Gremolata Chicken Skewers

These chicken skewers make a fantastic, quick weeknight meal and the kids will LOVE them! They can be prepared the night before, then just grill them when you get home. The simple flavors of fresh parsley, lemon and garlic would also make these Gremolata Chicken Skewers a fun, healthy appetizer for your next get together with family and friends. 

Gremolata Chicken Skewers

Prep Time: 2 hours                         Yield: 12

Cook Time:  10-12 minutes            Servings: 4

Total Time: 2 hours 12 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 Fresh Chicken Breast Tenders
• 1 Lemon, zest and juice
• 2 tbsp. Garlic, minced
• 1/2 c. Fresh Parsley, chopped
• 1/4 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 12 Skewers

Directions

1. In a small bowl combine the lemon zest and juice, garlic, chopped parsley and oil. Whisk together. 
2. Add the chicken to a large resealable plastic bag and add the marinade and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 
3. Heat grill and remove the chicken from the bag. Grill chicken until it is cooked through; approximately 5-6 minutes per side (grilling times may vary depending on type of grill and whether or not you close the lid. Cooked chicken should be 165 internal degrees). 

Enjoy! 

Nutrition Facts per Skewer
Calories 90, Carbs .8g, Fat 4.5g, Protein 11.4g, Fiber 0g, Sugar 0g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate.

Flank Steak Stuffed with Brie & Zucchini (Family Favorites) and How to Cook the Perfect Steak This Father's Day

Ah yes...Beef is more than likely going to be "What's for Dinner" this coming Father's Day. According to the most recent Consumer Grilling Study, three out of four Americans say that the one meat they grill the most often is beef (69%); while chicken came in second (25%) and pork came in third (6%). I would tend to agree as it seems like we eat beef more often in the warmer, grilling months ourselves.

I don't know about you, but I'm a visual person. Show me and I can do it or figure it out. Tell me and you lost me. So I found this chart below to determine how long to cook your steaks as a guide, but try not to poke too many holes in the meat while cooking as the juices will flow out and cause your steak to dry out.  Cooking times do vary according to the cut of meat as well so for a more specific list, including the different cuts of beef and minutes to cook per side, click on the link to see this really helpful chart from Beef It's What's For Dinner.

As far as Father's Day plans, I'm not quite sure what we're going to do yet. Saturday is my rescheduled Book Signing from 1pm-3pm; then we're heading to a combined graduation party for my nephew(high school) and niece(college) where I'm bringing that Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad with Kalamata Olives, Capers and Sun Dried Tomatoes, and with the hubby traveling so much lately between his father's surgery, vacation and business trips, I think he'd prefer just hanging home for the day to recoup.

I'm thinking that I may make this family's favorites recipe for Flank Steak Stuffed with Brie & Zucchini from my cookbook. I can't believe I haven't made this recipe since I originally created it in August 2011 and it was one of our favorites...always on the quest to find new and exciting new recipes I guess! For this dish, I sauteed some zucchini with fresh rosemary, garlic and mushrooms. Then I added some slices of Brie, wrapped it up, sliced it individually and grilled it. I have to say it was AMAZING; however, you have to grill these on a higher temperature so that all of the cheese doesn't run out before the meat is done cooking.

Flank Steak Stuffed with Brie & Zucchini

Prep Time:  30 minutes                               Yield: 6

Cook Time:  Personal Preference                 Serving: 1 piece

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb. Flank Steak
• 1 1/2 c. Zucchini, cut in half then sliced
• 1 c. Mushrooms, sliced
• 2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp. Fresh Rosemary
• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 4oz. Brie, white rind removed and sliced
• Kitchen String

Directions

1. Using a meat tenderizer, pound flank steak until it is rectangular in shape and even thickness. 
2. In a pan, heat oil and sauté the zucchini, mushrooms, garlic and rosemary until the vegetables get soft.  
3. Evenly spread the zucchini mixture on top of the steak, leaving a 1/2" border around all sides; then add the cheese. 
4. Roll up the flank steak lengthwise and tie with six pieces of kitchen string; spacing them out evenly to where you will slice them. 
5. Using a sharp knife, cut the rolled steak into six individual pieces. Season with salt and pepper just prior to grilling. 
6.  and grill until desired doneness.  

Nutrition Facts

Calories 260, Carbs 1.8g, Fat 13g, Protein 32g, Fiber .5g, Sugar .7g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Looking or other Beef Grilling Ideas? How about some of these reader favorites!

