BBQ Season in Full Swing

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Meat, chicken and fish options, plus a tantalizing dessert.

Barbeque season is in full swing. The flavors are exceptionally delicious and the cooking technique so easy and mess free. I barbeque everything from meat and chicken, to corn and fruit. Try these marinades for meat or chicken, the cedar planks for salmon or even burgers, and the brownies for dessert. Add a traditional coleslaw, and fresh corn and you have a BBQ feast prepared in a snap.

Red Wine and Rosemary Marinated Steaks

Photo by heygrillhey.com

Serves 4

Gourmet Kosher Cuisine reader Stacy Moses submitted this recipe years ago and I’ve been making it ever since. It’s a combination of simple, familiar ingredients that most people keep in their pantry. The marinade works magic by both seasoning the meat and also tenderizing it. I usually marinate the meat overnight for best results. The marinade works well on minute steak split, individual steaks, skirt steak (just reduce the salt), and London Broil.

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried (crumbled in your palm to release its flavor before added)
  • 4 medium cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 4 grilling steaks, about 1-inch thick, 8 ounces each (Note: butchers call these steaks by many names, it’s the prime cut, de-boned, about 1-inch thick but feel free to use other grilling steaks, especially for a more budget friendly version)

Marinate the steaks. Combine rosemary, garlic, onion, wine, olive oil, Dijon mustard, tomato paste, salt and pepper in a zip top food storage bag (or a glass baking dish large enough to hold steaks in a single layer). Add steaks, taking care to coat them with marinade on all sides. Seal bag and marinate steaks in the refrigerator for 2 hours or up to overnight, turning once.

Bring meat to room temperature before grilling. Preheat grill to 375°F. Grease grill grates.

Remove meat from marinade, and discard marinade. Grill over medium high heat for about 4 minutes, direct heat. Flip and grill on second side for about 3 additional minutes, or until meat registers 140°F (for rare), for more well done meat, grill for an additional few minutes being careful not to overcook. Transfer to a platter and allow meat to rest for a few minutes. Slice and serve.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings or Drumsticks

Photo by Con Poulos

Serves 10

This recipe is a BBQ and fan favorite. It’s a classic recipe and definitely a “keeper”, originally from Food and Wine magazine. I’ve tweaked it a bit and replaced their chipoltes in adobe for more accessible sriracha sauce as well as adjusted the garlic and red wine to balance the flavors more. If using wings, be careful, wings cook faster than drumsticks and chicken pieces. In the winter it can be made in the oven, preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and put a baking rack on it. Roast for 15 minutes, until the skin is lightly browned. Brush the chicken with some of the sauce and roast for 25-30 minutes longer, turning and basting every 10 minutes, until nicely glazed and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest piece registers 165°F.

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • ¾ cup red wine
  • 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
  • ½ tablespoon sriracha sauce, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 18 pieces chicken, wings, drumsticks or pieces.

In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the shallots and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the ketchup, wine, sugar, and sriracha sauce. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, and then reduce to simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly. Add salt and pepper. With an immersion blender, puree mixture until smooth.

Place chicken in a zip top bag and pour 1 cup sauce over chicken, reserving remaining sauce for basting chicken later. Seal bag and mix until all pieces of chicken are well coated with sauce. Marinade for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

Heat your grill or grill pan over medium-high heat to 450°F. Grease grill grates. Turn down the burners to very low. Place chicken on grill for 4 - 5 minutes With a high-heat basting brush, baste (or paint) sauce on exposed side, and flip to cook an additional 2 minutes. Flip and baste the other side, once or twice. Total cooking time is approximately 4-5 minutes each side, or until an internal temperature reaches 165°F.

Transfer to a platter and serve warm.

Cedar Planked Salmon with Dill Sauce

Serves 8

Cedar plants are a great way to cook fish on the grill. They infuse amazing woodsy flavor while also preventing the fish from sticking to the grill and falling apart while cooking. I use it sometimes for burgers too and other types of fish. Cedar planks infuse great flavor into any type of salmon. Use any topping or sauce you like, BBQ, teriyaki, pesto, honey-mustard etc. The cedar planks are sold in national markets during the summer, also at Williams-Sonoma, Costco, and on Amazon. Make sure to soak the plank for 30 minutes before using, do not skip this step, it prevents the plank from burning and catching fire.

Salmon

  • 1 cedar plank, soaked in water for 30 minutes (this is important so the plank does not burn on the grill)
  • ½ side of salmon fillet, skin removed
  • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 4 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Kosher salt and pepper

Soak the plank in water for 30 minutes – 2 hours. Pour off water and pat dry. Put the salmon on the cedar plank. Spread Dijon mustard over salmon and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle honey, lemon juice and olive oil on top of the salmon. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat the grill. Place the salmon on the plank and then place the plank on the warm grill. Cover the grill and cook for about 20 minutes or to desired doneness. Remove the cedar-planked salmon carefully and place on a serving platter. Note: I serve the salmon on the plank surrounded by grilled lemons (just cut lemons in half and grill flesh side down while salmon is grilling, they take about 5 – 6 minutes and create a sweet, zesty lemon flavor to add at the end or just use for garnish.

