Search Results for: grilling

How to Make The Best Grilled Asparagus

Tender, smoky, and sweet, the best grilled asparagus is the perfect, healthy 15-minute side dish for any meal.

Side dishes are the connectors of the dinner table, the unifiers that bring the meal together. And because there’s usually more than one side dish to your dinner menu, it’s a good idea to keep the recipes easy.

So when I have a main dish that calls for a few ingredients and techniques to employ, I turn to my tried and true simple recipes.

This 15-minute, 2-ingredient grilled asparagus (plus salt and pepper) is definitely at the top of that list.

The best grilled asparagus becomes smoky and sweetly caramelized when the grill does it’s job it does so well, when the outside of these bright green spears become lightly charred and crisped, and the interior soft and tender.

Behold, these are the simple steps for making this vegetable side dish creation the easy way.

continue to the recipe… about How to Make The Best Grilled Asparagus

30 Days of Easy Grilling Recipes to Make in June

These 30 easy recipe ideas for chicken, meat, seafood, and vegetables are cooked on the grill and made into easy main meals, skewers and salads, for easy outdoor, summer cooking.

Ahhh June, the lazy-hazy-dog days-of-summer are officially upon us! Beach trips, cookouts, and easy livin’ abound. School’s out, and many of us are welcoming relaxed schedules these next few months, so the task of meal planning is much less stressful.

In between ordering pizzas poolside and dining al fresco at our favorite local haunts, we’re embracing the slower pace, and scheming up easy, laid back dinners. To mark our sixth installment of our 31 Days Series, we’re firing up the grill, and this month’s meals are all about things we can cook outdoors, because let’s face it, it’s too darn hot for those ovens!

Whether you’ve got an old-fashioned charcoal grill, a fancy gas, or a George Foreman kitchen version, get yours going, because we’ve got a tasty grilled lineup ahead.continue to the recipe… about 30 Days of Easy Grilling Recipes to Make in June

How to Grill the Best Ribeye Steak

There’s nothing more classic to come from the grill than a thick-cut, perfectly cooked bone-in ribeye steak with a secret slather of flavor.

“Which one do you like best? This one. Or this one?”

I put my family through this photo editing process at least once a week. But given that this is 100% my husband’s recipe/passion/craving-every-single-week, consulting him on which photo to lead this post was part of the process.

“Definitely the one on the grill,” he replied. Really? But it’s not on a plate. It’s not all styled out. It’s not my usual style of pic.

“Exactly. It’s a big, beautiful ribeye grilled to perfection on a grill. Isn’t that what you want to show?”

Yes. Yes it is. Why do I always overthink it?

This grilled steak is the epitome of summer. Big. Juicy. And it serves a crowd. Or if you’re my husband, serves enough for dinner and leaves some for a breakfast burrito in the morning.

He’s smart that way.continue to the recipe… about How to Grill the Best Ribeye Steak

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Chive Herb Butter

This is my quick and easy go-to method for grilling chicken. Top it with a homemade lemony herb compound butter and you’ll take it to the next level.

Butter. It’s the secret sauce.

We all know it’s best slathered on freshly baked breads and muffins, hot corn on the cob, or as the essential base for the craziest, cheesiest mac & cheese, but it’s quickly become one of my favorite additions for anything that comes off the grill, too.

I’ve shared my penchant for compound butters before, like in this recipe for lime and chili chicken skewers or my husband’s now famous porcini infused butter atop filet mignon.

With flavored butters there’s no need to wait for a marinade to infuse the meat with flavor and moisture. All that’s required is a hot grill, hot chicken and sliced butter flavor boosters straight from the refrigerator in the form of these chive and herb butter slices. From there, the hot grilled breast meat finishes the job by decadently melting flavor onto each morsel of chicken.

Flavored butters are not only becoming my secret sauce, but like Wonder Woman’s golden cuffs they’re becoming my secret grilling weapon. If only I had the rest of the outfit (ahem…and that bod), imagine the work in the kitchen that could be done.

About the Recipe

I shared my favorite tips for the best grilled chicken breast here. It’s a quick and simple recipe and the building block for any BBQ. But when you’re craving more flavor and time is of the essence, flavored butters are a great option.

