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Veggies on the Grill
Believe it or not you can grill more than meat. Shocking we know, but true. Summer veggies are delicious on the grill and with the farmer’s markets in full swing, it is the perfect time to grill your veg. If you want to find a Farmer’s Market near you, check out Local Harvest for the best organic food grown near you.
Here are a few recipes for you from Cooks.com.
Tuscan Grilled Summer Vegetables
1 (1 lb.) eggplant, sliced into 2″ thick rounds
1 white 1/2 lb. eggplant, sliced into 2″ thick rounds
2 summer squash, cut into 2″ thick slices lengthwise
2 zucchini, cut into 2″ thick slices, lengthwise
2 patty pan squash, cut into 2″ thick slices lengthwise
1 tbsp. Kosher salt
3 lg. ripe tomatoes, cut into 2″ thick slices
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded, deveined, cut into 2″ wide slices lengthwise
1 red bell pepper, seeded, deveined, cut into 2″ wide slices, lengthwise
1 med. red onion, peeled, sliced into 1/2″ thick rounds
1 c. coarsely chopped basil
2 c. Tuscan Marinade
TUSCAN MARINADE:
1/3 c. red wine
1/3 c. olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp. grated orange rind
1/2 c. minced sage leaves
1/4 c. minced rosemary
1 tbsp. black peppercorns, crushed
Combine all marinade ingredients in glass bowl. Refrigerate in an air tight container for up to 3 days.
Place eggplant, zucchini and squash in a colander. Add salt. Toss and set aside to drain for 30 minutes. Rinse, pat dry, and place into a large shallow glass or ceramic dish. Add remaining vegetables and basil. Cover with marinade. Refrigerate 8 hours, turning once. Grill over hot coals until tender, about 5 to 10 minutes each side. Serves 6 to 8.
TUSCAN MARINADE:
1/3 c. red wine
1/3 c. olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp. grated orange rind
1/2 c. minced sage leaves
1/4 c. minced rosemary
1 tbsp. black peppercorns, crushed
Combine all marinade ingredients in glass bowl. Refrigerate in an air tight container for up to 3 days.
Place eggplant, zucchini and squash in a colander. Add salt. Toss and set aside to drain for 30 minutes. Rinse, pat dry, and place into a large shallow glass or ceramic dish. Add remaining vegetables and basil. Cover with marinade. Refrigerate 8 hours, turning once. Grill over hot coals until tender, about 5 to 10 minutes each side. Serves 6 to 8.
This marinade is also excellent for chicken and flank steak grilling.
GRILLED SQUASH AND PEPPERS
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 yellow squash (summer)
4 patty pan squash (small)
1 green pepper (cut into 1/2 inch strips)
1 red pepper (cut into 1/2 inch strips)
1 lg. onion (cut into sixths)
2/3 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. water
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. minced chives
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/4 tsp. garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp. pepper
Combine vegetables in shallow baking dish. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over vegetables. Let stand 15 minutes. Drain vegetables; reserve marinade.
Don’t let bug bug you this summer
Cutter Advanced -- The Best Bug Reppellent Over-all
Nothing can ruin an outdoor party like bugs. And the threat of Lyme Disease or West Nile Disease, can bring down the best backyard barbecue! So, what are the best bug sprays? The website consumersearch.com posted their top bug spray picks in their 2009 article — Insect Repellent: What To Look For. On a side note, we really love, love, love this site. There are expert and user reviews, you can find out where to buy the products, and the sponsored links are clearly marked.
The Top Four Insect Repellent Reviews from consumersearch.com are:
- Best Inset Repellent Over-all — Cutter Advanced ($6 for 6 oz)
- DEET Repellent for Long Period or Extreme Conditions — 3M Ultrathon Insect Repellent 12 Lotion ($8.50 for 2 oz)
- Best Natural Mosquito Repellent — Repel Lemon Eucalyptus ($7.50 for 4 0z)
- Safest Insect Repellent for Kids — Bite Blocker ($8.50 for 4.7 oz)
Here are some tips to keep the bugs at bay this summer:
- Remove any standing water in your yard, sucha as gutters, kiddis pools, buckets of water because mosquitos lay their eggs on standing standing water.
- Keep your trash and recycling bins as far away as possible from your house and make sure the lids are on nice and tight. Be sure to rinse out all your re-cycables before tossing them into your re-cycling bins.
