This week has been the lull between storms, so I had time to do some actual cooking and recipe blogging. It’s hot as Hades here, so cooking outside seems like the only good option (the other being opting for ice cream 3 times a day). From the recipe blog:
Bixby turned two on Thursday and I felt that justified a Bixby Diaries post. So for the pet lovers, you’ll find lots of new and old photos, plus video of the Beast here. For the rest of you, it’s a grilling themed recipe exchange.
First up, Grilled Chicken and Papaya, recipe here. I noticed in the stores that mangoes were plentiful, and I can’t imagine why you couldn’t substitute – I would add a dash of lime to it all with mangoes.
Speaking of mangoes and papayas, how about Grilled Fish with Mango and Papaya Salsa, recipe here.
A couple of nice sides to round things out. But don’t think you need a recipe, fresh veggies from the garden, tossed in olive oil and grilled in a grilling basket can’t be beat.
Grilled Vegetable Salad, click here, can be a meal in itself or a hearty side.
Greek Grilled Potatoes, recipe here, are a nice, tangy change from regular potato packets.
What’s on the menu this weekend? Anything special planned for Father’s Day? What’s your favorite food to take out of the kitchen and make on the grill?
Tonight, I combined two favorite recipes. I love the pinwheels because they are so showy (and tasty). I thought it would be a great recipe for Father’s Day weekend. Then I ran across my spicy sauce and thought, yum, that would work. If you don’t want spicy, here is the original Pinwheel Recipe. And if you don’t want pinwheels, here is the original Spicy Grilled Flank Steak recipe. I got you covered.
Grilled Spicy Flank Steak Pinwheels
Sauce:
1 tbsp chili garlic paste
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp crushed garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup orange juice
Pinwheels:
1 lb flank steak
8 oz sliced provolone cheese
1 bunch washed and dried spinach leaves
8 wooden skewers
olive oil
ziplock bag,
You can ask the butcher to butterfly your flank steak, which is what I did. But it’s fairly easy to butterfly. You want the grain running up and down in front of you and then you’ll slice it in half, NOT slicing all the way through. When you’re done you’ll lay it open, flat, basically making a larger, thinner steak.
Image from Serious Eats
Once you have it laid out flat in front of you with the grain running left to right, you’ll want to tenderize it, pounding it thin.
Keeping it flat, place into a ziplock bag, add marinade and coat completely on both sides. Marinate flat in refrigerator 1 hour. Remove from marinade and assemble.
Layer the spinach over the meat. You want it to be several leaves thick, because it will reduce as it cooks.
Next layer the provolone cheese slices, two to three slices thick, over the meat.
Now it’s time to roll. Roll tightly in the direction of the grain. Add a skewer every 2 inches and then slice between the skewers, so you have 2-inch thick pinwheels.
Heat grill and oil grates well – alternately you can cook in a cast iron skillet (heat 1/2 to 1 tbsp of oil in it) on the grill. If using a gas grill – heat one side to high for searing, turn the other side to about medium to finish cooking. For coals – place coals toward center of the grill, leaving the edges cool for finishing cooking.
Add pinwheels to the grill, flat side down. After a minute, using the skewer (you may also need a metal spatula to get all the cheesy goodness) flip over, sear additional minute. The usual method of waiting until the meat moves easily to flip will not work with this because the cheese is sticky. So just do one minute each side, it will be fine.
After the second side is done, move steaks off of high heat to the cooler grates and let the steak finish for about 10 to 15 minutes for medium rare. These are thin and don’t need a lot of cooking time and you don’t want the cheese to burn.
Remove to a plate, cover with foil and let rest 10 minutes, so the cheese isn’t molten lava.
My steak made 4 large pinwheels.
That’s it for this week. I don’t know how many recipe exchanges I’ll have in me while I’m packing, but stay tuned. Have a great weekend! – TaMara
Grilling! I love to grill. Usually the basics: chicken and steak.
1.25″ ribeye – 90 seconds on each side on a grill as hot as it gets. Rest in the closed grill with heat off 1 minute. Done!