Alternatively, bake in 400-degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Serve with dill sauce.

Dill Sauce

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon ketchup
  • 3 tablespoons grated apple
  • 2 pickles, chopped
  • ¼ of an onion, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh dill or more
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)

Process all ingredients in a food processor and blend to desired consistency.

Grilled Vegetable Salad with Barbeque Vinaigrette

Serves 10

I make this salad whenever I have leftover grilled vegetables, steak or chicken or when I feel like barbeque flavors AND a really light meal. The dressing is creamy and tastes like a barbeque vinaigrette. The grilled vegetables make it hearty and full of color. Use any vegetables you like, but make sure they are grilled or roasted. Feel free to add leftover grilled chicken, meat or salmon to make this a protein rich meal too.

For the dressing:

  • 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 2 tablespoons non-dairy sour cream (such as Tofutti or make a dairy version with fish and use sour cream)
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground pepper

For the grilled vegetables:

  • 1 zucchini, sliced into ½ inch thick pieces
  • 1 red onion, sliced in half and then in slices
  • 1 red pepper cut in large pieces
  • 1 yellow pepper cut in large pieces
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil

For the salad:

  • 1 bunch of arugula, leaves torn
  • 5 cups romaine lettuce in bite size pieces

For the dressing:

In a large bowl, whisk the barbecue sauce with the olive oil, lemon juice, chili powder, smoked paprika, Tofutti sour cream. Add the honey and season it with salt and pepper.

For the vegetables:

Brush the vegetables with canola oil. Heat a grill to medium heat, approximately 375°F. Place the vegetables on the grill. Cook them for 2- 3 minutes, undisturbed with the grill cover on. Turn vegetables over and cook for another 2 – 3 minutes. The onions may take a little longer. (You can alternatively roast the vegetables in a preheated 400°F oven for about 15-20 minutes each).

To assemble: In a large salad bowl or on a platter, mix together lettuce and arugula. Top with zucchini, onions, and peppers. Pour dressing over salad and toss it gently. Serve immediately.

Zingerman’s Bakehouse Brownies Three Ways, Extra Chocolatey, With Nuts, and Dulce de leche version, plus my own Lotus Butter Version

Photo courtesy of Zingerman’s Bakehouse

Makes 12 huge or 24 regular sized brownies

Recently I had the good fortune of reviewing the famous (but not Kosher) Zingerman’s Bakehouse Cookbook (I easily converted many recipes from dairy to pareve or substituted to make them kosher at home). Bakehouse is a well-known and extremely popular bakery and take-out hot spot in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The book reads like both a cookbook and a textbook and I was able to learn quite a bit about bread making from this resource. With their permission, I’m sharing their famous brownie recipe with a few spins and kosher adjustments. It’s rich, decadent and a classic. I made the Buenos Aires version also with Lotus cookie butter, and they were a huge hit.

Black Magic Brownies

  • 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon chopped unsweetened chocolate
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine
  • 1 1/2 cups pastry flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 4 Large eggs
  • 2 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Magic Brownies

  • 1 ¼ cups walnut pieces

Buenos Aires Brownies

  • 3 cups Dulce de leche or 2 cups Lotus butter or cookie butter (Dulce de Leche is dairy and available cholov yisroel, Lotus butter is pareve)
  • Coarse sugar for sprinkling top
  • Sea salt for sprinkling top (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F [180°C]. Spray a 9-by-13-in [23-by-33-cm] pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter/margarine. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the pastry flour and baking powder. Mix with a whisk to eliminate any lumps of flour and to distribute the baking powder evenly.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat with a whisk until well combined and aerated, about 5 minutes. If you are using a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment on medium speed for this step. Add the melted chocolate/butter mixture to the egg mixture and whisk to combine evenly. Stir in the dry ingredients, using a rubber spatula. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment for this step and mix on a low speed.

If you are making Black Magic Brownies, you are done mixing and can move to next paragraph. If you are making Magic Brownies, toast the walnuts. Place the walnuts on a sheet tray in a 325°F [165°C] oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they’re a deep golden brown. Let cool. Add the toasted walnuts to the batter and mix gently simply to distribute them evenly, then go to next paragraph. For Buenos Aires Brownies, see the directions that follow.

Continue here: Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Carefully spread it to the corners of the pan in an even layer. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center is clean.

Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack for at least an hour. Cut into 12 squares, using a sharp knife to avoid crushing the top. Chilling the brownies before cutting may help the squares look more beautiful, but they taste better at room temperature.

Buenos Aires Brownies, or my Lotus Butter Version

Warm the dulce de leche slightly, on the stove or in a microwave. This will make it more spreadable. Place two-thirds of the brownie batter in the pan and spread evenly to cover the bottom. Spread the dulce de leche out evenly over this layer of batter. Top with the remaining brownie batter and spread to cover the dulce de leche. Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar. If you like sweet and salty desserts, also sprinkle with a little sea salt.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. Cool and then enjoy. These cut more easily if they are refrigerated.

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