Recipe: Lemony Grilled Asparagus with Goat Cheese

Here is another recipe included in the baby shower menu for my friend last week. It’s a Pip’s Plate original, and we sort of winged it last Sunday. It turned out incredibly yummy – this recipe is a great way to jazz up plain boring grilled asparagus.

We served this alongside Grilled Turkey, Bacon and Blue Cheese Sandwiches.

Lemony Grilled Asparagus with Goat Cheese
makes: 12 servings (6 pieces of asparagus per person)

Grilled Asparagus
3 bundles of asparagus (enough for 6 spears per person)
juice of 1 lemon
3 T olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Garnishes
1 lemon for zesting
3 oz chevre goat cheese

Directions
1. Prepare the asparagus by bending it from each end to determine the ripe part of the asparagus. Snap off the woody ends – you don’t want to eat these.

2. Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Dress the asparagus and let marinate in a plastic bag for at least 20 minutes.

3. Heat grill to medium high heat. Put asparagus directly onto the grill. Cook for about 8 minutes, turning occasionally to avoid burning.

4. Remove from grill. You can place them on a platter or you can put them on individual plates for serving. Either way, once the asparagus is on a plate, use a microplane grater to zest the lemon over the asparagus. You should use the entire lemon. Then, take the chevre and crumble it on top of the asparagus.

Recipe: Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Here is another recipe included on the menu for my friend’s baby shower last week. Something else she loves other than grilled turkey and bacon sandwiches? Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps. We wanted to make something with a peanut dressing, so we ended up at this one.

We served this with the Watermelon Feta and Mint Salad in a little ramekin side bowl.

This is a great summer salad recipe, too. You don’t have to put it in the lettuce wraps – instead, you can just mix it up, leave it in the fridge and have it around for a satisfying and pretty healthy snack.

Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
makes: 36 lettuce wraps (plus some leftover salad for later)

Peanut Dressing
8 large garlic cloves
1/2 cup soy sauce
2/3 cup fresh lime juice
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons peanut butter (smooth or chunky – it doesn’t matter)
4 teaspoons chopped peeled fresh ginger root
1 Tablespoon chili garlic sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Salad
9 oz rice stick noodles (vermicelli size – very thin)
2 pounds boneless, skinless hormone-free chicken breasts
3 medium carrots, peeled and julienned (cut into about 3-inch long pieces)
3 medium cucumbers, peeled seeded and julienned (cut into about 3-inch long pieces)
1 cup shelled edamame (soy beans)
1/3 cup coarsely chopped roasted salted peanuts
2 heads Boston or Bibb lettuce, washed

Directions
1. To make the dressing, combine garlic through pepper in a food processor. Process until smooth, then add oil to combine all ingredients. Put half aside for the salad dressing, and use the remaining half to marinate the chicken breasts.

2. Cook rice noodles according to package. When drained, cut the noodles into 3-4 inch pieces using a scissors then add to a large mixing bowl.

3. Cook the chicken. You may grill or roast the chicken. We grilled the chicken since it was such a beautiful day and we didn’t want to heat the house too much before the guests came over.

• To Grill: Heat grill to medium-high heat. Cook chicken for about 10-12 minutes, turning once.
• To Roast: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken in a roasting pan and roast for about 12-15 minutes.

When chicken is cooked through, move to a cutting board and slice. Add chicken to the noodle bowl.

4. Add carrots, cucumbers and edamame to the noodle and chicken bowl. Toss with the reserved peanut dressing.

5. To assemble, put about 1/2 cup of the noodle salad into one leave of lettuce. Serve with crushed peanuts as a garnish.

recipe adapted from epicurious

Recipe: Grilled Turkey, Bacon and Blue Cheese Sandwiches

This recipe was a part of the baby shower I recently threw with 2 friends. It was a huge hit! Really quite delicious: savory, crunchy, smooth – the textures in this sandwich were out of this world.

If you’re worried about the blue cheese overpowering the flavor in this sandwich, I wouldn’t worry. Mixing it with the mayo mellows the flavor. You can also choose a milder blue cheese such as gorgonzola. Even blue cheese haters at the table loved this sandwich! This would also be a great turkey sandwich with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving.

We served these with Lemony Grilled Asparagus with Goat Cheese.

