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

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!!

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.

OMGoodness!! This recipe for summer turkey is amazing!! If you want a quick-turkey, go to your neighborhood deli and ask for salsa turkey(or other flavor) cut really thick (about and inch or so) and cut it into cubes for this salad. Then you don’t have to cook the turkey. Just cube it and add the salad munchies~

2 turkey breast tenderloins split in half
1 T olive oil
1 1/2 t Cajun seasoning
6 C mixed greens, torn
1 1/2 C cantaloupe, sliced
1 C fresh blueberries
1 C Farmers cheese, crumbled

Preheat the gas grill and then set the temperature to medium.

Brush the turkey with the olive oil completely covering it.

Sprinkle the Cajun seasoning evenly over the turkey.

Place the turkey on the rack and cover the grill.

Grill the turkey 15 minutes, turning once, or until the meat is no longer pink.

Remove the turkey and allow it to cool enough to handle.

Place the mixed greens in to a salad bowl. <—start here for deli turkey that is already cooked.

Slice the cooled turkey and layer into the salad.<—Here is where you would use the cubed deli turkey.

Place the sliced cantaloupe around the turkey slices/cubes.

Add the blueberries to the salad.

Sprinkle the cheese over the top just before serving.

Should make about 4 servings

Farmer’s cheese is a soft white cheese that can be found in most areas. The milk for farmer’s cheese is provided by goats, sheep and cows. If you can’t find farmers cheese, feta cheese(feta cheese is soooo good!! Try it on everything!!) or blue cheese work just as well.