Tangy Salsas to Compliment Grilled Chicken

Ben and his friend Carlos Reyes came into Toronto for the weekend to collaborate on an art installation at TOMORROW Gallery.  Live crickets, melting ice sculptures, 3-D printing, microphones, amplifiers and speakers – you had to be there to experience the art as it happened.  What a fantastic show!  

 

We were meeting for a family lunch the next day, and truth be told, a few of us were feeling the effects of the night before, so it had to be a simple meal.  We also had a brand new Broil King Barbecue to christen! Jane had prepared a favorite, Spicy Asian Noodle Salad on Saturday, leaving the rest of the menu to us. Without having to think too much, we marinated boneless chicken breasts in lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper for 30 minutes prior to grilling, then put together a big tossed salad and 2 colourful and flavourful salsas - a festive meal to serve a crowd!

 

Tangy Mango Salsa

Ataulfo mangoes are our favorite, with their rich, spicy flavour and juicy, non-fibrous flesh.  They are the ideal accompaniment to grilled chicken and this salsa is super simple.

2 Ataulfo mangoes, cubed

½ red pepper, diced

2 tbsp red onion, minced

1 tbsp cilantro, chopped

Juice of ½ lime

2 tbsp sweet red chili sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

Dash of Tabasco sauce

Salt&pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a glass bowl and toss gently. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Smoky avocado and tomato salad

We had a request for guacamole, but having only cherry tomatoes in the pantry, we decided  to put together this  ”guacamole” inspired salad. The ancho chili powder added a lovely smoky flavour.  It complimented the mango salsa and was a real hit!

2 avocados, cubed

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tbsp red onion, minced

1 tbsp cilantro, chopped

Juice of ½ lime

1 tsp ancho chili pepper

Salt & pepper, to taste

Versatile Vegetables

 

Sergei was visiting us from Russia and had his first Canadian cottage experience.

May 24th weekend is the traditional time for planting our vegetable gardens at our cottages, so this food group has been on our minds.

We like to make plenty of extra side dish vegetables because the leftovers are so delicious in a variety of dishes.   As the seasons change you can adjust the vegetables that you use in the stir-fry.  They are tasty in an omelette or frittata, add colour to any leaf or pasta salad, and can be added to soups and casseroles or even pizza.

Spring Vegetable Stir-Fry on the Grill

1 shallot, chopped

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

6 ounces mushrooms, thickly sliced

1 red pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 cups fiddleheads

1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1” pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon herbes de Provence

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Shaved Parmesan, for garnish

Preheat the barbecue on MEDIUM HIGH, then reduce temperature to MEDIUM and place a wok topper on the grids to heat.  Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil on the side burner.

Place the shallot, garlic, mushrooms and peppers together in a bowl and toss to coat well with ½ the oil.  Turn them out onto the heated wok, and cook, turning occasionally.

Meanwhile, place the fiddleheads into the boiling water for 1 minute before adding the asparagus.  Cook together for another 2 minutes, then drain well and toss with the remaining oil.  Add to the wok, season with salt, pepper and herbes de Provence.  Cook until heated through and lightly caramelized, about 2-3 minutes.  Serve garnished with shaved Parmesan if desired.

Mother’s Day Brunch (scale according to your numbers)

Leftover stir-fried vegetables (see above)

Baby spinach, wilted for 1 minute in the microwave

Sliced hot capicola

Eggs

5 Brothers cheese, grated (or cheddar or gouda)

Buttered Toast

Fruit

Reheat the vegetables, then stir in wilted spinach.  Meanwhile poach the eggs to your liking.  Make a nest with the sliced capicola, top with the hot vegetables, then the poached egg.  Grate a little cheese over the top and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  

We served Grilled Caesar Salad and Grilled Pizza for lunch.

Smoked Duck Crepes

Our kids continue to come and go with various jobs, projects and experiences.  Last week we prepared a farewell dinner for Reid as he set off to work and study in China.   We rubbed and smoked duck legs, then used the tender morsels of meat to fill buckwheat crepes.  On the side we served grilled corn and asparagus, as he will be missing both seasons in Canada.

Smoked Duck Crepes

6 -7 duck legs

¼  cup dry sherry

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

For the rub:

2 teaspoons chinese 5-spice powder

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon salt

Mop:

1 cup fruit juice. We love OASIS Berry and Pomegranate Juice

Plan on smoking the duck legs for 6-7 hours at 200⁰F.

Prepare the duck legs the night before by CAREFULLY piercing the skin in several areas with a fork or sharp paring knife. This will help the fat to slowly drip away while smoking. By the end of the smoking time, the fat will have dripped away into the water pan, leaving moist succulent meat, with a crispy skin.  DO NOT PIERCE THE FLESH, as you do not want the juices to escape during cooking.

Rub the duck legs with sherry and let sit, uncovered, in a flat bottomed glass dish overnight in the refrigerator.

The next day, coat the duck legs in a thin layer of mayonnaise. This will allow the rub to adhere to the duck and will help develop a zingy tasting, crispy skin. Sprinkle the rub over the mayonnaise and let rest for ½ hour. Meanwhile prepare the smoker as outlined in PREPARING THE SMOKER.

Place duck legs skin side up on the lower rack of The Broil King Keg, over a filled water pan. Set temperature to 200⁰F, by opening upper and lower vents to 2. Adjust temperature as required. Add a handful of soaked cherry wood chips every hour for the first 4 hours of smoking. Have the fruit juice mop ready in a spray bottle. Spray duck legs liberally with the juice every hour. 