I realize that damn green tray shows up in a lot of my pictures – as pointed out by the owner, Maxine. Apparently because it sits on top of her microwave, it tends to be the first thing I reach for. Oh well.

The sandwiches before hitting the grill

Grilled Turkey, Bacon and Blue Cheese Sandwiches
makes: 12 sandwiches
this can easily be cut in half to make only 6 sandwiches

18 slices bacon (not thick cut)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 1/2 pounds of thinly sliced turkey
1 small head of radicchio
12 large slices good bread (ciabatta works well)
1 stick of butter at room temperature

Directions
1. Cook bacon until crispy. I like to bake it in the oven at 400 for about 12-15 minutes. Drain on a paper towel.

2. Mix mayo and blue cheese together.

3. Create an assembly line to put the sandwiches together in this order:

• First, butter one side of all bread slices.
• Second, spread blue cheese mixture on the other side of all bread slices.
• Third, divide turkey slices evenly among 6 slices of bread.
• Fourth, add 2-3 pieces of radicchio on top of the turkey.
• Fifth, add 3 pieces of bacon on top of the radicchio.
• Lastly, top each sandwich with the other side of bread.

4. Heat your grill to medium (about 350 degrees). When it’s ready, put the sandwiches on the grill. Grill each side for about 5-6 minutes or until bread is nicely toasted.

5. Cut each sandwich in half and serve.

recipe from epicurious

Baby Shower Success!

Me and two friends threw a baby shower last weekend for our good friend Jill. It’s her first baby, and what do you know, she’s having a girl! She’s due on 7/19/2009 so we should be seeing that little tyke running around soon.

We decided to make a day of the event – which for anyone who knows us, is no surprise. First off, lunch at the house. Next up, mini golfing! Last, back to the house for pie, coffee and gifts.

The menu was outstanding: we made all of Jill’s favorite foods…

First Course: Cold Appetizers
Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Watermelon, Feta and Mint Salad

Second Course: Warm Bites
Grilled Turkey, Bacon, Blue Cheese Sandwiches
Lemony Grilled Asparagus with Goat Cheese

Served with Gloria Ferrer rose champagne toast and Virginique (a nonalcoholic “mocktail”)

Followed up by a little sweet snack of Coconut Macaroons

Dessert Course: Post Mini Golf Sweets
5 Layer Chocolate Pie (my mom’s recipe – the same one baked at The Rustic Inn Cafe & Betty’s Pies in northern MN)
Lemon Meringue Pie

Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps

This menu was created with my favorite partner in crime, Maxine. I wouldn’t be able to do nearly as much in the kitchen nor be as inspired to try new things if it weren’t for her.

We went shopping the day before and made quite a bit the day before, so you can plan ahead for this menu. We were able to make the cookies, pies, and the chicken for the noodle salad. Pretty much everything else we did the morning of the shower.

More photos if you

Recipe: Chili Lime Grilled Corn on the Cob

One of my favorite foods in the summer time is corn on the cob. I remember as a kid, my mom would give me and my sisters a paper bag and all the corn to sit on the back porch and shuck away.

It might be a bit early for corn on the cob and I spent a little more on it just to have it the other night. But it was totally worth it. The first nice day of 75 degrees in Minneapolis was begging for a grill out. So why not grill corn on the cob? It’s really easy and you can grill it while your burgers cook so you don’t have to go back into the house.

Chili Lime Grilled Corn on the Cob
Makes: 4 servings (easily doubled)
Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
4 corn on the cob, shucked
1/2 T adobo chili powder
1 T salt
1/2 T fresh ground pepper
1/2 stick unsalted butter (you may not use all of it)
4 slices lime

Directions

1. Heat grill to medium-high heat (around 375-400 degrees).

2. To make the seasoning, combine the adobo chili powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. (If you have a shaker, make a lot of this and keep it for use throughout the summer.)

3. Place corn on the cob on the grill. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, turning every few minutes to ensure even cooking. The corn will blacken in some places – this is ok.

4. When the corn is done, remove from the grill and place on a serving plate. Set out the butter, limes, and seasoning. To finish the corn on the cob, butter the corn, then squeeze a lime over the corn, then sprinkle some seasoning over the corn. Now enjoy!

