If you have been watching how people are moving to Southern Delaware you can also see that there is no housing inventory. A house goes on the market and in a day it is sold. I have seen that most of the houses have awesome outdoor living areas. My deck and outdoor areas are not the most fancy ones but I have enjoyed them for a long time.
They say that eating outdoors actually makes food taste better. You are more relaxed. You pay attention what’s around you. Being outside is a mood booster. This particular week-end in Rehoboth Beach was so crowded and Memorial is not even here yet. People are ready to mingle and sit outside and continue to enjoy life as it should.
Let me get back to barbecuing. My favorite is cooking with charcoal. Chicken, I do like to marinade. Then put the homemade barbecue sauce afterwards. This chicken was from Lloyd’s in Lewes. It is the best chicken in the area.
I prefer the breast and others prefer the dark meat. Don’t mind eating it, don’t get me wrong. But I do like my chicken well done. I don’t want to see any red when I cut into it.
And cucumbers in vinegar, oil, and a little sugar or sugar substitute is it perfect. Looking forward to that summer corn we get here in Southern Delaware.
Grilling Shrimp is another favorite. These gigantic shrimp were from Big Fish Grill in Rehoboth Beach. Butterfly them, marinate them and takes no time to grill.
Veggies are great grilled as well. Love eggplant. These ones were from the Brush Factory in Lewes. All you do is peel it, cut lengthwise, brush with a lot of olive oil on both sides, sprinkle salt and pepper and both sides, and cover them with flat leaf parsley. The parsley even though it will mostly fall when turned over, it will still have that flavor all over the eggplant. So delicious.
Look how delicious it looks.
This whole meal is perfect for today since it is Meatless Monday. Just a day out of the week to forget about meat and eat something very healthy.
Enjoy your time here in Southern Delaware whether you are a resident or a visitor for a short while.
Comments Off on Summer 2021, Barbecuing, Outdoor Eating, Sunny Days, Cool Evenings, Southern Delaware, Entertaining Outdoors This Summer
The last thing I heard my husband say before leaving for the store was…you don’t have to buy big steaks, there are only 3 of us. You need to learn to cook for just a few and not for an army and, you know…bla, bla, bla.
Well, I guess I did not tell you that our friend, Jay, was coming for dinner. Just out of the blue we called him. I love to grill and love it even better when it is over charcoal. Who, in its right mind would buy tiny steaks for barbecuing? You need steaks with attitude.
I had gotten the charcoal just right. And, here are my tiny steaks. I chose rib-eyes. Rib-eyes are known as a standing rib roast, or prime rib. Their excellent marble makes this cut loaded with flavor; it also remains tender during the cooking process. A dry rub of garlic powder, pepper, cumin, grated lime is all they needed.
This is one cut that is best grilled. It is so delicious that you might need to close your eyes after that first bite and enjoy the moment. I am not kidding; it is that good.
I was going to serve the steaks with a grilled Caesar Salad with homemade Caesar Dressing.
The Caesar Dressing is so easy. Recipe follows.
Caesar Salad Dressing
2/3 cup olive oil
10 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
1 egg
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3 dashes of Tabasco
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves (1, if you think it is too much garlic)
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
4 anchovies (I think the anchovies provide enough salt for the dressing.)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese ( I grated my own.)
Blend all the ingredients, except cheese, together in a blender. Stir in cheese. Put in refrigerator until ready to be used.
I also made my own croutons. I used gluten free bread for the croutons. To make them just cube the bread and place in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with olive oil and a little bit of garlic powder. Place on a medium hot skillet and toast until golden. Flip over often. Careful not to burn them.
Grilling the lettuce was the easiest thing. Romaine is a hardy lettuce and can take the heat of a charcoal grill. It will only take about 3 minutes on each side to grill the lettuce to perfection. Just smear the lettuce with olive oil, before placing on the grill.
I had roasted sweet potatoes as another side dish to our meal.
The steaks were so big I had to get larger plates out. Steak, Caesar Salad with grape tomatoes, drizzled with homemade Caesar Dressing, topped with homemade croutons, and roasted sweet potato.
For a sweet ending I served a vanilla bean ice cream with chopped mango. A perfect meal!! Gluten Free, as well!!
Talk to you later….more barbecuing coming soon at a later post.
Note: Everything was gluten free!! If you do not have a gluten allergy you can use Italian bread; or your favorite bread, for that matter.
Comments Off on Summertime is for…Grilling!! Rib-Eye, Grilled Caesar, Homemade Caesar Dressing, Recipe
It is sunny and hot after the rain last night in Delmarva. A good night for barbecuing. The recipe is as follows:
2 boneless pork loin roasts, 2 pounds each
For the Teriyaki Sauce:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsps. sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 to 2 cloves of garlic, pressed
Mix all ingredients. Cut each roast lengthwise into 3 equal strips. Pierce sides of strips with fork; place in large plastic bags or container and pour in the teriyaki sauce. Press air out of the bag, if you are using one and tie securely. Turn bag several times to coat meat thoroughly or make sure the meat is covered with the sauce if you placed it in a container.
Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
Remove meat and grill for about 35 minutes, or until tender. Turn pieces frequently.
You really can serve this dish with some grilled vegetables, since you have the grill ready and new potatoes with sliced tomatoes since this time of the year they are so flavorful.
Note: If you think you need more sauce, just make some extra. You just want the meat covered with the teriyaki sauce. And, the easiest way to grill vegies is to brush them, after being sliced, with olive oil and some herbs and they do not take long.
Allergy tip: For anyone in a gluten free diet, please remember to use wheat free soy sauce.
This recipe is a courtesy of my mother in law, Louise. She is a great cook as well as a gracious hostess.
1 cloves garlic, minced
2 tblsps. fresh lime juice
2 tsps. salt (optional)
1/4 cup peanut or other oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Sweet Corn Salsa:
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
3 tblsps. butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup seeded and minced tomatoes
2 tblsps. minced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
Combine first 6 ingredients. Marinate chicken in this mixture for 2 hours or more before grilling. The longer you leave it, the better it is. An alternative to the marinade is to just use Italian dressing.
Remove chicken and discard marinade. Grill chicken over hot coals until done. I like my chicken well done so I make sure it is cooked. While chicken in grilling, prepare salsa. Cut raw corn kernels off the cob. Really, the easier way is to get canned corn. Combine all ingredients in saucepan over high heat and stir, bringing to a boil. When butter has melted completely and salsa takes on the look of a light butter sauce, remove from heat.
Cook rice and put the chicken a little bit on the top and side of the rice and then pour the sauce over. You can do it by arranging each individual plate or just get a platter and place the chicken and sauce over it and the rice on a separate bowl. The idea is that you want sauce on the chicken because it is the best part.
Serve it with a simple salad. The dish is so colorful that you don’t need anything else.
Note: As with any recipes, just adjust it to your dietary needs and change it to your taste. If it is not a good day for grilling just cook the chicken on the stove or the oven. It will be just as good, but it is just that the idea of being outside on a summer evening appeals to me better.
Until next time, Gloria
Note: I usually use stewed tomatoes instead of fresh ones, but it is up to you. Make it your own; more butter? Go ahead!!
Comments Off on Summer 2021, Barbecuing, Outdoor Eating, Sunny Days, Cool Evenings, Southern Delaware, Entertaining Outdoors This Summer