For the Buckwheat Crepes:

3/4 cup gluten-free buckwheat flour

1/4 gluten-free all-purpose flour mix

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cups milk

3 large eggs

4 tablespoons melted butter

Pour milk, eggs and melted butter into a blender pitcher. Pulse just until combined.

In a small bowl mix gluten-free buckwheat flour, gluten-free all purpose flour mix and salt.

Add to liquid in blender and pulse just until combined and smooth.  Allow batter to rest for 2 hours. If you are pinched for time, make this recipe when you have time to give the batter a nice rest.

To Cook Crêpes- Heat a low-sided 8-inch skillet or crêpe pan over medium high heat. Add 1/4 teaspoon oil to the skillet and brush to coat the bottom of the skillet. (Do this before making each crêpe) Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the heated skillet. Swirl the skillet until the bottom of the pan is covered with batter. Cook the crepe for about 1 minute- the crepe should be barely moist on top. Use a thin spatula to loosen the edges of the crêpe, slide the spatula under the crêpe and gently flip it upside down. Cook for another minute, just until lightly browned and transfer crêpe to a cooling rack or plate. Repeat with the remaining batter.

For the Sauce:

¼ cup hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon sweet thai chili sauce

1 tablespoon fish sauce

For the Garnish:

Chopped green onions

Chopped fresh cilantro

Broccoli or other sprouts

Fill each crepe with shredded or sliced duck.  Drizzle with the sauce and top with garnishes of your choice. 

 And if there is any duck leftover, another delicious way to serve it is in the colourful and delicious salad.

Smoked Duck Salad

6 cups baby greens
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 mango, cut into cubes
2 tbsp red onion, thinly sliced

Dressing:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic
2  tbsp dijon mustard

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp kosher salt
pinch of finely ground black pepper
1 cup  extra virgin olive oil
zest of 1 lemon

2 tbsp fresh basil, chiffonade

Combine red wine vinegar, garlic, dijon mustard,honey,  salt & pepper in a food processor. Whir for a few seconds, then, with the blade still running, slowly add oil, then lemon zest and basil.

Happy Spring!

Spicy Sriracha Grilled Tofu

There was a lot going on this weekend, as often happens at the end of the school year, when students come home and then prepare to head off for their summer adventures, preferably jobs!!  Unfortunately for Leslie, the removal of her wisdom teeth got in the way of her trip to New York with her brothers. 

On the bright side, while nursing her back to health with a lot of soft, nutritious food,ie., guacamole and scrambled eggs, we developed a great tofu dish that she could eat, and the rest of us could enjoy as well.... Since we had this beautiful spicy marinade in mind, we decided to double the recipe and try it on a nice boneless pork loin on the rotisserie. The new seasons asparagus was too hard to resist too, so we also added that to the grill.

 

Spicy Sriracha Grilled Tofu

Marinade:

4 tbsp soy sauce

4 tbsp sriracha chili sauce

2 tbsp sesame  oil

2 tsp honey

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 lb extra-firm tofu

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

                                                      

In a large glass bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sriracha sauce, sesame oil, honey and garlic.

Slice the tofu into ½ inch thick pieces and place carefully in the bowl and gently cover with the marinade.  Place in the refrigerator and allow to marinate for at least ½ hour.

Prepare barbecue for grilling by oiling the grids.  Preheat on HIGH for 5 minutes, then reduce to MEDIUM. Place tofu slices on grids and cook 4 minutes per side. Baste with remaining marinade. Turn once. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve.

 

Rotisserie Pork Loin with Spicy Sriracha Marinade

 

5 lb boneless pork loin

 Marinate the roast in the Spicy Srirachi Marinade (above) for 3-4 hours, covered in the refrigerator. Spoon some of the marinade into the centre of the roast if possible. Set up the roast and barbecue for rotisserie cooking as outlined below. Follow this link for the Grilling Guide, which will give you a lot of great tips for rotisserie cooking.

Grill for 20 minutes per pound, until the internal temperature reaches 160ºF/71ºC

ROTISSERIE COOKING

Constant turning of the meat while rotisserie cooking allows it to self-baste with natural juices resulting in exceptionally moist and tender roasts. The best cuts of meat for rotisserie cooking are tightly tied, boned or boneless cuts, such as the boneless pork loin.

USING THE REAR ROTISSERIE BURNER

ARRANGING THE GRILL

• remove cooking grids and warming racks from barbecue if necessary

• centre a drip pan under the rotisserie positioning it so it will be beneath the centre of the roast

• preheat the barbecue with rotisserie burner on MEDIUM HIGH for 10 minutes

 

PLACING THE MEAT ON THE SPIT ROD

• slide one of the skewer forks onto the rod and tighten it securely

• insert the spit rod lengthwise into the centre of the roast securing it in place with the remaining fork

• tighten the fork securely

 

TESTING THAT THE MEAT IS EVENLY BALANCED ON THE SPIT

• loosen the spit balance

• lay the rod over the sink, allowing the heavier side of the roast to rotate to the bottom

• adjust the balance to the highest point to counterbalance the weight, and tighten the rod handle

• insert the spit rod into the rotisserie motor and turn rotisserie motor on

• check to see if the meat turns smoothly while cooking and adjust the balance as necessary.

 

 Always use a meat thermometer to ensure that the food is cooked to the desired degree of doneness for maximum juiciness and tenderness. Place the tip of the thermometer into the centre of the meat, away from bones and fat. We generally recommend cooking at a MEDIUM heat setting when using this method.