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Come Party With Me: Campfire Fiesta - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 07:45:01 -0700

When my friends and I go camping, the food planning comes first. Once we've figured out who's making every appetizer, cocktail, main dish, and dessert, we focus on other details like who's bringing bug spray and how to get where we're going.

So for this week's campfire fiesta, I'm forgoing invitations in favor of a flurry of emails to work out the logistics. September is prime camping time: It's just getting summery in Northern California, while the more scorching regions of the country are cooling off. This Mexican-tinged menu celebrates the last days of Summer by featuring lots of fresh produce.

To start, I'm offering tortilla chips served with a gourmet caramelized black bean "butter" and store-bought pico de gallo. Some chips will inevitably get crushed in transit, so we'll put those into the main dish - tamale chicken packets - which cook over the fire with little effort. I'll also be grilling corn, brushed with lime and feta cheese, and a jicama-mango salad that you can make in advance and assemble on site. To get the recipes, read more.

Caramelized Black Bean "Butter"
Cooking Light

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups chopped onion
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions
Makes 3 cups.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 10 minutes or until golden.
Place onion, beans, vinegar, cocoa, salt, and paprika in a food processor; process until smooth.
Place bean mixture in a bowl. Sprinkle with parsley.

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 17(2% from fat); FAT 0.4g (sat 0.1g,mono 0.2g,poly 0.0g); IRON 0.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 3.1g; SODIUM 48mg; PROTEIN 0.7g; FIBER 0.8g

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Mango Jicama Chopped Salad
Gourmet

Ingredients

For dressing
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil

For salad
2 cups chopped peeled jícama (about 1 lb)
2 mangoes, pitted, peeled, and coarsely chopped
1/2 lb Napa cabbage, sliced crosswise (about 3 cups)
1 head romaine (1 1/2 lb), torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 seedless cucumber, cut into 2- by 1/4-inch sticks
1 cup toasted salted pumpkin seeds

Directions
Serves 8.
Dressing may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. You can prepare salad ingredients 1 day ahead and keep in separate sealed plastic bags, chilled.

Make dressing: Whisk together juice, honey, vinegar, and garlic. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.
Toss together jícama, mangoes, cabbage, romaine, and cucumber with dressing to taste.
Serve salad sprinkled with pumpkin seeds.

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Grilled Corn With Lime and Cheese
Modified From Everyday Food

Ingredients

4 ears of corn
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
2 ounces finely grated feta cheese

Directions

Heat grill to high or build campfire to medium flame.
Soak corn in cold water, turning occasionally, 10 minutes.
Transfer to grill or fire. Cover; cook, turning, until husks are charred, 10 minutes. Remove.
Using a kitchen towel, pull back husks; remove and discard corn silks. Return corn to grill (with husks pulled back and off heat). Cover; cook, turning, until kernels are charred in spots, 10 to 15 minutes.
Combine reduced-fat mayonnaise, lime juice, and chili powder; brush on cooked corn. Dust with finely grated feta cheese. Season with coarse salt; serve with lime wedges.

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Tamale Chicken Packets
Modified From Reynolds Kitchen

Ingredients

4 sheets (12x18-inches each) Reynolds aluminum foil
1 can (15.25 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup sliced ripe olives
2 cups coarsely crushed tortilla chips
1 cup chunky salsa, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 to 1 1/4 pounds), cut in 1/2–inch strips
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
Serves 4.

Preheat oven to 450°F or build campfire with medium flames and a base of hot wood coals.
Center one-fourth of corn on each sheet of foil with non-stick (dull) side toward food. Top with green pepper, olives, tortilla chips and half of salsa. Add chicken; sprinkle with onion salt and chili powder. Top with remaining salsa.
Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to seal packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Repeat to make four packets.
Place next to fire or on hot coals, but not directly in flames. Cook 12 to 14 minutes then check chicken for doneness. Sprinkle with cheese before serving. Serve with additional salsa and crushed chips, if desired.

Nutrition Information (Per Serving):
538 calories
27 grams fat
108 milligrams cholesterol
1703 milligrams sodium
57 grams carbohydrates
45 grams protein

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Source

Simple Tip: Turn Husks Into Handles

YumSugar — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 07:45:18 -0700

After watching Steven Raichlen's barbecue presentation at the Food and Wine Classic, I knew I had to make his corn. He cooked it with a coconut milk-based coating, but acknowledges that it's tasty on its own, slathered in butter, or doused with a mayo-lime-chili concoction.The only thing he insisted on was grilling it with the husk off. Cooking corn with the husks on only steams the corn, it does not grill it. However the husks do come in handy, to make the corn easier to eat, he turns the husks into handles! To learn how, read more.

