Summer is here!! Lets grill!

Hey all!

So it's official! SUMMER IS HERE!!!

I know, I know. The first day of summer isn't until the end of June!...Technically! But I consider Memorial Day weekend to be the beginning of summer. The grills come out full swing, kids are out of school, the pools open up, the weather is sunny and warm! It's a great reason to kick off the season.

I just love summer! And what's summer without great food? NOT SUMMER!!

My faves are probably just about everyone else's. I love grilling hamburgers and hot dogs, brats, summer veggies, the whole shebang! and then wash it down with an ice cold brewski. But I like to spice things up a bit and throw in a little change. I mean, I don't want to eat just a plain ol' hamburger everyday!! Don't get me wrong, plain is good, but sometimes you just need a little extra something. Especially when you're entertaining! You want to impress your guest don't you? Trust me, they will appreciate it. After all, who wants to go to a party where there is no flavor variety? So put on your favorite tunes and get out your grill cause we're gonna be cooking this summer!

Now I'm not a master griller. I usually leave the grilling to the men in my life. I have not mastered that art so I worry about what's going to be on the grill and they worry about making sure it ends up on my plate just right. I can think of a lot of things that can be cooked on the grill but for now lets stick with the basics and lets change it up just a little; add that little wow factor into it and see if we can't keep people from guessing what it is that's making their food extra delicious. We'll start with the main courses for right now, my 2 favorite cookout entreés. And stay tuned in cause later this week we'll talk about some scrumptious sides that will make your taste buds tingle!

For starters...

I love brats, preferably grilled. I will hardly eat one cooked on anything else. I like them steaming hot, slightly charred with that great smokey flavor seared right in there. I also like to pile on the toppings. One of my all time favorite toppings for a good brat is of course, sauerkraut. I love the texture and the tanginess and I think the two go really well together. But what's so special about sauerkraut and brats? Well I like to cook my kraut with a little bit of paprika. Not a big deal but it certainly adds a little magic there.

Just pour the kraut into a sauce pan to heat it up and add the paprika. Put it over a medium/medium low heat and let it come to a simmer. About 15 minutes or so, until most of the excess liquid from the kraut as evaporated and the paprika has melted into it. Put a big heaping pile on your grilled bratwurst and enjoy. I add a little mustard too! What else is good? Well if you don't like sauerkraut, I also like adding different types of relish. Sweet pickle relish and sweet and spicy red pepper relish are top picks. Chase it down with a slightly sweet, super refreshing hefeweizen.

Second is the almighty, can't have a cookout without it, HAMBURGER!!!

One of my all time favorite variations of the hamburger is one I modeled after my meatloaf, minus the oats.

Mini Meatloaf Burger:

1/2 pound ground sirloin

1 tbsp onion flakes

2 tsp worcestershire sauce

2 tsp dried parsley flakes

1/4 cup plain bread crumbs

1 egg

salt and pepper to taste.

Mix it all together and form into patties. These burgers are sooo juicy and sooo yummy. The next burger I was just trying to get rid of some items I had left over from a previous dinner and didn't want to spoil. I call it Burger D'italia

1 pound ground sirloin

1 small vidalia onion finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic finely minced

1/2 red bell pepper finely chopped

1 egg

italian seasoned bread crumbs

Chop the onion and pepper and mince the garlic. Add to the ground sirloin along with a medium sized handful (about 1/4 cup) of bread crumbs. Mix together and form patties. When it only has about one minute left to cook add on a big slice of provolone and let it melt over the patty. I love this one! The red pepper really gives it some zing.

My South of the Border burger is muy delicioso!

1/2 pound ground sirloin

1/2 pound ground pork

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped

Mix together and make your patties! For a little extra extra, add a slice of pepper jack cheese! When working with the jalapeño, make sure you use a separate knife than what you would use to say, slice the tomatoes with. The spiciness will cling to it and also, make sure you wear gloves or wash your hands throughly before touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.

And to top off my burgers I like an wide array of condiments. You must have ketchup and mustard of course, pickles, tomatoes and lettuce, the whole nine yards. But I like some other toppings too. I like slicing up green peppers and cucumbers for my burgers, pickle relish, avocado, and mayo. You can spruce up your mayo a little too.

1 cup of your fave mayo

1 clove of garlic

1 cup fresh basil

Pulse in a food processor until smooth. It's especially delish on the Burger D'italia.

I like avocados and corn relish on my south of the border burger, with mayo con cilantro!

1 cup of your fave mayo

1 tbsp lime juice

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

Pulse in a food processor until smooth!

