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Spoon Cheddar Bread, ooo la la!  This will soon be a favorite bread when you’ve got something on the grill!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups milk (buttermilk is ok)
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese (8 ounces of it)
• 1 tblsp butter
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 4 eggs

Procedure:

1. In saucepan, combine milk, cornmeal.  Cook, sirring constantly, over medium heat until mixture is thickened and bubbly.  remove.  Add cheese, butter, baking powder, sugar, and salt.  Stir until cheese melts.
2. Separate yolks from eggs.  Add yolks one at a time to cornmeal mixture, stirring after each egg.  Mixture will be thick.
3. In mixing bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.
4. Stir about 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the cornmeal mixture.  Gently fold remaining beaten egg whites into cornmeal mixture until all combined.  Spoon into an ungreased 2 qt casserole or souffle dish.
5. Bake in 325 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes and center has been tested for doneness.
6. Serve immediately.

Hearty grilled meats call for homemade  breads and muffins.  This Oat Bran Muffin recipe will stand up to your grilled food!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups oat bran
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 beaten egg (yes, beat it first)
• 3/4 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup fat-free milk
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tblsp cooking oil
• 1/2 cup raisins or snipped dried fruit (optional)

Procedure:

1. Lightly spray muffin cups with cooking spray, or use muffin liners
2. In medium bowl, mix oat bran, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Make a well in the center and set aside.
3. In separate bowl, combine egg, applesauce, milk, honey, and oil.  Add applesauce mixture all at once to flour mixture.  Stir just until moistened, batter will be lumpy.  (Fold in raisins, optional)
4. Pour batter evenly into muffin tins.  Bake in 400 degee oven for 16 to 18 minutes.  Test center for doneness.
5. Serve warm, either before or during meal. 

What’s your grilled meat of choice?  Steaks, but these muffins are also tasty with grilled chicken.

Bake it in the oven, warm on the dying fire from the grill, serve warm with butter…oh my!  How about some Streusel-Nut Topping?  Dig in!

Grilling for the holidays?  Don’t forget the homemade breads and add this Classic and Easy Banana Bread to your menu.  Oh, the smellssssss!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 5 bananas)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 c cooking oil or melted butter
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• Streusel-Nut Topping (see below)

Procedure:

1. Prepare two regular bread baking pans by greasing sides and bottom.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp salt.
3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and set dish aside.
4. In separate medium sized bowl, combine eggs, bananas, sugar, and oil.  Add egg mixture all at once to flour and stir with fork until combined.  batter should be lumpy.
5. Gently fold in nuts.  Spoon batter into pans, and sprinkle Streusel nut ropping over batter.
6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 55  to 60 minutes.  When toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, remove bread and cool in pan for 10 minutes.  If necessary, cover loosely with foil the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning.  (this tip is also good if your cakes come out too done around the edges.)
7. Remove from pans and continue cooling.  Wrap and store overnight before slicing.  This prevents the bread from falling apart when slicing.  Also, it will help if you intend to warm the bread on the grill before serving with butter. 

Streusel-Nut Topping:

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup packed brown sugar and 3 tbls flour.  With the use of a pastry blender, cut in 2 tblsp butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in 1/3 or 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.  With fingers, drop and crumble mixture over bread batter.

Grilled Steaks are beggin for a sturdy, spicy hot cornbread!  Forget the rolls, once you add this to your grilling menu, you’ll do it over and over.  Your guests will request it!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 3/4 c cornmeal
• 2 to 3 tbls sugar, optional
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbls butter
• 2 beaten eggs (beating them first is a must)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 c cooking oil (canola or melted butter)
• 1/2 c frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 4 ounce can diced green chile pepers, drained

Procedure:

1. In mixing bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, sguar, baking owder and salt, set aside.
2. Add the 1 tbls butter to a 10-inch cast iron skillet.  Place in a 400 degree oven until heated.  Remove pan from oven and swirl butter to coat sides and bottom of hot skillet.
3. In mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, and oil.  Add corn, cheese and chiles.  Add all ingredients to flour mixture all at once and stir just until moistened.  Pour batter into hot skillet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. 

