26 Things to Grill This Summer

It's that time of year again.  Grilling time. Summer is meant for grilling with friends.  Currently, living in Italy

Grilling time!

means no grilling for me. I don't have a grill (I do have my trusty grill pan which kind of works) and it's not as popular here.
I love grilling with friends. It's the laughter, the camaraderie and then of course there's the food.  The char marks, the smoky flavor. I don't love smoke in my eyes, but everything else about barbecues and grilling is amazing.
As soon as I get back to the states I would love to have a bunch of barbecues with family and friends. And I would absolutely love to try grilling some new and fun recipes.  I don't want to do the traditional hot dogs and hamburgers. No as per usual I want to experiment.

Burgers and Hot dogs grilled on my grill pan

Last year I started my experimentation with Stuffed Burgers. Cheeseburgers inside out.  I'll have to repeat my favorites and post up the recipes too.  Jack Daniels burgers stuffed with spicy jack cheese (did I mention that I often make alcoholic burgers to grill?). Lime Tequila Burgers stuffed with swiss cheese (although I will be modifying these and making them with ground turkey instead because I think it'll match the lime and tequila better).
But there are so many things that I want to grill. Therefore I'm keeping a list, to see how many exciting things I can grill. I definitely won't be limiting myself to burgers alone!

THE LIST

1. Stuffed Jack Daniels Burgers
2. Stuffed Lime Tequila Turkey Burgers
3. Grilled Romaine for a beautiful Caesar salad
4. Portabello mushroom Steaks
5. Grilled Asparagus with a balsamic reduction
6. Chile Lime Shrimp Skewers
7. Grilled Sweet Potatoes with garlic butter (instead of plain old white potatoes) 
8. Grilled Lobster with Sriracha butter
9. Grilled Whole Carrots
10. Grilled Polenta with Grilled Italian Sausage and Grapes 
11. Grilled Apples stuffed with Sausage and Sage (found this idea on Buzzfeed, and it looks AMAZING!)
12. Bacon wrapped Eggplant bites
13. Grilled Savory French Toast
14. Grilled Avocado
15. Grilled Blueberry Steak
16. Mexican Grilled Cheese (Refried beans, cheddar, salsa, avocado)  
17. Apricot Salsa Grilled Quesadillas
18. Chicken and Red Pepper Skewers
19. Beer Can Chicken
20. Basil, Bacon and Peach Grilled Brie
21. Grilled Peaches and Cream
22. Grilled Apple Pie
23. Grilled Blueberry Muffins with basil butter (or ice cream!)
24. Strawberry S'mores
25. Grilled limes for Tequilla shots
26. Grilled Strawberries for Daiquiris 

Ok... So that's my list for now. I could keep going, but I'm going to resist at the moment.  I have the entirety of August and some of September to make all of my grilling dreams come true.  For now, I'll use my grill pan to see what I can make!

Grilled Cheese...

I keep seeing these amazing posts, lists of grilled cheese. I don't know why but there are so many people talking about grilled cheese right now. It's a little crazy.
I love grilled cheese.
I have always loved grilled cheese especially non traditional grilled cheese.  Grilled cheese with American or cheddar cheese is great. But I also love grilled cheese with Brie and Raspberries (the same way that I love weird combinations on non grilled sandwiches as well) so I was extremely excited to see these various lists.

1. 40 Amazing Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
2. 31 Grilled Cheeses that are Better than a Boyfriend
3. The Grilled Cheese Academy (Beware! the website will talk at you!) 

The first two are lists with beautiful pictures of amazing grilled cheese. The first has links that bring you to the actual recipes while the second does not.  The third is actually a site dedicated to grilled cheese specifically made with Wisconsin cheeses.  

I really liked the idea of some of the grilled cheeses so I saved pictures and names on to my computer and in the next month or so I'm going to try to make some of them, well, my versions of them anyway. Then I'll post up the recipes here.
I'm challenging myself to try some new grilled cheeses. I'm also challenging myself to keep track of them!  We'll see how well I do!  

One of my grilled cheeses: French Toast Grilled Cheese

Iron Chef America

I really do love watching the foodnetwork. Tonight I'm watching the international battle Forgione against a chef from Thailand. The entire time I was watching I was contemplating what I would cook given the theme.

TEA LEAVES

The Iron Chefs have to be amazing chefs to find out the secret ingredient on spot and create a menu and then execute it for the first time in one hour. I am always in awe. The first 8 minutes of the show have passed and the chefs are in constant motion, pulling some of the most amazing ingredients and concepts. I've seen bacon, tuna, watermelon, jicama, pork. In one hour, each chef and his team will create a range of dishes, from appetizer to dessert. I can't wait for what they come up with.

The 20 minute first course is a new twist since the last time I watched (which was admittedly a while ago) and at the 30 minute mark adds a new ingredient? What? Ok they have to use coffee in at least one dish as well.