Ginger Soy Marinated Strip Steaks

Vanilla Fig Balsamic Marinated London Broil

Mediterranean Stuffed Flank Steak

Enjoy and Have a Happy Father's Day! 

Barbecue Party Calculator from Food Network

Are you having a last minute get-together? 

Here are a few simple tips from The Food Network to 

ensure you have the right amount of food! 

For the Food

• Adults will consume 1 pound of food total; children, about 1/2 pound.
• The more options you have, the less you need of each; decrease the main course portion sizes by 1 to 2 ounces if served on a buffet.
• Guests will always eat and drink more at night than during the day.

For the Drinks

• You can either create a few mixed drinks to be served punch-style, allotting 1 gallon for 10 guests, or provide a do-it-yourself array of alcohol and mixers (one 1-liter bottle of alcohol will make up to 22 mixed drinks). 
• Allow for 1 bottle of wine per 8 guests.
• Guests will consume 2 drinks in the first hour, and 1 drink every hour after that. 
• Buy 2 pounds of ice per guest, and a large number of lemons and limes.

For Hors D'oeuvres and Appetizers Only

• Assume each guest will eat 4 to 6 bites per hour. 
• For a cocktail hour preceding a larger meal, 6 bites per person total is a safe estimate. 
• Planning a more intimate dinner party with plated appetizers? 10 ounces of leafy greens for an appetizer salad will feed 10.

For Main Courses

• Each adult 6 to 8 ounces of meat or seafood total for their main course. 
• Smaller grill staples like hot dogs, ribs, chicken legs and thighs each run 1 1/2 to 4 ounces each. 
• For hamburgers, each store-bought patty is about 6 ounces. Consider making homemade smaller patties so guests can mix and match proteins.

For Condiments

• For ketchup, one 20-ounce bottle.  
• For mustard and relish, one 10-ounce bottle each. 

Side Dishes

• For pasta salad, 1 cup per guest
• Baked beans, about 1/2 cup
• For a group of 10, plan on 7 cups of potato salad and 5 cups coleslaw to feed the crowd.

Desserts

• Individual desserts like cookies and watermelon slices, assume guests will eat about 2 each. 
• For larger cakelike options, each guest will most likely eat 4 ounces. 
• Pre-slice your cakes or serve messier desserts or ice cream (also 4 ounces per guest) in cups.

Read more at Food Network and Happy Memorial Day! 

Lemon-Thyme Brined Grilled Chicken

Grilling season has officially arrived here in NJ (well at least at my house...I don't like to use the outside grill unless it's above 60 degrees!) and I couldn't wait to try out some new grilled chicken recipes. The first one I experimented with was a basic brine marinade like I've used in the past on pork, and came up with this Lemon-Thyme Brined Grilled Chicken. 

Grilled Pork Chops with Lime and Cilantro (Family Favorites)

Did you know that I have created and shared over 650 new recipes since I started this blog? In fact, this coming Saturday will be CEK's 2 year blogging anniversary! Many of the original recipes are no longer on the site, but you can find them in my cookbook available at many online retailers like Amazon, BN.com and IndieBound. 

 Carrie's Experimental Kitchen: A Collection of Mediterranean-Inspired Family Meals

The funny thing is that since I created all of these recipes, there are only a handful of them that I've made since. I know you might find that hard to believe that someone can have that much of a variety in their meal planning, but YES my family can attest to the fact that I've made something new almost every day for the last 2 years! They like my experiments and the first thing they do when they come home is look to see what I've made next; though sometimes they just crave a burger and fries or take-out pizza. It's all good. :)

So I decided that I would go back to the early days of CEK and pull out some of my family's favorite recipes from the cookbook, make them again and share the recipe with you each week in a new segment called 'Family Favorites'.  I will also include the Nutritional Information since these were not included in the book. 

For today's post, I decided to share the first recipe I ever published here on the blog for Grilled Pork Chops with Lime and Cilantro. I didn't even photograph it the first time and that's a good thing (my early photo skills were horrific!). I just love this recipe. The brining keeps this lean cut of meat moist and tender, and the lime and cilantro add an extra layer of freshness. Besides, it reminds me that summer is on its way! 

Grilled Pork Chops with Lime and Cilantro

4-4oz Boneless Pork Chops

3/4 Cup Water

2 Tbsp. Granulated Sugar

2 Tbsp. Kosher Salt

1 Tbsp. Fresh Cilantro, chopped

1 Tbsp. Fresh Lime Rind, grated

Juice from 1/2 lime

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

1 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix water, sugar, and salt until it dissolves. 

