Chef's Corner: BBQ delights, southern style
One thing that most people associate with summer is BBQ-ing. Television shows featuring the grill dominate the Food Network. “License to grill”, “BBQ with Bobby Flay” and “Boy Meets Grill” are consistently top-rated. And it is not just for the carnivore: vegetarian delights abound as well. I am forever AMAZED at the size of the BBQs on sale for this summer … some I swear are larger than my car!
So grab a shopping bag, fire up the grill (even your George Foreman will do) and get ready for a true, traditional Southern BBQ feast.
Easy BBQ Southwestern chicken
1 cup BBQ sauce (any flavour)
1.5 tsp. of south-western seasoning
1 tsp. salt and pepper
1 tsp. chicken fajita seasoning
Set oven to 400 degrees skin 4 leg quarters and marinate in all ingredients for 15 minutes.
Take a cookie sheet or flat sheet and a sheet of foil, and wrap leg quarters in foil, make sure no opening, seal it up tight. Cook for 45 minutes on the BBQ. When done spoon remaining sauce over chicken till glaze appears, then serve.
Grilled veggies with lemon mustard basting sauce
1/2 cup unsalted butter, diced
1/3 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 small eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
1 large red onion, cut into 3/4-inch-thick wedges
1 of large red bell pepper cut lengthwise into even 1 inch triangles
1 large yellow bell pepper cut lengthwise into even 1 inch triangles
1 large zucchini sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
8 asparagus spears, trimmed
1 large carrot, peeled cut on deep diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick slices or if using small
Carrots, cut in half lengthwise.
In a pot combine butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, Dijon, thyme, oregano, shallots and bring to a simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Place the sliced eggplant, onion, bell peppers, and zucchini on to a baking sheet along with asparagus. Drizzle and brush the veggies with the lemon and mustard baste.
Oil vegetables and season with salt and pepper.
Prepare barbecue for direct grilling. Preheat grill so that one side is on high heat and the other side is set to medium heat. Place onions on medium side and grill for four minutes per side. Place all other vegetables over high heat and grill until nice char marks are achieved about one to two minutes per side. Flip and baste with marinade.
Cherry Coke BBQ beef ribs (no, seriously they are good!)
1 slab baby back beef ribs (pork okay as well!)
Cherry Coke to cover (NOT DIET!) — If no available, use Dr. Pepper.
The juice from a can of peaches
Salt and pepper
1 raw onion, quartered
Cinnamon sticks
1 orange, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
1 lime, sliced
Simmer the beef ribs in the Cherry Coke and one or two onion quarters in a large pot over medium heat for about a half-hour. Meanwhile, prepare the marinade by warming the cherry juice in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add salt, pepper, remaining onion quarters, cinnamon, orange, lemons and limes and about 1 / two litre of Cherry Coke. Heat the marinade until near to the boiling point. Refrigerate to marinate the parboiled beef ribs for about 2 hours prior to grilling. Grill slowly over a low flame or coals for about an hour until done, turning and basting with leftover marinade that has been reheated to boiling or with your choice of BBQ Sauce. The grilling time of two or three hours is greatly reduced because the beef ribs were partially cooked during the parboiling and marinating process.
So grab a shopping bag, fire up the grill (even your George Foreman will do) and get ready for a true, traditional Southern BBQ feast.
Easy BBQ Southwestern chicken
1 cup BBQ sauce (any flavour)
1.5 tsp. of south-western seasoning
1 tsp. salt and pepper
1 tsp. chicken fajita seasoning
Set oven to 400 degrees skin 4 leg quarters and marinate in all ingredients for 15 minutes.
Take a cookie sheet or flat sheet and a sheet of foil, and wrap leg quarters in foil, make sure no opening, seal it up tight. Cook for 45 minutes on the BBQ. When done spoon remaining sauce over chicken till glaze appears, then serve.
Grilled veggies with lemon mustard basting sauce
1/2 cup unsalted butter, diced
1/3 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 small eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
1 large red onion, cut into 3/4-inch-thick wedges
1 of large red bell pepper cut lengthwise into even 1 inch triangles
1 large yellow bell pepper cut lengthwise into even 1 inch triangles
1 large zucchini sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
8 asparagus spears, trimmed
1 large carrot, peeled cut on deep diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick slices or if using small
Carrots, cut in half lengthwise.
In a pot combine butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, Dijon, thyme, oregano, shallots and bring to a simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Place the sliced eggplant, onion, bell peppers, and zucchini on to a baking sheet along with asparagus. Drizzle and brush the veggies with the lemon and mustard baste.
Oil vegetables and season with salt and pepper.
Prepare barbecue for direct grilling. Preheat grill so that one side is on high heat and the other side is set to medium heat. Place onions on medium side and grill for four minutes per side. Place all other vegetables over high heat and grill until nice char marks are achieved about one to two minutes per side. Flip and baste with marinade.
Cherry Coke BBQ beef ribs (no, seriously they are good!)
1 slab baby back beef ribs (pork okay as well!)
Cherry Coke to cover (NOT DIET!) — If no available, use Dr. Pepper.
The juice from a can of peaches
Salt and pepper
1 raw onion, quartered
Cinnamon sticks
1 orange, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
1 lime, sliced
Simmer the beef ribs in the Cherry Coke and one or two onion quarters in a large pot over medium heat for about a half-hour. Meanwhile, prepare the marinade by warming the cherry juice in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add salt, pepper, remaining onion quarters, cinnamon, orange, lemons and limes and about 1 / two litre of Cherry Coke. Heat the marinade until near to the boiling point. Refrigerate to marinate the parboiled beef ribs for about 2 hours prior to grilling. Grill slowly over a low flame or coals for about an hour until done, turning and basting with leftover marinade that has been reheated to boiling or with your choice of BBQ Sauce. The grilling time of two or three hours is greatly reduced because the beef ribs were partially cooked during the parboiling and marinating process.