Don't shuck the corn completely. Simply peel the husks all the way down. Next, wrap a piece of string, or a long piece of the husk around the bottom. This will create a fun handle that guests can use to hold the hot corn. To keep it from burning, I wrapped my husk handle in a piece of foil. You could also cover part of the grill with foil and place the husk on top of that area.

What do you guys think of this tip? Do you have any great corn grilling tips to share?

Perfect Summer Side: Grilled Corn

partysugar — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 03:18:11 -0700

Grilled corn on the cob is one of summer's great pleasures. Last summer I loved pairing my corn with creamy herb butters, and this summer I've taken to a light coating with lime juice, mayonnaise, chili powder, and feta cheese. The mixture is brushed on the corn after it's char-grilled and the limes provide a zingy freshness. The chili powder gives it a balancing heat, and the feta brings a nice saltiness. Guests are sure to marvel at your ingenuity when you serve this corn paired with burgers, grilled steaks, or BBQ chicken. So take a look at the recipe now, just read more

Grilled Corn
From Everyday Food magazine
Image Source

4 ears of corn
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
2 ounces finely grated feta cheese

Heat grill to high. Soak corn in cold water, turning occasionally, 10 minutes.
Transfer to grill. Cover; cook, turning, until husks are charred, 10 minutes. Remove.
Using a kitchen towel, pull back husks; remove and discard corn silks. Return corn to grill (with husks pulled back and off heat). Cover; cook, turning, until kernels are charred in spots, 10 to 15 minutes.
Combine reduced-fat mayonnaise, lime juice, and chili powder; brush on cooked corn. Dust with finely grated feta cheese. Season with coarse salt; serve with lime wedges.

Serves 4.

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Fast and Easy Dinner: Tenderloin With Grilled Corn Relish

partysugar — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:30:10 -0700

While thick, marbleized chunks of grilled beef tenderloin may be a dish dad has had a million times, the accompaniment - a creamy corn and bacon relish - is an innovative and unexpected surprise. To add depth of flavor, the corn is grilled before being tossed with the remaining relish ingredients. You can cook the relish in a saute pan over the coals like the recipe does, or if you prefer, throw things together in the comfort of your kitchen. To show dad you love him, make this meal, and check out the recipe: read more.

Tenderloin With Grilled Corn Relish
From Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

3 ears corn, husks and silks removed
4 center-cut beef tenderloin steaks, cut 2 inches thick (about 2 lb. total)
4 slices bacon
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
3/4 cup half-and-half or light cream
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh tarragon

Directions

Lightly coat corn and steaks with extra virgin olive oil. Season steaks with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Let steaks stand at room temperature while grilling corn.
For charcoal grill, place corn on rack over medium-hot coals. Cover; grill 10 minutes or until golden, turning occasionally. For gas grill, preheat grill to medium-high. Grill as above. Set corn aside.
With grilling tongs, carefully push coals to one side of grill and, if necessary, add more coals for medium-hot heat.
Place steaks on rack directly over coals. Cover and lightly sear on both sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Move to unheated side of grill. Cover and grill 13 to 15 minutes more for medium rare (145 degrees F); remove. Cover with foil; set aside.
For corn relish, in skillet over medium coals, cook bacon. Drain on paper towels; reserve drippings in skillet.
Cut kernels from cob. Cook onion in drippings over medium coals until tender, 3 minutes, stirring often.
Add corn and half-and-half. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer 3 minutes or until thickened. Add crumbled bacon and herbs; spoon over steaks.

Serves 4.

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Sunday BBQ: Grilled Seafood Bake

YumSugar — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 06:00:32 -0700

After writing the Summer seafood quiz this week, I can't stop thinking about bold, briny flavors. Today, I'll be firing up the grill for a seafood bake that calls for cod, shrimp, corn on the cob, and potatoes. The best part: I'm looking forward to using day-old bread to soak up all those seaside seasonings.

If you can't find cod fish at your neighborhood market, replace it with another mild white fish, such as halibut or mahi-mahi. To check out the recipe, read more.