Your hearty grilled beef or pork will go great with this moist cornbread.  Just spicy enough!  Some people place the hot skillet in their grill on a rack and close the lid, but this takes a bit of experience in knowing how your fire is cooking.  No one likes crispy on the outside cornbread and gooey in the center, so practice!

Entertaining and Grilling during the holidays is a wonderful way to encourage guests to talk and visit and contribute their grilling tips. Nothing like a fire to get the aroma of cooking in the air.

While guests are roaming and giving advice, why not keep them occupied with this great holiday Pumpkin Bread? You can even warm a slice on the grill and then bring out the butter for a yummy warm treat!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup cooking oil
• 4 eggs
• 3 1/3 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 15 ounce can pumpkin

Procedure:

1. Grease bottom and sides of two bread pans, (regular size)
2. In large mixing bowl, beat sugar and oil with an electric mixer on med speed.  Add eggs and beat well.  set aside.
3. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Add flour mixture and water to sugar mixture, alternately, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.  Beat in pumpkin and spoon batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake in 350 degree oven for 55 to 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and continuing cooling completely.  Wrap and store overnight before slicing.

YUMMMM!  Cream cheese spread or soft butter is perfect on top of brilled/warmed slices.  Don’t let everyone fill up on this bread if you’re serving super tender steaks!!

The category of The Wine Glass will suggest wines that will go great with these easy recipes.  Not all food is grilled.  Sweet and spicy salsa is yummy with chips and a bottle of wine is fine.  Grilled chicken or pork is an all-star winner and a steak is perfect-o!

Ingredients

• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• dash cayenne pepper
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro, fresh
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (about 1 medium lime)
• 1/2 c red bell pepper, diced fine
• 1 c pineapple, fresh or canned, drained if using canned
• 1 cup papaya, diced
• 2 cups mango, diced

Procedure

1. Combine dry ingredients, mix well.  Set aside.
2. Combine all other ingredients, sprinkle dry ingredients over them, mix well.  Chill.  Serve with chips.

Wine Suggestion: Zin and white Zin – Zin has a wonderful all-American identity and goes well with foods that are typically American foods.  Zin pairs well with big bold flavors such as foods from the grill.  Zin is sometimes called the all-weather wine, and during warm-weather, it is a better choice than Cab or Merlot. So, if you’re in sweaters sometimes, but still playing in the sunshine, enjoy the Zin choice for your wine!

Yield:  3 1/2 cups

The Griller’s Tip:  Because hot peppers contain volatile oils that can burn your skin and eyes, avoid direct contct with chiles.  When working with peppers, wear plastic gloves.  If your bare hands and fingers do touch the peppers, wash well with soap and water.  Do NOT touch your face, eyes, mouth after touching peppers.  Play it Safe!

Beautiful and very satisfying, this salad makes a great light brunch or main course.  Served with hot crusty bread it is a huge hit!  Add a small amount of warmed pre-cooked chicken for extra protein.

Ingredients

• 1 red bell pepper (capsicum)
• 2 heads radicchio, leaves separated
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1 1/2 tbsp Dijon-style mustard
• 1/4 cup walnut oil
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 lb creamy fresh goat cheese, in a log
• 2 heads Belgian endive, trimmed and thinly sliced crosswise
• 1/4 lb fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced

Procedure

1. Preheat grill.  But the bell pepper lengthwise into quarters and remove the stem, seeds and ribs.  Place peeling sides down on grill and grill until the skin is blistered and blackened.  Remove from the grill and cover with a piece of aluminum foil.  Let cool for about 15 minutes.  Using your fingers, or a paring knife, peel away the blackened skin.  Cut the pepper into long, thin strips.  Set aside.  Leave the grill on.
2. Arrange the radicchio leaves on individual salad plates to form cups.  Set aside.
3. In small bowl, stir together the vinegar, salt and pepper until the salt dissolves.  Stir in the mustard.  Beat fastwith a fork or small whisk, and pour in both oils in a thin steady stream.  Beat until emulsified.  Set aside.
4. Grease a flameproof baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Cut the goat cheese into 4 small  rounds and place them in the prepared baking dish.  Broil under burner until golden brown, 2 or 3 minutes.  While the cheese is broiling, combine the endives and musrooms in another bowl.  Toss well with enough of the dressing to coat them evenly.  Arrange the mixtue in mounds atop the radicchio on each salad plate. 
5. As soon as the goat cheese is done, use a spatula to transfer each round to a salad plate, placing the cheese on top of the endive-musroom salad.  Spoon more dressing on top and garnish with the roasted pepper strips. Serve immediately.

This is light, but satisfying on those days when you just don’t want anything heavy, yet don’t want to sacrifice flavor!

This easy chicken salad recipe is a variation on the traditional Cobb salad and features quickly grilled marinated chicken breast.  Talk About Easy Grilling!  By using an indoor, counter-top grill, or a grill pan that fits on the stove top over burners, you can get the same results as with an outdoor grill without lighting up the big burners!

Ingredients For the Grilled Chicken:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves
• 2 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp grated lemon zest for garnish
• 2 tbsp olive oil, extra-virgin
• 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
• salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for the Dressing:

1. 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2. 1/2 tsp sugar
3. 1/2 tsp salt
4. 1/4 tsp ground WHITE pepper
5. 1 tbsp Dijon-style mustard
6. 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Ingredients for the Salad: 

1. 3 heads romaine, coarse outer leaves removed and remaining tender inner leaves coarsely chopped
2. 8 slices crisply fried and drained bacon, crumbled
3. 3 hard-cooked eggs, coarsely chopped
4. 6 oz blue cheese, crumbled (or feta, as desired)
5. 3 firm and ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and diced if desired
6. 1 large, firm but ripe Hass avocado, halved, peeled, pitted and diced
7. 2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad Procedure

1. Before grilling chicken breasts, place them between 2 sheets of plastic wrap.  Using a rolling pin, roll back and forth across the breast half until it is a uniform thickness of about 1/2 inch.  This will also serve to tenderize the chicken.
2. In small bowl, stir goether the lemon juice, olive oil and rosemary and 1 tsp of zest of lemon.  Place the chicken breasts in a shallow bowl large enough to hold them in a single layer and pour the marinade over them.  Turn to coat evenly and let stand for 15 – 30 minutes, room temperature.
3. Heat your ridged grill for about 3 minutes.
4. While the grill pan is heating, make the dressin:  stir together the lemon juice, dash of lemon zest, sugar, salt and pepper until the sugar and salt are dissolved.  Stir in the mustard until blended.  Beat continuously with a fork or small whisk and pour in the olive oil, in a thin steady stream, and beat unil it is blended well.  Set aside.  (Use a blender if you’d rather.)
5. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Place on the hot grill.  Grill, turning once, until just opaque through out, 2 – 3 minutes on each side.  Grill 1 – 2 minutes longer if you like a dryer chicken.
6. Combine the salad ingredients in alarge bowl and toss with just enough of the dressing to  coat.  Arrange in serving dishes. 
7. Cut grilled chicken crosswise into strips and arrange atop salads.  Spoon any remaining dressing over the chicken, garnish with parsley and lemon zest, if desired. 

Crusty bread completes the meal.  This recipe is even good for a breakfast brunch!!

Piperade is a relish like mixture of cooked vegetables originating from the Basque region of southern France.  Piperade is especially good with grilled tuna, swordfish and chicken breasts, providing both garden-fresh color and flavor.

