Batter-Splattered

hot and spicy grilled portobellos with tomato olive tapenade

I think I'll do up a few posts with photos of the public use cabin we camped at this past weekend, and even better: I'll tell you what we ate 'round the campfire.

 

First dip of the day:

 
 
Our first course for dinner 'round the campfire one night was a recipe for grilled portobellos with tomato tapenade. I'm pretty sure I got it in an email newsletter from Splendid Table but I'm not sure now because I can't find it at their site or in my email account. I'm gonna have to hang onto this dog-eared paper copy of this recipe then because boy, was it ever a keeper.

 

The recipe follows -- I made a few changes here and there. I made the tapenade at home to bring along on the camping trip. The original recipe includes putting a bed or arugula on each plate and pouring a bit of the pepper/oil blend you mix together for brushing the mushrooms. That sounds lovely but wouldn't you know it, I couldn't find arugula the day I looked for it. Just the spicy-hot smoky mushrooms in combination with the tomato/olive tapenade was heavenly all on its own. It would have been even better with the peppery bite of arugula added in.

On a side not: I finally caught up on sorting through all the photos I've been taking of weekend adventures and they're posted now at flickr.

Hot Spiced Portobello Grill with Tomata Tapenade

Serves 6

The mushrooms:

1/2 c olive oil

1 clove garlic

1/2 t red pepper flakes

1/4t oregano

6 large portobello mushroom caps (save the stems for something else but whatever you do, don't pop one off and throw it into the bushes because Angie will scream at you)

Salt and pepper

Tomato tapenade:

2 medium/large tomatoes, 1/2-inch dice

10 pitted kalamata olives

2 T capers, drained

1/2 c canned, drained chickpeas

1 clove garlic, minced

Juice of half a lemon

For the mushrooms, in a blender or food processor, puree together the olive oil, garlic, pepper, and oregano. I bottled this up and took it along with me on the camping trip.

For the tapenade, I left some ingredients either whole (like the capers) or diced (like the tomatoes) then tossed the other ingredients (olives, chickpeas, garlic, lemon) in the food processor, then stirred everything together with some freshly ground pepper. After spending the day in the fridge it was wonderful. Not only did we pile it on the mushrooms, we were scooping it up with tortilla chips.

Either set your grill to medium-high or get your campfire to burn down to nice hot coals. Brush both sides of the mushrooms with the oil blend then grill on both sides until tender all the way through and slightly crispy, about 5 to 7 minutes per side. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Plate up the mushrooms and pile high with tapenade.

roadtrip / grilled shrimp tacos

This weekend I took a little roadtrip down south to do a little float tube fly fishing. 

 

We stayed in a cute little log cabin on a lake.

The dock looked good enough to leap off the end of but then I'd step outside and the stiff breeze would hit me. It only looks nice and summery. In a month though, that dock will be prime for leaping.

Moose poop on the dock (I wonder if the moose leapt?):

At the lake for fishing -- check out the name and the shape of the lake at that link. I fished on its front toe:

 
 
 
 
For dinner, we had some really good grilled shrimp tacos.

Ready for the grill:

 

Ready to eat:

Highly recommended recipe!

Grilled Shrimp Tacos

Serves 8 as a first course, 4 as a main dish

1/2  cup  sour cream

3  tablespoons  mayonnaise

3  tablespoons  milk

1/2  teaspoon  ground cumin

1 1/2  pounds  large shrimp, peeled

3  tablespoons  butter, melted

2  large garlic cloves, minced

4  limes, cut into quarters

1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt

8  6-inch corn tortillas

2  to 3 cups finely shredded green cabbage

Bottled green tomatillo salsa

Whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, milk, and cumin. Set aside. Skewer shrimp. If using wood skewers, soak them in water for 10 minutes beforehand. To keep the shrimp from spinning when flipped, thread them on 2 parallel skewers instead of one. In a small bowl, combine butter and garlic. Preheat gas grill to high; adjust to medium after 15 minutes. If cooking over charcoal, allow the coals to burn until they are covered with gray ash. Brush skewered shrimp with garlic butter. Place them on the grill with limes. Cook about 4 minutes on each side or until shrimp are opaque and limes are browned. Remove from grill. Lightly salt shrimp. Grill tortillas for 30 seconds on each side, then place inside paper bag to keep warm. To serve, pull shrimp off skewers and divide evenly among tortillas. Top with cabbage, sour cream sauce, tomatillo salsa, and a spritz of grilled lime.

cumin-scented beef kebabs

For the grill:

 

Do you pronounce cumin 'cyoo-min,' like I do? Or are you a 'coo-min' person? How about 'cyoo-pon' versus 'coo-pon'?

Cumin-Scented Beef Kebabs

Six servings

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped oregano

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

2 pounds sirloin flap steak or flatiron steak, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

Equipment: 12 (12-inch) skewers, soaked in water 30 minutes if wooden

Stir together oil, oregano, garlic, spices, and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl, then toss with beef. Marinate, chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.

Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (high heat for gas). These can also be broiled on an oiled broiler pan about 3 inches from heat.Thread about 4 pieces of beef onto each skewer, leaving small spaces between pieces, then transfer to a tray.

Oil grill rack, then grill beef, covered only if using a gas grill, turning, until browned but still pink inside, 4 to 5 minutes. 

Grilled Monster Pork Chops with Tomatillo and Green Apple Salsa

I saw these tomatillos, piles and piles of them, at the market and that got me to thinking, what was that recipe?

The one I made a long time ago?

And for some misguided reason I never made again?

That recipe with the tomatillo salsa?

With the green apples?

And the pork chops?

And when I took the salsa to work with me the next day and I opened the tupperware container, a few minutes later a co-worker called me up to ask what was that divine smell? I have this vent-from-hell in my office ceiling that pumps everything from my office into everyone else's office.

Tomatillo salsa = good. Nail polish remover = not so good.

The salsa is so good. It's like summer in a bowl. Cilantro, granny smith apples, tomatilloes, cumin, honey, garlic... Spread on top of pork chops marinated overnight in a simple rub made of coriander, cumin, s&p, and olive oil. With each bite, you get some salsa and the rub and the pork.

Mmm.

And even though the thermometer was a boiling at 67 (aha), I cranked up the oven and roasted some potatoes sprinkled with rosemary and salt and pepper. You could just as easily grill these in a foil packet with the chops.

Grilled Monster Pork Chops with Tomatillo and Green Apple Salsa

For pork chops
3 tablespoons ground coriander
3 tablespoons ground cumin
2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 (2-inch-thick) loin pork chops (each about 1 lb)

For tomatillo and green apple sauce
1/2 lb fresh tomatillos (about 5), husks discarded and tomatillos rinsed
2 Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro sprigs
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup apple juice
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon mild honey
1 teaspoon minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo

 Marinate chops:
Stir together coriander, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then add oil and stir until combined well. Rub spice mixture all over chops. Let chops marinate while making sauce and preparing grill.

Make sauce:
Simmer tomatillos and 3 cups water in a 2 1/2- to 3-quart saucepan, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tomatillos are just soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and cool 15 minutes.

While tomatillos are cooling, core apples and cut into 1/4-inch dice. Purée tomatillos with remaining sauce ingredients except apples in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl and stir in apples.

To cook pork using a charcoal grill:
Open vents on bottom of grill. Light charcoal (80 to 100 briquettes) in chimney starter. Leaving about one quarter of grill free of charcoal, bank lit charcoal across rest of grill so that coals are about three times higher on opposite side.

Charcoal fire is medium-hot when you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack over area where coals are piled highest for 3 to 4 seconds. Sear pork on lightly oiled grill rack directly over hottest part of coals, uncovered, turning over once and, if necessary, moving around grill to avoid flare-ups, until well browned, 10 to 12 minutes total. Move pork to coolest part of grill, then cover with inverted roasting pan and grill, turning pork over once, until thermometer inserted diagonally into center of each chop (avoid bone) registers 150°F, 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 15 minutes (temperature will rise to 155°F).

To cook pork using a gas grill:
Preheat all burners on high, covered, 10 minutes. Sear pork on lightly oiled grill rack, covered with lid, turning over once, until well browned, 10 to 12 minutes total. Turn off 1 burner (middle burner if there are 3) and put pork above shut off burner. Reduce heat on remaining burner(s) to moderate and grill pork, covered with lid, until thermometer inserted diagonally into center (avoid bone) registers 150°F, 12 to 16 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 15 minutes (temperature will rise to 155°F).    

Salmon Club Sandwich

Well, my husband has yet to catch a salmon this year in spite of three -- count them -- three overnight fishing expeditions down at the creek. The fish, they just aren't running yet, is what he tells me. Something about high and cloudy water.

He's pretty good with a rod and reel, so I suppose I'll believe him. Although. He doesn't particularly care for salmon and so he leans in the direction of catch-and-release. But. This year I mentioned that if he catches a ton of salmon, we could trade quite alot of it for the halibut that some friends catch by the boatful (literally) every summer in Homer. He perked up at that thought. Now, halibut he likes. I figured he was sure to bring home the salmon if it meant he could swap it for halibut.

But.

Nothing.

Luckily, his friend caught one though and he's plum out of freezer space, so my husband brought that massive king salmon home to store in our freezer and we got to keep some hunks of it.

And when I say 'hunks,' I mean hunks. I'm not kiddin' around. Well, see for yourself:

 

 I whacked that king into chunks and grilled 'em up. And then I used them for this recipe for a salmon club sandwich. That's grilled and toasty sourdough bread there on top.

This particular club sandwich recipe has you whip up a divine lemon basil mayonnaise with minced fresh basil, grated lemon peel and, of course, some mayo. And you can't forget about the bacon. I'll think you'll agree with me that anytime bacon is involved at the dinner table, you're talking party-time. And once you're done cooking the bacon till crispy, you lay those strips on a paper-towel-lined plate, then saute up some sliced red onion in the drippings.