Grilled New England Seafood "Bake"
From Everyday Food magazine

Ingredients

2 tablespoons room temperature butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
1 small garlic clove, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 ounces red new potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced
1 pound skinless cod fillet, cut into four equal pieces
8 ounces frozen uncooked medium shrimp (peeled and deveined), thawed
2 ears corn, quartered
1 lemon, thinly sliced
2 hard rolls, halved

Directions

Heat grill to medium.
In a small bowl, combine butter, dill, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Fold four 14-inch squares of heavy-duty aluminum foil in half, forming 4 rectangles. Assemble packets: On one half of each of four folded pieces of heavy-duty foil, dividing ingredients evenly, arrange potatoes in a single layer; top with cod, then shrimp. Place 2 pieces of corn on the side. Season with salt and pepper. Add a dollop of the butter mixtures and two lemon slices. Fold foil over ingredients, and crimp edges tightly to seal.
Place packets on grill, with potato layer on the bottom. Cook, rotating (but not flipping) packets occasionally, until fish is just cooked through and potatoes are tender, 12 to 14 minutes.
Remove from grill. Slit packets open, and transfer contents to serving bowls. Garnish with dill sprigs; serve with rolls.

Serves 4.

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The Barbecue Guru's Tips for Better Barbecue

YumSugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:45:44 -0700

Those of you who are barbecue fanatics are probably familiar with barbecue guru Steven Raichlen. Steven is the author of over ten cookbooks, including the BBQ Bible, and is the host of the PBS show Primal Grill. He recently finished a world tour in promotion for his new book Planet BBQ, and his last stop was the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen. I watched his cooking demonstration and snagged a bunch of great grilling tips. To see Steven Raichlen's barbecue tips, read more.

When grilling corn, pull the husks down to the bottom to create a handle. Grilling corn in the husk steams the corn instead of actually grilling it, so it's best to barbecue husked corn.
Pack as much food as possible onto a skewer leaving only a tiny tip at the top of the skewer. This makes the food easier to eat. If the food is way down on the skewer guests will have to pull the hot food up to the top and could risk impaling themselves.
Should you use charcoal or gas? He prefers neither and recommends grilling with wood.
A wadded up piece of foil and a pair of tongs make a wonderful substitute to a wire brush. Use this to clean the grill.
A steak is ready to flip when pearls of blood bead up on the top of it.
If the protein is thinner than the palm of your hand, leave the lid open while cooking. If it's thicker, close the lid during cooking.

Come Party With Me: Father's Day - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:30:53 -0700

Father's Day is this Sunday and naturally I'm planning a manly meal that celebrates my dad. He enjoys simple classic American cuisine, so this menu features his backyard favorites. We'll start with oysters on the half shell with a shrimp-butter-Parmesan topping. The recipe broils them, but for an added smoky depth, we'll cook the oysters on the grill. Dad and I will bond over the preparation of hickory-smoked beef ribs. First the meat is coated in an easy spice rub, then after it's slow-cooked on the grill, it's topped with a homemade barbecue sauce.

Grilled corn with chili and cilantro plus new potatoes stuffed with sour cream and blue cheese round out the meal. For these recipes that will please any man's palate, read more.

Oysters Gilhooley
From Saveur

Ingredients

8 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp. worcestershire
1 tbsp. finely chopped garlic
1 1⁄2 tsp. Tabasco
12 oysters, shucked, on half shell
12 small shrimp, cooked and peeled
1⁄3 cup finely grated parmesan
Lemon slices, for serving

Directions

Heat oven to broil; place a rack 3" from heating element.
In a food processor, pulse butter, worcestershire, garlic, and Tabasco until smooth.
Arrange oysters on a foil-lined baking sheet. Top each oyster with a shrimp and some of the butter mixture; sprinkle with parmesan.
Broil until oysters just curl, about 5 minutes. Serve with lemon slices.

Makes 12 oysters.

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Hickory-Smoked Beef and Pork Ribs
From The Neelys

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups paprika
3/4 cup sugar
3 3/4 tablespoons onion powder
2 (about 4 pounds each) slabs beef spareribs
2 (about 3 pounds each) slabs pork spareribs
BBQ Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Make the rub: Place the paprika, sugar, and onion powder in a bowl and stir until combined. Keep in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Make the ribs: Rinse and dry ribs. Place on a clean cutting board and pull off the membrane, the thin fatty skin that lines the underside of the ribs. Trim the ribs of excess fat and meat.
Liberally season both sides of the ribs with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the rub. Wrap ribs and refrigerate for at least 8 hours so flavors can permeate.
Preheat grill to 250 degrees F. using hickory and charcoal. Use indirect heat and cook with the cover down. Place ribs, meatier side down, on the grill away from the coals. Cook beef 2 hours, adding more coals as needed.
Turn and cook for 45 minutes more, or until the ribs "bend" and the meat easily separates from the bone using a fork. Cook the pork ribs 3 hours. Turn and cook another hour, or until ribs bend. Remove from grill.
Coat ribs with BBQ sauce, cut and serve.

Serves 4-6.

BBQ Sauce:
2 cups ketchup
1 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons light brown sugar
5 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon ground mustard

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cooked uncovered, stirring frequently, for 1 hour 15 minutes.