- Keep food convered when dining outside.
For more tips, as to how to keep bugs at bay this summer, check out lifehacker.com.
Green (er) Summer Parties
Perserve Tablewear: On the Go TableWeare for $20.99
Summer is an entire season of celebrating Mother Earth. You can go greeen and through a great summer party too. Here are some green tips from Earth911.com to help you keep your summer festivities green:
- Use propane for grilling – According to the study by the Environment Impact Assessment Review , “The overwhelming factors are that as a fuel, LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) is dramatically more efficient than charcoal in its production and considerably more efficient in cooking.”
- Plan a local, organic menu – According to the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, “Produce in the U.S. travels, on average, 1,300 to 2,000 miles from farm to consumer.”
- If disposable is a must, go for smarter choices — Preserve Tableware is made from a thicker resin of plastic that allows multiple uses. Also, Preserve’s products are made from 100 percent recycled polypropylene (plastic #5 or PP).
For more tips for Earth911.com, go to Green Tips for a Summer Parties. If you want to learn how to plan your next local organic summer meal, check out Local Harvest.com for the best organic food that’s grown closet to you.
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Summer Party Planning Tips
Summer is here and it’s time for dancin’ in the streets or planning a perfect party. Where do you start? We have checked out a few sites, gathered some ideas to help YOU plan the perfect summer party.
Country Living has Simple Summer Party Planning Tips to help you plan a fun and stress free summer party. At your next summer party, you’ll have to make these adorable Shrimp Salad Rolls. So easy to prepare: For mini seafood rolls, thaw, then chop frozen cooked shrimp. Use enough mayonnaise to coat shrimp, then salt and pepper to taste. Season with fresh lemon juice. Stuff rolls, garnish with parsley.
Celebrations.com features 10 Tips for Your Summer Party. Here’s a sample of these helpful tips:
- Make a Plan B in case of rain — Often, summer parties take place outdoors. If you are throwing your party outdoors, make an alternative plan in case of rain. Make sure that at least some of the activities you have planned can be done indoors or you have a general idea of other activities that will fill the time.
- Expect an extra guest or two — As people may be returning from vacation and receiving your invitation late (even after the RSVP date), expect that some guests you haven’t heard from may just show up.
- Coolers keep hot food warm — If you are serving hot food, wrap it in foil and place it into a cooler after you’ve cooked it. Heat up microwave warmer pads and place them between and on top of the food in the cooler. Now you have your own portable oven to keep things warm when you serve them at your summer party.
And finally, iVillage.com features a Summer Party Planner featuring festive summer drinks, hot off the grill recipes, and party ideas. We love, love, love this idea Alfresco Game Night. Here’s how to host your very own under the stars game night:
We hope you enjoy your summer days & nights. Do you have a fun summer party planning tip? You do. Super. Leave your tip in the comments section below.
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Summer’s Best Wines by Food and Wine
Those summer winds are blowin’ in and so are those light and crisp wines. Food & Wine’s Ray Isle can help you sort out your Muscadet from your Sauvigion Blanc. Food & Wine just posted their Summer’s Best Wines.
Here are a few of our favs:
2008 Saracco Moscato d’Asti ($16)
Moscato d’Asti, the off-dry, lightly sparkling wine native to Italy’s Piedmont region, is exceptionally light in alcohol: usually only six percent or so. This graceful, tangerine-scented bottling from a top producer would be great either as an aperitif or with fresh fruit for dessert.
NV Broadbent Vinho Verde ($11)
Vinho Verde—a pale Portuguese wine named for its youth rather than its color—should be crisp, tingly and full of lemon and seashell nuances. That aptly describes this bottling from importer Bartholomew Broadbent.
2007 Domaine de la Batardière Muscadet ($10)
Muscadet, from the western part of France’s Loire Valley, is a summer classic. Its citrusy character pairs ideally with seafood, particularly raw oysters.
2008 Kung Fu Girl Riesling ($12)
Washington-state winemaker Charles Smith earned his reputation with some formidable (and fairly expensive) Syrahs, but lately, he’s been focusing on a line of quirkily named, inexpensive wines. This floral, slightly off-dry Riesling is one of the best.
For more summer wine recommendations, visit Food & Wine’s Summer’s Best Wines for wines ranging in price from $9 to $20.