This recipe is a great side dish to serve with Garlicky Green Turkey Burgers and Strawberry Citrus Salad for a complete quick and easy grilling meal.

Recipe: Garlicky Green Turkey Burgers

With spring finally turning into summer, what better way to be outside than to grill up some spicy turkey burgers?

These turkey burgers are “green” because they have lots of delicious green ingredients added to them for extra flavor.

Garlicky Green Turkey Burgers
Makes 4
Time: under 30 minutes

Ingredients
1 pound hormone-free ground turkey breast
4 green onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño, minced with seeds
2 T chopped cilantro
1 t salt
1/2 t fresh ground pepper
4 hamburger buns
1 T butter, softened to room temp
4 pieces romaine
1/2 avocado, sliced lengthwise

1. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, onion, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, salt and pepper. Form into 4 patties.

2. Heat grill to medium high heat. Put the burgers on the hot grill and close cover. Cook about 5 minutes on each side.

3. While the burgers cook, spread each half of the buns with butter. After turning the burgers, place the buns on the top shelf of the grill to slightly toast them.

4. When the burgers are done, place them on the toasted buns with a slice of romaine and some avocado.

For a complete quick and easy grilled meal, serve these turkey burgers with Chili Lime Grilled Corn on the Cob and Strawberry Citrus Salad.

Grilled Chile Pineapple

This is another recipe from the weekend menu for the Creative Retreat.

Grilled Chile Pineapple
serves 8

1 whole pineapple, peeled, cored, and sliced lengthwise into long sticks
1 T chili powder
1 T cayenne powder

Preheat grill to medium high.

Prepare pineapple by mixing the chili powder and cayenne together then rub onto pineapple. Grill for about 8-10 minutes, turning halfway through.

Grilled Salmon with Lemon Dill Butter

This is another recipe from the weekend menu for the Creative Retreat.

Grilled Salmon with Lemon Dill Butter
serves 8

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 T fresh chopped dill
salt & pepper
8 six-ounce salmon steaks (you can also do fillets of salmon if you don’t want to buy steaks, just figure about 6-8 oz per person)

Heat grill to medium high.

Prepare butter: if you desire, you can melt the butter in the microwave for 5-10 seconds. Add lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper to butter and combine. Spread over salmon.

Lay out a large piece of aluminum foil and place the salmon on the foil. Fold the edge over to enclose the salmon. Grill in foil until desired doneness – this will depend entirely on the thickness of the salmon. I prefer my salmon medium, which takes about 5 minutes for a 1 1/2 inch piece of salmon.

Grilled Steak with Roasted Garlic & Thyme Butter

This was quite possibly the best steak I’ve had. It was unbelievably good, and everyone wanted the recipe at the Creative Retreat.

Grilled Steak with Roasted Garlic + Thyme Butter
serves 8

1 head garlic
1 t olive oil
1 T chopped fresh thyme
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
8 six-ounce steaks (your choice of cut)
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Slice off the top 1/4 inch of the head of garlic just so that you can see the cloves exposed. Place on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap foil around garlic and place in the oven to roast until it is soft – approximately 20-25 minutes. Roasted garlic is sweet and savory, not as sharp or spicy as raw garlic. It gives a nice rich flavor to the marinade.

Meanwhile, heat the grill to medium high and take the steaks out of the fridge to get to room temperature. When the garlic is done, take out of oven, let cool 5 minutes, then squeeze out the cloves into a small bowl. Add butter, thyme, salt and pepper to the mixture. (You can also put the butter in the microwave for 5-10 seconds if you want a runny marinade. Just be cafeful if the steaks are cold – it will solidify the butter when you put it on the steaks.) Mix until fully combined, then spread over each of the steaks. Cook steaks until desired doneness.

Grilled BBQ Chicken Breasts

This is almost too easy to be so delicious or to even post here, but I will anyway. It’s also a very healthy recipe. This is another recipe from the weekend menu for our Creative Retreat.

Grilled BBQ Chicken Breasts
serves 8

8 skinless, boneless hormone-free chicken breasts
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

Heat your grill to medium high heat.

Cook chicken breasts until almost completely done – about 5-6 min a side. Toss in BBQ sauce, then place back on grill to caramelize the sauce and cooked through, a couple more minutes.