Flatbread on the Grill

There are lots of kinds of breads you can bake on the grill `as long as you stretch your dough so it is flat, about an inch thick. I use frozen bread loaves, or other bread recipes that fit my menu.
First I preheat the grill to medium or medium high heat, and I brush the grate with vegetable oil or spray it with grill spray. I brush the flat pieces of dough with olive oil on one side, salt it a little, and put that side down on the grate first. Right away I brush the top sides with olive oil and salt it a little. I watch it closely and turn it when it releases easily, and I have grate lines on the bottom side. I make sure I have the grill marks on the second side, then I serve it warm. You will love the great smoky flavor.
Now, what kind of grill would be a good grill for making bread and a lot of side dishes? How about the Adventurer Grill - easy to use, lightweight portable - about 30 pounds. You might like this one especially during the winter when it is chilly outside. Happy Grilling!

Grilling Summer Squash and Zucchini

Sometimes I just want something that will give me some new tastes in my menus and at the same time work as a garnish to enhance my food presentation. I decided to try summer squash and zucchini, since  I see mountains ot these in the supermarkets.

First I needed to find out which ones will be the best to buy. I consulted the Bobby Flay Grill It! Cookbook, and he said to choose smaller ones, and you will have fewer seeds and less water. They are also supposed to be more flavorful. I want no pits in them and smooth skin, so I decided my best bet was to try farmers markets.

I was pleased to find that grilling really enhanced the flavor of the zucchini and the summer squash, because grilling allows the water in them to evaporate and teir texture improved. Bobby said I could cook them together, because they cook about the same, and then I had a variety of color for my plate. The turned out great and tasted great as well.

HOLIDAY SPECIAL - SLIDER PRESS

Here it is! The Weston Classic Sliderz 5 Mini Burger Press, for cooking burgers, crab cakes, sausage patties, even fried eggs. I didn't think I needed to have one, but we tried it because we thought our kids would use them for a quick and easy meal. We tried it and loved it, and each kid gets one for Christmas!

What we like to do is cook a breakfast sausage in each, set them aside, fry one egg in each section, and them pile them on the buns with cheese, bacon, tomatoes, and whatever we feel like at the time.

For a quick lunch, we can make a ball of ground meat about the size of a walnut, and press them and cook them. We always keep veggies available in the refrigerator so we can add on the spur of the moment. Then we pile these with cheeses, lettuce, tomato slices, and ENJOY!.

You can find this great gift for yourself and your friends and family on our website bestbackyardchef.com, and for the holidays we have a special price of $19.95, plus we will SHIP THEM FREE! Order now while they last!

We've Burned up the Wicked Witch

So now as I promised, here is some grill safety which I found from the Southern Living Magazine and it's called Maintenance 101:

1. Be sure your grill is 10 feet away from your house or a building.
2. Store propane tanks outside of your home in a place that is sheltered from direct sunlight.
3. Be sure to have the lid up when you light your grill.
4. Never light your grill with gas or kerosene.
5. Do not add lighter fluid, newspapers, or other trash to speed up the heating process.

Now you are saying: You didn't tell me anything new. So here are a few more that might be new to you:

1. Be aware of where your kids' plastic toys are when you are using your grill.
2. Make sure the fall leaves are pushed well away from your grill.
3. Have some protection from the sudden storm that blasts your charcoal grill and tips it over, or you might have sparks flying down the street.
4. Have a fire extinguisher handy for obvious reasons.
5. Make sure everyone in your household knows that you are using the grill, not so they don't accidentally start cooking inside, but so that they know you are working with a heat source.
6. Have your meat and other foods prepared and ready to put on the grill before you start, so you don't have a lit grill unattended. Besides, your coals can burn up or you can use up your propane too fast.

Why does everyone always have to bring up safety? Prime example: in Omaha, Nebraska, there is an ordinance about using grills in apartment complexes because too many complexes have burnt because of grilling.

If you have some more heads-up safety ideas that you would like to share, please leave us a comment below.

Let's Have a Raclette Party!

Raclette 500

A raclette party, you ask? Yes, a party where you sit together around a table, cook your food together on a raclette and eat all evening. So what is a raclette? It is a Swiss grill, made of a heating element and a little oven section with trays underneath. You can grill meat, fish or vegetables on top, while you cook the side dishes and melt cheese below.

Raclette 900

Let's start with the menu:

• Cheddar Burgers from the Raclette Cookbook by Claudia Schmidt
• Broccoli with cheese sauce
• Lettuce dinner salads
• Medley of melon fruits

First, we prepare the side dishes in advance - the broccoli, the cheese sauce, the lettuce with a variety of add-ons like cheeses, diced meats, diced tomatoes, peppers - whatever your guests will like - plus the dressings. We also cut generous slices of melons and accent with grapes, and put the refreshments on ice.
Now we have to prepare the Cheddar Burger patties, which takes about 30 minutes. They will cook in about 15 minutes, and are about 660 calories, but who's counting?

