Grilled Beer Can Turkey

As Chicago’s weather seems to be cooperating, grilling season is FINALLY upon us…  And that means its time to head outdoors, and enjoy the warmer temperatures with a cold brewski and some cooked protein. One of my favorite things to enjoy in the summer is a juicy beer can chicken.  But seeing as I missed Thanksgiving this year, I thought it would be fun to feast on a beer can turkey with crispy skin and juicy succulent meat.  As turkey is usually found dry on so many tables, this is a sure fire way to keep things tasty and moist.  It is hands down my favorite way to enjoy this bird, and there is no reason to wait until November to eat turkey again!  Try it! For additional recipes, head to The National Turkey Federation! 

 ingredients

1     1 12-14 pound turkey, cavity cleaned, rinsed and patted dry    

       2 1 pint Half Acre Daisy Cutter

1     1 cup water

For the Rub:

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Juice of 1 lemon

preparation

Preheat the grill to 350 degrees. Prepare the chicken by applying your spice rub, making sure to season the meat under the skin of the turkey. Season the cavity and skin with kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and lemon juice  Place the turkey on the open beer can so that the beer can is inside the cavity of the turkey. Make sure the beer can is open and half full, I recommend drinking the first half, or it will explode. You can also cut the top of the can completely off, using a can opener, which will allow for extreme succulence. Place the turkey upright on the grill over the grill pan and over indirect heat. Grill the turkey, covered for about  1 1/2 hour - 2 hours.  Enjoy! 

Grilled Spicy Maple Sriracha Lime Chicken Wings

One of my first food loves I can remember is the great American classic 

“buffalo wing”.  Generally prepared fried, with crispy delicious, skin, and all, then immediately tossed and served in some spectacular buffalo sauce and served with some celery and ranch or blue cheese, depending on my mood.  Some of my favorites of all time include Buffalo Joes in Evanston, Wings and Curls in Ocala, Florida, and the original Vine in Iowa City.

But the truth is, you can make great chicken wings on the grill at home.  Its healthy, a fraction of the mess, no clean up, and doesn’t require a fryer, which most people don’t generally have or aren’t comfortable using.  The preparation for the chicken wing is exactly the same every time, and then you can change up the sauce you are tossing it in, to create completely different and unique tasting wings.  I urge you to explore outside of just “buffalo style”.

You are going to need some chicken wings.  You can find them at pretty much all grocery stores, but, as always, if you can afford it I recommend buying some high quality wings from your local butcher.  Marianos, Whole Foods, and other mass merchant grocers also offer an organic high quality wing too, if you ask for it.  The difference in quality as compared to a cheap chicken farm wing is tremendous.  Not only will the meat be so much more ample and succulent, but it will be void of all the tendons and grossness you will find from cheap poultry farm chicken.  I like to buy the 3 piece wing, with wing tip still in tact.  It makes them easier to grill and handle, and I enjoy tearing the pieces apart as I’m eating.   I think each part has different delicacies to enjoy.  But this is complete personal preference, and you can ask the butcher to cut the wings at the joints when you buy them, or just to remove the wing tips, or whatever you want. 

However you get them, you are going to want to rinse them down with water, pat them completely dry, and then generously toss in coarse salt, pepper, and olive oil.  That’s it!  Make sure the wings have had a chance to come down to room temperature (or close to it) before throwing them on the grill.  The key is to make sure the grill is super hot (450+ degrees).  The hotter the better.  Put the wings on the grill, and close the lid.  Keep closed and hot.  You can check on them every few minutes to make sure you aren’t flaming up too bad anywhere.  You are going to want to leave them without turning for around 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, turn them over and cook for another 10 minutes with lid closed.  Again, check on them every few to make sure you don’t have too much fire.  If you know certain parts of your grill are hotter than others, you may want to rotate the wings around a little bit.  After about 20 minutes of grilling, check to see how they look.  The skin should be good and charred and crispy.  Its almost impossible to overcook wings.  Cooking time will vary 20 -30 minutes depending on heat.  Once they look delicious, you can pull them off, and eat them “as is” or…. Toss them in your favorite sauce and Enjoy!  You will be thanking me….

