Grilled Bananas

SO SO SO SO good-from the Food Network site.

2 bananas (not too ripe)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons honey
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Bourbon or other liqueur, for drizzling, optional (we drizzled a tiny bit more honey)

Build a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill. Slice the bananas, in their skins, in half crosswise and then lengthwise so each banana yields 4 pieces (I only did lengthwise, so each banana made two pieces). Set aside on a clean platter. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Drizzle the honey on the cut sides of the bananas and sprinkle them with the cinnamon sugar. Let the bananas sit for 5 minutes.

Place the bananas, cut side down, on the center of grill. Grill for 2 minutes or until grill marks appear. Using a pair of tongs, turn them over and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the skin pulls away from the bananas. Remove the bananas from the grill and serve them immediately, on top of vanilla ice cream and drizzled with bourbon or liqueur, if desired.

Grilled Fries

I started out using Bobby Flay's recipe from here-but I ended up just using it as a guideline. Here's what I used:

3 potatoes
olive oil
chili powder (enough for a small coat)
garlic powder (same amount)
McCormick's Cinnamon Chipotle Rub (see here) (enough to make it smell tasty)

I chopped up potatoes in fry fashion, coated them in a little olive oil and then sprinkled on the seasonings and mixed to coat. I split them onto three pieces of foil, sealed the pouches, and cooked on the upper part of my grill, turning once, for about 30 minutes. Super yummy (and better than the potatoes I charred two days ago!)

Lime and Chili Rubbed Chicken

This one is from Alli, she found it here! So yummy-we made it tonight. Next time I might add a little more brown sugar!

2	teaspoons chili powder
2	teaspoons packed brown sugar
2	teaspoons grated lime peel
1/2	teaspoon salt
1/4	teaspoon garlic powder
1/8	teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
4	boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb)
2	teaspoons olive or canola oil

Heat gas or charcoal grill. In small bowl, mix chili powder, brown sugar, lime peel, salt, garlic powder and ground red pepper. Rub both sides of chicken with oil, then with spice mixture. Place chicken on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 10 to 15 minutes, turning once or twice.

Notes:

Refrigerating the "rubbed" chicken 20 to 30 minutes before grilling really enhances the flavor.

You can bake the chicken. Place the rubbed chicken in a foil-lined shallow baking pan and bake in a 375°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

Grilled Salmon

I'm really sorry, but first of all, I have to say EW. Anything fish related on here (except for canned tuna) is all Patrick's doing. I don't like it one bit (I know, I'm missing out, blah blah but even the "slight" smell of salmon grosses me out. Anyway-since we have the grill now and I don't have to cook it inside Patrick can make all the salmon he wants. He found this recipe for a "yummy" marinade (had to take his word for it).

1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
lemon pepper to taste (he used 1/4c lemon juice and 1/4tsp pepper, per reviewer suggestion, since we don't have lemon pepper)
garlic powder to taste
salt to taste
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat grill for medium heat. Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Grilled Kabobs

I like mine with one red pepper, one green pepper, fresh sliced pineapple, and chicken-marinated in Garlic Ginger sauce-found here-grilled for just a few minutes on each side. How do you like yours?

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Nabbed this recipe from here. Tasty tasty! I think this is just how we'll fix our corn when we grill it-super easy.

6 ears corn
6 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate. Peel back corn husks and remove silk. Place 1 tablespoon butter, salt and pepper on each piece of corn. Close husks. Wrap each ear of corn tightly in aluminum foil. Place on the prepared grill. Cook approximately 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until corn is tender.

Grilled Jalapeno Poppers

Got the recipe here! They were WAY easier than I thought but made sooo much. They lasted a couple of meals! I served them with a little cream cheese to cool it down a bit.

12 large jalapeno peppers
1 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese
6 thick slices bacon (the ones I only used 1/2 slice bacon on were better... otherwise it was too much, personally, but Patrick liked the full slice of bacon ones)

Slice peppers from stem to tip on 1 side. Carefully squeeze ends of pepper (like a change purse) and scoop out seeds and veins with a small spoon. Stuff each pepper with shredded cheese. Cut bacon slices in half. Wrap each pepper with a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick.

Preheat grill. Grill peppers 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until bacon is cooked, but not crisp.

Remove from grill and serve while hot.

Stuffed Grilled Peppers

Got this recipe here-it was REALLY good, but it didn't really make enough I don't think... next time I'd double the recipe for the innards (I could have done it this time but ran out of mozarella) and I'm not sure if it was the size of the peppers-they were pretty big-but it only stuffed two, and not even all the way full. They were REALLY tasty, we'll probably have them again later this week!

3 red sweet bell peppers
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (approximately)
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
3-4 stems fresh basil (1-2 tablespoons chopped)
1/4 teaspoon oregano
pinch red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups garlic croutons
1 cup fresh mozzarella
sea salt and pepper, to taste
dash of paprika

In a skillet, sauté croutons in 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes and basil for 3-5 minutes. Add mozzarella, cut into small cubes. Toss to combine. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.