• Mix and season with salt and pepper and 2 to 3 dashes of Tabasco:
• 1 small cucumber diced
• 1 small onion finely diced
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• Knead together and shape into 8 patties and refrigerate:
• 1 lb ground steak
• 2 T Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper
• 1 medium egg

Raclette Party Grill 1600

Next, we invite our guests to assemble their salads and bring them to the table, where the raclette is at the center. Serve the refreshments with the salads, and we sit down and enjoy our salad with them.
While we are all eating our salads, the raclette or hot stone can be heating. We have to be careful because it can become very hot, along with anything around it.
When we are finished with our salads, we give each one a tray, where they will place their broccoli and cheese sauce to heat in the oven section, while we grill our cheddar burgers on the top of the raclette. This is a good time to bring out the fruit.

Raclette Party Grill

After we have grilled the burgers, we toast English 8 muffin halves on  the grill, brush with 1 T of the ketchup sauce, some slices of cucumber, and place a burger on top with a slice of cheese. Heat the burgers in the  raclette oven for 5 minutes, and serve.

It's a great time, great camaraderie, and a great way to spend the evening, but it is important that we have everything ready so we can all enjoy the evening.

There are different kinds of raclette grills. When you purchase a raclette, be sure to read the directions. Some come with the hot stone, which is heated in the raclette itself or in the oven. It is also a good idea to read over some recipes so you know which one will work best for you. Keep in mind how many guests you will probably have, so each one has a separate tray.
You can find a variety of raclette grills on our website bestbackyardchef.com.

Wicked Grilling!

She waits for moon, flies down to the grill, and says her evil words.

Then she congers up a potion of garlic, onion, herbs.

She wrings her hands together, then eyes the rich red meat.

She lets out a wild laugh, and utters, "This is sweet!"

She plunges her long mean fingers in, works the potion through.

"A monster of a burger is what I'm going to do!"

She pulls out a portion of the meat and smashes it in her palms.

She places it amidst the flames, her laughter breaks the calm.

She looks over her work and talks to the grill,

Her evil words she spills.

"Double burger, toil and trouble,

"Cauldron burn and burger sizzle!"

Fried egg on sprayed foil for her eye of newt.

Flipped all to the bun, she packs up her loot.

But too close to the grill, she lets out a wild scream-

Got caught in the lid, now all she is, is steam!

You can make Monster Burgers on any of our grills that you find on bestbackyardchef.com. Just add your favorite potion of spices and add a hard fried eggs, and it makes a great burger. Or, if you would like more burger recipes, find them on bfcookbooks.com.

Incidentally, watch for the grill safety blog coming soon!

My Top Five Portable Grills

When I buy a grill, I want to know a little about it, such as how many burgers I and put on at one time-how big is the cooking area, will it cook basically anything I bring when I tailgate, does it have a side burner, obviously propane or charcoal,and is it easy to use and carry around. These are the criteria I considered when I made my list of the top five portable grills:

Buccaneer Comes with Team Logos

1. The Buccaneer Grill Kit is the ultimate tailgating cooler incorporating a BBQ grill and 3 piece BBQ tool set into it. The removable water-resistant cooler can be fully loaded with the grill and lid inside, and still easy to carry. Packed inside is a large spatula with a serrated edge, a pair of tongs, and a barbecue fork. For carrying, the Buccaneer has padded handles, a shoulder strap, and a reinforced base. This is my choice for the ultimate in convenience, because all I need is my charcoal and my food!                                                                                                                                            
2. My second choice is the Chef Buddy Portable Grill and Chill, similar to the Buccaneer, a little different shape, and does not come with the grilling utensils. It features  a durable polyester case, and a rubberized handle and carrying strap. Great for the beach, tailgating, camping and parties, This grill is also light weight and easy to carry. The grill fits down into the cooler, and you can store items inside it during travel. It is a nice little combination.                                                                                                                                        
3. Next I would choose the All Foods Gas Grill, with its stainless steel lid and side tables. It has a porcelain enamel coated cast iron cooking grate and a removable drip tray-these I particularly look for, the 12,000 BTU loop burner has a TwiStart ignition system and a precision temperature gauge. A like the fact that an all purpose veggie platter is included. It is a compact size and has convenient carry handles.                                                                                                                                                   
4. The Adventurer Portable Grill has the advantage of being able to cook for as long as nine hours, if you are entertaining groups or want to throw things on the grill now and then. It weighs less than 30 pounds, and has adjustable legs, which fold into the body of the grill for easy transport. The cooking grate is non-stick and has an area of over 200 inches. It's cooking surface is stable because of the tripod stance of the grill. It has a PTO - Propane Take Off and it is easy to change accessories.                                                                                                                                                                                            
5. The Hotspot Notebook Portable Charcoal Grill is a British design and is a grat little grill. The  design allows this unit to stand 14.18 inches for use and then fold flat to one inch in seconds. It is constructed of high heat resistant painted steel, this sturdy grill comes with an attractive carrying case. No frills, just a little cheaper and is the bare essentials for spur of the moment decisions to go tailgating or camping.

 Check out these grills on bestbackyardchef.com and see if one is right for you!