Spicy maple sriracha chicken wings are the perfect balance of sweet and spicy! Prepare on the grill for a delicious twist on the traditional Summer favorites or bake on game day for the perfect game watching snack.

Spicy Maple Sriracha Chicken Wings 
recipe from Pure Canadian Maple Syrup

ingredients
2 lbs chicken wings, halved ( I used wings from Whole Foods) 
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil 
3 tablespoons of  Pure Canadian Maple Syrup 
2 tablespoons of Huy Fong Foods Sriracha Sauce
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons of Sir Kensington's Ketchup
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest

To Bake:

In a larger bowl combine wings, salt, coriander, cinnamon, cumin and olive oil. Stir until well blended. Chill 1-4 hours. Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl combine maple syrup, sriracha sauce, butter, ketchup, lime juice and zest; set aside. Bake 30 minutes until cooked through and crispy. Remove from the pan and toss in maple mixture. Return to baking sheet. Spoon any extra sauce onto the wings. Bake 20 minutes, until crispy and sauce is set. 

To Grill: 

However you get them, you are going to want to rinse them down with water, pat them completely dry, and then generously toss in coarse salt, coriander, cinnamon,cumin and olive oil.  In another bowl combine maple syrup, sriracha sauce, butter, ketchup, lime juice and zest; set aside. Make sure the wings have had a chance to come down to room temperature (or close to it) before throwing them on the grill.  The key is to make sure the grill is super hot (450+ degrees).  The hotter the better.  Put the wings on the grill, and close the lid.  Keep closed and hot.  You can check on them every few minutes to make sure you aren’t flaming up too bad anywhere.  You are going to want to leave them without turning for around 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, turn them over and cook for another 10 minutes with lid closed.  Again, check on them every few to make sure you don’t have too much fire.  If you know certain parts of your grill are hotter than others, you may want to rotate the wings around a little bit.  After about 20 minutes of grilling, check to see how they look.  The skin should be good and charred and crispy.  Its almost impossible to overcook wings.  Cooking time will vary 20 -30 minutes depending on heat.  Toss them in your maple syrup sauce and Enjoy!  You will be thanking me….

Barbecued Ribs

Traditionally, you need to smoke ribs all day to achieve that incredible flavor and texture we all crave, but today I am going to share with you a super easy method (oven to grill) that can create that same irresistible taste, with much less hassle. 

Sauce is key to making stellar ribs.  There is a ton of great ones out there, but a line I have been digging lately is called Teaspoon's Willies Everything Sauce.  I was gifted a box of their sauces, as a friend of my husbands started this sauce company out of Denver.  I am so glad I was introduced to it, as I want to pour the sauce on "everything", hence now we know where the name Everthing Sauce originated.

I am big advocate of buying locally sourced produce/meats, so please head to your local butcher for the best ribs.  For those who live here in Chicago, I walked over to Chop Shop to purchase Slagel Family Farm ribs. 

My 3 steps to "porkfection':

Step 1: Season
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Coat the ribs with your favorite dry rub or marinade.  In a bowl, I added a tablespoon of kosher salt, dry mustard, paprika, a pinch of cayenne and fresh ground pepper to create my dry rub.

Step 2: Bake 
Bake the ribs for 2 hours for baby back, and 3 hours for spare ribs.  Make sure to wrap 'em in double layer of foil, and place them on a baking sheet that is wrapped in foil.   After 2 hours, pull them out.

Step 3: Grill 
Preheat grill to medium-high heat.  Grill the ribs for about 10 minutes, turning 'em a few time and basting 'em with sauce. You want the ribs to look lacquered and charred.  Remove and Enjoy.

grilled whole fava beans

ingredients

2 lbs of fava beans, rinsed

3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

One lemon, halved

Sea Salt and Fresh ground pepper to taste

preparation

Preheat your grill to medium high heat. In a large bowl, toss the fava beans with olive oil and season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper.  Make sure the fava beans are coated evenly.

