June 30, 2009

Tomorrow is already July 1st! Wow! Another month has flown by. And Summer has definitely arrived. It was hot, hot, hot and humid on our vacation in Chicago this past week. Any cooking that we did was outside on the grill to avoid turning on the oven. But one night, after a long day at the family reunion, we broke down and ordered some pizza. And, of course, it was awesome pizza so now I have pizza on the brain.

In the summer, I rarely turn on the oven. We make almost everything on the grill. But, for some crazy reason, I've never made pizza on the grill so I've decided that it's time for me to give it a try. Here are a couple of pretty basic recipes.

Tyler Florence's Pizza on the Grill with Sausage and Mozzarella may not be Chicago Pizza, but it looks incredible to me and I can't wait to try it.

Tyler Florence Pizza on the Grill with Sausage and Mozzarella

I just recently saw a good step by step instruction on Amanda's Kitchen for Making Pizza on the Grill. These are a couple of examples of her awesome pizzas.

Pizza on the Grill

While surfing the net for a few more ideas, I stumbled across this Pizza on the Grill: 100 Fiesty Fire-Roasted Recipes for Pizza by Elizabeth Karmel and Bob Blumer.  I think I'm going to have to put this in my Amazon shopping cart!

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to fire up the grill! Once I perfect the basics of making the pizza on the grill, I'm sure it'll be a lot of fun experimenting with different varieties. But, I can guarantee you that I won't ever try to compete with a real Chicago pizza. Never!

~LilSis

June 7, 2009

If you're like us, we grill outside almost every single day in the summer. Actually, here in CA, we use our grill year round. If I have the choice of whether to cook inside or do something up outside on the grill, I'm always outside.

I love this idea! I haven't tried it yet, but it makes perfect sense.  You simply thread your veggies on a skewer, brush lightly with oil and cook alongside the meat. While the meat rests, you puree the sauce ingredients in a blender.

Veggies for Creamy Green Chile and Avocado Sauce

These three sauces were the ones shown in the June 2009 Food & Wine issue.

Creamy Green Chile and Avocado Sauce

Creamy Green Chile and Avocado Sauce

1 firm Hass avocado—quartered, pitted and skin left on for grilling; remove skin when blending
1 small onion, quartered
2 tomatillos—husked, cored and halved
4 peeled garlic cloves
1 jalapeño—stemmed, seeded and quartered
1 poblano chile—stemmed, seeded and quartered
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 cup water 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Thread the avocado, onion, tomatillos, garlic, jalapeño and chile onto skewers. Brush the kebabs with oil and grill over high heat, turning occasionally, until the vegetables are charred in spots, about 15 minutes; let cool slightly. Remove the ingredients from the skewers and transfer them to a blender.

Add the cilantro, water, and lime juice. Puree until smooth and season with salt.

Recommended to serve with grilled chicken.

Pineapple and Red Chile Salsa

Pineapple and Red Chile Salsa

1/2 pound plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
4 peeled garlic cloves
1/2 pound fresh pineapple, cut into 8 pieces
1 red bell pepper—stemmed, seeded and quartered
1 fresh long red chile, such as a cayenne or Holland chile—stemmed, seeded and quartered
12 mint leaves
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Thread the ingredients onto skewers. Brush the kebabs with oil and grill over high heat, turning occasionally, until the vegetables are charred in spots, about 15 minutes; let cool slightly. Remove the ingredients from the skewers and transfer them to a blender.

Add the mint leaves, water, and lime juice and puree until smooth. Season with salt.

Recommended to serve with grilled pork chops.

Smoky Steak Sauce

Smoky Steak Sauce

2 thick slices of bacon, halved crosswise and rolled into cylinders
1 small onion, quartered
1 portobello mushroom, stemmed and cap quartered
2 plum tomatoes, cored and halved lengthwise
4 pitted prunes
4 peeled garlic cloves
1 large supple ancho chile, seeded and quartered
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 cup water

Thread the ingredients onto skewers. Brush the kebabs with oil and grill over high heat, turning occasionally, until the vegetables are charred in spots, about 15 minutes; let cool slightly. Remove the ingredients from the skewers and transfer them to a blender.

Add the wine vinegar, light brown sugar, and water and puree until smooth. Season with salt.

Recommended to serve with grilled steak.

I can't wait to try some of these sauces. When you think about it, the possibilities are endless. Happy grilling!  🙂

~LilSis