June is the month for grilling Asparagus!

June has been a blur. It is always that month where one thing just keeps rolling into another. End of school terms, beginning of summer jobs, winding down committee involvements for the summer, saying good bye to friends as they head off in all directions for the summer, BBQ’s, garden parties, drinks on the patio, family gatherings... who can even remember it all?! One thing is a constant around here though, and that is, if it is June, it means that we have ASPARAGUS on the grill!

Fresh Ontario asparagus is such a treat. On a recent trip back from Stratford, we stopped in at Herrles Farm Market and picked up some fresh  strawberries, rhubarb, green onions, peas and asparagus, all grown in Ontario – what a score!! These are the foods that are so delicious, that the more simply prepared they are, the better. The peas were shelled and cooked quickly in a sauted pan with some butter and green onions and finished with salt & pepper and chopped mint. The rhubarb was stewed with some orange zest and sugar for a topping for ice cream. The strawberries were hulled and eaten before we could even think about what to make with them! We showed better restraint with the asparagus, but stuck to the concept of simple goodness and tossed them in oil, salt and pepper and grilled them for 5-6 minutes on the barbecue, set at MEDIUM heat.  The first night, we had grilled steaks, new potatoes and asparagus. Next, we grilled chicken breasts with a pesto crust accompanied by pasta, grilled cherry tomatoes and grilled asparagus, topped with shaved parmesan cheese and freshly squeezed lemon juice.

When we decided to get together the next evening with The Walkers, for cocktails and snacks,  of course we knew that we wanted to feature grilled asparagus again, so headed back to Herrles  for the end of the crop.

Grilled Pizza
Bev made the pizza dough, using a tried and true recipe from Fine Cooking. http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/easy_pizza_dough.aspx .  We all agreed that it was delicious, and easily adapted for grilling. Since it was a girls night out, Bev opted to keep things simple and ran out to Vincenzos to pick up some prepared pesto and goats cheese!
You can make the dough a day or a couple of weeks ahead. Put the individual balls in zip-top bags and refrigerate overnight or freeze for longer.

• 1 package (2-1/4 tsp.) active-dry yeast
• 1-1/2 cups very warm water (110°F)
• 18 oz. (4 cups) all-purpose flour; more for dusting
• 1-1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbs. olive oil

Topping:

Bev used Pesto, goat cheese, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms and grilled asparagus to top the pizza.

Making and dividing the dough

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and set aside (a Pyrex 2-cup measure makes for easy pouring; be sure the cup isn't cold). Meanwhile, put the flour and salt in a food processor fitted with the steel blade; process briefly to mix. With the machine running, add the water-yeast mixture in a steady stream. Turn the processor off and add the oil. Pulse a few times to mix in the oil.

Scrape the soft dough out of the processor and onto a lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, quickly knead the dough into a mass, incorporating any bits of flour or dough from the processor bowl that weren't mixed in. Cut the dough into four equal pieces with a knife or a dough scraper. Roll each piece into a tight, smooth ball, kneading to push the air out.

Rising and storing the dough

What you do next depends on whether you want to make pizza right way or at a later date.

If you want to bake the pizzas as soon as possible, put the dough balls on a lightly floured surface, cover them with a clean dishtowel, and let them rise until they almost double in size, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, turn your grill on MEDIUM heat, with the baking stone in it, to let the stone fully heat.

In just 45 minutes, the dough is proofed. These dough balls are ready to be shaped.

If you want to bake the pizzas tomorrow, line a baking sheet with a floured dishtowel, put the dough balls on it, and cover them with plastic wrap, giving them room to expand (they'll almost double in size), and let them rise in the refrigerator overnight.

To use dough that has been refrigerated overnight, simply pull it out of the refrigerator about 15 minutes before shaping the dough into a pizza.

To freeze the dough balls, dust each one generously with flour as soon as you've made it, and put each one in a separate zip-top bag. Freeze for up to a month.

It's best to transfer frozen dough from the freezer to the refrigerator the night before (or 10 to 12 hours before) you want to use it. But I've found that dough balls pulled straight from the freezer and left to warm up on the counter will be completely defrosted in about 1-1/2 hours. The dough is practically indestructible.

Shaping your pizza

Put the proofed or thawed ball of dough on a lightly floured wooden board. Sprinkle a little more flour on top of the ball. Using your fingertips, press the ball down into a flat cake about 1/2 inch thick.

Flatten the ball into a cake. Flour your fingers -- and the board -- for easier handling.

Stretch the dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch by using the backs of your hands or a rolling pin.

Lift the dough and lay it over the back of the fist of one hand. Put your other fist under the dough, right next to your first fist. Now gently stretch the dough by moving your fists away from each other . Each time you do this stretch, rotate the dough. Continue stretching and rotating until the dough is thin, about 1/4 inch, and measures about 9 inches across. Unless your dough is still cold from the freezer, it will be so soft that its own weight will stretch it out. Alternatively, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough thinly on a floured board. If you like a very thin pizza, roll the dough out to a 10-inch round. Be careful not to make it too thin, and remember that the thinner the pizza, the less topping it can handle.

