June 2011: Grilled Food

The theme for this month is Grilled Food! It's a good summer thing :) Cooking club will be on June 15th at 7:00, my place. Sign up! :)

Appetizer:
Main Course: Mickelle- Grilled Pizza
Salad:Kristen
Side: Torrie
Side: Dessert: Sarah - Kettle Corn

Kettle Corn
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
Salt

Pour oil in large pot (one that has a lid). Place 3-4 kernels inside the pot, cover with lid, place over medium high heat. Once the kernels have popped, add powdered sugar and seeds. Shake constantly over heat until popping is finished. Sprinkle with granulated sugar, salt to taste.

Grilled Pizza
*You can easily use 2 Rhodes rolls and mush them together for the crust and then bottled up pizza sauce and it still tastes yummy! However, I did make the dough and sauce.

Breadsticks &; Pizza
http://www.ourbestbites.com
1 1/2 c. warm (105-115 degrees) water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 1/2 c. flour
In a large bowl (the bowl of your mixer, if you have one), combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly. Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 c. flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups, depending on your elevation and your humidity) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger. Spray a glass or metal bowl with cooking spray and place dough in the bowl. Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk

Pizza Sauce
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
6 oz. water (just use the empty tomato paste can)
3 Tbsp garlic bread seasoning
1 Tbsp. sugar or honey
3/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

Empty tomato paste into a bowl and add water a few tablespoons at a time, stirring constantly until combined. Add remaining ingredients, stir to combine, and allow to stand until ready to use. Covers two average-sized pizza; freezes extremely well.

*Grilling Pizza: Roll out a handful of dough. Baste with olive oil mixed with some garlic salt. Cook one side, then flip and add whatever toppings you like!

Asian Chicken & Wonton Salad

Chicken Marinade
2 1/2 c. Sprite
1/2 c. oil
1 c. soy sauce
1/2 t. horseradish
1/4 t. garlic salt
Marinate chicken 8 hrs- overnight (best) & grill.

Sweet Sesame Dressing
2/3 C rice vinegar
1 C canola oil
2 Tbs sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, pressed or very finely minced
2 Tbs soy sauce
1/2 C sugar
4 Tbs sesame seeds
Place all ingredients into a quart jar (or something equivalent) and shake vigorously. Can be made ahead of time & stored in refrigerator.

Asian Wonton Salad
2 heads romaine lettuce
3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded
cherry tomatoes
1 red onion, sliced thinly
1 cucumber, sliced
1 package wontons (you use about 1/2 pkg)
vegetable oil for frying
Sweet Sesame Dressing
Heat about 1 inch of oil in a pot on the stove top to 375 degrees. Use pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut wontons into thirds (3 strips). Test oil by dipping a wonton in and seeing if it bubbles up quickly. Fry wontons a few at a time and set on paper towels to dry. These can be made ahead of time and kept in an air tight container.
Tear clean lettuce into chunks and place in a large salad bowl. Top with cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, and red onion. Add shredded chicken and top with Sweet Sesame Dressing. Toss salad together. Once everything is well coated, add wonton strips and gently toss to combine.

Grilled Coconut-Glazed Corn ( www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2010/06/grilled-coconut-corn.html)
3/4 C unsweetened coconut milk
2 T light brown sugar
1 bay leaf
1/4 t salt
4 ears sweet corn
1. Combine coconut milk, sugar, bay leaf, and salt in small saucepan over medium heat. Let simmer gently until sugar dissolves, 3 to 5 minutes. Taste for sweetness, adding more sugar if necessary. Remove pan from heat and let mixture cool to room temperature.
2. Preheat grill to high. When ready to cook, brush grill grate clean and apply thin coat of oil to grate. Place corn on hot grate; start basting with coconut milk mixture after a few minutes. Baste several times as it grills until nicely browned on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side, 8 to 12 minutes in all, turning with tongs.
3. Baste corn one final time, transfer to platter or plates, and serve.