2. Add cilantro, lime zest and juice, garlic powder, and pepper, and whisk together until well blended. 

3. Trim any visible fat from your pork chop; then tenderize the chop using a meat mallet or the bottom of a glass. 

4. Add the pork chops and the marinade to a resealable plastic bag, and refrigerate no more than 2 hours. 

5. Remove the meat from the bag, discard the marinade; then grill the pork chops until the proper internal temperature is reached. (It all depends on the thickness of your chop and how you and your family prefer to eat it). Serves 4. 

*Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories 214, Carbs 9.1g, Fat 8g, Protein 24.5g, Fiber .8g, Sugar 7g 
*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. This recipe factors in all of the above bringing ingredients. Actuals may be significantly less as all of the marinade gets discarded and is not consumed. 

*Suggested Sides: Brown or White Rice with Baby Carrots in a Honey Lime Butter  

*For all of the main entrees in the cookbook, I also suggest side dishes that I've created that go along well with each recipe to help with your family meal planning.

Enjoy! 

Rosemary Grilled Pork Skewers

Today is Food on a Stick Day (I know, there's a day for everything these days!) and since the weather is starting to warm up a bit, I thought I'd share these Rosemary Grilled Pork Skewers. They're so easy to make, are healthy and loaded with fresh, aromatic flavors like lemon, garlic and rosemary. 

The beauty of making a grilled meat skewer, or kabob if you prefer that term, is that you can add any vegetable you like and it will slightly change the flavor. My standard is to use some sort of mushroom, onion and tomatoes; then I add on others with what I happen to have in the house at that moment. This time I also used some zucchini, but eggplant, yellow squash and peppers would work well too. 

Rosemary Grilled Pork Skewers

1 1/2 lb. Center Cut Pork Loin, trimmed and cubed

1/4 c. Distilled White Vinegar

1/4 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Lemon, zest and juice

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

2 tbsp. Fresh Rosemary, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt

1/4 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Vegetables for Skewers (I used baby bella mushrooms, zucchini, onion and Roma tomatoes)

Directions:

1. Combine the vinegar, oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk together. 

2. Add the pork to a resealable plastic bag; then add in the vinegar mixture. 

3. Refrigerate for 2 hours, remove pork then assemble skewers by alternating 3-4 pieces of pork and vegetables of your choice per skewer. 

4. Grill 8-10 minutes or until the pork has reached the proper internal temperature. Makes 8 skewers; Serves 4. 

The nutritional information for this recipe takes into account all ingredients, even though most of the marinade is discarded before grilling. Please take that into consideration when calculating your caloric intake. I've given you both sets of data so that you can decide which one you prefer to use. 

*Nutritional Information per Skewer With All of the Marinade: 

Calories 177, Carbs .2g, Fat 10g, Protein 21g, Fiber 0g

*Nutritional Information per Skewer--Pork only; does not include vegetables: 

Calories 119, Carbs 0g, Fat 3.4g, Protein 21g, Fiber 0g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate. 

Enjoy!

Asian Marinated Pork Spareribs

Well, we survived the first few days of back to school with only a few little glitches and are in full swing with school-sports mode here at the Farias household. I actually made today's recipe about two weeks ago as my kids were dying (well not literally of course) for ribs. I hadn't made them in a while (May to be exact) and since the end of summer was nearing, it only seemed fitting to make them again. I didn't want the traditional kind with bbq sauces, so I made this soy sauce based marinade instead. These were delicious and sticky and gooey...all of the things a sparerib should be and the family LOVED them! 

Asian Marinated Pork Spareribs
2 Full Racks Pork Spareribs
Prepared Asian Marinade

Directions:
1. Cut racks in half forming four racks. 
2. Place them in a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. 
3. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. 
4. Remove ribs and brush with the prepared marinade. 
5. Either grill the ribs until they are browned or bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes. 
Serves 4-6. 

Asian Marinade
3/4 c. Low Sodium Soy Sauce
2 tbsp. Ketchup (I use Heinz)
1 tbsp. Stone Ground Mustard
1/2 c. Honey
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/4 c. Scallions, chopped

Directions:
1. Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan, mix well, then bring to a boil. 
2. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until sauce has thickened. 
3. Let cool.

Enjoy! 