During the summer months I make different buttered combinations (truffle butter, garlic butter, sriracha butter) to have on hand to use for meats, chicken, fish, veggies and pretty much anything that comes off the grill. Yes, even fruit—honey, cinnamon and thyme is a favorite. The sky truly is the limit on what flavor combinations you can create.

Simply soften the butter until it’s mixable and add your favorite flavors. Dollop onto a piece of plastic wrap, roll into a log and place in the refrigerator for an hour or up to 1 month. Then, simply slice as needed.

Remember flavored butters aren’t limited to the grill. Use them for slathering on the outside of grilled cheese sandwiches, to season steamed veggies or boost your favorite sauces.

And with that, you’ve just become a grilling super hero.

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram or Twitter with #foodiecrusheats.

5 from 1 vote

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Chive and Herb Butter

There's no marinade involved with this recipe. Instead, this compound butter seeps into the hot grilled chicken to infuse all of the delicious herbed flavor.

Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup 1 stick salted butter, at room temperature
3 chives minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves minced
2 lemons halved, plus zest of 1 lemon and juice of ½ lemon
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

In small bowl, combine butter, herbs, lemon zest and lemon juice until well mixed. Lay out large piece of plastic wrap on clean counter. Spoon butter mixture onto bottom third of plastic wrap then roll into log. Refrigerate for hour or until firm.
Bring grill to high heat and oil it lightly. Brush chicken breasts with extra virgin olive oil and season chicken breasts with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
Put chicken on grill along with 4 lemon halves, cut side down. Grill chicken for about 5 minutes per side or until grill marks form and chicken turns golden. Turn off one side of grill and move the chicken breasts to that side, keeping other side of grill on high heat. Remove lemons from grill. Cook chicken for 8-12 minutes or until 185 degrees internal temperature, turning once if needed.
Slice chive and herb butter into 1/2 inch slices.
To serve, squeeze grilled lemon half over chicken breast and top with pat of chive and herb butter.

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Grilled Zucchini With Goat Cheese and Pine Nuts

When the garden overfloweth, it’s time to heat up the grill for a turn-eth on the coals-eth for an easy side dish of grilled zucchini topped with creamy goat cheese and pine nuts.

Zucchini are the David Copperfield of the vegetable kingdom.

One minute you’re gazing upon 3-inch still-room-to-grow zucchini when BOOM! with the slight of mother nature’s hand that cute little mini squash has suddenly turned into a 4-pound gargantuan with enough flesh for 324 loaves of zucchini bread or 41 pepperoni stuffed zucchini boats.

That’s veggie magic folks.

And this zucchini side dish is magic too. It’s healthy. It’s easy. And like the Italians do, it can be plated and set on a table to be ,served warm or at room temperature so it’s perfect for serving at a potluck or party.continue to the recipe… about Grilled Zucchini With Goat Cheese and Pine Nuts

Memorial Day Recipe Ideas: Here’s What I’m Cooking

Celebrate the beginning of summer and Memorial Day weekend with a few favorite recipes made especially delicious when shared with friends and family.

Hello and happy Saturday!

3-day weekends bring on all of the desires of wanderlust, relaxation, and deciding what’s on the menu.

I was on a phone call with a client yesterday. After talking shop I couldn’t wrap things up before asking the most pressing question of our whole conversation: What are you cooking for Memorial Day?

His answer was unexpected of sorts, and a reminder of why we’ve come to celebrate this 3-day weekend with food. “Meat. Lots of meat.” He was joining his wife’s family at his father-in-law’s home where every year for Memorial Day they celebrate the life of her brother who was killed in action. He explained more, “My father-in-law spends days preparing and grilling so much meat for 40-50 people. I don’t know how he does it every year, but it’s important to him that he does.”

Memorial Day is a special holiday where we shouldn’t forget the real reason it was established: to honor our fallen patriots. And like so many traditions, it’s food that brings us together to do so. And so with a very grateful heart and a full stomach, we salute you and the families who’ve loved and lost.

continue to the recipe… about Memorial Day Recipe Ideas: Here’s What I’m Cooking

Montreal Steak and Peppers Kebabs

This simple Montreal steak seasoning marinade tenderizes any cut of meat thanks to a soak in red wine vinegar and oil with a blend of salt, spices, red pepper, paprika, garlic, and more for a bell pepper-packed steak kebab (or kabob) worthy of any summer barbecue or potluck party.

