Below
will be the recipes that will be posted each week. Each
recipe wil have a link to our segment sponsor, Well
Seasoned where you can find a wine pairing for each
dish.
Click
on the link to go to the Recipe:
June
6 - Grilled Pumpkin Stuffed French Toast
June 13 - Big Al's Planked Halibut with
Green Beans tossed in Warm Bacon, Mustard Vinaigrette
June 20 - Maple, Balsamic and Chipotle
Pepper Basted Salmon Skewers
June 27 - BBQ Pork Loin with Butternut Squash
Puree and Asparagus
July 4 - Steak Three Ways
July 11- Chicken Wings!
July 18- Hurry
Up Grilled Pork Ribs
July 25- Grilled Mushroom and Black
Bean Burrito's
July 31- Chicken and Prawn Lettuce Wraps
August 8- Angie's Deconstructed Grilled
Peach Crumble
August 15 - Gold Marinated Lamb Chops
August 22- Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Grilled
Pumpkin Stuffed French Toast
You can cook
a lot of things on the grill and why not dishes for brunch
or breakfast? Brian made this dish for Christmas morning
breakfast for his family and it has been a signature dish
ever since.
2 French
loafs
Filling:
2 Cups Ricotta
1 Can Pumpkin puree
1 TS Allspice
1 TS Ginger - ground
1 TS Cinnamon - ground
Custard:
1 Cup Cream - Half n Half
9 Eggs
1 TS Salt
2 Cups White sugar
Maple syrup
Start with
placing the Ricotta cheese in a bowl and add the pumpkin
puree. Stir until well mix and add the spices. Cover and
place in the refrigerator. This can be made ahead a day
or two ahead.
To make the
custard, break the eggs into a bowl, add the cream, salt
and the sugar. Whisk until mell mixed.
Slice the
bread so that you have two slices that are attached - meaning
the middle is not cut all the way through. This will create
a pocket where you can add the pumpkin filling. Place 1-2
tablespoons of the filling inside the bread and set aside.
Preheat your
grill to medium heat and place a sheet of foil on top of
the grate. Spray some oil on the foil. Place a piece of
stuffed bread in the custard, turn it over to be well coated
and place it on the foil. Cook until the egg custard has
set, meaning its not runny anymore. Turn over and cook the
other side of the French Toast. Once the custard has set,
you can move the bread to the open grill to create grill
marks on the outside of the toast and thoroughly cook the
custard.
Remove from
the grill and serve with fresh fruit, grilled fruit, maple
syrup or your favourite topping for French Toast.
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for ingredients for this dish or more great food ideas.
Big Al's
Planked Halibut with Green Beans tossed in Warm Bacon, Mustard
Vinaigrette
1 Alder plank
- soaked
2 lbs Halibut filets - cut into 1 ½ inch strips
5-6 TB Mayonnaise
2 TB Maple Syrup (alternate is Maple Sugar)
Salt
Pepper
1-2 lbs Green
beans
1/3 - ½ lb Bacon/Pancetta
3-4 TB House of Q Slow Smoke Gold Sauce
4 TB Champagne Vinegar
White sugar (to taste, if required)Planking
is a great way to use your grill and add flavor to many
dishes like fish. Brian's dad, Al Misko who lives in Edmonton,
is an avid fisherman and he shared this recipe with him.
Soak the
alder plank for a few hours and preheat your grill to high
heat (500F). Place the plank on the grill and close the
lid. Wait a few minutes until you hear the plank start to
crackle like popcorn.
While it's
warming, season the fillet with salt and pepper. In a small
bowl add the mayo and the maple syrup or the maple sugar
and stir until mixed. Smear or dollop the mayonnaise mixture
on the top of the fish.
Lift the
lid of the grill and place the fish on the plank - close
the lid. Leave the lid closed as it cooks and gets smoky.
Don't worry too much if the plank has started on fire; you
are actually trying to burn the plank somewhat… just
to get the smoky flavour on your fish. Keep a spray bottle
near by to spritz the plank if it gets out of control.
When the
fish is firm to touch and starts to flake, it is ready to
remove from the grill. Place the whole plank on a baking
sheet or a wooden cutting board since the plank maybe burning
underneath and you don't want to melt anything plastic or
a hand.
Meanwhile
in a large skillet, dice the Pancetta (or bacon) and sauté
until just starting to crisp and render the fat. Lower the
temperature to low and add the Slow Smoke Gold sauce to
the pan and stir. Add the champagne vinegar and continue
to mix the sauce. Taste at this point and see if the sauce
is too acidic for you and add sugar if you need it to balance
the flavour out. Add the steamed beans and toss to coat.
