I’m Baaack! Barbecue Trout

Hi friends. Sorry I’ve been away for a while. Things have been crazy busy. Anyway, I’m back and here’s a great recipe for barbecue trout cooked with wine. I think you’re really going to like it. The best part is that there are so few ingredients that everything will fit very easily into your picnic cooler. So pack up and head to your favorite picnic grounds for a great time this summer.

INGREDIENTS

1. 2 trout, cleaned and head removed
2. 1/4 cup dry white wine
3. 2 tablespoons butter, melted
4. 1 tablespoon lemon juice
5. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
6. salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your gas grill to medium-high heat or light a charcoal fire. If you’re using charcoal, make sure you start your fire enough in advance so that all the black can be burned away before you’re ready to cook. On a flat surface, lay out two sheets of aluminum foil about a foot and a half long so that they overlap to make one long wide sheet. Rinse the fish and pat it dry. Lay the trout in the center of the aluminum foil about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with white wine, melted butter and lemon juice. Season with salt, pepper and parsley. Fold the foil up loosely around the fish and crimp the seams to seal. Place the packet on the grill and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until fish is cooked throughout.

I hope you enjoy this recipe for grilled trout as much as I do. Whether you try this one or not, have a great summer and spend some time outdoors. Go on a picnic!

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Smoked Brisket With Beer Marinate

Do you like brisket as much as I do? Are you looking for a brisket recipe that departs from the normal? This recipe for smoked brisket marinaded in dark beer is just what you’re looking for. So get out your barbecue tools and give this one a try at your next backyard party. You’ll be glad you did.

BRISKET INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup ancho chili powder
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons cayenne
• 1 trimmed brisket with a layer of fat at least 1/4-inch
  thick, about 5 to 6 pounds

BRISKET PREPARATION DIRECTIONS

Mix the spices together in a small mixing bowl. Rub the whole brisket with the spice mixture, place on a baking sheet and let stand (covered) for at least an hour and no more than six hours.

DARK BEER MARINATE INGREDIENTS

• 1 large red onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 serrano chiles, chopped
• 4 bottles of dark beer
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

DARK BEER MARINATE DIRECTIONS

Place all the ingredients in a medium sized saucepan, season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

BRISKET COOKING DIRECTIONS

Prepare your smoker according to manufacturer’s directions. Place the brisket in the smoker, fat side up and smoke it for four to five hours or until it is very tender. Baste with the marinate every 30 minutes.

I know this recipe takes some time to prepare but it will be well worth the effort. Give it a try and I know you and your guests will be glad you did.

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Red Pepper Sauce for Grilled Chicken

Here’s a delicious sauce to pour over your grilled chicken breasts. I would suggest you make the sauce before you leave for your picnic and carry it with you in your picnic cooler. When your chicken breasts are almost done, reheat this sauce on your grill and you’ll be ready for some great eating!

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 garlic clove minced
2. 1 red pepper, cut into strips
3. 1 tablespoon sour cream
4. 1/2 cup diced onion
6. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
7. 2 teaspoons dry white table wine or vermouth (save the good stuff for drinking)
8. 3 tablespoons whipped cream cheese
9. 4 chicken breasts
10. 4 teaspoons butter or margarine

DIRECTIONS

Sauté the onion and garlic in butter or margarine until the onion is translucent. This will take about two minutes. Add the pepper strips and cook, stirring occasionally until they’re tender crisp (about five minutes).

Meanwhile, measure the cream cheese, sour cream and wine into your blender. Add the peppers and onions to the blender and process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender as necessary. This is where I stop until I get to the park.

Once at the park, I take the sauce out of my picnic cooler and heat it in a covered saucepan on my portable grill over low heat until it’s heated throughout. Try hard not to allow the sauce to boil. Serve this sauce over grilled chicken for a great treat.

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Grilled Cranberry Peaches – These are Great!