This recipe is brought to you by McCormick Spices

If you were to ask my husband what he craves for dinner most any night of the week, his first answer has been and always will be “steak!” He’s for sure the master of the BBQ but typically cooks filets on the stove with plenty of butter, or his favorite ribeye cut over the coals. But man, those delicious cuts can get a bit spendy.

So lately we’ve been on a skewered-kebab mixed with watching-the-budget-kick which calls for more fiscally-aware cuts of meat (how P.C. does that sound?) that does best when marinated and tenderized for flavor. And nothing makes it easier than a simple mix of Grill Mates® Montreal Steak® Marinade, especially when you’re cooking for a crowd on the 4th of July.

When McCormick asked me to try out their Grill Mates® Montreal Steak® Marinade, I knew right away the perfect recipe to try it out on. This summer is all about grilling our best, and with these kebabs aka kabobs, oh baby, we’re sticking it to ’em with tender steak and layers of sweet bell peppers.continue to the recipe… about Montreal Steak and Peppers Kebabs

Grilled Lobster Tails with Smoked Paprika Butter

Lobster tails just might be the most classic show-someone-special-you-love-’em meal of all time, and when they’re grilled with flavor-packed smoked paprika butter, these tails guarantee you’ll kiss the cook.

Last week I sent out my monthly newsletter for August (you can sign up here if you aren’t already) and asked readers for suggestions on what kind of recipes they’d like to see on the old Foodie le Crush. The response was terrific, thank you so much for all of the amazing replies! While I can’t feature every single e-mail, I’ll be picking out a few that represent some of the more popular requests, so please, keep the suggestions coming!

Our first feature is from Sarah, who wrote:

“I’d LOVE to see some date night dinners for two. Your blog is very family-friendly, which is wonderful, but everyone needs a little date night every once-in-a-while, right? Love your content! I’m 26 and read your blog to get away from the crazy that comes with trying to set yourself up for success at this age. It’s hard! Keep up the great work!”

Thank you Sarah, and good on you for moving yourself forward! I’m totally with you on date night eats, cooking is one of me and my husband’s favorite things to do together.

But if you’d rather spend time being together instead of in the kitchen chopping and sauteíng, this super simple grilled lobster recipe is guaranteed to wow the one you love.continue to the recipe… about Grilled Lobster Tails with Smoked Paprika Butter

Mediterranean Grilled Pork Chops with Tomato Salad

A fresh and flavorful Mediterranean tomato salad serves as a salsa when it tops juicy grilled pork chops for a 30-minute, quick and easy dinner or BBQ meal.

It’s finally summer, so who wants to spend all day cooking? Not it. Who’s ready for fast and easy? #raisinghand

One of my favorite secrets to easy, flavorful cooking is to take a basic cooking method and dress it up with a fresh and easy recipe topper. Have you tried my Mediterranean grilled balsamic chicken with olive tapenade? Or marinated flank steak with Asian chimichurri sauce? They’re prime examples of easy to create flavor, just like this fast pork chop recipe you’ll soon be making all summer long.

Does this recipe look somewhat familiar? I hope so! Last week I shared my husband’s mastered and always juicy grilled pork chops plus this recipe for a super simple Mediterranean tomato salad. Today I’m sharing how to make two small tweaks and marry the two.

Together they create one healthy and delicious summer dinner that can be prepped ahead or made on the fly, for a dinner that’s ready in 30 minutes.

This summer is shaping up to be the best flavored yet. Let’s go!

continue to the recipe… about Mediterranean Grilled Pork Chops with Tomato Salad

Grilled Swordfish with Smoked Paprika and Herbed Fruit Salsa

Meat, seafood, veggies and chicken. They’re all on the list for Grilling Month here on FoodieCrush. Last week I introduced you to this grilled pork chop, topped with grilled spicy balsamic peaches—huzzah! Week two is a chat about grilled fish.