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We Didn’t Start the Fire: BBQ Tips
Are you fired up? It’s Memorial Day weekend. It’s the official start of the Barbecue season. Roll out those grills, get your fires started, and marinate some meat. Weber Grill has all sorts of fun stuff on their website to help you get the most out of your grill. You can even download their Weber’s On The Grill iPhone app.
Here are a few more highlights featured on Weber’s website:
Weber has a Recipe of the Week. This one got my mouth watering:
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons honey
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh mint
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon pure chile powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1. In a small saucepan combine the orange juice, honey, lime zest, lime juice, ginger, and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer gently until the mixture thickens to a syrupy consistency and 1/2 cup of the liquid remains, 20 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool. Add the mint.
2. Place the pork in a medium bowl. Add the oil and mix to coat evenly. In a small bowl mix the rub ingredients. Sprinkle the rub over the meat and mix to coat the chunks evenly.
3. Thread the pork cubes and the mango chunks alternately onto skewers. Allow the skewers to stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before grilling.
4. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat (450° to 550°F).
5. Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the kabobs over direct high heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the pork is barely pink in the center, 6 to 8 minutes, turning once and swapping their positions as needed for even cooking. Remove from the grill and serve warm with the sauce drizzled on top.
If you need more barbecue tips be sure to check out these websites:
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The “Deal” is in the “Bag”
This month the “deal” is in the “bag.” At Moments of Elegance, we have some super satin bags that make the perfect alternative to favor boxes. Whether you need favors for your wedding, baby shower, graduation or Bar Mitzvah, you won’t want to miss these deals.
Bar Mitzvah Photo Scroll Personalized Satin Bags($1.15) – these gorgeous drawstring favor bags are the perfect alternative to standard favor boxes. They’re made of a soft quality Satin with a very sharp, full color imprint. Mazel Tov! These personalized Bar Mitzvah party favors will look beautiful on your tables. An elegant scroll frames your photo of choice, with your name and date. Made of soft satin with superior quality personalized imprint. Fill your bag with candy, chocolate coins, jordan almonds or that special favor waiting for the perfect packaging.
Baby Shower Pea in the Pod Personalized Satin Bags ($1.15) – these gorgeous drawstring favor bags are the perfect alternative to standard favor boxes. They’re made of a soft quality Satin with a very sharp, full color imprint. Celebrate the new bundle of joy with this adorable baby shower themed design, uniquely printed onto your favor bags. Made of soft satin with superior quality personalized imprint. Fill your bag with candy, chocolate coins, jordan almonds or that special favor waiting for the perfect packaging. Personalized with your name and date or two lines of personalization, what could be a better way to thank your guests?
Here’s another fun deal…personalized flip flops!
Personalized Flip Flops ($39.99) — Check out these adorable and practical personalized leather thong sandals for your wedding party favors, Bridal Attendants, Destination Weddings, Company party events, Corporate events and more! We can take the couple’s formal first names, nick names, Mr. and Mrs. Names or special quotes such as “I DO”, “Just Married” and emboss it into the sandals heel tab. We can also use your company logo (with provided artwork) and emboss your logo on the shoes. If no personalization is selected, the word “Love” will appear on the heel.
For more fun deals and favor bags, please be sure to check out Moments of Elegance Close Out Catalog.
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The Best Burgers EVER
Fire up that grill! It’s grillin’ season for sure and the editors at the Food Network Magazine created 50 Burgers for you to try out this summer. But before we list a few of our favorite recipes, here are some quick tips to help you grill the perfect burger.
HOW TO GRILL THE PERFECT BURGER
- Chill your meat before forming your patties.
- Start by forming a ball with the meat, about the size of a baseball, in your hands, press into a flat cake and then press again on a clean surface.
- Take a spatula, and pull in the sides of the patty.
- Form patties about 1/2 – 3/4 inch thick, and make them about 1/2 wider than the bun to allow for shrinkage.
- Lightly oil your grill with vegetable oil, put the oil on a paper towel and wipe the grill.
- Place patties on the direct heat. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- Do NOT press down on the burgers, you’ll lose all the yummy juices.
- Check temp with a meat thermometer or you can take your spatula and cut into your patty.