Here’s my recipe for grilled cranberry peaches. These really are delicious so I’d recommend that you make them next time you host a backyard barbecue. Your guests will love them.

INGREDIENTS

1. 12 ounces fresh cranberries
2. 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
3. 2 fresh peaches, peeled and halved
4. 5 teaspoons brown sugar
5. 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
7. 1 teaspoon butter or margarine
8. 1 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS

Saute the cranberries, sugar and lemon juice until the cranberries cook down and the sauce has thickened. Cover and chill the sauce until you’re ready to use it.

Place the peach halves, cut side up, on a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle into the peach centers. Sprinkle with vanilla and dot with butter. Fold the foil over the peaches and seal. Grill over medium hot heat for 15 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Spoon the cranberry sauce over the peaches and serve.

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Peanut Butter Cookies

Yes, you’re going to have to make these peanut butter cookies at home before your picnic but believe me, they’re worth it! Make sure you bake enough of these to fill your picnic basket because they’re going to go fast.

INGREDIENTS

1. 1/2 cup butter, softened
2. 1/2 cup peanut butter
3. 1/2 cup sugar
4. 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
5. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6. 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
7. 1 large egg
8. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
9. 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
10. granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter on high speed for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Mix until completely combined and scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer and stir in the rest. Cover and chill the dough until it’s easy to handle. This will take about one hour.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll the balls in the granulated sugar and place them two inches apart on an un-greased cookie sheet. Flatten the dough balls by using a fork to make a crisscross pattern on the cookies. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 7 to 9 minutes or until bottoms are lightly brown. Cool the cookies on a wire rack. When they’re cool, put them in your picnic basket and you’ll be ready to go! I hope you like these cookies as much as I do.

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Picnic Pasta Salad

Here’s a great pasta salad to make for your next picnic. It’s much better than anything you can get at the grocery store. I’d suggest you pack some of this pasta salad in your picnic basket next time you head for the great outdoors.

INGREDIENTS

1. 8 ounces medium macaroni shells (half a normal box)
2. 8 ounces pasta ruffles
3. 8 ounces tri-color rotini pasta (spinach, tomato, etc.)
4. 4 ounces pepperoni, sliced thin and cut into strips
5. 8 ounces shredded Mozzarella cheese
6. 4 scallions, thinly sliced
7. 1 cup sliced black olives
8. 2 small zucchini, cut into cubes and blanched
9. 3 Italian tomatoes, seeds removed, diced
10. 2 carrots, shredded
11. 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12. 1 16 ounce bottle Italian salad dressing

DIRECTIONS

Cook the pastas according to the instructions on the packages. Drain, rinse and allow to cool. Toss the pasta with half the Italian dressing and all the other ingredients except the Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Refrigerate for a minimum of six hours (I always prefer to let this sit in the refrigerator overnight). Pack the pasta salad, Mozzarella, Parmesan and remaining Italian dressing in your picnic basket so you can finish it up just before you eat it. This will give you the freshest possible pasta salad. Just before serving, add the Mozzarella, Parmesan and remaining salad dressing and toss thoroughly. I warn you, you’re gonna love it!

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Aloha Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Kabobs

Is it legal to have so many great tastes on one skewer? Wait till you check out this outrageous recipe for grilled chicken with pineapple and plantains. Take out your barbecue tools and make this recipe at your next backyard barbecue. If they didn’t know better, your friends would think you were a professional chef.

INGREDIENTS

1. 1/2 cup pineapple juice
2. 1/2 cup vegetable oil
3. 1/2 pineapple peeled and cubed
4. 1/4 cup lime juice
5. 2 cloves garlic
6. 2 tablespoons oregano
7. 2 whole ripe plantains (optional)
8. 4 strips bacon
9. 8 whole chicken thighs
10. 1 large onion

DIRECTIONS

On eight 10-inch skewers, thread chicken, bacon, pineapple, onions and plantains, alternating ingredients. Set skewers on a tray with sides or in a glass baking dish.