Serve each
of your guests with one slice of fish with a portion of
beans with plenty of sauce scooped on top.
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.
Maple,
Balsamic and Chipotle Pepper Basted Salmon Skewers
Particularly
for people who live near the west coast, salmon is a common
fish to have on the grill. Even though it is readily available
year-round, many cooks are challenged. Here is a simple
recipe to set things right.
(For each
pound of salmon filets)
2 TB Maple
Syrup – real Canadian stuff is best
2 TB
Balsamic vinegar
1 TS
Ground Chipotle pepper (dried)
Salt/Pepper
Olive
oil
Mixed
coloured peppers or cherry tomatoes from a BC farm of course
Green
onion for garnish
Fresh
BC Salmon
(thanks to the BC Salmon Council for the fish!)
Cut the salmon
into big one inch cubes and even up to 1 1/2 inches in size.
Alternating with a chunk of sweet pepper, feed the pieces
of fish on a skewer. Cherry tomatoes are a nice alternate
if you'd like - just make sure it's from a local farm!
Place the
skewers in glass baking dish and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle
with salt and pepper to coat evenly. Meanwhile, whisk the
maple syrup and vinegar together then add the dried chipotle
peppers. Just before grilling, brush the fish with the mixture
holding half for basting while cooking.
Prepare the
grill for medium heat. Place the skewers on the grate and
leave them in place without flipping or turning. Half way
through cooking, baste with the reserved sauce and turn
the fish over. Once the fish reaches 130F internal temperature
or starts to flake, it is done. Using your grill spatula
lift off the fish placing them on your serv ing tray.
Grill Smoked Hash Browns
It's really a simple dish however this potato dish can complement
many other dishes from the grill.
The cooking "plank" box that we use at House of
Q is from Smokinlicious.ca
- a company that focuses on grilling and smoking wood products.
You can order from them online or look for a local retailer.
2-3 lbs BC White Potatoes (Yukon Gold are ideal) - shredded
Salt/Pepper
4-5 TB Butter
Green onion
Optional ingredients: cheese - any good melting cheese;
spices or sour cream.
Mix the ingredients together in a bowl and place loosely
into a parchment lined cooking box. Prepare your grill for
indirect cooking or your smoker for medium to medium-high
heat (approximately 350 F). Place the tray on your cooker
and close the lid leaving the potatoes for about half an
hour. Rotate the tray and add more butter if needed so that
the potatoes have some moisture and don't dry out. Adding
milk, chicken stock or other liquids can add more flavour
- all your choice.
The potatoes should have a nice golden colour on top and
be tender when done.
Place the salmon skewers on top of the potatoes, drizzle
with whatever sauce you have left and enjoy!
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pairing from .
BBQ
Pork Loin with Butternut Squash Puree and Asparagus
2-3 lb Pork
loin
House of Q Slow Smoke Gold Sauce
5-6 TB House of Q House Rub
House of Q Apple Butter BBQ Sauce
2 lbs Butternut
squash
3-4 TB Butter
1-2 lbs Asparagus
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Cooking larger
pieces of meat on your grill has a lot of advantages especially
in the summer. With no surprise, it tastes great but it
also keeps the heat of cooking under control since you are
outside.
Start off
by smearing, or slathering as us competitive bbq-ers say,
a layer of Slow Smoke Gold sauce all over the loin. Sprinkle
the whole loin generously with House of Q House Rub as another
coating of flavour. Set aside while you prepare your grill.
Prepare your
grill for indirect cooking (one side off) and at a medium-high
heat temperature. If you want, add wood chips to the hot
side in foil or a smoker tray. Place the loin on the OFF
side and cook with the lid closed for one hour or until
the internal temperature reaches approximately 130 F. At
this point, it is time to glaze the loin with Apple Butter
BBQ Sauce and again, close the lid. The loin is ready to
be remove from the grill when the internal temperature reaches
150 F. Cover loosely with foil and let rest.
While the
loin is cooking, cut in half the butternut squash and remove
the seeds. Peel the outer shell and cut the squash into
one-inch cubes. Simmer in water for 30 minutes or until
the squash is soft. Drain and add the butter. Once the butter
has melted, mash with a potato masher and keep warm for
the finished pork loin.
Wash and
cut off the ends of the asparagus. Place in a bowl or glass
tray and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place
on the grill after removing the pork loin on the direct
heat side of the cooker. Turn every two to three minutes
as the asparagus begin to soften and char on the outside.
The asparagus are done when you can hold one stalk vertically
with your tongs and the tip starts to wobble over to one
side. If it falls right over, it is overdone.