Sprinkle a handful of cornmeal onto a wooden pizza peel (or the back of a baking sheet). This helps though dough to slide easily off of the pizza peel and onto the hot stone.  Gently lift the stretched dough onto the floured peel. Top the pizza, scattering the ingredients around to within 1/2 inch of the border. Shake the peel (or baking sheet) gently back and forth to make sure the pizza isn't stuck. If it seems stuck, lift the edges up with a spatula and toss a bit of flour under the dough. Quickly slide the pizza onto the hot baking stone. Bake until the edges are golden, about 8 min. Using a peel, a wide spatula, or tongs, remove the pizza from the grill.

 We rounded this feast off with some fiery grilled shrimp and spicy guacamole. To prepare the shrimp, marinate 1 lb. of large, peeeld shrimp in 1 tbsp. of olive oil, 1 tsp. of ground cumin and 1/2 tsp of tabasco sauce.  Toss in the shrimp and let stand 15 minutes to ½ hour.  Meanwhile preheat the barbecue on HIGH and reduce the temperature to MEDIUM.  Brush the grids lightly with vegetable oil to prevent sticking.  Grill the shrimp until just opaque and slightly curled, about 2 minutes per side.  

We filled these containers with guacamole and grilled shrimp, with tortilla chips on the side

 Finally, we took the remaining grilled asparagus and wrapped them in proscuitto and topped them with shaved parmesan cheese and balsamic glaze. Once again - simple and delicious!!

Where to begin??

Here is to the beginning of a great summer!

Father's Day Favourites

Father’s Day was action packed, starting with breakfast in Toronto, golf at home, cocktails with Mary Anne and her friend Francis, who was visiting from Taiwan, and finally a delicious Father’s Day Dinner cooked by Eric and Samantha.  They are an excellent pair in the kitchen and on the grill, and they designed and executed a delicious menu in honour of the Big Guy.

Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Quesadillas

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 red peppers, roasted and peeled

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

2 green onions, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 ½ cup grated extra old cheddar cheese

12 corn tortillas

Preheat barbecue on HIGH.  Set the peppers on one side of the grill and cook until the skins are charred and blackened on all sides.  Reduce the temperature on the other side to MEDIUM LOW.  Brush the chicken lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill the chicken for a total of about 10 minutes, turning every 2 ½ minutes and following the directions for perfect grill marks.  Once cooked, remove to a cutting board for 15-20 minutes, tented with foil, before chopping.  Meanwhile, heat some olive oil in a large skillet, and add the onions.  Stir occasionally over MEDIUM LOW heat, until golden, about ½ hour. 

Slip the skins off the cooled red peppers, remove the seeds and ribs, and chop.

In a large bowl, combine the jalapeno pepper, onions, cilantro, cheese, chicken, onions and peppers. 

Brush a small amount of olive oil on one side of each corn or flour tortilla.  Turn it over, and spoon some filling into the middle.  Spread the filling over the bottom, leaving about a ½ -1 inch border.   Top with another tortilla, with the oiled side out. 

Place on a grill set to MEDIUM LOW.  Grill for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until the cheese has melted.

Honey Garlic Ribs

4 racks pork back ribs

¾ cup honey

¼ cup fish sauce

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons sherry

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sambal olek

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

½ teaspoon five spice powder

Remove the membrane from the back of each rack of ribs.

In a small pot combine the remaining ingredients.  Heat until the honey has just melted.  Brush the ribs lightly with a few tablespoons of the sauce, and wrap them tightly in heavy duty foil.   Place on the smoker or gas grill and maintain a temperature of about 275° F.  If using the gas grill, place them on the top warming rack.  You may want to turn off the middle burners to maintain this low temperature.  Cook for about 3 hours, or until very tender.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining sauce, and simmer until just thickened, about 15 minutes.  Set aside off the heat.

About ½ hour before serving, carefully remove the ribs from the foil, using tongs and oven mitts to avoid steam burns.  Set the ribs on the cooking grids and brush them liberally with the sauce, applying every ten minutes.

Samantha also made these delicious potatoes with all her father’s favorite additions:  mushroom, bacon and garlic….yum!  The recipe comes from a wonderful Bonnie Sterne book, The Essentials of Home Cooking. 

Mashed Potatoes with Bacon and Mushrooms

6 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered

2 slices bacon, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1 cup milk or cream

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons salt

Place the potatoes in a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to MEDIUM LOW and gently cook for about 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are very tender.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon over MEDIUM heat until crisp.  Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels.  Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.  Add the garlic to the skillet, and cook for about a minute or until fragrant but not brown.  Add the mushrooms and cook until all the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are beginning to brown.  Add the milk and parsley and cook until hot.

Drain the potatoes thoroughly, then return them to the hot pot and mash them with the butter and salt.  Stir in the mushroom mixture and the bacon.   Serve hot. 

