I love seafood! Shrimp, fish, lobster, squid(!)…you name it, if its seafood….I’m there! Now if it’s grilled, even BETTER!!

Here’s what y’all need to make these scrumptious Grilled Shrimp:

1/2 C of apricot preserves
1 tsp canola oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, crushed
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled, deveined and uncooked.

 And here’s how to make it:

Heat your grill to medium temperature.

Place the preserves in a small mixing bowl.

Whisk in the canola oil and soy sauce.

Fold the red pepper flakes into the mixture well.

Thread the shrimp onto metal skewers. Coat them lightly with cooking spray to make it easier to get them off the skewers.

Baste both sides of the shrimp well with the apricot mixture.

Place the shrimp on the grill and do not cover.

Grill 3 minutes, basting a couple of times.

Turn and continue grilling and basting for an additional 3 minutes or until the shrimps turn pink.

Makes about 6 servings

If grilling is just not possible, these shrimp can also be cooked under the broiler 4 inches from the heat source for about 3 minutes on each side.  They will turn pink when done!  Y’all can serve these over white rice. YUM!!

Hope y’all enjoy!

Roonie

Have y’all ever heard of grilled toast? with cinnamon? AND strawberries?? With a banana?? Yay! How cool is that?  Here is a very easy recipe and it’s soooo YUMMY!

1/4 C of sugar
1 t ground cinnamon
8 brown and serve rolls, cut into quarters
4 T of butter, melted (you can melt in the micro in 10 second intervals)
1 pint of strawberries, hulled
2 firm bananas, peeled and cut into chunks

Prepare the grill for low heat.
Toss together the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Mix them up good!
Brush each of the roll pieces evenly with the melted butter.
Roll the pieces in the cinnamon sugar mixture until they are evenly coated.
Starting with a strawberry thread a strawberry, a roll piece and a banana chunk onto 4 skewers until the skewers are filled. (Remember to soak the skewers for at least 30 min if you are using the bamboo or wooden ones)
Grill for 8 minutes, turning often until the rolls are toasted.

Should make about 4 servings

Hope y’all enjoy!!

Roonie

All you need for this naturally sweet grilled treat is a grill and a fresh pineapple! Love these kind of recipes!!

So, you will need to prepare the grill for a low fire.
Lop off the top and the bottomof the pineapple.
Slice down the side and remove the peel and eyes.
Cut the pineapple into quarters and remove the core.
Cut the quarters into 1/2 inch thick slices.
Place the pineapple slices on the grill rack. You can use skewers if you have them. If you are using bamboo skewers,make sure you soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before you grill. Ya might want to spray the skewers lightly with cooking spray so the pineapples will slide off easily!
Grill the slices for 15 minutes, turning once or until they are a little brown.

Should make about 4 servings

The outsides of the pineapple slices may be a little dry, but the insides will

be very juicy.  When grilling pineapple y’all don’t have to add any type

of sweetener: the natural juices will make them sweet and yummy!!

Enjoy!

Roonie

Summer is here and lots of folks get to grilling! I live in So Cali, so I can grill year round and I do! Make kitchen clean up virtually non-existent! Yay! for the poor kid on kitchen duty!

I have been grilling for about 20 years and one thing I know about grilling is that you can’t rush it, no matter what!! 20 years?? (You would think after all that time I would know how to make one of those pig-in-a-pit deals)

Do your burgers fall apart? Quit messing with them. Let ‘em cook. Don’t over knead the raw meat and when you shape them, make the centers thinner than the outer edges and they won’t curl up! (How cool is that?) Make sure the ground beef is at least 15-20% fat for outdoor grilling.

Are your steaks too tough? Quit messing with them and DON’T poke them with anything! Makes all the juices jump out of the steak and into the fire and makes for a dry nasty steak. Don’t over cook steaks, either. Best way to tell if a steak is done is to push on it. It gets firmer as it cooks, so if you like it more rare, squishy is good. If you want it more well done, wait a few minutes until it firms up a bit.

Now if you have to marinade, do it in the refrigerator in resealable plastic food storage bags. Makes clean up a breeze!

If you are also using a marinade for brushing the meat during grilling, reserve part of the marinade for brushing before adding the remaining marinade to raw meat, poultry or fish. The same good food safety practice applies to a sauce that will be used for both brushing on meat during grilling and for passing at the table. Make sure you divide the sauce for the two uses before starting to cook.

For grilling fruits and vegetables, lightly coat the grill grate with vegetable oil or cooking spray before placing it over hot coals to keep foods from sticking. Never spray vegetable oil directly over hot coals!! You can also lightly spray the fruit/veggies so they don’t stick to the grate.

Enjoy!!

Roonie

Oh My Goodness!! It’s almost JULY!!! 

Y’all need to stay cool on the 4th and I have some easy to make “cool” food ideas. They are cool and refreshing, fun and festive to serve up to your Fourth of July guests!

Red, White and Blue Cheese Salad

Combine 5 cups cubed watermelon, 2 cups sliced strawberries, 2 cups raspberries, 1 cup crumbled blue cheese and 2 tbsp. fresh, chopped mint in large bowl. Drizzle with ½ cup of raspberry vinaigrette. Serves about 6. EASY!!

Firecracker Macaroni Salad

Combine all of the following ingredients in a large salad bowl:

1 pkg. cooked shell macaroni
1  chopped green pepper
1 small can chopped pimiento
1 chopped onion
1 cup chopped sweet pickles
1/2  cup chopped celery
1/2  cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp. vinegar
1/4  cup sugar or sweetener equivalent

Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or chill for a couple of hours.

Fiesta Salad

Combine these ingredients to make the dressing:

3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne to taste
1 small clove garlic, mashed

 Add these ingredients to the dressing:

2 cans whole kernel corn, drained
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, diced medium
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1/2  red onion, finely chopped
4 green onions, chopped
3 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

 Toss all ingredients together with the dressing.

Cool Veggie Salad

Combine the following ingredients together in a medium sauce pan, bring to a boil. Stirring until sugar dissolves.

3/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup sugar

 Combine the following veggies and mix together with the vinegar mixture above:

1 can (16 oz) French style green beans, drained
1 can (17 oz) English peas, drained
1 can (12 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 jar (2 oz) chopped pimento, drained
1 cup chopped celery
1 green pepper, finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped

Cover and place in refrigerator for 12 hours, stirring occasionally.

Hope y’all have a wonderful 4th!!