As for the cerveza, well I think anything light and crisp will do! I really like peroni, modelo, and almost any wheat beer for my burgers. Leinenkugal is one of my choice breweries and they make a great seasonal, Summer Shandy. It's made with real lemonade! Great refreshment!

These recipes are super delish and have so much flavor! You're tongue won't know what to think! But you're guest will! They'll think you've got it going on with the grill and you know how to serve up some fancy fare! Try them out and let me know what you think! Try them with your favorite side or check back later for some of my suggested serve alongs!

Be comfy in la cocina!

Hey All!

This is my first official blog!!! & I am just sooo excited! 

My mission with this blog is really basic: share with everyone my love of food, cooking and some really great recipes. 

!!! FYI  !!!           I am not a chef, I have not had any formal training in the culinary arts, so I ask that you not assume I know all the fancy tricks and will wow you with my food savviness and culinary wit. ;-)  I've picked up a few tricks and secrets here and there, mostly I get them from the Food Network, magazines, and my 15 year old cousin, but I think everyone should know them.  I am a simple nine to fiver just like some of you but I love love love to cook and I love food.  Creating meals is so much more than providing nourishment for my body; Cooking is my therapy, my anger management, it's my excuse not to do homework, or finish that DIY project I've been meaning to get to, it's my creative expression. Cooking is so much more than creating healthy, or not so heathly, delish meals.  I'm an avid foodie magazine scammer, and when bored I stare into my pantry/refrigerator and think up things to dish up. I want to share with you, my readers, if you are out there, some of my favorite recipes and some of my new recipes, tips, tricks, and fab food finds. I've made some pretty darn good dishes by just throwing together some items from my pantry, or going on a random item shopping spree.  

There's nothing more rewarding than pulling together a few simple ingredients and whipping up something great. 

So this blog is for you dear readers. If you already like to cook and find food fascinating, then lets share some knowledge! If you think you're too busy to cook, keep a look out for my expeditious entrees. If you're a kitchen newbie then lets get you familiarized with the curriculum and feel free to ask questions! I'll at least attempt to conjure up a palatable answer. So I hope this blog inspires you to get in your kitchen and at least try to boil water, or come up with a new dinner menu. Just remember food is our friend, and we are the bosses of our kitchens! Read on for some tips on becoming more comfy in your cocina! 

My "Learning to love your kitchen" checklist:

• Be familiar with your kitchen!!   You are the master of your own domain! You are the boss!  Get to know the equipment and utensils, they work for you. 
• Be in good company! Surround yourself with foods and products you love. If you don't like tuna, toss it! Tarragon got you in a tizzy? That's ok! There are so many other great herbs out there.
• Watch the Food Network! There are so many shows on there that help to get you acquainted with food and show you cool tricks and easy recipes. And since your online hop over to their website which has even more information!!
• Be confident and patient. Know that you are a great chef in the making! And know that not every recipe you test out is going to come out perfect. The first batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies I ever made were a disaster! Turned out, I forgot to add the flour!!! That's like numero uno on the list of ingredients! It's all about trial and error. 
• Tests the waters a little bit. Don't be afraid to try new things. Like I said, it's all about trial and error! I used to look at asparagus and cringe!! But I tried it and now I almost always have it in my kitchen! I also learned how to change it up a little so it's more versatile and I can use it in multiple dishes or as a side! 

So I hope, as people who love to eat, we can share some great ideas! There are so many possibilities to food it's just infinite! So I look forward to sharing my fave recipes and my new ones and hopefully you'll try them out and let me know if they are worthy of recreating or if they should go into the compost bin. 

For starters, here's my "I've had a long day" go to dinner! It's so easy and super fast to make requires little cleanup and is SO delish!

For this dish you will need!

1 box Near East Couscous (I like the wild mushroom & herbs)

1 package boneless skinless chicken tenders

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

1 medium yellow onion, sliced  (vidalia is great if in season)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced (I like a lot of garlic. You can add or subtract as much as you like)

Salt and pepper

goat cheese

Prepare the couscous as directed on package. 

Pour the olive oil in a large skillet over medium/medium-high heat. While that's working clean off the chicken under some cold water. When the oil is well heated add the chicken and the veggies. Stir them around so they get coated with the oil and salt and pepper them to taste. Add the garlic. Turn the heat down to medium. Cook until the chicken is cooked through and the veggies are tender. About 10 minutes or so. 

Spoon the couscous onto a plate and top with the chicken/veggie mix. Sprinkle on some goat cheese and enjoy!

Chau!