Hi ladies, as summer is upon us and along with these irresistible recipes, I’ve included some grilling tips and brownie points.
Quick Grilling Tips:
- Marinate food in the refrigerator.
- Before you place the rack on the grill, always coat it with cooking spray so the food has less chance of sticking.
- Use medium fire for seafood, more intense fire for meats.
- Keep a spray bottle full of water handy to extinguish flare-ups that can char your food.
- When grilling meat kebabs, make sure the pieces are all the same size to ensure even cooking. Pounding chicken to an even thickness helps it cook quickly and evenly.
- As a rule, cover the grill when doing slow, indirect grilling with large pieces of food. Leave the grill uncovered when doing fast or direct grilling with smaller items that cook quickly.
- When turning chips, chicken breasts, and the like, use a pair of tongs rather than a meat fork, which pierces the food, allowing valuable juices to escape.
- Always place grilled foods on a clean platter or cutting board.
- In general, give the grill 10 to 15 minutes to heat up properly.
Let’s get fired up for fajitas!
Beef-and-Chicken Fajitas with Peppers and Onions
Yield: 8 servings
Marinade:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon grated lime rind
- 2½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (14.25 ounce) can low-salt beef broth
Fajitas:
- 1 (1-pound) flank steak
- 12 pound skinned, boned chicken breast
- 2 red bell peppers, each cut into 12 wedges
- 2 green bell peppers, each cut into 12 wedges
- Cooking spray
- 16 (6-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
- 1 cup bottled salsa
- ¼ cup low-fat sour cream
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Fresh cilantro sprigs
1. To prepare marinade, combine first 10 ingredients in a large bowl; set aside.
2. To prepare fajitas, trim fat from steak. Score a diamond pattern on both sides of the steak. Combine 1½ cups marinade, steak, and chicken in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Combine remaining marinade, bell peppers, and onion in a zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
3. Prepare grill.
4. Removed steak and chicken from bag; discard marinade. Remove vegetables from bag; reserve marinade. Place reserved marinade in a small saucepan; set aside. Place steak, chicken, and vegetables on grill rack coated with cooking spray; cook 8 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
5. Wrap tortillas in foil; place tortilla packet on grill rack the last 2 minutes of grilling time. Bring reserved marinade to a boil. Cut steak and chicken diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Place the steak, chicken, and vegetables on a serving platter; drizzle with reserved marinade.
6 Arrange about 1-ounce steak, about 1-ounce, 3 bell pepper wedges, and 1 onion wedge in a tortilla; top with 1 tablespoon salsa, about 1 teaspoon sour cream, and ½ tablespoon cilantro. Fold sides of tortilla over filling. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired. Serve immediately.
Brownie Points:
Any small deviations in measuring ingredients, mixing techniques, oven temperature, or bake times can affect the texture and flavor of your brownies. Here’s how to make a perfect batch.
1. Measure flour and other dry ingredients by spooning into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife.
2. Use butter or stick margarine when specified. Substituting reduced-caloric, tub-style, or whipped margarine or butter will affect the texture and flavor.
3. Stir the batter with a wooden spoon just until the dry ingredients are moist.
4. Lightly coat only the bottom of the pan with cooking spray. If you grease the sides, the batter can’t cling to the pan for support as it bakes.
5. Use an oven thermometer to ensure that your oven is heating accurately; a few degrees make a difference.
6. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. Just a trace of moist, fudgy crumbs should cling to the pick. If it comes out perfectly clean, the brownies have baked too long.
7. Be patient. Let the brownies cool on a wire rack before cutting.
8. Brownies can be made ahead and frozen. Line your pan with a sheet of aluminum foil so that about 5 inches extends beyond each end of the pan. Coat only the bottom of pan with cooking spray. Prepare the recipe as directed, and cool completely on a wire rack. Lift the brownies out of the pan from each foil end; wrap securely and freeze.
Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Brownies
(yield: 16 servings)
- Cooking spray
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup semisweet chocolate mini-chips
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg white
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Coat bottom of an 8-0inch square baking pan with cooking spray (do not coat sides of pan).
3. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, chocolate chips, soda, and salt in a bowl.
4. Combine sugars and remaining ingredients in a bowl; stir until well-blended. Add flour mixture, stirring just until blended. Spread batter in bottom of prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool on a wire rack.