2.
JPL
Happy Birthday Bixby!
3.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
Bixby! Happy Birthday, buddy.
4.
SiubhanDuinne
The photo of Bixby with his huge mouth — he’s not quite slavering, but you know he’s thinking about it — and then the photo of RAW MEAT and CHEESE, which just about looks as though it would fit that Bixbymouth in one large gulp — well, all I can say is Bixby, who’s a good boy? You are, yes you are, such a good puppy….
5.
Anne Laurie
Happy birthday, Bixby! (Congratulations, TaMara!)
Now *those* are flews… he’s maturing so beatifully, and looks more & more like a dog in a medieval tapestry…
No outdoor fun for us this weekend — there’s a big, nasty, and currently uncontrolled wildfire up in Santa Barbara county, so the AQMD says I need to keep my asthmatic self indoors this weekend. Ugh.
And, sadly, no Father’s Day activities since both of our dads are gone now.
No outdoor fun for us this weekend — there’s a big, nasty, and currently uncontrolled wildfire up in Santa Barbara county, so the AQMD says I need to keep my asthmatic self indoors this weekend.
Not to mention that it’s expected to get blazingly hot this weekend, so outdoor activities- at least during the day- might not be the wisest idea.
My house was at 58 this morning with the windows all open. It was so wonderful.
By sealing my house at 7AM and closing blinds I kept my house at 61-68 through 12PM to 8PM with a high of 85 outside. By 10 PM the outside temp was 67 and so I opened all windows again to keep open till tomorrow morning. Repeat and rinse.
I posted on FB that I was craving chocolate covered almond clusters…my cravings are nothing if not specific. Now three or four of us have decided to make our own. Pretty easy in theory. I have dark chocolate chips, raw almonds and parchment paper.
@Gin & Tonic: He is not looking to change minds/votes, he is looking for adoring crowds.Stuart Stevens said that Trump is an Amway salesman talking to other Amway salesmen.
@Gin & Tonic: The Woodlands are a very white, wealthy, Christianist exurb of The Greater Houston Metro Area. And surprisingly, it’s a third corridor for the oil/gas/energy companies with many HQ’s building proto campi and enclaves within a 45 minute commute of downtown Houston.
I’m a delegate at the Virginia state Democratic convention! Tomorrow is all the boring but important procedural stuff, tonight is all parties!
30.
Omnes Omnibus
@Redshift: Party on and be excellent to each other!
31.
Mary G
@Mnemosyne: @Roger Moore: I didn’t want to jinx it, so I didn’t say anything, but our spring weather has been so nice this year compared to the last couple of years.
Bill in Glendale, too.
Happy birthday to Bixby, what a difference! I lol’d at him mugging the UPS guy because he loves boxes and taking the trash back to your garbage bin.
Congratulations on finally finding your new house,TaMara. Seems like you’ve been looking forever!
32.
shortribs
and you don’t want the cheese to burn.
Incorrect. Burnt cheese is one of the best thing ever, it’s my favorite part of a grilled cheese sandwich.
@Omnes Omnibus: OT – Adam L. Silverman suggested I ask you if there is such a thing as a “4.2” mortar, and if so, what the hell is it?
35.
Omnes Omnibus
@a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q): Yes, there was. Link. Mortars are sort of a mini-artillery that the infantry carries with them. I will spare you the cannon, howitzer, mortar definitional thing that involves firing angles and caliber length.
ETA: The circs. of this suggestion intrigue me.
36.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@Omnes Omnibus: I ask because it is claimed that my grandfather helped design it. Sort of family legend, if you will.
looking at the linked article, perhaps he helped adapt if for US use. He was a Brit immigrant, but arrived before WWI. So the legend may be a tall tale. ::weeps::
ETA: the change from smooth bore to rifled was a significant thing. It happened here.
38.
shortribs
@Omnes Omnibus: Oh heck yeah! I’m somewhat indifferent to cheese in it’s normal or room temperature state, but once melted (or burnt) I can’t stop eating it.