The subject of fish couldn’t come at a more appropriate time because I’m in Cordova, Alaska on a tour of all things Copper River Salmon. I’m betting the farm that I’ll leave here with a belly-full of fish and some serious casting skills. Or fish eating skills. Either way, it all works because it’s Alaska after all.

Before I left for this trip, I prepped myself for some serious fish eating by whetting my fishy whistle with a perfectly grilled piece of swordfish. It was bathed in spicy and smokey paprika flavored butter. With rosemary. And a fresh fruit salsa. The combination of flavors, savory and sweet, all played perfectly into my fish eating plans.

Especially when my man helmed the wheel at the grill. With the help of our four legged sous chef who never misses a drop.

continue to the recipe… about Grilled Swordfish with Smoked Paprika and Herbed Fruit Salsa

How to Make the Best Grilled Corn On the Cob

At our house, sweet corn is a summer staple and after years of experimenting, I’ve found cooking corn right in their husks on a hot grill is the only way to cook the best corn on the cob.

three ears of grilled corn slathered with compound butter

One of the reasons I crave summer is ’tis the season for fresh, sweet corn and surprisingly, my husband’s obsession with the husked and cobbed sphere is even greater than my own.

We grill just about anything and everything we can get our hands on during the summertime, and fresh corn is one of our favorites. While I’ll eat it just about any way — stripped right off the cob and raw, tossed in potluck quinoa salads, or turned into slow cooker creamed corn perfect for every eating occasion, grilled sweet corn on the cob with creamy butter takes the cake.

Grilled corn a delicious way to spruce up fresh salads, tacos and salsas, macaroni and cheese, and it makes an irresistible and easy side to your backyard BBQ. I love the subtle smokiness and the beautiful char marks grilling imparts on the corn and it is SO MUCH EASIER than boiling corn on the cob, especially when you’re cooking for a crowd.

Some people may be a tad intimidated by grilling corn, but I’m here to tell you that it’s a breeze. We’ve found there’s no need to soak the corn before grilling and you can grill them right in their husks, creating built-in steam oven jackets.

Follow the easy steps below and you’ll soon discover grilled corn bliss.

continue to the recipe… about How to Make the Best Grilled Corn On the Cob

The BEST Clam Chowder Recipe (Market Street Grill Copycat)

A favorite of locals and tourists alike, this creamy clam chowder recipe comes from one of Salt Lake City’s longest running restaurants, Market Street Grill, and is easy to make at home.

Creamy New England Clam Chowder

Creamy, full of vegetables and lush with clams, this homemade clam chowder recipe is delicious in every respect, and I’m saying it loud and proud that it’s the best clam chowder recipe outside of New England. Yep, I’m staking my claim.

It comes from the restaurant where I met my husband when we were both servers, Salt Lake City’s acclaimed Market Street Grill, where this chowder is probably still one of the most popular bowls of soup you will find in the state. From San Francisco to New England, I’ve been to a whole lot of places and ordered a whole lot of chowder, and still to this day, this chowder is tops on my list.

continue to the recipe… about The BEST Clam Chowder Recipe (Market Street Grill Copycat)

Prosciutto Wrapped Grilled Shrimp Skewers

Grilled shrimp get an extra boost of flavor from a super simple garlic marinade and a wrap of Italian prosciutto for a light and easy appetizer or main.

During the week, when I find myself running out of steam in the cooking arena, I’m always on the lookout for quick meals that lean toward the healthier side. Heck, I think that’s the way I want to cook 97.7% of the time. Meals that don’t take a ton of time to prepare, let alone cook.

And if I can use the leftovers in something delicious later on in the week, I’ve just made myself more than a meal.

Or, two meals perhaps?

This is one of those recipes that is great for those who meal prep or who are looking for super simple weekend eats. Simply marinade and skewer on Saturday or Sunday, refrigerate and then toss on the grill for dinner on Monday. Or grill on the weekend, add to some pasta or top on a salad and make all your co-workers jealous at lunch come Monday.

