 large yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1- inch squares

1 red onion; peeled quartered, separated and cut in large squares

Vegetable cooking spray

Directions:

For marinade, combine honey and next 4 ingredients in a shallow, nonreactive dish; stir together. Reserve 1/2 marinade. Trim fat from pork and cut crosswise into 16 slices; add to marinade, turning to coat well. Cover and let stand in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Remove and drain pork; discarding marinade. Alternating pepper and onion squares, pork slices, and fig halves, thread onto four 10- or 12-inch skewers. Coat grill or barbecue rack with cooking spray; place over medium-hot coals. Arrange skewers on rack and cook 4 minutes, basting occasionally with reserved marinade Turn, cook and baste 4 minutes more or until pork is done (165°F) and figs are heated through.

NUTRITION FACTS (per serving)

Calories 260 (16% from Fat); Total Fat5g; Saturated Fat 1.5g; Mono Fat 2g; Poly Fat 1g;
Sodium 400mg; Potassium 717g; Cholesterol 75mg; Protein 26g; Carbohydrate 31g; Sugar 23g; Dietary Fiber 4g; Vitamin A 1199; Vitamin C 83; Calcium 53; Iron 2.

Corn and Black Bean Salad with Basil-Lime Vinaigrette

Wow!! I just made this salad to go with dinner tonight and it is delish!!!

Aaron thought it would be even better with celery and/or apple added.

I think I will have to try that!

I roasted the husked corn on a grill pan on the stove top and it turned out great.\

The combo is brilliant, I will be keeping this in my favorite recipe file..

Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients:

Salad:

2 ears fresh corn or 1 cup frozen, thawed (I love corn so I used 5 ears)

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (I used white navy beans)

1 (15 ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into1/2 inch pieces

1 mango, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½ inch pieces

1/4 cup red onion chopped (optional)

Vinaigrette:

2 limes, zested and juice

2 tablespoon balsamic vinega

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

For salad: Preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Peel back the corn husk. Remove the silks and replace the husks.  Soak the corn for 30 minutes. Drain and place on the grill for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool completely and remove the husks. Using a sharp knife, remove the corn kernels. In a medium bowl, mix together the grilled corn, black beans, garbanzo beans, bell pepper, red onion and mango.

For the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine the lime zest, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, basil. Slowly add the oil, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens. Season with salt and pepper  to taste. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss. Refrigerate for 1 hour, and toss again before serving.

Bloody Mary Flank Steak & Marinated Zucchini and Summer Squash

Wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this recipe, but thought why not and gave it a try.

The flavor was amazing! The steak was fork-tender and had a perfect mix of flavors. As my

side dishes I served marinated zucchini and summer squash and mashed sweet potato.

Bloody Mary Flank Steak recipe courtesy Guy Fieri

Ingredients:

1 cup vegetable juice (recommended V-8)

1/2 cup vodka

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tablespoon crushed garlic

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

4 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound flank steak (I used sirloin)

Directions:

Thoroughly mix all the ingredients except for the flank steak in a 1 gallon zip lock bag. Add the flank steak. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 and up to 24 hours.

Preheat the grill to high or heat a skillet over high heat. Remove the flank steak from the marinade and wipe the excess liquid off with paper towels. Grill or pan sear both sides, then lower heat to medium and cook to medium rare.

Let the flank steak rest, covered, with a clean towel for 5 to 10 minutes. Cut on the bias against the grain and serve.

Marinated Zucchini and Summer Squash

What an easy and great tasting marinade. The lemon and thyme gave the squash a great flavor. I will definitely be using this again.

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentis

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound yellow crookneck squash (about 3 large), trimmed and sliced vertical axis to make long strips about ¼-inch thick

1 pound zucchini squash (about 3 large), trimmed and sliced vertical axis to make long strips about ¼-inch thick

2 onion cut in wedges

Directions:

Whisk the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and thyme in a large bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in the oil. Spoon 3 tablespoons of the marinade into a small bowl. Cover and set aside. Add the zucchini and yellow squash to the remaining marinade in the large bowl and toss to coat. Transfer the mixture to a 13x9 inch glass baking dish. Cover and marinate at room temperature at least 3 hours or cover and refrigerate up to 1 day.