Transfer the fava beans and lemon directly on the grates of the grill and cook, turning occasionally, about 5-6 minutes per side or until charred.  Remove from grill and put the fava beans on a serving dish. Squeeze the grilled lemon onto the fava beans.  Pop the beans out of shells directly in your mouth like you would eat edamame. Enjoy!

Grilled Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas

• Once a week, I like to get creative and participate in my own "food challenge" by using whatever ingredients or food pantry items I have on hand. Its a great way to ensure you are actually using and consuming the food you buy.  Every couple days its smart to scan through the food in your fridge and pantry, and make a plan to utilize what you got before it spoils.
• 
  
• This past day, I knew that I had some flour tortillas that were a few days old, a left-over half of one red onion and a chicken breast. I figured I could turn these into some sort of quesadilla.  I headed over to pantry and found a can of chipotle salsa to spice things up, a perfect complement to the flavors of fresh cilantro and lime. I chose to grill the flour tortillas for the quesadillas because the grill marks add character and give the tortilla a mild smoky flavor. 

• 
  
• Grilled Chicken Chipotle Quesadillas 
• 
  
• Serves 2 

ingredients

• 
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 7oz can of chipotle salsa (I used San Marcos) 
• 1 green onion/scallion, thinly sliced
• 1-1/2 cups or 1 large grilled free-range chicken, sliced thinly 
•          (this can be pre-cooked or grill at at time)
• 2 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• 4 10-inch diameter flour tortillas
• 4 handfuls of shredded cheese
• Sour cream, for serving (optional)
• Lime wedges, for serving (optional)

preparation 

Grilling the Chicken 

Before laying your seasoned chicken breast down on your grill pan, you are going to want to make sure your surface is CLEAN, OILED, and HOT!  I promise your chicken will like you better, and you will like your chicken much better if you do this.  This, in addition to a little patience (don't even move the breast for at least 3-4 minutes), alleviates the issue of the chicken sticking to the grill.

Heat your grill pan to 375-450 degrees.  Place the chicken on a clean, oiled, and hot grate.  Cook the chicken breasts for about 4-5 minutes per side depending on thickness.  I like to do a "touch test" with  my finger to see if  the chicken is done, but feel free you use a meat thermometer, it should read 160 degrees. Remove the chicken from the heat, let it rest for a couple minutes, and slice in thin strips, and set aside for a moment. As it rests, begin making the chipotle mixture. 

Chipotle Mixture

In a large sauté pan or cast iron pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute or so. Stir in the chipotle salsa for 3-5 minutes, stirring often. I would slice the chicken at this point. Stir in the scallions, sliced chicken and cilantro. Keep warm on low heat. 

In the same grill pan as you cooked the chicken breast on, over medium-high heat, put down a flour tortilla. After a minute or so add a little cheese and wait until it begins to melt, then add an even layer of chipotle chicken mixture, sprinkle more cheese, and cover with another tortilla. Turn the quesadilla over, and let cook on each side for a few minutes until grill marks are perfect and golden.  If grilling in batches, keep finished quesadillas warm in a 200° oven until ready to serve. Enjoy! 

Food & Wine (FWx): Jimmy Banno Jr.'s Chicken Thigh Kebabs with Chile-Yogurt Sauce

A couple nights ago, I attended the launch party for FOOD & WINE's  FWx brand.  It is for foodie and drink obsessed 25-35 year olds who want to stay informed and connected to the latest trends, places and talents. FWx even helps prepare you for a hangover. Unfortunately, we ALL get those sometimes....

