Chicken Teriyaki Skewers....Can I do it?

Yesterday afternoon, Dominic had a meeting out in Pt. Reyes Station and would be home at around 6 or so.  The kids are always hungry by 5 and I can sometimes hold them off until 5:30 so I am always searching for something that I can make that is easily reheated or that I can easily make in two batches. 

Chicken Teriyaki Skewers was it yesterday.

One problem......I'm not the greatest 'Griller' (is that even a word?) The BBQ is normally Dominic's domain.

Oh, and can you believe I've never tried grilling skewers!  But I was in the mood for something light, fresh and easy.  Plus I just bought 20 lbs of chicken and wanted to use some of it.

I used skinless chicken breast and boneless, skinless thighs.  Red onion, pineapple, zucchini, summer squash and red bell pepper for the veggies.  I cut everything into chunks and skewered them.

I marinated the skewers in a Pyrex for a few hours with my favorite, Soy Vay Teriyaki.

Oh, and before skewering, I soaked the wooden skewers in water for a while so they wouldn't burn (hopefully). 

I sprayed the grill with non-stick cooking spray and laid all the skewers out on the gas BBQ set on medium low heat.  Turning after 6 minutes or so.

They took about 20 minutes or so to finish grilling.

While tending the grill I enjoyed a refreshing beverage.

Have you ever tried these 55 calorie beers?  I like 'em!

Garnished with these, oh so cute Key Limes.

I think the skewers would be great to make for a party.  You can even do a vegetarian version.  Prepare everything ahead of time and just grill when you're ready.

I like 'easy' when having a party.

 Just about done.

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I was thrilled that they didn't burn and everything cooked evenly!  Maybe I can do this grilling thing.

I also made some brown rice to go along with them.  I mix in a bit of the Soy Vay with the rice and heat it through......SO good!

Dominic made it home at a really great time, dinner didn't have a chance to become cold.  Always a bonus.

I ate half of the leftovers today for lunch which were just as good as last night :)

Happy Thursday!

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Which is better, Gas or Charcoal?

Photo by Joshua Bousel

What is better, charcoal or gas?  Well, whatever you choose and with May being National Beef Month, it's time to fire up those outdoor grills!  We have both, a charcoal and gas grill, but I have to admit, we mostly use the gas grill out of convenience. But I do prefer the smoky taste of a charcoal however.  It's so easy to fire up that gas grill, let it heat up for 10 minutes, clean the grill rack and throw down the beef.

Tips:
Follow these simple tips to help keep your meat from charring to cut down on carcinogens:
Stay clear of burned beef to avoid eating charred steaks, hamburgers, and chicken.
Keep the fat to a minimum. Cut down on carcinogens by grilling only lean cuts of meat and trimming all visible fat, and removing the skin from chicken.
Oil your grill. A little oil keeps charred material from sticking to the food. (It also helps keep fish and chicken stay in one piece.)

Use aluminum foil. Make tiny holes in a piece of foil and place it on the grill underneath your meat. The holes let the fat drip down, and the foil reduces the amount of smoke the billows back up. Wrapping the meat completely with perforated foil is an even better idea.

Lower the heat. On charcoal grills, increase the distance between the food and the hot coals by spreading the coals thin or by propping the grill rack on bricks. Simply adjust the heat setting on gas grills.

Stick to charcoal and hardwood. Barbecue briquettes and hardwood products, such as hickory and maple, burn at lower temperatures than softwood and softwood (pine) chips. Mesquite chips are slightly less safe than those made of other hardwoods but are safer than softwoods.

Charcoal briquettes. Use 25--35 briquettes per 1lb--1.5lbs of meat. Place the first row on the bottom making sure to cover the entire surface evenly, then stack the remainder in a pyramid shape on top one another. Then put a light covering of lighter fluid on the top f the briquettes, you can now light them. The thing about charcoal is it takes 30--40 minutes to become hot enough to cook, you want to wait for them to ash over. Once this is done you can spread the briquettes out to better the cooking efficiency. You are ready to cook.

Clean your grill. Scrub your grill thoroughly after every use to avoid a buildup of carcinogens that can be transferred to your food the next time you grill. For tough grease, put the dirty rack into a plastic garbage bag. Add water and dishwashing liquid and leave overnight. Brush off the residue and rinse. You may also want to heat the grill before placing food on it to kill any surviving bacteria. If you have a gas grill with permanent briquettes, turn them greasy side down, light the grill, and with the temperature at high, close the cover. After 20 minutes the briquettes will be as good as new.

Marinate for Your Health's Sake

Marinades not only make grilled foods taste better, they may also make them safer. A chemist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California found that marinating chicken in simple mixture of olive oil, cider vinegar, garlic, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and brown sugar reduced carcinogenic compounds in the finished product by more than 90 percent. Researchers don't know why; they suspect that marinating draws out chemical precursors of carcinogens.

Be sure to treat marinades, which draw bacteria from meat and poultry, as a raw food.

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The Wife of a Dairyman ~ Seared Steaks with Carmelized Onions and Gorgonzola ~ & Some E. Coli Information

When it comes to e. coli 0157:H7,the key is proper cooking.

For ground beef (this means any ground beef product: chuck, round, etc…), should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

The best way to measure this is by using a meat thermometer (especially for thick burgers) or cook ground beef until the interior is no longer pink and the juices run clear.

Since whole muscle meats (steaks and roasts) are ground up to make ground beef there is more surface area that could have come in contact with e. coli 0157:H7. The only way to ensure a safe hamburger is to eat it well done.

Steak lovers, no worries, you can still enjoy your favorite medium or rare steak.
When you grill a steak, the surface of that meat is the only part that has to be cooked to a temperature of 160 degrees. To make your grilling easier. I recommend using this grilling chart.





















Photo by Eating Well

Seared Steaks with Caramelized Onions and Gorgonzola•

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 2 large onions, sliced (about 4 cups)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound beef tenderloin, (filet mignon) or sirloin steak, 1-1 1/4 inches thick, trimmed and cut into 4 steaks
• 1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola, or blue cheese

Preparation

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions and brown sugar and cook, stirring often, until the onions are very tender and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add broth, vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until the liquid has almost evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes more. Transfer the onions to a bowl; cover to keep warm. Clean and dry the pan.

2. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper on both sides of each steak. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add the steaks and cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn them over and top with cheese. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the steaks are cooked to desired doneness, 3 to 5 minutes for medium-rare. Serve the steaks with the caramelized onions.

Nutrition
Per serving: 338 calories; 16 g fat (5 g sat, 7 g mono); 69 mg cholesterol; 11 g carbohydrates; 36 g protein; 2 g fiber; 468 mg sodium; 565 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Zinc (40% daily value), Potassium (16% dv), Iron (15% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 5 lean meat, 1 fat Pin It