Grilled Lobster Tails

For Father’s Day my husband and I wanted to do something special for my dad and the best way to do that is cook an awesome meal. That is what we did, we served him Grilled Lobster Tails and Steak with Twice Baked Potatoes and Corn with Peach Cobbler for dessert! It was so delicious, everyone enjoyed!

I found that grilling lobster tails is actually not that hard. If you can butterfly them first and use a quick marinade to baste them with while cooking them on high on an oiled grate they only take about 2 minutes per ounce to cook. My husband the expert BBQer did a great job of getting everything ready and cooking for just the right amount of time.

I got the marinade and cooking technique from www.allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 cup olive oil 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon white pepper 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 2 (10 ounce) rock lobster tails

Directions:

	Preheat grill for high heat.
	Squeeze lemon juice into a small bowl, and slowly whisk in olive oil. Whisk in salt, paprika, white pepper, and garlic powder. Split lobster tails lengthwise with a large knife, and brush flesh side of tail with marinade.
	Lightly oil grill grate. Place tails, flesh side down, on preheated grill. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once, and basting frequently with marinade. Discard any remaining marinade. Lobster is done when opaque and firm to the touch

Grilled Pineapple and Chicken Quesadillas

Many weekends in summer my mom and I find ourselves sitting around at home wondering what to have for lunch. The boys (my husband and my dad) always go golfing and usually eat at the club, so we are on our own for lunch.

I cam across this recipe for Grilled Pineapple and Chicken Quesadillas and knew this had to make the Sunday lunch list as it would be perfect for us. I made this last Sunday and wow was it amazing. The way the flavours all came together with the sweetness of the pineapple and the tart or spiciness of the chicken and BBQ sauce it was delicious and will definitely go down on the must make again list!

I highly recommend giving these a try as a lunch or dinner sometime. Of course you can change anything up here, add beef instead of chicken, change the pineapple to veggies, add a different sauce, it's basically whatever you want in it. But if you are a fan of pineapple I would suggest giving this a try before changing it up.

I got this idea from http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/05/grilled-chicken-pineapple-quesadillas/

Ingredients

• 8 whole Flour Tortillas
• Butter Or Margarine
• 2 cups Grilled Pineapple, Sliced
• 3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 3 cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
• 1 whole Jalapeno, Sliced (I omitted)
• Cilantro
• 3 Tablespoons Barbecue Sauce

Preparation Instructions

(To grill pineapple: cut wedges, stick on skewers, and grill over low heat. Cut into slices.)

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and Cajun spice (or cumin/cayenne, etc.) Drizzle olive oil on a grill pan and grill on both sides until done, brushing with barbecue sauce. Set aside and slice into very thin slices.

Warm griddle over medium heat and put sizzling butter or margarine in the pan. Slightly warm and toast tortillas on both sides, then remove from griddle and set aside.

To assemble, sprinkle four browned tortillas with grated Monterey Jack. Arrange chicken slices evenly over the surface. Add pineapple slices and jalapeno slices. Sprinkle on cilantro. If desired, drizzle extra barbecue sauce over the top.

Add second browned tortilla on top of each one. (You'll have four complete quesadillas at this point.)

Add to oven to warm, or back to skillet to warm, until cheese is melted. Cut each quesadilla into six wedges. Serve with sour cream, pico de gallo, and lime wedges.

Chicken Empanadas

Last weekend my husband was golfing on Sunday and afterwards we wanted to head out and check out the brand new stadium that was built for the football team we have here. That being said my husband needed a snack after golf and before we headed out so I told him I would have something ready to keep him going until dinner. That is where these Chicken Empanadas came in handy.

These were actually really easy to make. I cooked and diced the chicken the day before and left it in the fridge, so when it came to making the filling it was just a matter of mixing everything together. Using the refrigerated pie crusts was an awesome idea as it eliminated the need for making your own dough which can sometimes be tricky and time consuming.