To plate
this dish, place a scoop of squash on a plate, a nice slice
of the pork loin on top of it and then the asparagus on
the side. There should be plenty of flavour but having some
extra sauce around is always a nice addition.
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pairing from .
Steaks
Three Ways
1 lb Top
sirloin steak
1 lb Tri-tip steak
2/3 lb Filet steak
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Butter
Blue cheese
Lemon
Onions
House of Q Apple Butter BBQ Sauce
The most
popular item on backyard grills in Canada is steaks. Canadians
simply love their beef. That aside however, many over-cook
their steak or simply aren't satisfied with the results
they are getting. Here are some tips on cooking a great
steak.
Make it simple.
Start with great beef. Find a good butcher who is cutting
their own meat and quite possibly doing their own aging
of beef. House of Q prefers the beef from Hopcott
Meats in Pitt Meadows since it is hormone and anti-biotic
free. These are good indicators that you are getting a better
steak right out of the gate!
The leaner
the steak, the higher the chance that it will be drier than
one with plenty of marbled fat.
Focus on
the natural flavour of the meat meaning a simple drizzle
of olive oil, salt and pepper should do the trick. There
is usually little need to marinade steaks if the quality
is high, but then again, you may choose to do so…
Prepare your
grill to medium high heat but leave an area of your grill
that is cooler or even off - this is your "safe"
zone. Place the meat on the hot part of the grill and sear
until you have set the grill marks. If you want to try to
get nice cross-hatched searing marks, turn the steak 90
degrees and wait until the searing marks are set. Flip the
steak and start cooking the other side.
If the steaks
are rather thick and you risk over-cooking the outside while
having the middle too rare, place the steak on your safe
zone (cool part of your grill) so it can continue to cook
internally while not overcooking the outside.
The steaks
are done medium-rare when the internal temperature reaches
140 F. You can also learn to test the doneness by touching
the steak but this takes practise… medium-rare is texture
of the muscle between your thumb and index finger when you
are making the "OK" sign with your middle finger.
Sounds confusing but if you see it done, it makes sense.
Let the meat
rest for 5-10 minutes under foil while you get the rest
of you meal ready.
For the BBQ
Tip of Week, we served the steaks with a compound butter
with blue cheese (half butter and half blue cheese), grilled
lemons squeezed on one of the steaks with olive oil and
simmered onions with Apple Butter BBQ Sauce.
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and a wine
pairing from .
Chicken
Wings!
Some might
call this a standard dish however cooking chicken can test
the best of anyone at the grill.
2-3 lbs Chicken
wings - whole wing including wing tips look great but your
choice
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
House of Q Apple Butter BBQ Sauce
House of Q Slow Smoke Gold Sauce
Honey
Carrot sticks
Celery sticks
Your choice of veggie dip from Well Seasoned such as the
Pomegranate, Blue Cheese Dip or the Mexican Chili Cheese
Dip.
Chicken is
a great appetizer or even a meal from the grill however
those birds do pose a few challenges if your grilling technique
is out of control.
Rinse the
chicken and place in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil
and coat generously with salt and pepper. Toss to coat the
wings nicely.
Prepare your
grill for low heat or if you have enough room, prepare for
indirect cooking. Place the wings on the grate and close
the lid. If the temperature is low enough you will roast
the wings slowly cooking them. This will reduce any flair
ups. If you do get some flames, move the chicken to your
safe zone on your grill (where it is off) or remove them
from the grill - this is the subtle way of telling you your
grill is out of control.
Once the
wings have tightened up and are about three quarters of
the way cooked, remove them from the grill and place into
a CLEAN bowl. Coat with Apple Butter BBQ Sauce and return
to the grill for another 10-15 minutes. This last segment
of time is to allow them to finish cooking and to let the
glaze set on the chicken. Again, if your grill is in control,
there will be no flair ups or burning.
As an alternate
sauce, mix equal parts of honey and Slow Smoke Gold sauce
and coat the wings for a honey mustard flavor. Another variation
of this one is with Slow Smoke Gold and maple syrup. I'm
sure you'll be able to create a nice variation once you
look around the kitchen.
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for ingredients for this dish
and a wine
pairing from .
Hurry
Up Grilled Pork Ribs
3 racks Pork
ribs - sides or back
House of Q Slow Smoke Gold
House of Q House Rub
House of Q Apple Butter BBQ Sauce
Maple syrup
Apple juice
Foil
Ribs are
great to cook on the grill however to get tender ribs, there
are a few steps to cooking them WITHOUT BOILING the ribs.