In small bowl, stir together the pineapple juice, lime juice, oregano and garlic cloves. Pour the pineapple juice mixture over skewers, coating all sides thoroughly. Cover the skewers with plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 30 minutes. I think the kabobs come out best if they marinate for a full 24 hours. Please remember to turn them once in a while.

When you’re ready to cook these kabobs, heat your grill to medium-hot or start a charcoal fire. Don’t put the skewers on the grill until all the black has burned away from the charcoal. If you put them on too soon, they’ll end up tasting funny. Remove the skewers from the marinade and set the remaining marinade aside. We’re going to use if for a sauce. Brush the kabobs with cooking oil and grill them for about 20 minutes turning them regularly.

Here’s a great dipping sauce to go with these chicken kabobs:

INGREDIENTS

1. remaining marinade from the kabobs
2. 2 tablespoons cooking oil
3. 1 large onion minced
4. 1 10 ounce jar of pineapple fruit spread

To make the dipping sauce just stir all the ingredients together in a medium or large bowl and boil over medium to high heat for 10 minutes. Serve the dipping sauce separately and allow you guests to dip to taste.

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The Best Homemade Coleslaw Ever!

Sure, you can stop at the grocery store before your picnic or background barbecue and pick up a pound of coleslaw. But what happens when you do? When I used to I would end up throwing half of it out. Ever since I started making it from this recipe every bit gets gobbled up.

INGREDIENTS

1. 1/3 cup white sugar
2. 1/2 teaspoon salt
3. 1/8 teaspoon pepper
4. 1/4 cup milk
5. 1/2 cup mayonnaise
6. 1/4 cup buttermilk
7. 1 1/2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
8. 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
9. 8 cups finely chopped cabbage
10. 1/2 cup grated carrots

DIRECTIONS

Putting this recipe together is very simple. The hardest part is getting to the marked to pick up the ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, pepper, milk, mayonnaise, buttermilk, vinegar and lemon juice until smooth. Add the cabbage and carrots and mix until blended with the dressing. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. See, didn’t I tell you it was easy. Enjoy!

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Onion Blossom From Your Grill

Here’s a take on those great onions you get at the carnival or at the local steakhouse. The difference is that this one isn’t nearly as unhealthy. Why, because it’s not bathed in batter and it’s grilled not fried. The ingredients for this recipe can fit right in your picnic basket and you can prepare it right at the park. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 large sweet onion
2. 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
3. garlic salt to taste
4. ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat or start a charcoal fire and be prepared to cook as soon as the coals turn gray. Peel the onion and slice it into 6 to 8 wedges, leaving the base of the onion intact. Pull the wedges apart slightly and place butter, garlic salt and ground black pepper inside the onion. Wrap the onion tightly with aluminum foil. Place the onion on the preheated grill. Cook 45 minutes, or until the onion
is translucent and lightly browned.

I think these onions are delicious and I hope you do too. Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think.

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Grilled Red Potatoes for Your Picnic

Are you looking for a great way to cook potatoes on your grill for your next picnic or backyard barbecue? Well, copy this recipe, pack your picnic basket and barbecue tools and you’re ready to go.

INGREDIENTS

1. 4-5 medium sized red potatoes
2. 1 chicken bouillon cube
3. 2 teaspoon butter
4. 1/4 teaspoon oregano
5. 1/4 teaspoon basil
6. 1/2 teaspoon salt
7. fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat grill. Clean potatoes, cut in half and thinly slice. I like mine cut in quarters but that will add to your cooking time. Tear off about 12 inches of aluminum foil and place the sliced potatoes, butter, basil, oregano, salt and pepper to taste over potatoes. Crush the bouillon cube and sprinkle it over the potatoes. Bring the foil together, roll both sides down to and roll the ends. Place on grill with cover closed for 20 minutes or until done.

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