39.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@Omnes Omnibus: Then it sounds pretty true, if that happened here. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
He was a Lt. Colonel Army, and my old man was some kind of Navy officer that raven identified from a uniform picture. He also told me what service my uncle the law professor was, but I’ve forgotten. Tangential to a Bundy conversation (including the other member of the Bundy Bunker legal team) I asked Adam off site since he has some ideas around military stuff. He suggested I ask you, “next time there’s an open thread.” As if I pay attention to that sort of thing.
I am probably the best source on artillery topics.
Adam’s comment was
Omnes can probably tell you.
You’ve made my weekend, because it seems like confirmation of what my father told me. I knew the Colonel (how everyone referred to him) briefly when I was a tot and he lived at our house for a year or so before he expired, but we didn’t discuss military stuff. Once, and only once, did I hear my father use the term “my father” instead of “the Colonel.”
Elmo
Grilling! I love to grill. Usually the basics: chicken and steak.
1.25″ ribeye – 90 seconds on each side on a grill as hot as it gets. Rest in the closed grill with heat off 1 minute. Done!
JPL
Happy Birthday Bixby!
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
Bixby! Happy Birthday, buddy.
SiubhanDuinne
The photo of Bixby with his huge mouth — he’s not quite slavering, but you know he’s thinking about it — and then the photo of RAW MEAT and CHEESE, which just about looks as though it would fit that Bixbymouth in one large gulp — well, all I can say is Bixby, who’s a good boy? You are, yes you are, such a good puppy….
Anne Laurie
Happy birthday, Bixby! (Congratulations, TaMara!)
Now *those* are flews… he’s maturing so beatifully, and looks more & more like a dog in a medieval tapestry…
redshirt
Those hands look especially meaty.
Mnemosyne
No outdoor fun for us this weekend — there’s a big, nasty, and currently uncontrolled wildfire up in Santa Barbara county, so the AQMD says I need to keep my asthmatic self indoors this weekend. Ugh.
And, sadly, no Father’s Day activities since both of our dads are gone now.
SiubhanDuinne
@Anne Laurie:
Fixed for size.
Baud
Bixby!
Roger Moore
@Mnemosyne:
Not to mention that it’s expected to get blazingly hot this weekend, so outdoor activities- at least during the day- might not be the wisest idea.
NotMax
Roll-ups?
Festive change to an old standard – lasagna pinwheels.
Vegetarian version.
@Elmo
Long time favorites for grilling are a butterflied leg of lamb and grilled asparagus.
Keith G
Donald Trump is holding a rally in an exurban enclave 30 miles north of downtown Houston. Or as one Tweet described:
So, when the press locates it at Houston, you will know the difference.
redshirt
My house was at 58 this morning with the windows all open. It was so wonderful.
By sealing my house at 7AM and closing blinds I kept my house at 61-68 through 12PM to 8PM with a high of 85 outside. By 10 PM the outside temp was 67 and so I opened all windows again to keep open till tomorrow morning. Repeat and rinse.
TaMara (HFG)
@Anne Laurie: He really does look like his ancient ancestors, doesn’t he. You’d never know he’s just a big goof!
Baud
Hound of the TaMaravilles!
TaMara (HFG)
I posted on FB that I was craving chocolate covered almond clusters…my cravings are nothing if not specific. Now three or four of us have decided to make our own. Pretty easy in theory. I have dark chocolate chips, raw almonds and parchment paper.
I’ll let you know how it turns out.
rikyrah
Happy birthday Bixby ?
Jeffro
My oh my do those pinwheels look great – thanks TaMara!
Gin & Tonic
@redshirt:
It’s only 9:00 pm. Unless Maine shifted to Labrador time without telling the rest of New England.
Gin & Tonic
@Keith G: Why is Trump holding a rally in a state that’s R+15?