Start by
removing the membrane on the back of the ribs. Lift an edge
of the tough film and then use a paper towel to help you
grab the membrane. If you have a good drip of it, you can
pull the whole thing off in one pull.
Smear Slow
Smoke Gold mustard sauce all over the ribs and then coat
generously with House Rub. Let the rib sit at room temperature
for 10 minutes so the rub can start to draw moisture from
the meat and stick to the ribs. If you move the ribs too
soon, all of the rub will fall off.
Prepare your
grill for indirect cooking, medium heat. Place the ribs
on the OFF or cool side and add smoke chips such as apple,
cherry or hickory to the HOT side. Close the lid and smoke
the ribs for about 45 minutes to one hour for the first
step. This step will give the meat a lot of flavour and
set the rub on the meat.
Prepare a
sheet of foil with some maple syrup drizzled on it - the
same width as the rack of ribs. Curl up the corners of the
foil and add a bit of apple juice being careful it doesn't
run out of the foil. Take a rack of ribs from the grill
and place meat-side down on the maple syrup. Loosely wrap
the foil and return to the grill - again, on the indirect
side for another 45 minutes to one hour. This step will
make the meat soft and tender.
Open the
foil pouches and being very careful of the steam and hot
liquids inside, remove the ribs and place back on the indirect
side of the grill. Brush with Apple Butter BBQ Sauce and
close the lid. This step allows the sauce to set on the
ribs and to tighten up some of the meat fibres so the racks
don't fall apart. This glazing step should only take 15
to 25 minutes.
Remove the
racks from the grill and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Cut
between the bones for each portion and serve.
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and a wine
pairing from .
Grilled
Mushroom and Black Bean Burrito's
1 can Black
beans - drained and rinsed
1 lb Mushrooms - mixed or button
1 small Onion - diced
Olive oil
2-3 TB House Rub
Oregano - fresh roughly chopped (or Cilantro as an alternate)
1-2 Cups Jack cheese - grated
Flour Tortillas
Well Seasoned Chilli Cheddar Dip, Salsa
Having guests
over who don't eat meat doesn't mean there is an international
crisis in the making for those grill… and it doesn't
mean you can't use your grill. Here is a vegetarian dish
that is flavourful and a hit at many parties.
Using a skillet
in your kitchen or on your side-burner of your grill, add
the olive oil and onions in the pan. Sauté until
soft and add the mushrooms. As the mushrooms cook they will
release moisture and begin to get soft. Add the black beans,
the House Rub and stir until mixed. Remove from the heat.
Once the
mixture has cooled to room temperature, mix in the oregano
and cheese. This mixture can be made a day or two ahead
and kept in the refrigerator.
When ready
to make the burrito's, heat your grill to medium-high heat.
Warm the tortilla's lightly on the grill or heat them in
a microwave oven so they don't crack when folded. Place
a good portion of the bean mixture on the tortilla. Fold
each end over on top of the mixture then roll the remaining
so it forms into a wrapped burrito.
Grill each
side of the tortilla until there are grill marks and the
mixture is heated through. Serve whole or cut in half. Serve
with your choice of sauces and dips. Enjoy!
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and a wine
pairing from .
Chicken
and Prawn Lettuce Wraps
1-2 lbs Chicken
Thighs - boneless
1 lb Uncooked Prawns - shelled
Butter or Iceberg Lettuce
Green Onion
Fennel - peeled and quartered
Red Pepper - quartered
Daikon - shredded
House
of Q Apple Butter BBQ Sauce
Gathering
guests, just like Lynn and Steve, over to your house for
a cook out is a great way to share a platter of food. This
recipe provides a great presentation and allows guests to
pick and choose what they want to eat and how much.
This dish
needs to have a grill cook that can cook a number of things
all at the same time however in the right order and for
the right duration.
Start by
marinating the chicken overnight in your favorite salad
dressing, House of Q Slow Smoke Gold or whatever you choose.
When you are ready to cook, preheat your grill to medium
high heat (about 450 F) and brush the grates with oil. Sear
the chicken and move to your cool zone allowing the chicken
to finish cooking without burning.
Once the
chicken has started, toss the prepared vegetables with olive
oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on the hot
part of your grill and cook until the vegetables have charred
and started to get soft. Be careful not to overcook the
vegetables - they should still be a bit crunchy. Once charred,
move to your cool zone as well or remove them from the grill.
As the chicken
is close to finishing, brush on Apple Butter BBQ Sauce and
allow the sauce to get sticky.
The last
item to cook is the shrimp. Coat them with olive oil and
sprinkle with salt and pepper. Placing them on skewers helps
with controlling the little guys on the grill or you easily
place them in a cooking basket. If they are large enough,
they can easily be cooked directly on the grill.
