TF and I both wanted dessert last night. But we were also tired and didn't want to have to apply much effort. Luckily these grilled bananas only required ~10 minutes of cooking time. They are especially easy if you have a gas grill or are willing to use the oven instead.

The ice cream is theoretically optional, while the whipped cream is not. However, I was really vibing with the ice cream last night and having both seemed like overkill. So we got a little bit of chocolate fudge ice cream and then skipped the whip.

Grilled Bananas with Pecans and Chocolate

Slightly adapted from Dessert of the Day by Kim Laidlaw

Ingredients

• 4-6 bananas
• 60g dark chocolate, melted
• 1/4 c. chopped pecans
• 1-2 c. chocolate ice cream (optional)
• 1/2 c. heavy cream, whipped (optional)

Directions

1. Set up grill for direct heat cooking and trim the ends off of the bananas. (Leave the peels on. Just trim the ends.) Alternatively, set the oven broiler to "high".
2. Grill the bananas, turning often, until softened and skins have turned dark (8-10 minutes).
3. Peel and slice the bananas.
4. Drizzle with the melted chocolate and sprinkle with the nuts.
5. Top with ice cream and whipped cream (if using) and serve.

Grilled Chicken and Zucchini

So... I messed this one up a little bit. It was supposed to be grilled chicken and corn. And I even got the corn for it. But then I took a little too long getting to it and the corn had gone off by the time I was making this. Okay, that sucks. But, no worries, I'll just ask TF to run out and get some more. Except apparently no, no I won't. Because she hit up just about every grocery store in town and they were all out of corn. After making five unsuccessful attempts to purchase corn, I told her to just get me any grillable vegetable. So, in the end, we ended up having grilled zucchini, not corn with our chicken. It was still pretty good. But definitely not nearly as good as the corn would have been.

Also, I only belatedly realized that I completely forgot to add the lime zest and thyme after everything was cooked. Whoops!

Grilled Chicken and Zucchini (or Corn)

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
• 1 Tbsp. cumin seeds¹, ground
• 3 Tbsp. lime juice
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 4-6 zucchini, halved lengthwise or ears of corn, husked
• 680g skinless boneless chicken breast
• 1 Tbsp. lime zest
• 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme

Directions

1. Set up a grill for direct heat cooking and allow to preheat.
2. Combine the paprika and cumin and stir to combine.
3. Mix in the lime juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper.
4. Brush the vegetables all over with the paprika mixture.
5. Toss the chicken with the remaining paprika mixture.
6. Add the vegetables to the grill and allow to partially cook (5-10) minutes.
7. Add the chicken and grill until cooked through (3-5 minutes per side).
8. Remove from heat and sprinkle everything with lime zest and thyme.

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¹ The recipe called for cumin. And that's what I used this time. But I think it might actually be quite good with dhania-jeera masala either instead or as well. I think I'd be tempted to try using 1/2 Tbsp. of masala + 1/2 Tbsp. of ground cumin next time. ^Back

We picked up some lamb shoulder chops on sale a couple days after I arrive here in NZ. They've been sitting in the freezer ever since, waiting for an opportunity to be used. And now that we're seeing lots of delicious stone fruit in the grocery stores, I felt like maybe it was time to bring them out.

The original recipe called for grilling the lamb (preferably on a charcoal grill) and I do think that would have been nice. But it was so windy when we were trying to prepare dinner, that Reiver suggested that perhaps it would be best to forgo the barbecue in favour of the stovetop in this instance.

I'm sure they would have been lovely on the grill, but they cooked up just fine in a pan on the stove. And the simple, fruity salsa worked very well as an accompaniment. As did the pumpkin and kumara tagine that I made as a side dish to round out the meal.

Lamb Chops with Nectarine Salsa

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 4 lamb shoulder chops
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds, ground
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 3 nectarines, chopped
• 1/4 c. minced red onion
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp. minced chipotles in adobo
• 1 tsp. lime juice

Directions

1. Season the lamb chops with the cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
2. Combine the nectarines, onion, cilantro, chipotles, and lime juice in a bowl and mix well.
3. Prepare a grill (or frying pan) for direct heat cooking.
4. Brush the lamb chops with oil (or drizzle a little oil into the frying pan) and cook the chops to desired doneness.
5. Serve chops topped with salsa.

In the stock recipe I wrote up yesterday, I kept referring to the braising liquid from these ribs. Given that, I figured I'd better write up this recipe next.

