His and Her Steaks

When I think of steak, I think of rich, hearty, savory meat. That is why I only added a few ingredients, and I allow the meat to “shine” through. The garlic powder really makes the difference, and I love it on steaks. I also like to add about ½ Tbs of butter right before serving. It adds a little moisture and richness to the filet. I think both garlic and butter are two ingredients that are a must have when dealing with a grilled steak. Now, my wife on the other hand is the exact opposite. One day I sprinkled a little sugar on her steak and she loved it. So, now when I grill a steak I have to add sugar to hers. The reason I don’t have measurements for each ingredient is because not every filet mignon is going to be the same. The larger, the more spice, the smaller, the less spice. So my rule of thumb for applying spices to a steak is to add just enough to cover all sides, even the edges.

His Steak

1.      1 Filet Mignon 1 ½ inch thick

2.      Salt

3.      Pepper

4.      Garlic Powder

5.      ½ Tbs butter

Her Steak

1.      Filet Mignon 1 ½ inch thick

2.      Salt

3.      Pepper

4.      Brown Sugar

5.      White Sugar

Directions:

Preheat grill to high heat. Allow the steaks to come to room temperature. Oil the steaks and add the spices to them. Grill the steaks on high for three minutes on each side to get a good sear. Afterwards, lower the grill to medium heat and continue to cook for another 2 minutes on each side or until the temperature reaches 160 degrees. However, rare is considered 120-130 degrees and medium-rare is considered 130-140. USDA says that beef is safe to eat at 160 degrees.

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Peaches

My wife loves fruit.   My wife loves dessert.  So grilled peaches were a perfect fit! When we were at the grocery store the other day, I noticed the peaches looked wonderful.  The peaches were a nice dessert and relatively healthy. 

Ingredients:

1 peach

1/8 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp brown sugar

Honey

Direction:

1.      Preheat grill to medium heat.

2.      Cut the peach in half and remove the pit.

3.      Brush on enough honey to lightly coat the peaches.

4.      Sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar onto the peach.

5.      Grill the peaches skin side down for 3-5 minutes.

6.      Flip the peaches over, and grill for another 3-5.

7.      The sugar should caramelize and be heated through.

Greek Grilled Chicken

I am always trying to find new ways to marinate chicken.  This recipe was inspired from a visit with my in-laws.  They use Greek vinaigrette as a salad dressing.  After I tried it, I thought it would be a good marinade for chicken because it has such a strong flavor.   I used Girard's Greek Feta Vinaigrette.   It is a good one to use for a marinating because of its thickness and it tends to stick to the chicken better.  You can actually taste it on the chicken and the lemon pepper gives it a pop!

 

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts

4 ounces Greek vinaigrette

¼ teaspoon salt

½ tablespoon lemon pepper

Directions

1.      Marinate chicken in vinaigrette for at least one hour preferably overnight. 

2.      Take out and season with lemon pepper and salt.

3.      Preheat grill to med-high heat.

4.      Add chicken to the grill

5.      Cook 12-14 or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Lemon Pepper Pork Chops #1

I got this idea from a little diner in Ladonia, AL while I was doing my internship. These are NOT your traditional pork chops. That recipe is coming up! These pork chops have a little "kick" to them. Most people think of chicken when using lemon pepper, but this diner used it to season their pork chops. They were terrific.  I have two lemon pepper recipes, one where the pork chops are brined and seasoned with lemon pepper and this one which is marinated in lemon juice and seasoned with the spices below. An important thing to remember is to get pork chops no thicker than one inch, especially if they are not brined because they tend to dry out. Stay tuned for other pork chop recipes including the other lemon pepper one and the more traditional ones. I hope you enjoy.

Lemon Pepper Pork Chops #1

Ingredients:

2  1 inch thick pork chops

2 lemons

¼ tsp pepper

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp salt

Directions:

1.      Soak pork chops in the juice of two lemons for 24 hours

2.      Take pork chops out of the refrigerator 45 minutes before grilling.  Season the pork chops with pepper, garlic powder, and salt.

3.      Preheat grill to med-high heat.

4.      Grill pork chops 6-8 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

Man Slaw

This recipe is a hearty version of regular cole slaw  but is enjoyed equally by men and women!

Ingredients:

 1 16oz bag of slaw mix

¾ cup mayonnaise

½ of a medium green bell pepper

10 cherry or grape tomatoes

1/8 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp celery salt

8 tbsp bacon bits

Directions:

1.      Cut bell pepper into small uniform chunks

2.      Cut tomatoes into thirds

3.      Mix all ingredients together and let sit for at least 1 hour

4.      Enjoy!!!

Simple Potatoes with Garlic Butter Dressing

These are the perfect addition to the Simple Cheeseburgers.

Ingredients:

1 large Russet potato

2 tbsp butter, melted

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp sea salt

¼ tsp pepper

Directions:

1.      Preheat grill to med-high heat

2.      Clean potato but leave skin on

3.      Cut the potato into 1/8 inch thick circles

4.      In a zip top bag, mix all ingredients together and shake until evenly distributed

5.      Take potatoes from the bag and place on grill

6.      Keep the extra dressing for later

7.      Grill potatoes five minutes on each side

8.      Remove potatoes from grill and drizzle remaining dressing on them

Simple Cheeseburgers

For our first post, we decided to start with something simple.  These cheeseburgers are easy to make and taste great.  It is a good go to meal. 

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds ground chuck

¼ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp onion powder

½ tsp sea salt

Directions:

1.      Preheat the grill on high heat for at least 10 minutes.

2.      In a bowl, mix the ground chuck, onion powder, black pepper, and sea salt.

3.      Form into hamburger patties about ¾ inches thick. 

4.      Lightly oil the patties.

5.      Place patties on the grill.

6.      Cook for 5-6 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

7.      Add cheese and let stand for 5 minutes.