It's kind of making me sick to see stores stocking more autumn wreaths than water noodles and and pool toys.
My tomato plants have hardly yielded fruit, and we have been so busy that I can count on one hand the times we've fired up the grill during the months of July and August. Sad.
Slow down summer!
My tomato plants have hardly yielded fruit, and we have been so busy that I can count on one hand the times we've fired up the grill during the months of July and August. Sad.
Slow down summer!
But isn't summertime food one of the best parts about summer? duh. All the fresh fruit and vegetables, and of course, the grill. With the few weeks we have left of summer, I vow to use the grill at least twice a week. Here are some of our favorites that we've been enjoying lately---
And by the way, I promise I don't think I'm some gourmet with a cooking blog. I just really love food and if its good, I want my friends to taste it too. And since food is really the only excitement going on over here lately (at least as far as photos are concerned), food is all I have to share...
And by the way, I promise I don't think I'm some gourmet with a cooking blog. I just really love food and if its good, I want my friends to taste it too. And since food is really the only excitement going on over here lately (at least as far as photos are concerned), food is all I have to share...
Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza
Start with your favorite pizza dough
(Note: if you failed to prepare like I did this time, go to your favorite pizza shop and they will sell you a ball of dough for pocket change-- they might even roll it out for you if you say please)
Preheat the grill to medium high, then prepare your toppings:
Sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
Very thinly sliced red onions
Already grilled chicken marinated in bbq sauce, cubed
Cooked corn kernels (since it's summer, chances are you have some corn on the cob left over maybe even some of that chicken!)
Handful chopped cilantro
Favorite BBQ sauce (ours? Sweet Baby Ray's)
Kosher Salt
Fresh ground pepper
(note: when I make more than one, I preheat the oven to 200 to keep the first one warm while the other cooks. Plus it kind of softens the onions a little bit more)
Get all the toppings ready to go before placing dough on the grill because, as someone once taught me about grilling pizza, Ya gotta work like the devil is chasing ya!
Ready, set, GO!
Place rolled out dough directly on grill and cook for 1-2 minutes or until you see grill marks and it stiffens up a bit.
Flip dough and get to work on those toppings...
Quickly, so they have time to cook and so the other side of dough doesn't burn!
In this order-- cheese, onions, chicken, corn. Save the rest for later.
Keep the pizza on as long as you can before the bottom starts burning, then remove it from the grill.
Top with cilantro, bbq sauce and S/P. Then if you want to, place it in the oven to keep it warm.
Shrimp Kebabs and Grilled Veggies
I feel silly typing out a recipe, there's not much to it:
After skewering shrimp, spray with olive oil and season with S/P.
(Soak your skewers in water first, right? So the wood doesn't burn.)
I didn't have enough skewers for my veggies (and if I'm honest, enough patience), so I did tin foil. This veggie combo was cubed sweet potatoes, zucchini from my MIL's garden (love her), mushrooms and onions. Again, coat with olive oil and S/P or your favorite seasoning salt, like Johnny's.
Remove shrimp from the grill when they have turned pink on both sides, and remove veggies when you can easily pierce the potatoes with a fork (since they cook slower, you might want to start the potatoes and onions first).
Serve with quinoa or rice. Yum.
Fresh Peach Pie
Start with your favorite pizza dough
(Note: if you failed to prepare like I did this time, go to your favorite pizza shop and they will sell you a ball of dough for pocket change-- they might even roll it out for you if you say please)
Preheat the grill to medium high, then prepare your toppings:
Sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
Very thinly sliced red onions
Already grilled chicken marinated in bbq sauce, cubed
Cooked corn kernels (since it's summer, chances are you have some corn on the cob left over maybe even some of that chicken!)
Handful chopped cilantro
Favorite BBQ sauce (ours? Sweet Baby Ray's)
Kosher Salt
Fresh ground pepper
(note: when I make more than one, I preheat the oven to 200 to keep the first one warm while the other cooks. Plus it kind of softens the onions a little bit more)
Get all the toppings ready to go before placing dough on the grill because, as someone once taught me about grilling pizza, Ya gotta work like the devil is chasing ya!
Ready, set, GO!
Place rolled out dough directly on grill and cook for 1-2 minutes or until you see grill marks and it stiffens up a bit.
Flip dough and get to work on those toppings...
Quickly, so they have time to cook and so the other side of dough doesn't burn!
In this order-- cheese, onions, chicken, corn. Save the rest for later.
Keep the pizza on as long as you can before the bottom starts burning, then remove it from the grill.
Top with cilantro, bbq sauce and S/P. Then if you want to, place it in the oven to keep it warm.
Shrimp Kebabs and Grilled Veggies
I feel silly typing out a recipe, there's not much to it:
After skewering shrimp, spray with olive oil and season with S/P.
(Soak your skewers in water first, right? So the wood doesn't burn.)
I didn't have enough skewers for my veggies (and if I'm honest, enough patience), so I did tin foil. This veggie combo was cubed sweet potatoes, zucchini from my MIL's garden (love her), mushrooms and onions. Again, coat with olive oil and S/P or your favorite seasoning salt, like Johnny's.
Remove shrimp from the grill when they have turned pink on both sides, and remove veggies when you can easily pierce the potatoes with a fork (since they cook slower, you might want to start the potatoes and onions first).
Serve with quinoa or rice. Yum.
Fresh Peach Pie
Fresh peach pie is perhaps one of my very favorite desserts.
I don't feel at liberty to share the very best pie crust ever because it is a family recipe of a friend. It was given to me reluctantly. But, I'm sure if you asked your grandma (or your friend's grandma ;) you could find one almost as delicious.
This one looks pretty good. I doubt The Pioneer Woman could steer us wrong..?
Anywho, after doing your thang with the pie crust (rolling it out and placing it in the pie dish), sprinkle all over lightly with cinnamon and sugar, but heavy on the upper crust that shows so the sugar can crystallize.
Bake the crust according to recipe instructions, usually 350 about 15-25 min.
While crust cooks, peel and slice 6+ peaches (enough to fill your pie shell) and coat with 1 1/2 Tbsp honey. Set aside.
Whip 1 pint heavy whipping cream with 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp almond extract, 1/3ish cup confectioner's sugar, and a pinch of cinnamon until soft peak form.
After removing crust from oven, let cool, then spoon peaches into crust.
Serve each slice with a generous dollop of whipped cream.
Perfection. Seriously.
I'm not just about food. Though it seems like that lately!
I have a few projects I am working on that I will share when I find time and energy to finish.
Anywho, after doing your thang with the pie crust (rolling it out and placing it in the pie dish), sprinkle all over lightly with cinnamon and sugar, but heavy on the upper crust that shows so the sugar can crystallize.
Bake the crust according to recipe instructions, usually 350 about 15-25 min.
While crust cooks, peel and slice 6+ peaches (enough to fill your pie shell) and coat with 1 1/2 Tbsp honey. Set aside.
Whip 1 pint heavy whipping cream with 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp almond extract, 1/3ish cup confectioner's sugar, and a pinch of cinnamon until soft peak form.
After removing crust from oven, let cool, then spoon peaches into crust.
Serve each slice with a generous dollop of whipped cream.
Perfection. Seriously.
I'm not just about food. Though it seems like that lately!
I have a few projects I am working on that I will share when I find time and energy to finish.
1 comment:
Ok, my mouth is watering! Gonna grill a pizza tomorrow!!!
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