Weighing In On “Diet” Sabotages July 24, 2009

I don’t know about you but it seems my whole life I’ve been surrounded by “diet” sabotages!  Seriously, as a teen every time I announced to my family I would like to shed a few pounds my father and grandfather would go into overdrive showering me with my favorite snacks.  Of course on the willpower scale my willpower weighed in at a whopping big fat zero – and naturally I indulged.  I’ve been married for six years now and wouldn’t you know every time I mention losing a few pounds the snack brigade comes rolling in.  Last night – apple turnovers arrived from my favorite bakery – you know the ones just gushing with apple filling with about an inch of icing on the top.  The only way to escape them was going to bed – that’s right it was 8PM and I had to literally put myself in the bed…What’s wrong with this picture! 

So for all of you that live with or are exposed to those pesky “diet” sabotages tell me what you do to stay on track…We totally need to form a support group!

Grilled Meatballs July 19, 2009

 

Meatballs Grillin' & Chillin

I don’t usually splurge on pricey grilling accessories but I’ve been eyeing the Meatball Grill Basket from Williams-Sonoma for the past few months.  For a whopping $50 the basket  allows the griller to cook 12 meatballs simultaneously and because they pop into a form you can rest assured all of your meatballs are all the same size.  Honestly, aside from a holiday dinner I have no need to cook 12 meatballs and my family doesn’t give a hoot if they are the same size.  Rather the idea of grilling a meatball is what sparked my interest. 

 

Last night was the first time we used the Meatball Grill Basket.  I used the same meatball recipe I use indoors because I wanted to truly taste the difference between preparing them traditionally indoors and grilling them outdoors.  

First, lets discuss the ease factor – after spraying the basket with non-stick cooking spray and loading the basket I simply popped it on the grill after a few minutes I flipped the basket and cooked the other side and before I knew it voila the meatballs were cooked to perfection.  No sticking to the basket – no meatballs sticking to the grill or rolling around the grates it was almost too easy. 

Now we’ll talk flavor (my favorite aspect of any cooking process).  The grilled meatballs were beyond delicious.  The outside was crisp and the interior was warm and soft.  I used my infrared gas grill because I wanted to obtain a high temp for searing the meatballs. 

So if you’ve got a little extra cheddar in your pocket this week I whole-heartedly suggest running – not walking to Williams – Sonoma to pick up your very own Meatball Grill Basket.

Have a Meatball Grill Basket? – Ever grilled meatballs before? – Got a tip? Write in the comments below – I’d love to hear from you!

Grilled Asparagus September 21, 2008

I have been grilling asparagus most of my life and assumed it would be a boring blog post until today.  I was watching Grill It! with Bobby Flay and the guest asked Bobby how to grill asparagus.  His question got me thinking that maybe the whole world doesn’t know how to grill asparagus…I have to say it is one of my favorite veggies to grill – I love how they maintain their crispness and are just so quick and easy to grill!!

How to Prepare

1 – Bunch Asparagus

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

1 – Clove Garlic Minced (optional)

Break one of the pieces of asparagus with at its natural breaking point with your fingers.  Take your broken piece of asparagus and hold it up to the remainder of the bunch – using a knife slice the rest of the bunch to size and dispose of the trimmed stems.  In a long dish (I use a pyrex small casserole dish – but whatever you like) add the asparagus – coat with EV olive oil – Kosher Salt – and your garlic.  Hand mix all of the ingredients and place on a hot grill.  The asparagus with cook very quickly so keep on rotating them across the grill grates.  Once the begin to slightly soften and appear to have a slight amount of grill char remove from the grill.  Place on a serving plate then drizzle with EV olive oil.

Here’s the deal with asparagus don’t over cook them because they continue to cook even after they are removed from the grill.  To add another layer of flavor you can also squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the cooked asparagus.

Loaded Baked Potato Salad April 27, 2008

As the temperatures heat up it seems that my yummy favorite comfort foods all seem to disappear and by the end of the summer I find myself longing for those frosty winter days where the food warms my tummy and soul.  One of my favorite comfort foods is baked potatoes.  The only problem is they’re a pain in the neck if you’re serving a crowd, because they can’t be made ahead of time and you need a zillion bowls for all of the toppings.  Really, in the end it just ends up being a bigger mess than it’s worth!!  Laying in bed dwelling on my lack of baked potatoes I came up with the idea of a loaded baked potato salad.  That’s right…Say goodbye to your carrots, celery, and onions (I say ha ha to my husband)!!  Simply add potatoes, crisp bacon, chives and a mayo/sour cream topping and enjoy (did I really have to say enjoy?)!!  It gives all the flavor of a baked potato with 1/4 of the mess!! Plus, it can be made ahead of time and you know me if I can spend more time with my friends and family and not in the kitchen I am a happy chick!!  Check out my recipe below and let me know what you think.  

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

4 oz. Shredded Mild Yellow Cheddar Cheese

3 Lb. Potatoes

15 Chives

1 Cup Mayonnaise

6 Oz. Sour Cream

1 Lb. Bacon

Salt & Pepper

How to Prepare:

Boil potatoes until fork tender & drain – set aside to cool. Place uncooked bacon on jelly roll pan and cook at 375 until crisp – remove from pan and place on paper towels – pat oil off top and bottom – Finely chop chives, rough chop potatoes, hand tear bacon, and sprinkle in cheddar into a large mixing bowl – in a small mixing bowl combine mayonnaise and sour cream – mix well and add to large mixing bowl – fold all ingredients together – add salt and pepper to taste – cover and place in fridge.