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

Hi ya’ll!! I have started a newsletter where you can get some fab recipes sent straight to your inbox!! Just fill out the form on the right and I will send fabulous recipes every month!!

How about some Fab Foods For The Fourth?? The Fourth of July is around the corner and I have some great recipes to send you! Next month…well… let me know what you want! Ask me questions about cooking, baking (kinda hot for that, but go ahead!!) grilling, salads, pasta…whatever you can think of! I am more than happy to help! Y’all know I LOVE to cook!!

Don’t worry about SPAM!!  I will never sell or give away your information, so go ahead and fill out the form and I will be in your inbox every month with some Fab Foods and Divalicious Dining!

How ’bout this for starters??

Greek-style Pork Wraps

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon regular mustard

1-3/4 teaspoons minced garlic, divided (you are not going to use this all at once)

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)

1 cup chopped peeled cucumber, seeds removed, (cucumber seeds can give you a tummy-ache)

1 cup plain yogurt

dash or 2 of salt

¼ teaspoon dill weed

8 flour tortillas~ soft taco size

½ cup chopped green onions

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine lemon juice, oil, mustard, 1-1/4 teaspoons garlic and oregano; add pork. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for about 2 hours. In a bowl, combine the cucumber, yogurt, salt, dill and remaining garlic; cover and refrigerate until serving.

2. Drain and discard marinade(you NEVER want to use marinade that has been with uncooked meat!!). Coat grill rack with non-stick cooking spray before starting the grill for indirect medium-hot heat. Grill tenderloin, uncovered, over direct heat for 5 minutes, turning once. Move to indirect heat. Cover; cook 10-15 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 160F. Please check the temp! You don’t want to eat raw meat!!

3. Let stand for 5 minutes to let the juices settle themselves.

4. Meanwhile, wrap tortillas in foil; place on grill for 2-3 minutes or until warmed, turning once. Slice tenderloin into strips; place on tortillas. Top each with 3 tablespoons yogurt sauce and 1 tablespoon green onions. The sauce MAKES this dish!

   Should make 4 servings of 2 each.