I rolled the pie crusts out with a little bit of flour and used a drinking glass to cut out my rounds. I made mostly small ones but a couple of bigger ones to ensure he would be filled up. These turned out so great and also tasted amazing. I ended up freezing one dozen of them made completely to the point of where you cook them. This way next time I want a snack I just need to pull these out and cook them for a few minutes longer to ensure they get hot the whole way through.

I definitely recommend giving these a try, they are so tasty and easy to make. I got this idea from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/chicken-empanadas-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

3 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1 (8-ounce) package shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese blend
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts
Water

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Lightly grease a baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine the chicken and next 7 ingredients. 

 

 

 

Unroll 1 piecrust onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 15-inch circle. Cut out rounds, using a 3-inch cookie cutter. Re-roll dough as needed. Repeat procedure with remaining piecrusts, making 12 to 15 circles total. 

 

Arrange 1 round on a clean, flat surface. Lightly brush the edges of crust with water. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of chicken mixture in the center of the round. 

 

 

 

Fold the dough over the filling, pressing the edges with a fork to seal. Repeat with the remaining rounds and chicken mixture. (Up to this point, the recipe can be made ahead and frozen for up to 1 month). 

 

 

 

Arrange empanadas on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

Thousand Dollar Bars

My grandma always made this slice called Millionaire Shortbread which was my absolute favourite thing she made. I have not asked her for her recipe yet but will make sure that I do. In the mean time I found this recipe for a slice called Thousand Dollar Bars that seemed very similar to my grandma’s slice so I thought I would give this a try.

I whipped these up last weekend and they were a hit with the whole family but the true test was taking some over to my grandparents and having them test them out. My grandma tried one and said yes these were quite good and very similar to hers but the filling I used (caramels and heavy cream) is different from the filling she used of condensed milk boiled.

I must say even those these are fantastic and taste great I agree with my grandma that her filling is a bit better and smoother, but these are a very close second. This makes a large pan and is great for sharing with company. These are also quite sweet so you can cut smaller bars.

 

I definitely suggest giving these a try…any sweet tooth will love them! These are a lot like a Twix bar!

I got this idea from http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/thousand-dollar-bars-recipe

Ingredients

Shortbread layer

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Caramel layer

2 cups caramel, cut into small chunks

3 tablespoons heavy cream

Chocolate layer

3 cups chopped milk chocolate or dark chocolate, melted

1 tablespoon vegetable shortening (optional)

Directions

FOR THE CRUST: Preheat your oven to 300°F. Spray a 9" x 13" pan lightly with cooking spray, or line with parchment, and set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla. Add the flour. At first the mixture may seem dry, but will come together as you continue to beat at medium speed.

 

Take the dough (it will be somewhat stiff) and press it evenly into the pan. Lightly flouring your fingertips will help with any sticking.

Prick the crust all over with a fork. The holes will allow steam to escape and the crust will bake evenly with fewer bubbles.

 

Bake the crust until it's lightly golden brown on top and the edges are deeper golden brown, about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately run a knife around the edges to loosen the crust. Set it aside to cool completely.

 

FOR THE CARAMEL LAYER: Melt the caramel and cream over low heat in a small saucepan. Pour the caramel over the cooled crust and set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill and firm up.

 

FOR THE CHOCOLATE LAYER: Melt the milk or dark chocolate slowly in a double boiler or over very low heat. If it seems very thick, add a tablespoon of shortening to thin it. Pour evenly over the chilled caramel layer and spread to cover all of the caramel. Return to the fridge until the chocolate is well set. Cut into 2" x 2" squares to serve. It's best to store these bars in the refrigerator.

 

 

 

Vegetable Ranch Pasta Salad

Cold salads are a part of summer in my opinion, so once summer hits, the potato salads, pasta salads and lettuce salads come out in full! With that said when my husband and I hosted some friends for a BBQ a few weeks ago we decided on this delicious Ranch Pasta Salad to serve with the honey garlic chicken skewers and the fruit salsa and cinnamon chips.