The event featured eats from The Purple Pig and Do-Rite Donuts, and Mixologist Charles Joy of The Aviary  was offering up incredible cocktails all night long sans the hangover! I walked out, full and happy, with the September issue of Food & Wine in hand.  Later that evening, I treated myself to some peace and quiet and read the magazine cover to cover like I do the September issue of Vogue!  To my delight, the September issue featured quick and easy recipes by non other than The Purple Pig's Jimmy Bannos, Jr .  One recipe that jumped out at me (featured below), was the grilled chicken thigh kebabs with chile-yogurt sauce.  The recipe serves for 4, but to be honest, I inhaled more than half the thighs myself.  It's Friday and the weekends are filled with parties and tail-gates; I highly recommend serving up this sure to be crowd pleaser! 

Chorizo stuffed fried olive with garlic yogurt by Jimmy Bannos Jr.of the Purple Pig 

Pistachio Meyer Lemon Do-Rite Donut 

I walked out, full and happy, with the September issue of Food & Wine in hand. Later that evening, I read the magazine cover-to-cover as I treat all my food magazines like the September issue of Vogue. In this September issue, F&W featured quick and easy recipes by, one of Chicago's favorite, Chef Jimmy Bannos Jr. of The Purple Pig and his grilled chicken thigh kebabs with chile-yogurt sauce jumped out at me. The recipe serves for 4, but to be honest, I inhaled more than half the thighs myself.  As it's Friday and the weekends are  filled with parties and tail-gates, I highly recommend Chef Jimmy's recipe as it will be crowd pleaser! 

Chicken Thigh Kebabs with Chile-Lime Yogurt Sauce

adapted from Food & Wine Magazine September 2014 

ingredients 

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
2 Tablespoon sweet paprika
8 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and each thigh cut into 3 pieces (I bought my chicken from a local butcher shop) 
1 cup plain Greek yogurt  
1 Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
1/3 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Lemon wedges, for serving

preparation

In a large bowl, which 1/2 cup of olive soil with the paprika. Add the chicken and toss to coat; let it stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes

Meanwhile,  in a small mixing bowl, mix the yogurt, fresh lemon juice, cayenne, crushed red pepper and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with slat and black pepper and mix well. Note: the chile-yogurt sauce can we made ahead

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Season the chicken with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper and thread the pieces onto each skewers. I like to soak my wooden skewers before I use them, do you? Oil the grill grate and grill the chicken over medium heat, turning occasionally, until golden brown or for abut 10 minutes. I rotated the skewers every few minutes to get an even char. 

Transfer the skewers to a serving platter and serve with the chile-yogurt sauce and fresh lemon wedges. Enjoy! 

Grillling Pizza 101: Margherita Pizza

As summer is finally here in Chicago, if you haven't already, its time to start cooking outdoors!  Friends and family are always drawn to the "heat" my husband and I bring to the grill, whether its a juicy steak or a grilled pizza. Today I am featuring a grilled pizza, guaranteed to be served with a crispy charred bubbly crust and a plethora of mouth watering toppings, vibrant sauces, and fresh garnishes.  The combinations and flavors you can create are limitless.  Carnivores and herbivores alike can create their own flavor rainbow with color and texture.  Today I will guide you on grilling a basic Margherita pizza.

How to master grilling pizza:

Choose your dough
There's no shame in buying fresh store bought pizza dough; I can't always make my own yeast-risen dough so I turn to the dough masters at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, or a local pizzeria. However, making your own dough is easier than it sounds and I include my recipe below.

Basic Grilled Pizza Dough

ingredients

note: makes two 12 inch pizzas

3/4 cup warm water
1 packet active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 unbleached flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoons cornmeal
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus  1/4 teaspoon for the bowl

preparation

Pour warm water into a small bowl. Add the yeast and sugar and stir until the yeast dissolves, it must be smooth and beige in color. Let it rest and stand for about 5 minutes to make sure the yeasted water is active, as a thin layer of foam should form on top. Set aside.
Next, add the flours, salt, and cornmeal to a standing mixer. Using your dough attachment, set on the lowest speed, combine and mix all the dry ingredients. Add the yeasted water and the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the mixer and mix on the slowest speed allowing the dry and wet ingredients to combine together slowly. I recommend scraping down the sides of the mixture with a spatula. Set the mixer to medium high speed and let the mixer knead the dough for about 2 minutes, forming into a ball. If the dough is too wet or sticky, add some more flour to help prevent from sticking as it should come off the sides cleanly and form a ball. Put the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of olive oil in a bowl and place your dough ball in the bowl. Turn the ball over several times to coat it with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm and draft free place for 2 hours until it rises to almost double in appearance. Chill the dough in the refrigerator overnight or for about 1 hour to firm it up before grilling to make it easier to handle. Before working with the dough, let it stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes.

