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Grilled Chicken With Blueberry BBQ Sauce

One of my favorite summer dinners has to be grilled BBQ chicken, grilled corn and zucchini. I do love all BBQ sauce, but who says BBQ sauce has to red and tomatoey anyway? Let’s change it up with a delightful homemade blueberry BBQ sauce that’s naturally sweet, savory and just a little bit spicy. A healthier (low-sugar!) alternative to bottled sauce. And guaranteed to be the hit at your next dinner party. PS. This easy to make healthier sauce is so scrumptious you’ll want to make extra and serve it over everything!

Bon Appétit!


PS. If you have any grilling tips to share, please leave a comment below, seriously.

Grilled Chicken With Blueberry BBQ Sauce

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup fresh blueberries (I used wild Maine Blueberries)
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 4 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • pinch of cayenne pepper
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon ground mustard, or sub. Dijon mustard

Directions:

For Blueberry BBQ sauce..

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cook uncovered, whisking frequently, for an hour or so..

 

Grilled corn and zucchini take about 10 minutes each to cook. The

Recipe for: Grilled corn

 

Recipe for: Grilled Zucchini

 

*BBQ: Tips for chicken:

You all know that I LOVE to cook. But I have to admit that grilling is not my favorite. I just don’t like standing there over the hot grill when I could be running around doing something else. So I always try to find someone else to take “the grill guy” job. I’m just too damn busy and I’ll run-away from the grill. Not a good idea, the un-attended food will burn. I need someone else to blame. Anyway…

1. Here’s the best way to BBQ chicken that I’ve found. First of all, I like a whole chicken, cut-up. This way you get two of everything, 2 breasts, 2 legs, 2 wings, 2 thighs etc. I find that cooking bone-in chicken (and with the protective skin) is so much juicier. Another thing, I find poaching (or boiling) the chicken (for 15-20 minutes) is the answer to the question “is this done yet?” Not only is the chicken moist and perfectly cooked but less apt to dry-out (or burn) on the grill.

*For boneless chicken you absolutely must marinade before cooking, or at the very least cover with lots of canola oil. Try to marinade your chicken (in a niiice Italian dressing) a day before cooking, or as soon as you think of it.

A good rule for perfectly cooked BBQ chicken is to grill on low, and cook it slow….

**Yes, that’s right. Lower and slower is the golden rule with grilled chicken.

2. Spray or oil the chicken pieces liberally before tossing it on the grill. You’ll want to grill at a medium-low temperature for 5-10 minutes (on each side). Don’t try to move the pieces around before they’re cooked, unless it flares-up. In that case, move the chicken off the flame and turn the temp. down. I’ve been known to douse the flames with a little beer. Everyone watching will say: “WOW! That was so cool!” Now, you can see why I’m not the go-to grill-girl.

3. Next, brush the sauce (or marinade) on the cooked side of the chicken after you turn it. Or the sugars in the sauce will flame-up and burn. A a few grill-marks are a good thing, a lot of char is bad. You may want to serve some blueberry BBQ sauce on the side for dipping. I’m hungry, let’s eat!

Enjoy!

 

 

 

Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe

Here’s a super-easy recipe for fresh delicious homemade basil pesto. Even if you’ve never ever made pesto before. Even if you’re not Italian. You won’t even need a food processor. We’re going to make handmade gourmet pesto just like an Italian Grandmother. So, go gather-up these fresh ingredients: gorgeous green basil, pine nuts, parmesan cheese and garlic. I hope you’re as thrilled with this hand-crafted pesto as I am. I LOVE it!

Spinach Salad With Cucumber, Tomatoes and Feta

 

I do love spinach, but I never liked spinach salad until I had this Mediterranean-style salad adapted from “Recipes for Health” from The New York Times. A glorious colorful salad made healthier with lots of garden vegetables, instead of the usual bacon & eggs. A  lovely, light dressing of olive oil and fresh lemon juice keep the guilt away too. Adding some fresh cucumber, tomatoes, herbs and feta cheese really make this modern-day spinach salad wicked good. I promise!

Bon Appétit!

 

Spinach Salad With Cucumber, Tomatoes and Feta

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 small red onion, sliced (optional)
  • 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, sliced (optional)
  • 6 ounces baby spinach
  • 1 pound tomatoes, cut in wedges, or cherry tomatoes.
  • 1 small cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced.
  • 8 calamata olives, pitted and cut in half.
  • 1 red pepper, thinly sliced.
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill.
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint.
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice.
  • salt & pepper to taste.
  • 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
  • 2 ounces feta cheese, cut in small dice or crumbled.

 

Method:

*Tip: Place the onion in a bowl, cover with cold water and let sit for five minutes. Drain, rinse and dry on paper towels. (The reason for soaking the onion is to wash away some of the compounds that cause tears and the too strong onion flavor.)

1. Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, olives, pepper, dill and mint in a large bowl.

2. In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil.

3. Add the spinach, and feta. Toss together thoroughly and serve.


Bon Appétit!

Enjoy!


Yield: Serves 6-8

Advance preparation: You can prepare the ingredients and dressing several hours before you toss the salad. Keep them in the refrigerator.

Nutritional information per serving: 160 calories; 10 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 8 milligrams cholesterol; 7 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 215 milligrams sodium; 3 grams protein

 

Fiddleheads

Early spring in Maine, Canada and The South of France includes a delicacy that we all call fiddleheads. A tightly furled frond usually found near fresh water. You can enjoy these fabulous ferns many ways and I’ve included a few excellent recipes below.

We like to serve fiddleheads steamed and buttered along with fresh brook trout or grilled salmon. But if you’re a pansy, have your baby ferns with lemony Hollandaise sauce. You can’t go wrong with Hollandaise sauce. Am I right?

I suppose if you can’t find fresh fiddleheads in your neck-of the-woods you may substitute asparagus or Brussels sprouts.

* Shopping results to order fiddleheads etc. click here, very interesting!

Bon Appétit!

 

This fabulous fiddlehead recipe and gorgeous photo comes to us courtesy of our good friend Rebecca Daigle of Maine Foodie Finds a great new website that you need to check out. And if my baked in Maine copyright didn’t automatically go right over the top of her name you would see it there! Anyway, Rebecca’s photo and recipe are brilliant. See for yourself…

FIDDLEHEAD FARFALLE WITH SALMON

8 oz. salmon, grilled or broiled, then flaked
12 oz. fiddleheads, steamed or sautéed
6 oz. farfalle pasta, cooked and drained
1/2 orange bell pepper, julienned
12 grape tomatoes, halved
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup balsamic dressing
lemon juice

In a large bowl, combine prepared fiddleheads, pasta, orange pepper and tomatoes. Drizzle balsamic dressing and toss. Add the flaked salmon and feta, and toss lightly. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the salad, if desired. Served warm or chilled.

YEILD: 4 Servings

This recipe comes to us courtesy of Maine Food and Lifestyle and the Damariscotta Farmers’ Market (photo by Jim Bazin).

Maine Fiddlehead Salad

2 cups fiddleheads, cleaned, cooked, and cooled
½ cup roasted red pepper strips
½ cup julienned Roma tomatoes
5 ounces fresh chevre
½ cup julienned red onion
¼ – ½ cup balsamic vinaigrette

Toss all ingredients together and serve.

Makes 1 large or 2 small side salads.

MF&L Staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.

 


Pickled Fiddleheads -

Adapted from www.planetgreen.discovery.com Photo Courtesy : Kelly Rossiter

Ingredients:

1 lb fiddleheads, cleaned
1/2 lb shallots, sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups wine vinegar
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp kosher salt
8-inch piece wild ginger (optional)
1 tsp whole black pepper
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp whole allspice
4 pint jars with lids and screwcaps, sterilized

Method:

1. In a large pot of boiling water, blanch fiddleheads for 2 or 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.

2. Pack fiddleheads tightly into canning jars, layered with shallots and lemon zest.

2. Bring to boil water, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, salt, spices, and optional ginger.

3. Pour over fiddleheads so that liquid reaches to within a 1/4 inch of rim, then secure lids to fingertip tightness and process in hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Asparagus and Zucchini Raw Salad (Crudi)

 

Spring is in the air and talk of asparagus is everywhere. There’s nothing quite like a fresh seasonal salad to put you in the mood for summer fun. This gorgeous green salad will take you there, I promise.

A lovely raw vegetable dish (crudi) containing very thinly sliced, zucchini, diced asparagus and shaved Pecorino Romano. Simply serve chilled, drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice.

Bon Appétit!

I can’t take any credit (except the iphone photo;) for this sensational salad. The credits go to my dear friend James Fielder for choosing to make this dish and Giada De Laurentiis for her fabulous recipe (below).

 

James & Larry serving the delicious Asparagus and Zucchini Crudi

 

 

James and Chris enjoying the first course…

 

Or perhaps this Bogle was the first course. Anyway, please keep in mind that these photos were taken with an iphone in the dark. Yep, that’s right.

 

Succulent shrimp cooking, for the second course.

 

 

Lastly, Decadent Dark Chocolate Flourless Torte for dessert.

 

 

Asparagus and Zucchini Salad (Crudi)

Ingredients:

  • 2 zucchini, trimmed
  • 1 bunch thin asparagus, ends trimmed
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 ounce shaved Pecorino Romano

 

Directions:

Using a vegetable peeler, shave the zucchini into long thin strips. Thinly slice the asparagus on a diagonal. Place the salad in a large serving bowl and toss.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and drizzle over the vegetables. Toss and add the shaved pecorino cheese.

Enjoy!