To cook shrimp
properly do not over cook them. In general, they are cooked
when they turn from a gray colour to pink - not that long
on a medium-high heat.
Once the
shrimp are cooked, place all the vegetables, the chicken,
the prawns and the lettuce on a platter. Serve with additional
sauce, wedges of lime or lemon and of course, your favourite
beverages like a glass of wine. Enjoy!
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for ingredients for this dish
and a wine
pairing from .
Angie's
Deconstructed Grilled Peach Crumble
Our friend
Angie Quaale is the owner of Well Seasoned and she inspired
this amazing desert. But this dish needs to come with a
warning label. It's really, really, really easy to do and
the results are outstanding. If you can successfully grill
a hot dog and you are looking to expand your grilling repertoire,
this is the desert for you.
2-4 Peaches
- fresh, halved and stone removed
Granola - your choice on type - with or without dried fruit
or nuts
3-4 TB Butter - softened
2-3 TB Brown Sugar
1 Jar Dulce de Leche (carmel sauce)
Ice cream - vanilla works great
Prepare your
grill to medium-high heat and brush the grates with oil.
While it
is warming, mix the granola, brown sugar and butter in a
bowl. It should be well mixed and starting to clump together.
Place the
peaches on the grates and allow the fruit to gain some grilling
marks but be careful not to overcook the fruit - it gets
mushy. Once warmed, turn over and top with the granola mix.
Close the lid to your grill and allow the peaches and crumble
to warm through. The butter and sugar should start to melt
and ooze all over the peach. Once warmed through, remove
with a spatula and onto plates. Scoop a some ice cream on
the side and drizzle all over the crumble a table spoon
or more of the Dulce de Leche. Serve immediately so the
warmth and cold allow you to enjoy the contrasting flavours.
Now here's
the tough part… try to not eat the whole jar of the
carmel sauce and try not to lick your plate. I haven't made
it through once!
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for ingredients for this dish
and a wine
pairing from .
Gold
Marinated Lamb Chops
Glenn was
playing around in the kitchen and he came up with this fantastic
recipe. It's like many of our recipes too…. Simple.
1 rack of
lamb - cut into chops between the bones
4-6 TB House of Q Slow Smoke Gold
4-6 TB White wine
3-4 cloves garlic - sliced`
To make the
marinade, pour the Slow Smoke Gold mustard sauce, white
wine and garlic into a bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Cut the rack
of lamb into chops and place into the bowl of marinade or
place the meat into a zip bag then pour the marinade into
the bag. Seal or cover the bowl and place into the fridge
for at least an hour or overnight.
Prepare your
grill for medium-high heat and remove the lamb from the
marinade removing the excess. Sear so that you can get nice
grill marks on the outside but once they have nice colour,
move them to a colder part of your grill. Lamb chops are
best cooked to medium rare thus they are finished when the
internal temperature reaches 135 F so have your thermometer
handy.
Remove from
the grill and let rest for five minutes. Serve with grilled
nugget potatoes, green beans or a nice salad.
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and a wine
pairing from .
House
of Q Pulled-Pork Sandwich
There are
a few steps to creating pulled-pork sandwiches and if properly
prepared using a smoker they can often take up to 16 hours
to cook - this isn't a microwave recipe!
8-10 lb Pork
butt roast (4-5 kg) (either bone in or removed)
Slow Smoke Gold (mustard)
1-
1 1/2cups House of Q House Rub (as you've tailored to your
taste)
Apple Butter BBQ sauce
Prepare your
smoker with charcoal and wood chips or your gas-grill with
indirect heat for a temperature of 225 F - 250 F. Slather
the Slow Smoke Gold all over the pork butt and coat well
with the House Rub. Let rest for a few minutes until the
rub has started to absorb some of the moisture from the
mustard. Once the rub is "set" on the roast, place
it on your grill or smoker. The meat will need to cook for
approximately 90 minutes per pound or until the internal
temperature has broken above 185 F. About half way through
cooking rotate the roast and flip it over so that it cooks
evenly. Let rest before shredding catching any juices that
are released. Add Apple Butter BBQ Sauce while shredding
and mix thoroughly while still warm.
A traditional
southern-style sandwich is a good layer of pulled-pork on
soft white bread or a bun that soaks up all the juices.
On top of the meat is a good portion of coleslaw and then
any additional sauce such as Apple Butter BBQ Sauce, mustard
vinegar or even your own creation. Be prepared with plenty
of napkins.
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and a wine
pairing from .