This pasta salad was delicious. I especially loved that it called for broccoli and got the vegetable serving in there for the meal. I actually like broccoli, but I think for people who don’t you would still like this salad because it’s taste is masked, or of course you can always pick it out. This salad also called for a Ham Steak which I omitted due to the fact that I didn’t feel it needed meat as we were serving it as a side to a meat dish. I’m sure the ham steak or chicken would be delicious in this.

I got this recipe idea from http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/garden-ranch-pasta-salad-123267.aspx

What You Need

2 cups fibre-enriched farfalle (bow-tie pasta), uncooked

2 cups small broccoli florets

1 cup chopped ham steak (I omitted)

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup finely chopped red onions

1/4 cup Kraft Calorie-Wise Rancher's Choice Dressing

1/4 cup Kraft 100% Parmesan Light Grated Cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

Make It

COOK pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt and adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 3 min.; drain. Rinse under cold running water; drain again. 

COMBINE ham, tomatoes, onions and dressing in large bowl. Add pasta mixture; mix lightly. 

TOP with cheese and dill. 

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

I think summer is all about fruit, and I had this awesome fruit salsa and cinnamon chips made for me once before, so when friends were coming over for a BBQ it was a no-brainer that this was one dish that had to be made. This dish is super easy to make, you just need to chop everything up, mix it and give it a little bit of time to chill in the fridge before serving. The cinnamon chips are also easy to make, using whole wheat tortillas, melted butter and a cinnamon sugar mixture. I used a pizza cutter to cut the tortillas into chips before baking them. Delicious!

This dish was very well received with our friends and I had leftovers for my family dinner the next day which were still good. Note this dish is best on the day it's made as it gets runnier each day after.

I got this idea from http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2010/05/fruit-salsa-with-baked-cinnamon-chips.html

Ingredients

• 2 kiwis, peeled and diced
• 2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
• 8 ounces raspberries
• 1 (16 oz) carton of strawberries, diced
• 2 tablespoons white sugar (more or less to taste)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar (more or less to taste)
• 3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor (I used strawberry)
• 10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
• melted butter or butter flavored cooking spray
Cinnamon sugar:
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 Tablespoons cinnamon

Instructions

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat one side of each flour tortilla with melted butter or butter flavored cooking spray. Sprinkle tortillas with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Spray again with cooking spray (not necessary if using melted butter).

Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture. This salsa can also be serve with cinnamon graham crackers or cinnamon pita chips. 

Pork Tenderloin with Apple Compote

Every week I like to try and change up the meat we have for our Sunday night family dinners, so it’s not Pork, beef or chicken two weeks in a row. With that said, we did beef and turkey burgers last week, so this week I decided on pork tenderloin with apple compote. I haven’t done pork tenderloin on the BBQ; I usually do them in the slow cooker so this was a new adventure!

This pork was delicious. I was a little skeptical because it said to only marinate for 30 minutes and in my experience when you do that it doesn’t usually end up having a lot of flavor. So I went and marinated for about 2 hours and wow was it good. I don’t know if that extra time made a difference or not but it was delicious!

The apple compote was easy to make and accompanied the pork so well, it was a hit with everyone! I highly recommend this meal! It is a crowd pleaser!

I got this recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

2 cups balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme 1 cup olive oil 1 pork tenderloin, cut into 2 inch pieces 1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1 apple, thinly sliced 1/4 cup dried cherries 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root 1 pinch ground cinnamon 1 pinch ground nutmeg

Directions:

	Puree the balsamic vinegar, garlic, and thyme in a blender until mixed. With the blender running, slowly pour in the olive oil until thickened and incorporated. Pour the marinade into a resealable plastic bag. Add the pork pieces, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
	Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate. Remove the pork from the marinade, and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade.
	Cook the pork on the preheated grill until no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Once cooked, remove from the grill, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
	While the pork is cooking, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar until it begins to simmer. Add the apples, cherries, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook and stir until the apple is tender, about 5 minutes. Serve the sliced pork topped with the apple compot e