And the entire time I watch, I've been thinking of what I could do (given the resources, time and skill... none of which I actually have, but, a girl can dream...)

So what would I do or try to do with tea leaves? There are so many options, so many different kinds of tea. Black, White, Oolong, Jasmine, Green...

I think my menu would be something like:

• 1st course served in 20 minutes: Salad with Arugula, strawberries, and avocado with a Jasmine viniagrette (which in theory would be accomplished by slowly sauteeing the leaves in olive creating an emulsion and tossing with a little bit of  apple cider vinegar) served with Jasmine and Strawberry tea
• Green tea and coffee crusted turkey fingers with honey mustard
• Spicy Black Tea Ramen
• Lemon Earl Gray Roasted Chicken and asparagus
• Oolong crusted Whitefish seared and served with oolong and blackberry and pear risotto
• White Tea Raspberry Scones served with a fresh berry compote and a white tea clotted cream of course presented with an individual Tea pot steeping with white tea, rose and berries
• Green Tea Macarons with honey cream, Chocolate coffee macarons with oolong buttercream

It took me an entire hour to come up with my menu and I honestly have no idea how any of the concepts would come out, but I had fun watching and fantasizing my dream menu. I was utterly impressed with the menus that the iron chefs created. I never would have come up with anything similar and I certainly wouldn't have been able to execute quite so smoothly. Guess that's why I'm not an Iron Chef. :) 

And now sleep calls. 

--Raspberry Truffle

P.S. I had no idea that there were so many versions of Iron Chef all over the world. 

Let's talk SALAD

The beauty of a healthy salad for lunch

serious nutritious yummyness

So I know quite a few people who think that salads are boring and unappetizing... But really, that's not true!

Who says a salad can't be delicious and gorgeous, and just as much fun as other foods?

Yes, plain lettuce is a boring salad. So dress it up! Add in beautiful colors with other veggies and proteins. Keep it simple, healthy and nutritious with fresh ingredients.

I've been on a bit of a health kick recently and decided that salad would be a great lunch option... But only if I could figure out a way to make my salad delicious and well, not boring.

So, the salad that I perpetually go back to is healthy (and gorgeous, if I do say so myself!) and packed with all sorts of beneficial nutrients.

Spread out on a larger plate in all its colorful glory (here with Romaine lettuce)

I used arugula (although, if you don't enjoy the slightly bitter taste, I would use Romaine or even regular lettuce for a more mild taste). I then added corn, freshly sliced tomatoes, and a hard boiled egg (although some of my Jersey girls insist that one egg just isn't enough for a salad lunch xp). A little salt, pepper and oregano and then dressed with a drizzle of Italy's finest olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

And that's only one variation!  If you don't like hard-boiled egg (I know it's kind of particular), I sometimes add chickpeas to my salad for protein kick! If avocados are in season, I love to add half of one for some healthy fat to the mix (yes I know, quite the conundrum, healthy fat... lol). Beets could add a kick of color and sweetness. Red onions also work (although I prefer my onions sauteed and juicy). If you're bored of normal lettuce varieties, fresh spinach is a wonderful substitution! OOooo Also, never forget the power of adding cheesy yumminess! Mozzarella, swiss, gouda, feta, ricotta, and so forth and so on.  Or nuts!  I love to add walnuts to my salads! And others tell me almonds and peanuts are great additions as well (I dislike both varieties sooo I'll stick to my walnuts!).
But you can always go further out of the box and create an amazing salad with ingredients you wouldn't think to put in a salad. Like fruit!  I love adding fresh rasperries or strawberries to my salads. And sliced apples or pears work wonderfully if you're also using nuts!  Oranges make a great juicy addition too. (There's an amazing Sicilian salad that I'll have to write up a recipe for using only fennel, onions and blood oranges! It's gorgeous and delicious!!)

As for dressings, I mean really, the options are limitless!  I mean there are your creamy Italians, drool worthy Russians, saucy Frenches... wait... I may have just gone off on a tangent... I'm describing salad dressing, NOT men... :P
Yes, so, as I was saying dressings. There's the stuff you buy in jars and then you can always get creative and make your own. Add a little dijon mustard to your balsamic and olive oil for a little tang. Sometimes heating up some honey to drizzle on top is also amazing (My friend Kim makes this wonderful dressing by melting feta, honey, olive oil, and pine nuts all together in the oven before serving the amazing concoction over arugula and pears).

And now that I've successfully given myself a salad craving, I'm off!

~Raspberry Truffle

cupcakes

So I really want to make cupcakes today, I'm not sure if I'll have time to go to the store to get ingredients, but either today or tomorrow! lol I think I want to make them tonight, so maybe I'll get my ass over to the store before dinner.... we'll see!

So these ones are just really cute and I want to eat them... :D

~Raspberry Truffle