"Take the day off" Pulled Pork

 This week, our neighbourhood was celebrating the 3^rd annual Grand Porch Party, a unique event where home owners in Uptown Waterloo offer up their front porches for musicians to play and entertain people walking by.  As usual, we decided to invite friends and neighbours to enjoy the music,  followed by a back-yard barbecue.

  

We like to work with different techniques and ingredients when we are preparing for gatherings. One thing is for sure, smoking a pork shoulder and whipping up some barbecue sauce for succulent pulled pork sliders is a terrific way to feed a crowd. You can really pack a punch with the moist, smoky meat cooked on the Broil King Keg, some tangy, spicy sauce, and a few salads.  Since pulled pork is one of our tried and true favorites, we needed to find a new technique, so headed directly to Adam Perry Langs “Serious Barbecue,” for a recipe that calls for injecting the pork butt roast with a sweet/salty fruit juice brine.

 “Take the day off” Pulled Pork

Remember to use a meat thermometer throughout the cooking procedure. Be careful that the tip of the thermometer does not touch the bone, to ensure an accurate temperature reading.

2-  7 lb Bone-in pork butt roasts (or 1- 15 lb whole pork shoulder)

Savoury/sweet  peach injection:

1 litre peach nectar

3 cups water

½ cup dark brown sugar

½ cup kosher salt

1 tbsp worchestershire sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

Mustard paste:

 6 tbsp prepared yellow mustard

6 tbsp water

1 ½ tbsp worchestershire sauce

1 ½ cider vinegar

Rub:

 ¼ cup chili powder

2 tbsp paprika

2 tbsp dark brown sugar

1 ½ tsp dry mustard

¾ tsp garlic salt

¾ tsp ground black pepper

Spray:

¼ cup canola oil

1 cup fruit juice spray

Wrapping mixture:

1 tbsp melted butter

¼ cup honey

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tbsp peach (or any fruit) juice

1.       Combine injection ingredients in a large bowl and stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Place the   Let stand for 2 hours, at room temperature.

Place the pork roast on a large, shallow roasting tray, inject the pork roast, using an injection syringe. Do not worry if some of the liquid escapes and pools in the bottom of the tray.

2.       Prepare the Broil King Keg and set to cook at 250°F.

3.       Combine the mustard paste ingredients. Combine the Rub ingredients. Set aside.

4.       Lift the pork roasts out of the roasting tray, pat them dry with paper towels, cover them with mustard paste and sprinkle on the rub. Gently spray with canola oil, using a spray mister.

5.       Place the roasts, fat side down, in the Broil King Keg, and cook until the internal temperature reaches 130°F, about 3 hours. Spray with fruit juice and cook for approximately 3 more hours,  spraying each hour, until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.

6.       Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the Wrapping Mixture.  Prepare to wrap the roasts by tearing off 4 large sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil and laying them over a large baking tray.   Remove the pork roasts from the Keg and place them skin side down, on the foil in the pan.  Pour the wrapping ingredients on top.  One sheet at a time, wrap the roasts and crimp the foil to seal them tightly. Transfer the wrapped pork roasts back to the Keg and cook until the internal temperature reaches 193°F, approximately 3 ½ to 3 ¾ more hours.

7.       Meanwhile, line a cooler with towels for increased insulation. Remove the roasts from the Keg and carefully unwrap them, drain off and discard the liquid. Rewrap the roasts in new sheets of heavy foil, then wrap them again in plastic wrap. Place them on a clean baking tray and place in the insulated cooler, cover with another towel. Close the lid and let rest for 1 hour.

8.       By this point, the pork will be very tender.  Unwrap the meat and place it on a flat rack or flat topper and return to the Broil King Keg for 30 more minutes.

9.       Remove from Keg, let cool for 20 minutes, then pull the pork, using large forks or your hands, being sure to leave some in a semichunk state.

10.   Mix with Barbecue Sauce and serve on soft buns with more sauce.  Dill pickles and hot pickled peppers make nice garnishes.

Adams Barbecue Sauce

½ cup canola oil

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 white onion, minced

2 tsp kosher salt

¼ cup bourbon

3 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper

¼ tsp allspice

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 cups water

2 cups ketchup

½ cup blackstrap molasses

½ cup yellow mustard

½ cup cider vinegar

2 tsp hot sauce

½ cup apricot jam

1.       Heat canola oil in a large saucepan on Medium. Add garlic, onion, and salt. Cook, stirring gently, about 10 minutes, until softened.

2.       Pour in the bourbon and cook off alcohol for about 4 minutes.

3.       Combine chili powder, black pepper and allspice and add to pan. Cook another 3 minutes, stirring gently.

4.       Stir in the brown sugar, water, ketchup, molasses, cider vinegar, hot sauce and apricot jam. Bring to a boil, stirring to prevent burning.  Reduce and simmer for 45 minutes, until thickened.

5.       Adjust seasoning.