These ribs were really excellent. The homemade barbecue sauce really made them. I found it a bit on the tomato-y/ketchup-y side for my tastes, but that's probably because I didn't boil the braising liquid down as much as I was supposed to. You're supposed to strain it and then boil it down until you have only ~3/4 of a cup left. I didn't want to do that for reasons of both time and heat and humidity. I also didn't feel like straining the sauce. So instead, I boiled it down 'til there was maybe 2 cups left (including all the solids) and then I used a generous 3/4 c. in the sauce and the rest went into the roasting pan with the vegetables and soup bones. I'm sure if I'd concentrated the liquid as much as I was supposed to it would've balanced out the tomato flavour. In lieu of that, I think that next time I'd try adding a teaspoon or two of dark mushroom soy sauce.

Braised Barbecued Short Ribs

Slightly adapted from The Right Recipe

Ingredients

Braising

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6-8 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 2 bottles of beer¹
• 1 c. dry white wine
• 1 chipotle in adobo²
• 1 tsp. chicken stock powder (or amount needed to make 1 c. of stock)
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 2-2.3kg short (braising/English cut) ribs
• water³ (optional, see footnote)

Barbecuing

• braising liquid (from above)
• 1 c. ketchup
• 2 Tbsp. molasses
• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1-2 tsp. dark soy sauce (optional)

Directions

Braising

1. Heat oil over medium heat. (Or use "sauté" setting on InstantPot.)
2. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened.
3. Add oregano and cumin and sizzle for 30-60 seconds.
4. Pour in beer and wine.
5. Add chipotle, stock powder, peppercorns, bay leaf, and ribs.
6. If necessary, add water to just cover the ribs.
7. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
8. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2-3 hours.
9. Remove ribs from braising liquid and set aside to cool.

Barbecuing

1. If desired, strain the braising liquid and remove the solids.
2. Return liquid to pot and bring to a boil over medium heat.
3. Cook, uncovered for ~60 minutes.
4. Combine 3/4 c. of the braising liquid (which may or may not be all of it) with the ketchup, molasses, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce (if using). Excess braising liquid can be reserved for another use.
5. Stir to combine and heat sauce over medium heat. Simmer, uncovered, for a few minutes to marry the flavours.
6. Meanwhile, heat up your grill. The ribs will be cooked over direct heat, so arrange your coals/burners accordingly.
7. Oil either the cooking grates or the meat or both and toss the ribs on the grill.
8. Once the ribs have some good colour on them (3-5 minutes per side), baste with sauce and cook for another minute or two on each side.
9. Serve hot with additinal sauce and roasted veggies or other sides of your choice.

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¹ The original recipe calls for 3 bottles of lager. I didn't have any lager, but I did have a bottle each of alcoholic ginger beer, some sort of raspberry beer, and white wine. I put in both of the sugary beers + some dry white wine to balance it out a bit. ^Back
2 The original recipe calls for a fresh jalapeño to be minced and sautéed with the onion and garlic. I didn't have any fresh jalapeños, but I did have a tin of chipotles in adobo. I figured it would work just fine since chipotles are just smoked jalapeños anyway. There were some aditional flavours from the adobo, but I think they were all harmonious. If you don't have any chipotles on hand, feel free to use a jalapeño instead. ^Back
3 I was using up the last of my braising ribs and only had ~1.6kg left. Because the quantity of ribs was less, I found that I didn't need any water to get enough liquid to cover the ribs. If you're making this with the full amount of ribs, you may find that you need to add water to get the ribs fully submerged. ^Back

I picked up a couple bags of dried seitan/gluten the last time I was at the Asian grocery. Of course, I could just use them as a meat substitute the next time I'm making soup or curry or something, but I thought it'd be nice to find some seitan-specific recipes. And I found a whole treasure trove of delicious-looking dishes! But they all use home-made/fresh seitan, not the dried stuff. This recipe for barbecue "ribs" looked so good that I couldn't resist giving it a try. It's lovely with a bit of grilled corn and/or creamed kale.

Barbecue Seitan Ribs with Sticky Tamarind Sauce

Slightly adapted from Sunny Side Hanne

Ingredients

Seitan

• 1/4 c. tahini or peanut butter
• 1 tsp. liquid smoke
• 2 tsp. sweet or smoked paprika
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 1/2 c. chickpea flour
• 1 1/2 c. hot vegetable broth¹
• 1 1/2 c. + 2 Tbsp. gluten flour

Sticky Tamarind Sauce

• 1 Tbsp. tamarind concentrate
• 1/2 c. hoisin sauce
• 1/4 c. sambal olek (or chili sauce of your choice)
• 1 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 2 Tbsp. garlic paste
• 1 Tbsp. mirin
• 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar

Directions

Seitan

1. Combine tahini/peanut butter, liquid smoke, paprika, tomato paste, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, and chickpea flour and mix well.
2. Pour in hot broth and stir to form a homogeneous mixture.
3. Add gluten flour and stir to combine.
4. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5-6 minutes. You may need to add an extra Tbsp. or two of gluten, but be conservative; don't add too much.
5. Lightly oil a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil and place the seitan on it.
6. Press the seitan into a large flat slab.
7. Score the seitan to make it easier to separate into "ribs" once cooked.
8. Fold the foil over and seal to form a tight packet.
9. Grill over indirect heat for 30 minutes. (Aim for a grill temperature of 180°C/350°F.)
10. Meanwhile, prepare the barbecue sauce. (See below for instructions.)
11. Open the packet and brush the ribs with barbecue sauce. Flip them over and coat the other side with sauce as well.
12. Cook for another 15 minutes being sure to keep the ribs over indirect heat!
13. Serve with coleslaw, grilled corn, fries, or other side(s) of your choice.

Sticky Tamarind Sauce

1. Combine all sauce ingredients and mix well.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes.
3. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

NB: The original recipe billed these as "BBQ Vegan Ribs", but I'm not confident in calling the recipe vegan as written. I think it would be appropriate for a "strict vegetarian" (ie. someone who doesn't directly eat animal products, but doesn't necessarily avoid animal products elsewhere), but not necessarily a vegan. Hoisin sauce and mirin both contain sugar which often uses bone char in its production. As such, unless you can find sauces that use some sort of vegan sweetener, this recipe wouldn't actually be vegan, but it's still a great egg-and-dairy-free vegetarian offering!

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¹ I used a 2:1 mix of vegetable broth and mushroom stock for mine. ^Back

The hot humid weather has arrived. It's 28°C right now. Yesterday it was 30! I still have a bunch of baking that I'd like to do. But I don't want to heat up the house by keeping turning the oven on. So I decided to look into the possibility of doing my baking on the barbecue. It's a little harder to precisely control the temperature, sure. No thermostat or anything, so you've gotta keep an eye on the thermometer and adjust the flame manually, but it seemed like it should be possible.

I did a bit of rummaging around online and it looks like the general consensus is to use indirect heat and open the lid as little as possible. I found one source that recommended trying to get the grill ~25°F hotter than you'd normally bake it in the oven since you'd be losing a lot of heat from opening the lid and it wouldn't be as easy to recoup the losses on the barbecue. I found another source that recommended dramatically reducing the baking time since the barbecue creates more bottom heat and more convection than a standard oven. I think a lot of it is going to have to do with your specific barbecue, your technique/accuracy, and the recipe you're trying to make. My quick bread took ~10 minutes longer than specified for the oven recipe, but I've never actually tried cooking it in the oven to see how closely the bake time aligns with the recipe. In addition, I didn't exactly have a stable temperature for this bake. I think it probably averaged out to about the right spot -- assuming my grill thermometer is at all accurate, which it might not be -- but it started out quite hot and then dropped a bit too cool toward the middle of the bake before inching back up to somewhere in and around 350°F for the rest of the bake. The bread came out alright though, so I'm not complaining!

I think, with a little more practice, I could probably get the flame settings dialed in to get a more steady temperature and a consistent bake. And I'm certainly happy with this as a first attempt! It's baked through and tasty. Not burnt on the outside, not raw on the inside. To look at it, you wouldn't know it wasn't baked in a standard oven. I think this barbecue baking thing has promise!

Ranch Quick Bread

Slightly adapted from The Kitchn

Ingredients

• 3 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 2 large eggs
• 1 c. buttermilk
• 1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh chives
• 1 c. cottage cheese

Directions

1. Grease and flour a 23x13cm (9x5") loaf pan.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
3. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, butter, dill, and chives.
4. Stir cottage cheese into egg mixture.
5. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir to combine.
6. Dump batter (which will be quite stiff) into prepared pan. Press into corners and smooth the top.
7. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 40-60 minutes. For barbecue baking, set up your grill for indirect heat and adjust the flames/coals to achieve the desired temperature. Setting the left and right flames to "low" and turning the middle off worked well for me.
8. Let cool in pan for ~15 minutes.
9. Run a knife or spatula around the edge of the pan and turn the loaf out onto a wire rack to cool.

I kind of spliced together a few different recipes for this. It's still basically the one posted on the Budget Byte$ blog, just with a few extra steps and a marinade thrown in. The extra steps and the idea of adding a liquid marinade as well as dry seasonings comes from the Easy Vegan. The marinade itself is my own concoction.

Barbecue Tofu Sandwiches

Adapted from The Easy Vegan and Budget Byte$

Ingredients

Tofu

• 350g extra firm tofu
• 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 2 tsp. mushroom ketchup
• 1 tsp. dark soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp. ketchup
• 1/4 tsp. liquid smoke
• 1 tsp. paprika (preferably smoked)
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 20 grinds of black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch/cornflour
• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil (optional)

Coleslaw

• 1/3 c. mayonnaise
• 1/2 Tbsp. honey
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 10 grinds black pepper
• 250-350g coleslaw mix¹

Assembly

• 3-4 burger buns
• ~2 Tbsp. garlic butter
• 1/4-1/2 c. barbecue sauce²

Directions

Tofu

1. Freeze the tofu.
2. Thaw, drain, and cut into four thin slabs. (Cut the brick in half once vertically and once horizontally.)
3. Wrap the tofu slabs in a tea towel, place something heavy on top and press for at least half an hour. (Or just use a tofu press if you have one.)
4. Cut into bite-sized chunks and return to freezer.
5. Thaw the tofu chunks and press/pat dry with a tea towel.
6. In a small bowl combine light soy, mushroom ketchup, dark soy, tomato paste, ketchup, and liquid smoke and mix well.
7. Pour marinade over tofu and toss until all of the tofu has had a chance to absorb some.
8. Combine paprika, garlic powder, pepper, and salt and mix well.
9. Toss tofu with dry spice mix until evenly coated.
10. Toss with cornstarch, 1 tsp. at a time.
12. Heat oil over medium to medium-high heat (if using). Fry tofu in oil, turning only occasionally, until well browned and slightly crisp. Alternatively, bake in a 350°F (180°C) oven until outside is firm and lightly browned, flipping once.

Coleslaw

1. Combine mayo, honey, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper and mix well.
2. Add coleslaw mix and stir to coat.

Assembly

1. Cut the buns and spread them with garlic butter.
2. Toast.
3. Toss tofu with barbecue sauce.
4. Pile saucy tofu on toasted bun bottoms.
5. Spoon some coleslaw on top of the tofu.
6. Close the sandwich by placing the bun half on top.
7. Serve with extra coleslaw on the side.

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Variations

Vegan

Ingredients

Tofu

• 350g extra firm tofu
• 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 2 tsp. mushroom ketchup
• 1 tsp. dark soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp. ketchup
• 1/4 tsp. liquid smoke
• 1 tsp. paprika (preferably smoked)
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 20 grinds of black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch/cornflour
• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil (optional)

Coleslaw

• 1/3 c. vegan mayonnaise
• 1/2 Tbsp. agave syrup
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 10 grinds black pepper
• 250-350g coleslaw mix¹

Assembly

• 3-4 burger buns
• ~2 Tbsp. garlic margarine or olive oil and fresh minced garlic
• 1/4-1/2 c. barbecue sauce²

If using oil and garlic for your buns: Brush the sliced buns with olive oil and sprinkle with minced garlic. Toast. Optionally sprinkle with fresh or lightly dried parsley.

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¹ Or make your own mix of shredded cabbage and carrots. I actually used broccoli slaw for mine because it was on sale for 50% off. ^Back
2 We didn't really have much in the way of barbecue sauce: just the dregs of an ancient bottle of HP sauce. I ended up sort of rolling my own sauce. I didn't measure anything, so I can't really give a recipe. It ended up being a mix of HP sauce, buffalo sauce, ketchup, hoisin sauce, roasted garlic paste, black pepper, hot paprika, liquid smoke, and Chinese 5-spice powder. I think a "real" BBQ sauce would've been better, but it did pretty well in a pinch. ^Back

Maple-Dijon Glazed Ham with Brown Sugar Crust

(note: symbol wrote this, I'm just posting it)

Found a smoked ham in the freezer that had come out of its butcher's paper and was getting a bit freezer burned. Figured I might as well throw it on the grill with whatever veggies we had on hand and call it a dinner.
The link is to the recipe I used as a guide.