Prepare the barbecue for medium-high heat. Grill the vegetables until they are crisp-tender and brown, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a platter. Drizzle with the reserved marinade and serve hot or at room temperature.

Huli Huli Pork

This was an amazing dish!! Aaron called it an epic dinner. Joe said it was absolutely delicious. So I think it is safe to say it will be on their list of favorites.

Also would be delicious made with chicken instead of pork...

Ingredients:

4 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)

3/4 cup ketchup

1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

3 Tbsp packed brown sugar

3 Tbsp sweet Mirin cooking wine or lime juice

1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

4 cloves minced garlic

Lime wedges and fresh herbs (optional)

Directions:

Place pork in a large, heavy self-sealing plastic bag set in a shallow dish; set aside.

For marinade, in a small bowl combine ¾ cup of the mixture to a small bowl; cover and chill until needed. Pour remaining mixture over pork; seal bag. Marinate in refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Drain pork, reserving marinade. For a charcoal grill arrange hot coals around a drip pan. Test for medium-high heat above the pan. Place pork on grill rack over pan. Cover and grill 20 minutes. Brush with drained marinade. Cover and grill 15 to 20 minutes more or until an instant read thermometer registers 155 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the meat. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium-high. Adjust for indirect cooking. Grill as above.) Remove pork from grill. Cover pork with foil and let stand 10 minutes before slicing. (The meat’s temperature will rise 5 degrees F during standing.)

Meanwhile, place reserved sauce mixture in a small saucepan; heat through. Pass sauce with pork. Garnish with lime wedges and fresh herbs.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories 206, Total Fat 4g,  Saturated Fat 1g,  Monounsaturated Fat 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0g, Cholesterol 74 mg, Sodium 652mg, Carbohydrate 17g, Total Sugar 15g, Fiber 0g, Protein 25g, Daily Values. Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin CX 9%, Calcium 2%, Iron 10%, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Mojito Chicken

This chicken is full of flavor and so juicy and tender. I used boneless skinless breast and pounded them thin. The recipe looks like a very time consuming recipe, but it really was not as bad as it looks. I served it with fresh steamed green beans and parmesan mashed potato.

Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri

Ingredients:

1 (2 1/2 to 3-pound) chicken

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Marinade:

1 cup orange juice

2 limes, juiced

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon sliced garlic

1/4 cup dark rum

Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl.

Mojito Glaze:

1/2 cup dark rum

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3 tablespoons cold water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup chopped mint leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In medium sauce pot, place rum, chicken broth and brown sugar. Reduce by 1/3 over high heat. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together water and cornstarch. When rum mixture is reduced, add cornstarch mixture slowly to simmering liquid and whisk for 3 minutes, until 50 percent thicker. Keep in mind that you might not need all of it. When glaze is at desired thickness, add mint leaves and transfer to small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Directions:

Remove backbone of chicken with poultry shears; flatten chicken out by pressing firmly on skin part of chicken so it will sit evenly in a pan.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Combine all the dry spices and rub chicken with spice mixture, especially under the skin. Put into a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients for the marinade, then add chicken to marinade and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Remove chicken from marinade and shake off excess marinade. In a large saute pan over medium to high heat, add 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. When oil is hot, place chicken skin side down and sear.

When skin is golden brown flip chicken and add 1/2 cup of marinade into pan; place pan in oven and cook the chicken for 30 minutes or until chicken has internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

Remove the chicken from oven and brush with Mojito Glaze. Place chicken under broiler for 5 minutes. Remove from broiler, cut and serve immediately with more glaze on the side.

Old-Fashioned Hot Fudge Sauce

This recipe is exceptionally easy and worth every calorie.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

1/4 cup butter (half a stick)
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, then add the chocolate and melt over low heat. When the chocolate is melted, stir in the boiling water, sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring, then stop stirring and let it boil for six to eight minutes, or until it's thickened and become glossy.

This will keep in the fridge for a week or so. Reheat over low heat on the stove, or on low power in the microwave, stopping frequently to stir.