Corona Grilled Pork Chops and The Summer BBQ Calculator

The weekend before last, I had taken out a pork loin roast from the freezer, but we were so busy hanging curtain valances, cleaning and organizing the house that time got away from us. I was no longer in the mood for a roast as the day turned out to be gorgeous. I didn't feel like turning the oven on, so we decided to invite over last minute guests and grill instead. I cut down the roast into chops so we had individual servings and if you've never done it before, it's really quite simple (and economical most of the time too!).  

How to trim down a pork loin:
1. Trim excess fat from the loin on all sides. 
2. Next, mark the the top of the roast with a sharp knife where you will be cutting the meat through to ensure you get even cuts. (I like to start in the middle using that as my guide for the halfway point; then use each half as another guide.) I got 8 chops out of a 2 lb. roast. 
3. Once you have your guide, cut all the way through, trimming any residual fat. 

I don't drink beer myself; however, the alcohol does burn off during the cooking process. These were deliciously moist and so light and flavorful! 

Corona Grilled Pork Chops
8 Boneless Center Cut Pork Chops

Marinade
1 c. Corona® Beer

2 tbsp. Granulated Sugar

2 tbsp. Kosher Salt

1 Lime, zest and juice
1 tbsp. Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp. Honey

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix beer, sugar, and salt until it dissolves.
2. Add lime zest and juice, cilantro and honey and whisk together until well blended.
3. Trim any visible fat from your pork chop; then tenderize the chop using a meat mallet or the bottom of a glass.
4. Add the pork chops and the marinade to a resealable plastic bag, and refrigerate for no more than 2 hours.
5. Remove the meat 15 minutes prior to grilling, discard the marinade then grill the pork chops until the proper internal temperature is reached. Serves 8.

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Calories 166, Carbs 1g, Fat 6g, Protein 26g, Fiber .1g, Sugar .7g 

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

The Summer Barbecue Calculator

I was reading the July 2012 issue of Real Simple Magazine while on vacation and came across this article on how much food to make for a summer barbecue and thought it was spot on.  And since this coming weekend is one of the biggest BBQ weekends celebrated in the US, I thought I'd share the tips with you. 

For the Food:
For each guest, you will need:

• 1 1/2 servings of any burger, hot dog or sandwich
• 1 1/2 cups total for side dishes or salads combined (for example: pasta salad, coleslaw or potato salad)
• 2 platters of cut up fruit or vegetable crudites for every 25 people

For the Drinks:

For each guest, you will need:

• 1 1/2 alcoholic drinks per hour
• 2 gallons of lemonade or iced tea for every 25 people if you're also serving alcohol
• If you're going barless, bump up the number to 4 gallons of alcohol-free drinks for every 25 people

Enjoy! 

Shared at Recipes for My Boys Thursday's Treasures 8/30/12

Grilled Chicken with Summer Fruit Salsa

Are you looking for a light, summer dinner to serve the family? Then this is the perfect dish for you! Fresh peaches and mangoes tossed with Heirloom tomatoes, fresh lime juice and balsamic vinegar gives plain, boring grilled chicken that WOW factor! Not only was this FABULOUS on the chicken, but I bet it would taste great on top of boneless pork chops or fish, like shrimp or salmon, or maybe even just on it's own with some tortilla chips as an appetizer.  

Grilled Chicken with Summer Fruit Salsa
4 Boneless Chicken Breasts
Prepared Summer Fruit Salsa

Grill chicken until proper internal temperature is reached. Top with chilled salsa. Serves 4. 

Summer Fruit Salsa
1 Heirloom Tomato, finely chopped
1 Mango, peeled, de-pitted and finely chopped
1 Peach, peeled, de-pitted and finely chopped
1 tsp. Red Onion, minced
Juice from 1 Lime
1 tsp. Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. Balsamic Vinegar
2 tsp. Canola Oil
1 tsp. Sugar
Kosher Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients together and chill until ready to serve. Makes 1 cup. 


Enjoy!

Shared at The Country Cook Weekend Potluck 8/17/12

Guest Blogger-Greek Feta Burgers from Running with the Deviled Eggs

How's everyone doing so far? Even though I'm having a fabulous time, I REALLY do miss all of you! Today we dock in Venice, Italy in the afternoon and I can't wait to walk the cobblestone streets and take a night time gondola ride. 


I'm so excited to have our next Guest Blogger here with us today. This is her first time doing this sort of thing and I'm THRILLED and HONORED that she decided to share herself and her wonderful recipe with us. Please join me in welcoming Katrin! 