Piperade Ingredients

• 1 large yellow or red onion, cut crosswise into slices 1/2 inch thick
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and cut crosswise into rings 1/2 inch thick
• 1 green bell pepper seeded, deribbed and cut crosswise into rings 1/2 inch thick
• 1/4 c olive oil
• salt to taste, plus 1/2 tsp salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Ingredients For Fish

• 4 halibut fillets or 4 tuna steaks
• 4 tsp olive oil
• salt and ground pepper

Procedure

Prepare a fire for direct-heat cooking on a grill.  Position the grill rack 4 – 6 inches above the fire.

To prepare the pierade, arrange the onion slices and bell pepper rings on the rack.  Brush lightly with some of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Grill for about 4 minutes, then turn and again brush lightly with oil.  Continue to grill until lightly browned, about 4 minutes longer.  Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and add the 1/2 tsp salt, the thyme and parsley.  Toss with a fork to combine, the onion will separate into rings, then set aside while you proceed immediately with the fish. 

To prepare the fish, rub the fillets lightly with the olive oil and sprinkle to taste with salt and pepper.  Arrange on the rack.  Grill, turning once, until the fillets are lightly browned and opaque throughout, about 10 minutes,

To serve, spread the piperade on a warmed platter or individual plates and attange the fish on top.  Serve immediately.

Marinades allow food to absorb their flavors before cooking, both marinades and sauces also contribute flavor when basted onto food while it cooks.  Be sure to stop basting meal, oultry or seafood with reserved marinades at least 5 minutes before cooking ends, to avoid possible contamination.

You can use this herbal wine-based mixture as a marinade or a baste for chicken, pork, lamb or beef.

Wine Barbecue Sauce

• 1 1/2 c white wine, or dry red
• 1/2 c white or red wine vinegar
• 1/3 c olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped fine
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, or thyme, chopped OR 2 tsp dried of each
• 2 tsp grated lemonn zest, fine
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pinch of red pepper flakes for heat

Procedure

1. Place a saucepan over high heat, combine the wine, wine vinegar, olive oil, onion, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary or thyme, lemon zest, salt and pepper flakes. 
2. Bring to a boil, stirring once or twice to combine the ingredients.  Reduce the heat to low, cover loosely and simmer until the onion has wilted and the sauce has reduced slightly; about 15 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and let cool.  Use immediately, or place in a container that is tightly sealed and refrigerate for about 4 days.  Or, seal in canning jars, following canning procedures.

Yield:  2 cups

Mop Sauce

This high flavor concoction belongs in history to the family of vinegar based Carolina “Mop Sauces.”  They are called that because the were commonly swabbed over a slab of meat with an old-fashioned string mop.

This is both hot and sweet, you can adjust the amount of sugar and pepper to your own taste requirements.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 1/4 c cider vinegar
• 2/3 c water
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes, more or less to taste

Procedure

1. Put the peppercorns on a work surface that will tolerate the use of cracking them with a heavy frying pan or other flat-bottomed pan.
2. Using a saucepan that is not aluminum, place the crushed peppercorns, vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and pepper flakes and bring to a boil.  Stir occasionally.
3. Remove from heat and let stand, uncovered. for at least 1 hour before using to allow the flavors to blend. 
4. Place in containers in the refrigerator for about 1 week, or can according to your canning instructions.

Yield:  2 cups  Great sauce for beef, pork, or chicken.

Ginger-Soy Marinade

This sauce blend of soy sauce, sherry and ginger are comgined to make an American version of Japanese teriyaki marinade, very good on flank stea, skirt steak, chicken, pork, and firm-fleshed fish.

Marinate steaks, chops or chicken in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or up to all day if you wish for a stronger taste.  Marinate fish fillets for 1 – 2 hours.  Large pieces of meat or poultry can marinate for a day or even two.

Ingredients

• 1/2 c soy sauce
• 1/2 c dry sherry
• 1/3 c vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp sugar or Splenda
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger

Procedure

1. Combine the soy sauce, sherry, vegetable oil, sugar, garlic and ginger in a small bowl.
2. Whisk untul blended.