It all comes together to be deliciously sinful. I had mine with a handful of salt and vinegar chips and an Alaskan IPA poured into a glass I specially put in the freezer for an hour or two to get it all nice and frosty..

The original recipe, as provided below, calls for slices of tomato but I didn't include those on my sandwich. For me, salmon and tomato just don't mix. I also don't think halibut and tomatoes go together all that well.

I know, I know. It's a bold statement considering the wealth of halibut-tomato recipes out there, but I'm standing by my aversion.

Just the thought of fish and tomatoes mixing it up together reminds me of being a kid and getting absolutely disgusted if a tiny bit of ketchup touched my baked potato or peas.

And I was in love with ketchup. Still am. In fact, back then, I would not only dip a french fry into a massive plop of ketchup, but I'd also get my fingers in there too so that as I ate the fry, I could lick the extra ketchup off my fingers. Oh dear. My dad thought I was disgusting. And he was right to think so.

But you feel free to go on ahead and slice you up some tomatoes and enjoy this recipe to the fullest.

To me, this tastes like summertime.

Salmon Club Sandwich

Serves four

6 tablespoons mayonnaise
5 tablespoons minced fresh basil
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 5- to 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets (each about 3/4 inch thick)

8 bacon slices
1 small red onion, sliced

8 1/2-inch-thick sourdough or country-style white bread slices (each about 5x3 inches)
8 tomato slices
8 lettuce leaves

Mix mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons basil and lemon peel in small bowl to blend. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Mix remaining 3 tablespoons basil, olive oil and lemon juice in large glass baking dish. Add salmon to oil mixture; turn to coat. Cover; chill 1 to 4 hours.
Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Using tongs, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Add onion to drippings in skillet. Sauté until onion is tender and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill fish until just opaque in center, about 3 minutes per side. Grill bread just until golden, about 2 minutes per side.
Spread mayonnaise mixture over 1 side of bread slices. Top each of 4 bread slices with 2 bacon slices, 2 tomato slices, 1/4 of onion, 1 salmon fillet and 2 lettuce leaves. Cover with remaining bread slices.

  

ow, my grilling arm

My other half has been getting up in the morning at the same time I do. It's unusual and mildly annoying because I have to stumble over him in the kitchen when I’d ordinarily have the joint all to myself. And he's discovering all sorts of things about me. Things that amuse him.

For instance, he thinks it’s hilarious that I blow dry my hair in the morning with my eyes closed, standing there half-asleep. And because the hair dryer is so loud, I can’t hear him coming. And he thinks it’s doubly hilarious to sneak up and poke me in the stomach to startle the bejeezus out of me.

It was mildly funny the first time he did it last week.

This morning when he did it, I had both arms up over my head, drying the back of my hair, and when he poked me I jumped so hard that I kinda sorta popped my shoulder out of joint.

Yeah.

Neat.

My arm was stuck up in the air like one of those Sesame Street puppets that can't pick up the fruit and I couldn’t bring it back down till I reached the other arm up and yanked it back in place. It didn’t hurt very much but it revolted me to the point where I had to go collapse on the couch and moan somewhat coherently about 'my grilling arm.'

You see, I'm looking forward to grilling alot of stuff this summer.

Alot.

And that was the arm I plan to use for skewering, flipping, and basting.

I even went to the market on Sunday and loaded up on large quantities of meat to stick in the freezer. You wouldn't believe how much meat I got on sale for $20. I could barely carry it to my car. I felt like such a drooling carnivore.

My latest project: grilled pork chops with a maple-cranberry glaze.

You toss together a rub with paprika and chile powder and dry mustard and four (count them: four) kinds of salt -- seasoned salt, celery salt, sea salt, and garlic salt. That's alot of salt so I cut it way back. Good thing, because they were still a bit too salty for my taste but oh-so-good. The glaze has cranberry sauce and juice, maple syrup, triple sec, dijon mustard and grated orange peel.

Really good.

Oh, and we both agreed that there will be no more stomach-poking. Mostly because that night we watched Fight Science and I learned some moves that could really put a hurtin' on belly-pokers.

 

Grilled Pork Chops with Maple-Cranberry Glaze

Serves 8

Spice rub
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon paprika (hot and smoked, Pimentón de la Vera, if you can find it -- I couldn't and used regular paprika)
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder or ancho chile powder   

Glaze
3/4 cup jellied cranberry sauce (about half of one 16-ounce can)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup cran-raspberry juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon triple sec or other orange liqueur
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
8 3/4-inch-thick center-cut pork rib chops

For spice rub: Mix all ingredients in small bowl.

For glaze: Mix first 8 ingredients in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, whisking until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

Do ahead: Spice rub and glaze can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store spice rub at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate glaze. Rewarm glaze just until pourable before using.

Spray grill rack with nonstick spray and prepare barbecue (medium heat). Sprinkle spice rub generously over both sides of pork chops (about 1/2 tablespoon per side), pressing to adhere. Place pork chops on grill, cover, and cook 5 minutes per side. Brush generously with glaze. Move to cooler part of grill and continue to grill, uncovered, until cooked through, brushing frequently with glaze, about 3 minutes longer per side.