Katrin, or Betty Martha as her close friends like to call her is the lady behind Running with the Deviled Eggs blog. A recent newleywed and mother of 1 fabulous teenager (Little Ugh), Katrin spends her time in her kitchen dancing around to music from all genres while trying to prepare healthy and tasty dishes for her family.  She tries to keep her ingredients as fresh and as local as possible, keeping frozen or pre packaged foods out of her cupboards. When she is not in her own kitchen she spends her time at work, in another kitchen, baking cakes, cupcakes, and other various desserts. Her mantra - Food for your mouth, Fuel for your soul!

Running With the Deviled Eggs is a food diary with everyday recipes for the novice to advanced cooks with a little tune to keep you dancing in the kitchen. When Carrie put our a call for some help guest posting I was so excited to be asked I said yes immediately! I never get asked, I'm like the kid who's picked last to play basketball (white girls can't jump).  So of course I feel honored to help her out while her kitchen is being revamped but more than that, I love Carrie's blog!  Her creativeness makes me drool ALL the time.  I only hope my recipe will make you drool like hers do for me! (Awe, thanks Katrin and my daughter and I were drooling over these burgers too!)

Last week there was a sale on lean ground beef $1.88/lb! We don't eat beef all that often but how could I resist that price? It meant meatballs and burgers were comin'. Burgers are meant to be juicy, flavorful yet simple. There's no need to load it up with fillers or toppers. Sometimes subtlety works. This is just the case here.

Now, I can't say for sure but I believe the fact that I froze the patties and cooked from frozen may have had an extra helping hand in the moistness factor. I plan on trying it out again soon (with a different recipe) just to test the theory but at least you know you can freeze them well and cook from frozen.

I've said it before, when cooking I don't necessarily measure ingredients, I eyeball consistencies, taste (where I can) and use the "little of this" mantra and this recipe is no exception. The amounts are generalizations of my recollections so feel free to add, omit or change flavors up a little

Greek Feta Burgers

Enough to make 4 1/4lb burgers
1 lb lean ground beef
1 egg
1/3 c. whole wheat bread crumbs
1/2 red onion grated
1 clove garlic grated
4 tbsp. chopped feta
1 tbsp. oregano
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Mix all ingredients together in one bowl. If a little wet add in a bit more bread crumbs. Form into 4 patties making the inner part thinner for a more even cooked burger. I placed them between layers of parchment and tossed them into a freezer bag and into the freezer for a few days before we grilled them (about 5-7 minutes per side from frozen!) Top with homemade tzatziki, cucumbers, feta, tomatoes or olives. Mine just had tzatziki! YUM!

You can aldo find Katrin on Facebook and Twitter

Click HERE for the original post. 

Grilling Ideas for Father's Day

Father's Day is tomorrow, can you believe it! If you're still looking for a last minute gift idea for that special man in your life, check out some of these ideas from Gifts.com, there are over 90 of them and I listed just a sampling. 

1. Microbrew Beer Bucket Gift Basket

2. Jerky of the Month

3. Drive a Stock Car (National)

4. Wine Making Kit

5. Grill Alert Talking Remote Meat Thermometer (Hey, us Mom's could use this too!)

6. Monogrammed Triple Initial Steak Brand

7. Bose Quiet Comfort Noise Canceling Headphones 

8. Personalized Baby Portraits (classic Warhol style)

9. Hot Sauce of the Month

10. Personalized Keep Sake Dog Tag Set

Father's Day often means "GRILLING DAY" as well, so here are a few grilling recipe ideas to get you started! 

Grilled Chicken Recipe Ideas:

Honey Lemon Grilled Chicken 

Grilled Chicken in a Lime Frost Sea Salt Brine

Lemon Yogurt & Basil Chicken Kabobs

Grilled Chicken Oregano

Grilled Chicken Buffalo Pasta

Grilled Beef Recipe Ideas: 

Mediterranean Stuffed Flank Steak

Soy-Ginger Grilled Flank Steak

Flank Steak Stuffed with Brie & Zucchini

Grilled Rib Eye with Balsamic BBQ Marinade

Wine & Balsamic Marinated Filet Mignon

Grilled Pork Recipe Ideas:

Raspberry Lime Grilled Pork Chops

Lemon-Ginger Grilled Pork Chops

Orange & Thyme Grilled Pork Chops

Ribs with Honey Maple BBQ Sauce

Ribs with Whiskey Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce