Jason’s 40th birthday dinner

My step-son, Jason Hammond, turned 40 on June 3rd. Here he is with my grandson Maxwell. To celebrate we had dinner al fresco [on our deck]. I marinated chicken and Yianni grilled it. [Here’s the recipe.] To go with the chicken, I also made a few really easy, healthy summer salads that you can make too.I started with a fresh fruit salad of strawberries, blueberries, grapes and pineapple.
I also made cole slaw with green and red cabbage, radishes, carrots, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries. I love this new “Simply Dressed” cole slaw dressing and I recommend
you try it. It has simple, natural ingredients, is very light and has great flavor.

Of course, no BBQ at my house is complete without my potato salad. [Here’s my how-to video.]
My potato salad ingredients are red skin potatoes, red onion or scallions, hard boiled eggs, radishes and celery. I make the dressing with Hellman’s mayonnaise, mustard, and sour cream.

Jason’s wife Erin bought an incredible peanut butter cup birthday cake from the bakery shoppe at Holiday market. Unfortunately, I took the photo of it a little late!
As you can see, we all really enjoyed it.

Entertainment for the evening was provided by my grandson, Benjamin, who wanted to grab my camera each time I tried to take his photo.
It was a beautiful summer night and we all enjoyed ourselves. Happy birthday Jason!

Grilled Sweet and Tangy Pork Chops

Another great night for grilling. I turned to the Internet, more specifically, Food Network for a pork chop recipe. This recipe is courtesy of Pat and Gina Neely. I love their show “Down Home with the Neely’s“. They’re adorable.

I served the chops with a salad of mixed greens, walnuts, apples, raisins, and an apple cider vinaigrette. I toasted the walnuts and while they were hot I mixed them with a little salt and cayenne pepper.

Ingredients for the Sweet and Tangy Pork Chops
4 (1 1/2-inch thick) center cut bone in pork chops [I only used 3 pork chops.]
“Neely’s Seasoning Salt” recipe below
“Sweet and Tangy Glaze” recipe below

Directions per Pat and Gina:
“Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
Season the pork chops lightly on both sides with the Seasoning Salt.
Grill the chops for 5 to 7 minutes per side. Brush them with the Sweet and Tangy Glaze the last 5 minutes of grilling. Internal temperature should register 145 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the chops from the grill to a serving platter and allow them to rest for 5 minutes before serving.”

Seasoning Salt:
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

“Mix the salt, onion powder, black pepper, garlic powder, celery seed, cayenne, and smoked paprika in a small bowl. [I used a jar.] You can store the remaining Seasoning Salt in an airtight container for up to 6 months.” [That’s why I used a jar to mix the seasoning salt!]

Sweet and Tangy Glaze:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup tablespoon real maple syrup
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
1 dash hot pepper sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

“In a small bowl, [again, I used another jar] mix together the apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire, and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and refrigerate if not using immediately.”

These chops were delicious! It’s an easy recipe and I have extra seasoning salt for next time. Enjoy!

Lemon, Rosemary and Balsamic Grilled Chicken

I wanted to explore a little out of my comfort zone today and try a new recipe not found in one of my Mother’s cookbooks. I have chicken thawing in the fridge since last night and I want to grill.  It’s a nice day. I don’t expect any rain. So, I searched online on the Food Network and I found this recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse:

Here are the ingredients you will need:
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup rosemary leaves
3 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic [I used a garlic press.]
2 tablespoons lemon zest [I added the lemon juice too.]
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
8 chicken thighs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Emeril says: “In a medium bowl combine the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, rosemary, garlic, lemon zest and red pepper flakes. Whisk to combine and pour into a 1-gallon resealable food storage plastic bag. Put the chicken thighs in the bag and seal it. [I threw the lemons in the bag as well.] Turn to ensure that the chicken is evenly coated, then refrigerate, turning occasionally, for 2 to 4 hours.”

Per Emeril, “Preheat a grill to medium-low and brush the grates lightly with an oil soaked cloth. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry. Season the chicken well on all sides with salt and pepper, then place on the grill, skin side down. [Yianni and I like to grill with foil. It’s just easier. So we skipped brushing the grates with oil. The balsamic will caramelize and is very sticky. Next time I’ll even spray the foil with oil.] Cook the chicken about 8 to 10 minutes, turn and continue to cook an additional 8 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the heat and serve while hot.”

Endnote: Yianni loved it!