Monday, February 21, 2011

Fire it up!

You know the day...the first one of the season when sun sets a little slower, the breeze blows a little warmer and the grill calls your name. Fire it up!

I love this time of year because so many things can just be marinated in whatever juices you have in the pantry and slapped on the grill and a mere moments later, voila! Perfection! And virtually no clean up.


(These little guys have been waiting all winter to get some love.)

On the menu tonight...grilled asparagus that's cooked just to the point of crisp-tender with a smoky flavor and wrapped in crispy, blackened bits.




Plump, juicy, bourbon peppercorn marinated (the marinade is store brand from  my local Kroger!) pork chops with skin that's crunchy and crisp, sealing in all the flavorful moisture that glides off your fork and explodes in your mouth.


(You can hear the sizzle, sizzle, sizzle, can't you? You know you want it.)


And a quick, cold Romaine salad with fresh shaved Parmesan and a tangy homemade garlic mustard vinaigrette that coats each leaf like a light spritzer in the summer. 




My version of "surf and turf"...add a few steamed shrimp and cocktail sauce leftover from the weekend:



(Isn't that pretty? I thought so...it deserved two pictures.)

Yum. Yum. Yum.

Garlic Mustard Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
1 chopped garlic clove
1-2 Tbsp. of whole grain mustard or Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2-3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2-3 tsp. sugar
1/4 Cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until well combined. Taste and add more/less of whatever you think it needs until it tastes yummy to you.

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