Remove tops from peppers, leaving peppers whole. Save tops to replace later. Remove seeds and cores from peppers. Rub peppers with olive oil. Mix enough remaining olive oil with ingredients in skillet, using only enough to coat well. Fill peppers with mixture and replace top.

Place peppers on preheated grill over indirect heat or in the oven at 400°F. Bake until peppers are tender and are just beginning to color. Cut each pepper into halves and sprinkle top with paprika for color.

Glazed Pineapple

Found this from the Food Network website-trying to find some delicious dessert recipes for the grill! It was SO good-we ate the entire thing, and Maya loved it. It was REALLY hot even after we took it off the grill for awhile!

4 tbsp melted butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch salt
splash dark rum (I used rum extract)
Whole fresh pineapple

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Slice a pineapple in half lengthwise (keeping the top attached), then cut each half into 3 long wedges; cut out the core. Place 2 wedges on a sheet of foil; brush with the spiced butter and fold up. Repeat to make 2 more packets; grill over medium heat until the pineapple is soft and golden on the bottom, 15 to 20 minutes.

Zucchini & Cheese Packages

Got this recipe from our new grilling book (for our new grill! eek!)

1 small bunch of fresh mint
2 large zucchini
Olive oil
4oz feta cheese, cut into strips (we used fresh mozzarella and it was great!)
pepper

Finely chop enough mint to fill 1 tablespoon (next time we'll use more). Set aside. Cut out two rectangles of foil, each large enough to enclose a zucchini, and brush lightly with olive oil. Cut a few slits along the length of each zucchini and place them on the foil rectangles. Insert strips of feta cheese along the slits in the zucchini, then drizzle the olive oil over the top, sprinkle with the mint and season to taste with pepper. Fold the sides of the foil securely and seal the edges to enclose the zucchini completely. Bake for 30-40 minutes on the grill (well, or the oven too if you put them in a glass dish) and serve immediately.

Dr, Pepper Meatballs

(Note: this is what the sauce looks like that you pour over top-not exactly appetizing!)

Recipe from Allrecipes! Delicious!

1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
1 egg
1 1/4 cups dry bread crumbs
1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 onion, minced
1 green bell pepper, minced

1 (12 fl oz) can Dr. Pepper®
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup ketchup
1 cup diced tomatoes in juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees. Place the turkey, egg, bread crumbs, ranch dressing mix, and 1 tablespoon of the Worcestershire sauce into a mixing bowl along with 3 tablespoons of the minced onion, and 3 tablespoons of the minced bell pepper. Set the remaining onion and bell pepper aside. Form the turkey mixture into 2 inch meatballs, and place into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

While the meatballs are baking, stir the remaining onion and bell pepper in a bowl along with the Dr. Pepper®, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, diced tomatoes, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Once the meatballs have cooked for 15 minutes, remove them from the oven and pour the sauce overtop. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and return to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and allow to stand 15 minutes before serving.

Broccoli and Ham Mac & Cheese

Trina's very old, very special family recipe!

2 cups macaroni (uncooked)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
salt & pepper
Broccoli
Ham
Sharp cheddar, mozzarella, Colby, and Monterey Jack, totaling 6 cups

Cook macaroni, strain. In a small saucepan, melt butter. Add flour, mix until completely stirred in. Pour into a mixing bowl and add milk, whisk until combined. Add macaroni, cooked broccoli, ham, cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well and pour into greased dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Got this recipe from Allrecipes-I took a lot of the suggestions and make a variation of the original recipe. Good with tortilla chips, pretzels, pita bread-and we are trying toasted french bread next! Yum-I could eat the whole thing!

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
2 ounces canned diced jalapeno peppers, drained (more or less for kick)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (the real stuff)
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Stir together cream cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in green chilies, jalapeno peppers, a little Parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese. Pour mixture into a pie or oven safe serving dish. Mix bread crumbs and remaining Parmesan cheese together and sprinkle on top. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25-30 minutes.

Squash and Zucchini Casserole

Found this recipe here!

2 medium yellow squash
2 large zucchini
1 Vidalia onions, thinly sliced (we omitted)
2 large tomatoes, sliced (we used Romas)
2 cups grated Romano cheese (we used a Parmesan/Romano mix)
1/2 cup butter, divided (used margarine and only 1/4 C to cut the calories)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the zucchini and squash into long, thin layers. Lightly grease a 7x11-inch baking dish and layer the squash, zucchini, onion and tomatoes into the baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and add pats of butter between each layer of vegetables, and season each layer with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Continue this layering process until all the vegetables are used up and top this off with the remaining butter and cheese. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, or until vegetables are to desired tenderness and cheese is melted and bubbly.