Rolling out/shaping the dough

Place dough ball on a clean work surface that is lightly floured. Punch down the dough gently to remove gas. Flatten the dough with your hands to about 1 inch thickness and cut in half. Put one piece of dough in the center of the floured surface and sprinkle flour over the top of the dough. Using the rolling pin, begin rolling out the dough starting from the center out to the edges about 1/4 inch thickness. I don't like perfect round pizzas, I prefer the charactertisc of rustic and unrefined look. Sprinkle the crust with a generous layer of flour so it makes it easier to transfer the dough without sticking. Position a rimless baking sheet or pizza peel and transfer the dough onto it. 

Herb oil for grilling pizza

ingredients
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh basil, finely chopped

preparation
Place all the ingrediesnt in a bowl and mix well. The herb oil will keep in refrigerator for about a week. Leftovers can we used for marinades for meats, fish or veggies. 

Grilling the pizza

Preheat your grill to high heat.  We use our gas Weber grill and turn it to medium high setting, closing the lid for about 10 minutes before placing the dough on grates. I recommend putting olive oil on a paper towel to grease the grates as it will prevent the dough from sticking to the grill.
When your grill is ready, slide it off the rimless baking sheet allowing the dough to slide flat onto the grill.

The dough should cook for about 3 minutes and will begin to bubble and it will begin to set and firm up.

 Watch as magic happens.

Gently lift edge and peak underneath with thongs and ideally you want the underside of the dough to become charred, but not burnt (as pictured above).  Once it is ready, remove the pizza from the grill and flip it over so the charred side is face up on the baking sheet and the uncooked side is face down.  You will then brush the cooked side with the her oil, add your sauce, cheese, and toppings (ingredients listed below), before returning the pizza to the grill for a few minutes to cook the bottom.  After a few minutes, your pizza will be done.  We like to then take the pizza off the grill and place it under our broil for a few minutes to add a little color and crispness.  Top with fresh basil leaves, slice, and serve! Enjoy!

Margherita Pizza 

1 grilled pizza crust, as pictured above

1 1/2 Tablespoon herb oil

1/2 ball of Mozerella di bufala

2-3  tablespoons of tomato sauce/pizza sauce 

(I made slow-roasted tomato sauce)

3-4 fresh basil leaves

Grilled Fava Beans

Fava beans are now in-season at the farmer’s market.  They remind me of my father, as he is a fava bean addict.  He usually prefers them steamed, but this weekend for Father’s Day, I’ve decided to serve them up a new and fun way for him to enjoy… grilled.  That’s right, grilled fava beans!  The fat pods uphold perfectly on the grill, and one can simply pop the beans out of the pods straight into your mouth.  It is the perfect appetizer for a BBQ, especially for a great Father’s Day. 

ingredients

2 lbs of fava beans, rinsed

3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

One lemon, halved

Sea Salt and Fresh ground pepper to taste

I served mine with some homemade chimichurri.

preparation

Preheat your grill to medium high heat. In a large bowl, toss the fava beans with olive oil and season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper.  Make sure the fava beans are coated evenly.

Transfer the fava beans and lemon directly on the grates of the grill and cook, turning occasionally, about 5-6 minutes per side or until charred.  Remove from grill and put the fava beans on a serving dish. Squeeze the grilled lemon onto the fava beans.  They are now ready to dip in the chimichurri and pop the beans out of shells directly in your mouth.  Enjoy!