Friday, May 22, 2015

Memorial Day Grilling Ideas

* I wrote this for a publication last year and thought I'd share it here this year. Hope everyone has a great Memorial Day weekend!!!

There’s nothing like a backyard barbecue to celebrate Memorial Day weekend. In fact, it is the official opener to grilling season for my family. Every year I look forward to trying new recipes and techniques as much as I love making my tried-and-true recipes. Either way, I'm not heating up the house by cooking inside. That's the why grilling is so great! 

I love each of these three recipes. The first one is a fun appetizer that will definitely add some spice to your party! Jalapeño peppers can be stuffed with almost anything and can be prepared hours before your party, which is always a plus. Grill racks for the peppers can be found at most stores nowadays and are a fun, new way to enjoy peppers.

The Balsamic Dijon marinade is my favorite go-to marinade for chicken. It is the perfect blend of sweet and tangy and goes with just about anything. 

Grilled Portobello mushrooms are a favorite of mine and are typically what I eat when my family wants hamburgers. Whether eaten plain or on a bun topped with sliced tomatoes and avocados, they will definitely satisfy any appetite!



Stuffed Jalapeños
Jalapeño peppers
Grill rack for jalapeño peppers
Ideas for toppings, but certainly not limited to,
   Cream cheese
   Monterey Jack cheese
   Bacon (pre-cooked)
   Avocado
   Mango

Wash, dry, and core the peppers. Since the seeds inside are the source of the heat, make sure they are all removed. Or, if you can handle the heat, leave a few in. 
At this point, the peppers can be stuffed with anything or any combination that you would like. Plain cream cheese is my favorite since it balances the heat of the pepper but it is fun to try different combinations. Make sure everything is cut to fit inside the pepper and have fun creating. 

Once peppers are stuffed, place them in the pepper grill rack and grill them on medium high heat for approximately 5 minutes, or until heated through. 

Balsamic Dijon Marinade for Chicken

1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil 
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
3-4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon honey
1 lime, juiced
Dash of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
4 chicken breasts

Add all ingredients, except chicken, into a large resealable plastic bag. Seal bag and mix ingredients together until well combined. Add chicken to the bag and let it marinate in refrigerator for as little as 30 minutes or for up to 8 hours. Flipping the bag over or shaking every hour or so while in the fridge will help cover all of the meat. Before grilling take out the garlic cloves and disregard.

Grill on medium high heat for 7 minutes per side or until cooked through. 

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

Portobello mushrooms
Extra virgin olive oil
Worcestershire Sauce
Salt and pepper

Carefully snap stems off of mushrooms and clean caps with a damp paper towel. Drizzle both sides of mushrooms with the olive oil and use fingers to coat the cap. (This well ensure it will not stick to grill.) Sprinkle worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper onto the gills of the mushroom. 

Grill on medium high heat for approximately 5 minutes per side. Can be eaten plain or on a bun with sliced tomatoes and avocados!  


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4 Responses to “Memorial Day Grilling Ideas”

  1. We haven't made stuffed jalapeños in a long time! They look so good and I've had a major obsession with portobello mushrooms lately too ;) TGIF!

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  2. This was very cool! The group of friends I BBQ'd with lost our BBQer when he moved to Portland a few years ago and nobody has stepped up since! However, after reading this, I came across a kitchen cookware website (because kitchen cookware is a weakness of mine) that has some really cool BBQ tools I thought might interest you. The site itself is http://www.fusionbrands.com/ but the products I thought you might like to take a particular interest in are: GrillComb (on sale!), http://www.fusionbrands.com/products/grillcomb and FoodLoopFlame, http://www.fusionbrands.com/products/foodloopflame. They have a silicone version of this but this version is meant for the BBQ. Let me know what you think of these items? I don't have any affiliation with this site...I'm just curious to know what another cook thinks of the stuff I think look cool and, should you decide to get both/either, how the products work. Have a good weekend! Delphi

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    Replies
    1. That's so funny because the kids said they want kebobs on Sunday! The grill comb looks perfect for that! We have standard metal skewers and wooden ones that we soak before grilling, but the comb looks good because it's easy on and off. Thanks for mentioning these - might just have to give that one a try!

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  3. Let me know if you do? :) Enjoy the kebobs!

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