SPICY GRILLED FLANK STEAK

this recipe & pic comes from Amy at BLD

Makes 8 servings

1 Tbsp kosher salt

1 Tbsp sweet paprika

2 tsp thyme

2 tsp marjoram

1 1/2 tsp granulated garlic

1 1/2 tsp dried minced onion

1 tsp freshly ground (coarse) black pepper

3/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp white pepper

1 beef flank steak, about 2 pounds

Place the salt, paprika, thyme, marjoram, granulated garlic, mincedonion, black pepper, cayenne, and white pepper i a blender or food processor and process for 20 to 30 seconds. Makes about 1/4 cup Spicy Rub.

Trim any visible fat from the flank steak, using a sharp knife. Score the meat in a cross-hatch pattern on both sides - do not cut through more than 1/16 inch. Rub with 1 Tbsp of Spicy Rub on each side (reserve the remainder for another time). Let stand 15 minutes or longer.

Preheat grill. Grill for about 6 minutes per side, moving the steak only to turn it, until steak is done to personal preference. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Slice on the diagonal, actoss the grain into thin slices.

GRILLED CHICKEN BRUSCHETTA

(from Becky Higgins blog)

GRILLED CHICKEN BRUSCHETTA

Sundried tomato salad dressing (we used Kraft brand)
8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
4 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 small pkg. fresh basil, chopped

Marinate chicken in sundried tomato dressing ahead of time. Place large sheet of heavy-duty foil over half of grill grate; preheat grill to medium heat. Grill chicken on uncovered side of grill about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, cheese, basil and dressing (as much as you desire; we did about 1/2 cup). Back to the grill - Turn chicken over; place on the foil-covered part of the grill, cooked-side up. Top evenly with tomato mixture. Close lid. Grill an additional 8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

SKEWERED PINEAPPLE SHRIMP

The Pioneer Woman has some tasty grilled shrimp and pineapple {here}.

GRILLED MUSHROOMS

I first had these at a gourmet grilling night hosted by our Ward Relief Society. They were so good! We made them again on Friday night and loved them so I thought I'd post the recipe. The recipe calls for Portabello Mushrooms but any large mushroom will work.

P.S. I borrowed this pic from the Relief Society night.

GRILLED MUSHROOMS

Cut centers out of very large mushrooms.
Fill emptied mushrooms with pine nuts, chopped fresh garlic, slivered Parmesan cheese pieces.
Meanwhile, make a marinade consisting of:
1/2 C. Balsamic Vinegar
1 C. Olive Oil
1 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
12 leaves of fresh basil, finely sliced using a knife
Pour the marinade over the tops of the mushrooms, filling in around the pine nuts, cheese, etc.
Let sit for 30 minutes or more (up to 3 hrs.)
Grill over medium heat until tender, approximately 6-7 minutes. Rotate half-way to get cross-grilled look.

BACON WRAPPED TERIYAKI CHICKEN SKEWERS

(from ourbestbites.com)

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
About 8 oz. lean bacon, NOT thick-sliced (thick bacon is too hard to work with in this recipe)
1 large can pineapple chunks (you won't use all of them)
Kikkoman Teriyaki Glaze (NOT MARINADE, the glaze is better)
Kebab skewers or toothpicks

The easiest way to handle the bacon situation is to remove it from the package and while it's still all stuck together, stretch it out a little (lengthwise). If you're using center-cut bacon (and the "slab" is not as wide as regular bacon), just cut it in half. Otherwise, use kitchen shears to cut the slab into thirds. Refrigerate until ready to use, partially because it's easier to work with cold bacon and partially because you don't want to kill any dinner guests with dead pig germs.
Using kitchen shears, cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. You can gauge about how many pieces you'll need by how many pieces of bacon you have; you probably won't use all the bacon, but you'll need about 8 oz. or 2/3 of a standard-sized package of bacon. So count the bacon pieces and keep that in mind when cutting up your chicken.

Drain the pineapple and set up a little work station with skewers, bacon, chicken, and a 9x13 baking dish (for big skewers) or a sturdy Ziploc bag (for toothpick skewers). Wrap a piece of bacon around a chicken piece, secure with toothpick/skewer, and top with a chunk of pineapple. Repeat twice if using large skewers.

When all chicken pieces have been sufficiently staked, pour Teriyaki sauce over everything, reserving about 1/4 c., and marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours, no longer than about 8.

Preheat grill; when about 350-400 degrees, place skewers on grill and baste with reserved Teriyaki sauce. Cook about 7 minutes and flip skewers. Baste again and cook another 7 minutes.

*If serving at a party, you can keep the appetizer-sized skewers warm in a crockpot set to low or an electric roaster set to 170 degrees.
**If cooking in oven, preheat oven to 400 and bake about 20 minutes, turning once, following the same basting instructions.