It’s the little victories that make Monday bearable.

continue to the recipe… about Prosciutto Wrapped Grilled Shrimp Skewers

Herb Butter Rotisserie Turkey

An herb-infused butter rub goes all over the skin of this rotisserie turkey, which is roasted over the grill, so it frees up your oven for all the Thanksgiving fixins.

Rotisserie Turkey Recipe

You know how there are some things that are just too good not to be shared? The secret ingredients. The best place to get a pedicure. Your opinions. A bicycle built for two. An easy going, laughter-filled dinner with friends.

And this herb butter turkey. It’s one of those things just begging to be shared.

I was originally hired to create, make and photograph this rotisserie turkey recipe for one of my clients, Saber Grills, to be shared on their blog. But it turned out so good. So juicy. And so dang pretty I got selfish and turned into a can’t-give-it-up-anti-giver.

And so I’m taking it back. Actually, I’m going to do double duty and share it on both sites. It’s a two-fer!

This herb butter turkey recipe isn’t grilled, but it IS cooked on a rotisserie on the grill. And let me tell you here and now, Costco’s rotisserie chickens got nothin’ on this bird!

Preparing a turkey this way is totally hands off. The rotisserie spun this turkey right round baby right round, like a record player right round, round, round. I let it do all the work. And simply reaped the benefits.

I honestly don’t know whether I’ll cook another turkey any other way. This is the juiciest turkey recipe and the bird is so flavorful thanks to its hours of spinning and an herb-flavored, buttery rub.

Friends, this is the way to cook turkey all year long.continue to the recipe… about Herb Butter Rotisserie Turkey

Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Ribs

The secret to the best barbecue ribs starts in the oven and is finished with this spicy sweet and tangy raspberry chipotle BBQ sauce.

It has been our Saturday routine for years. We wake up, my husband cracks his first Diet Coke of the day and we ask each other, “What do you feel like for dinner?”

Barring Smudge’s early morning soccer and basketball games, or my weekend honey-do-list, we jump back into bed, flip on the TV and take a tour of the cooking shows while eating Frog In the Hole. Our dinner time feast is typically chosen thanks to what we discover from PBS and Food Network and the talents of Tyler Florence, Jamie Oliver, Anne Burrell and one of our own, The Pioneer Woman.

Our weekend food tour inspired me to start sharing recipes on Saturdays, because I figured you’re looking for ideas too. And so here we are, with the first installment of Weekend Eats.

Each Saturday I’ll be sharing a seasonal recipe idea for what to have for dinner come Saturday and Sunday, with the occasional breakfast or brunch thrown in. Rounding out the post will be a few suggestions of what to pair with my main dish, recipes from other food bloggers, and some favorites from FoodieCrush too.

First off the block, ribs!

continue to the recipe… about Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Ribs

Lime and Chile Butter Chicken Skewers

Please, please, please! Say it ain’t so! But yes, it’s true, we’re headlong into the wind down of summer.

Sniffle here and sob there, I’m harboring some serious resentment at the fact that summer is quickly fading into fall. This is mostly due to the fact that in mid-July I broke my wrist and the elbow of my other arm (of which I’ve lamented about my gimpness on the blog and you’re sick of hearing about since it happened) and that the wrist required surgery to give me a fancy new metal plate and 10 screws surgically inserted into my limp old wrist. Yep, I’ll be the one setting off the alarms, bells and whistles at the airport security line.

It also turned most of my summer of bar-b-ques on the deck and hostessing of summer fun into a self-imposed 3 week marathon of feeling-sorry -for-myself-BRAVO-watching-reality-show-obsession because I couldn’t chop, cook or even pull my hair into a top knot. And if any of you know me in person, the top knot is what really put me under.

But, I gave myself ’til this week to finish my sulk and now I’m back at ‘em, working the wrist so it doesn’t turn into a stiff log of a limb and I even took off my bandages all by my-freak-out-at-any-medical-condition-that-may-result-in-blood-self. I was happy and surprised to see a completely healed 3-inch scar.

Friends, I’m back.

And it’s a good thing too, because yesterday, when Smudge asked me why we haven’t had any parties with and of our friends who are parents of her friends who we would usually have summertime parties with, I knew I wasn’t the only one feeling the lack of party pain. Remedy solved, we’re having a party tonight and putting our summer party slump to bed.