Makes 3 1/2 cups.

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Grilled Corn on the Cob With Chile and Lime
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

6 tablespoons crema mexicana, créme fraîche, or sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder or ancho chile powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
8 ears of corn with husks
2 limes, halved or quartered
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Mix crema mexicana, fresh lime juice, chile powder, and coarse kosher salt in small bowl to blend. Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill.
Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Remove outer husks from corn, leaving inner pale green husks attached. Fold back inner husks; remove corn silk. Sprinkle corn with salt and pepper. Rewrap inner husks around corn.
Grill corn until husks are charred and beginning to pull away and corn is tender, turning frequently, about 10 minutes. Grill lime quarters until lightly charred, about 5 minutes.
Pull husks away from corn to expose kernels. Place corn and lime on platter. Brush corn with crema-lime mixture. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Serves 8.

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Sky Blue Potatoes
From Everyday With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

24 new red potatoes, halved lengthwise
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon, plus more for garnish
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
1/4 red onion, finely chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a medium bowl, toss the potatoes with the olive oil. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and bake until the skins are crisp, 20 to 25 minutes; let cool.
Scoop out the center of each potato half and place in a medium bowl. Stir in the sour cream, blue cheese, bacon, parsley and onion. Fill each potato skin with the sour cream mixture and top with more crumbled bacon and parsley.

Serves 12.

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Sunday BBQ: Savory Tofu-on-a-Stick

YumSugar — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 06:00:23 -0700

When I'm in the mood for a light meal, I look for flavorful vegetarian options. These grilled tofu sticks - a play on the traditional corn dog - are the perfect alternative.

To give them a spicy kick, the tofu sticks are marinated overnight in a sweet-hot mustard. They're grilled, rather than deep-fried, like most corn dogs, so they're actually good for you.

If you are not a fan of tofu, you could substitute something else. Try marinating tempeh or portobello mushrooms. To get the recipe, read more.

Savory Tofu-on-a-Stick
From Whole Foods Market

Ingredients

1 16-ounce package firm or extra firm tofu
1/2 cup sweet and hot mustard
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
Pinch of chili pepper, or to taste
Spray can of olive oil

Directions

Place block of tofu on cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut into three equal sections lengthwise. Cut each section in half lengthwise so that you end up with six "tofu sticks."
Arrange several layers of paper towels on a plate and place tofu sticks on top. Place several layers of paper towels on top of sticks and press down to remove excess moisture from tofu.
Place tofu sticks in a container large enough to store them in a single layer. Using a knife or a brush, spread mustard evenly on all sides of the tofu. Cover container and place in refrigerator to marinate for at least three hours or overnight.
After marinating tofu, remove from refrigerator. Place seasoned breadcrumbs on a plate, add chili pepper and mix together with a fork. Place each tofu stick on a skewer.
Holding the skewer, one at a time, place each tofu stick into the breadcrumbs and coat on all sides. Place each skewered tofu stick on a plate after coating.
Lift each tofu stick off the plate using the skewer. Spray all sides of tofu with olive oil. Place back on plate to transport to grill.
Lightly spray grill with olive oil to prevent sticking. Grill sticks over medium heat, turning so that all four sides become browned and crispy. Remove from grill and serve on skewers.

Makes 6 skewers.

Per Serving (158g-wt.): 180 calories (70 from fat), 8g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 3g dietary fiber, 17g protein, 14g carbohydrate, 0mg cholesterol, 730mg sodium

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Sunday BBQ: Vegetable Quesadillas With Corn Relish

YumSugar — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 06:00:25 -0700

In an attempt to reduce my carbon footprint, I've decided to prepare a grilled meal sans meat for my friends this weekend.

At the farmers market, I couldn't resist picking up abundant corn and yellow squash; the two will star in a monterey jack quesadilla that'll brown beautifully over the flame. But unlike any vegetable-filled tortilla I've had in the past, I'm going to keep the vegetables fresh by leaving them uncooked - a time-saver that'll also lend the meal a satisfying crunch. The finishing touch? A tangy corn and scallion salsa. Get the recipe now.

What's Yummy This Week - YumSugar Weekly Recap

YumSugar — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 09:30:11 -0700

This Labor Day, fire up the grill for Cambodian-style ribs.
Seven things on our radar for the month of September.
It's PartySugar's birthday, and she's hosting an intimate dinner with close friends.
Were you paying attention to this week's episode of Top Chef?
Bake hummingbird cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and pineapple topping.
My trip to Rhode Island is full of signature Ocean State specialties.
Six savory ways to top off corn on the cob.