Mike J
@Gin & Tonic: That’s where the money is.
lollipopguild
@Gin & Tonic: He is not looking to change minds/votes, he is looking for adoring crowds.Stuart Stevens said that Trump is an Amway salesman talking to other Amway salesmen.
nutella
@Gin & Tonic:
So the room looks full in photos.
redshirt
@Gin & Tonic: Welcome to the future.
Corner Stone
@Gin & Tonic: The Woodlands are a very white, wealthy, Christianist exurb of The Greater Houston Metro Area. And surprisingly, it’s a third corridor for the oil/gas/energy companies with many HQ’s building proto campi and enclaves within a 45 minute commute of downtown Houston.
gogol's wife
@Baud:
they were the footprints . . . you know the rest
Omnes Omnibus
@gogol’s wife: I feel bad for the poor dog. Phosphorus?
Prescott Cactus
The photo of the flank steak being butterflied (by Good Eats) reminds me of a cook I know called “Lefty”.
Redshift
I’m a delegate at the Virginia state Democratic convention! Tomorrow is all the boring but important procedural stuff, tonight is all parties!
Omnes Omnibus
@Redshift: Party on and be excellent to each other!
Mary G
@Mnemosyne: @Roger Moore: I didn’t want to jinx it, so I didn’t say anything, but our spring weather has been so nice this year compared to the last couple of years.
Bill in Glendale, too.
Happy birthday to Bixby, what a difference! I lol’d at him mugging the UPS guy because he loves boxes and taking the trash back to your garbage bin.
Congratulations on finally finding your new house,TaMara. Seems like you’ve been looking forever!
shortribs
Incorrect. Burnt cheese is one of the best thing ever, it’s my favorite part of a grilled cheese sandwich.
Omnes Omnibus
@shortribs: One does enjoy saganaki.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@Omnes Omnibus: OT – Adam L. Silverman suggested I ask you if there is such a thing as a “4.2” mortar, and if so, what the hell is it?
Omnes Omnibus
@a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q): Yes, there was. Link. Mortars are sort of a mini-artillery that the infantry carries with them. I will spare you the cannon, howitzer, mortar definitional thing that involves firing angles and caliber length.
ETA: The circs. of this suggestion intrigue me.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@Omnes Omnibus: I ask because it is claimed that my grandfather helped design it. Sort of family legend, if you will.
looking at the linked article, perhaps he helped adapt if for US use. He was a Brit immigrant, but arrived before WWI. So the legend may be a tall tale. ::weeps::
Omnes Omnibus
@a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q): If your grandfather was involved, a lot of WWII grunts would say thank you.
ETA: the change from smooth bore to rifled was a significant thing. It happened here.
shortribs
@Omnes Omnibus: Oh heck yeah! I’m somewhat indifferent to cheese in it’s normal or room temperature state, but once melted (or burnt) I can’t stop eating it.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@Omnes Omnibus: Then it sounds pretty true, if that happened here. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
He was a Lt. Colonel Army, and my old man was some kind of Navy officer that raven identified from a uniform picture. He also told me what service my uncle the law professor was, but I’ve forgotten. Tangential to a Bundy conversation (including the other member of the Bundy Bunker legal team) I asked Adam off site since he has some ideas around military stuff. He suggested I ask you, “next time there’s an open thread.” As if I pay attention to that sort of thing.
Omnes Omnibus
@a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q): Around here, I am probably the best source on artillery topics.
ETA: I got paid to do artillery for a while. The fact that I read skiing mags in my office doesn’t change that.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@Omnes Omnibus:
Adam’s comment was
You’ve made my weekend, because it seems like confirmation of what my father told me. I knew the Colonel (how everyone referred to him) briefly when I was a tot and he lived at our house for a year or so before he expired, but we didn’t discuss military stuff. Once, and only once, did I hear my father use the term “my father” instead of “the Colonel.”
Omnes Omnibus
@a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q): Have a lovely weekend.
TaMara (HFG)
@Mary G: FOREVER! Thanks.
Omnes Omnibus
@efgoldman: Nope. Sorry. “Powder” and “Ski” are real.