This recipe doesn’t require a party to make it special. In fact, if you’re in need of a fast dinner with minimal effort but big flavor, this chicken skewer recipe is a keeper.

continue to the recipe… about Lime and Chile Butter Chicken Skewers

The Best Grilled Chicken Breast Recipe

The secret to juicy grilled chicken isn’t always in the seasonings or complicated marinades. It’s all about HOW you grill the chicken. Here’s how to grill chicken breasts perfectly every single time.

Sometimes I get all wrapped up in outdoing / improving / out-creating some of my most favorite / simple / craveable recipes.

It’s easy to get caught up in the complicated when I see all sorts of crazy inspiration and crazy mash-ups on the big, ol’ www. Totally inventive concoctions that take humble and mundane basic recipes I’ve always known and loved, then stuffed them into a firecracker with whatever’s trending at the moment, lit the wick, and ka-boom-er-ama!

That’s not this recipe.

This grilled chicken recipe is right back to the basics. The very basic. The elemental and absolutely essential. The simplest, juiciest chicken breast recipe you might ever make / grill /eat that will be the base to every chicken recipe you throw on the griiiiiilllll. And it just might possibly lead you to lick that wick and send you over the moon.continue to the recipe… about The Best Grilled Chicken Breast Recipe

The Best Juicy Grilled Pork Chops

Lean grilled pork chops come out juicy and tender every time thanks to a simple sprinkling of pork dry rub for a dinner that’s ready in under 30 minutes.

Pork chops have long been known as a working man’s meal. They’re economical, lean and healthy, and cook up quick. They also have a history of coming to the dinner table dry as shoe leather.

But no more! Today is the day to banish that belief because tough, dried out pork chops are about to be expelled from your vocabulary.

My husband has made these simple grilled pork chops so many times he’s figured out the secrets. Whether bone-in or boneless, these pork chops turn out tender, juicy, a little bit smokey, and far from any mode of foot fashion.

Even better, these grilled pork chops don’t need a marinade or a brine, so they go from package to grill to dinner in 30 minutes.

Here’s how to make juicy grilled pork chops every time. continue to the recipe… about The Best Juicy Grilled Pork Chops

The Best Greek Chicken Marinade

This easy chicken marinade infuses chicken of any cut with the classic Greek flavors of lemon, garlic and oregano plus Greek yogurt for a more tender bite.

Hey, ho, whaddya know?!!! You ready for the best? Because I’m giving you the best!

It may be a bold statement to make, but unlike fake politicians, sorcerers, and that guy in Nigeria who says he’ll double your money if you’ll just wire it to him, I’m standing behind my claim that this super easy, extremely delicious Greek Chicken marinade very well could be:

the ying to your yang.

the butter to your nutter.

the pop to your lock.

Which would make this little diddy of a recipe the best lemony, best garlicky, best Greek-y oregano-ish chicken marinade you just might ever make.

continue to the recipe… about The Best Greek Chicken Marinade

Grilled Corn Salad with Tomato and Avocado

When fresh corn and tomatoes are at their summer best, this easy salad with creamy avocados that’s simply dressed with a hint of Mexican jalapeño, lime juice, and garlic, is a healthy recipe that’s sure to become the star side dish of every potluck and barbecue you make it for.

Corn. It’s my husband’s veggie kryptonite. Me? Avocado and tomato are what light my fire.

And the combo of all three is what’s kept this summer salad in regular rotation on our dinner table, and we’re barely into June!

The simple flavors of this salad is in it’s combination of fresh, sweet corn on the cob (that’s even sweeter after a sear on the grill) added to creamy avocado and juicy tomatoes, is hands down this summer’s salad-facsimile of the little black dress—because it literally goes with everything.

Playing With Fire by Michael Symon

This side salad recipe comes from Iron Chef and The Chew Host Michael Symon’s new cookbook Playing With Fire:BBQ and More from the Grill, Smoker, and Fireplace where he shares loads of tips, tricks, and totally achievable grilling and barbeque recipes that any home chef can master.

continue to the recipe… about Grilled Corn Salad with Tomato and Avocado