3-4 lb. smoked ham (didn't weigh it but giving it a heft, I'd put it at ~3 lbs.)
1/2 c. maple syrup
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. rum (would've used bourbon if we'd had any on hand)
1 Tbsp. mustard (I used some of my home-made Roman-style mustard)
1 whole clove, ground
3/4 c. brown sugar

1. Pre-heat your grill and set it up for indirect heat. Since my ham was pretty dried out, I also tossed a roast pan full of water on the direct heat side of the grill to add a little steam. If you've got a nice, fresh ham you probably don't need to bother with the water/steam. I started my grill out fairly hot (~500F) but dailed it down to 300F or so once the meat was actually on.
2. Combine the maple syrup, butter, rum, mustard, and ground cloves.
3. Once the meat's had a couple hours on the grill, heat up the glaze to melt the butter.
4. Brush the ham all over with the glaze. Cook for 10 minutes or so, then give it another coat, press on the brown sugar, and cook for another 20-30 minutes. Yum!

Barbecue Baked Eggs

I've been eating a lot of eggs for breakfast lately. And while fried and scrambled eggs (and variants like omelettes) are delicious, I've started getting bored of them. Yesterday I tried poached eggs on portabello mushroom caps with ham and Branston pickle. That was pretty tasty, although my poached eggs were really messy. And today I decided to experiment with something different again: baked eggs. I'm familiar with the concept of baked eggs, but I'd never actually made or eaten them before. I found a "BBQ" baked egg recipe that sounded nice though, so I figured I'd give that a try. I had a bit of a false start that resulted in undercooked eggs the first time, but after a few more minutes in the oven, I got a really spectacular breakfast out of it!

Barbecue Baked Eggs
Slightly Adapted from Allrecipes
4 eggs
1/4 c. double cream
4 tsp. barbecue sauce
dash cayenne
1/4 c. blue cheese (such as Saint Agur)
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley
4 rashers bacon
dash freshly ground black pepper

1. Cook bacon and chop into small pieces.
2. Grease two large ramekins.
3. Break two eggs into each ramekin.
4. Add 2 Tbsp. cream, 2 tsp. barbecue sauce, and a dash or cayenne to each ramekin.
5. Combine bacon with cheese and parsley. Crumble and mix well.
6. Top each ramekin with half of the bacon mixture.
7. Add a dash of black pepper to each ramekin.
8. Bake at 200C (~400F) for 15-20 minutes or until desired doneness.
9. Serve with baked beans and buttered toast.

Smoked Chicken

Hey! I made something that didn't come out of a Cook's Country magazine! This one's from the Internet. Specifically, I spent a while browsing the Amazing Ribs site and decided to try the smoked chicken recipe posted there.

Sweet Georgia's Brown Smoked Chicken
From AmazingRibs.com
1 chicken (mine was ~1.2kg and came already spatchcocked and injected with brine)
1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt per lb. of meat (only if bird is not pre-seasoned/brined)
4-5 Tbsp. Meathead's Memphis Dust

1. If chicken is fully in tact, either spatchcock it or cut it in half with kitchen shears.
2. If chicken has not already been brined or seasoned, rub with salt (dry brine).
3. Dust chicken on all sides with spice mix.
4. Preheat grill, adding desired wood chips/chunks. (I used a divided smoker box full of whiskey barrel chips. Half dry, half wet.)
5. Adjust burners to achieve a temperature of ~325F and indirect heat.
6. Cook chicken, skin side up, over indirect heat for ~2 hours with legs pointing toward the hotter side of the grill.
7. If desired flip skin side down over direct heat for a few minutes to crisp the skin just before serving.
8. Chicken can be cut into parts or pulled for sandwiches.

This chicken smelled heavenly while cooking and tasted even better! We served it with creole potato salad, oil and vinegar coleslaw, grilled corn on the cob, and some old-fashioned lemonade for a complete summer barbecue meal. Phenomenal!

Meathead's Memphis Dust
6 Tbsp. firmly packed brown sugar
6 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/4 c. sweet Hungarian paprika
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. ginger powder
2 Tbsp. peppercorns
2 Tbsp. dehydrated onion
1 1/2 tsp. rosemary

1. Grind peppercorns, onion, and rosemary into a fairly uniform looking powder.
2. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well-combined, breaking up any chunks of sugar or other clumps that form.