Here are a few burger ideas for you from the June issue of the Food Network magazine:
Classic Burger
Lightly mix 6 ounces ground beef chuck with a big pinch of kosher salt. Form into a ball, then into a 3/4-inch-thick patty; make an indentation in the center. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat; sprinkle the skillet with salt. Cook the burger 4 to 5 minutes per side. Serve on a soft bun.
Thai Pork Burger
Mix 1/4 cup lime juice and 1 tablespoon each fish sauce and olive oil; season with salt and sugar. Toss half of the dressing with shaved carrots, sliced red onion and cilantro. Make Grilled Burger (No. 26) with ground pork; baste with the remaining dressing. Serve on a roll with mayonnaise, chili sauce and the slaw.
Creole Crab Burger
Mix 1 cup sliced cabbage, 1/4 cup each sliced red onion and chopped parsley, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon each Creole mustard, lemon juice and honey; season with cayenne and salt. Fry your favorite crab cakes. Serve on rolls with the Creole slaw.
Turkey
1 pound ground turkey, 1 grated green apple, 1/2 cup minced scallions, 1/4 cup panko, and salt and pepper. Form into four 1-inch-thick patties, make an indentation in the centers and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side on an oiled grill. Serve on whole-wheat buns.
Mediterranean
Make Turkey Burgers (No. 39). Serve on grilled multigrain bread; top with goat cheese, olives, grape tomatoes and arugula tossed with vinaigrette.
Veggie Burger
Fry a store-bought veggie burger; top with mozzarella in the last minute of cooking (cover to melt). Serve on a roll with basil, tomato, salt, pepper and olive oil.
For more burger ideas, go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes-and-cooking/50-burgers-1-10/index.html.
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Your Wedding: Is it a toss up?
Here’s a quick wedding tip to help you personalize your wedding bouquet from Moments of Elegance:
Personalize your wedding bouquet by wrapping it in a photocopied love letter, a note written during your courtship, or even a copy of your wedding vows. For the music lover, consider wrapping the bouquet in classic music sheets. This is also a great idea to use for petal tossing cones if you plan a petal toss – collect antique and weathered but classic music sheets and roll them into cones for your petal toss. Attaching a family heirloom such as a special pin is also a great way to incorporate a special personal touch.
For more wedding planning tips, check out Moments of Elegance’s Wedding Tips Page.
Are you tossing petals at your wedding?
Beautifully decorated cones filled with fresh or freeze dried rose petals is a unique way to add a touch of elegance a wedding reception, bridal tea or luncheon. Each petal cone is hand rolled and ready for you to fill with flower petals, herbs, seeds, your favorite recipe or special treats! Cones will hold 1/3 to 1/2 cup of your selected surprise! If your tossing petals at your wedding, you’ll want to check out these elegant petal tossing cones:
Elegant Paper Petal Cone with Hang Tag ($2.50) — Elegant paper cone with Hang Tag, These elegant paper cones are made of heavy cardstock, come fully assembled and are great for wedding ceremony. Simply hang them on the back of your ceremony chairs for an elegant and practical display. The bride and grooms name are personalized directly on the cone and the hang tag is printed with: At the end of the ceremony, as the newlyweds proceed down the aisle, please shower them with these petals of good wishes.
Modern Wedding Paper Cones ($1.99) — Modern Vellum Wedding Paper cones. These cones are great for after the ceremony or after the reception, fill these cones with wedding rice, rose petals or even birdseed. Your guests will enjoy showering you with joy at the end of the wedding. Each card stock paper cone has the brides initial, grooms initial, and last name initial, along with the wedding or event date. The cones measure 8 ½ L”x 3 ½ W”. Available color are white, ivory and light pink. Cones are sold empty and ready for you to fill.
For more petal tossing cones, please visit Moments of Elegance’s Petal Cones Catalog.
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Spring Party Ideas
Smell those lilacs? Then breathe in that fresh cut grass. Spring is in the air! It’s time to dust off your dinnerware and invite some friends and family over to celebrate S-P-R-I-N-G!!! We have scoured the web looking for fun ideas for your next spring soiree. Here are a few quick tips to help you plan your spring party:
- Let’s think theme — there’s lots of stuff to celebrate in the spring — butterflies, flowers, gardening. So put on your creative hat and host a Flower Power Party, Spring Fever Party, Picnic Party, Green Party or a Spring Break Party.
- Ask the experts – Once you settle on that theme, check out how the big guns entertain like Colin Cowie or Martha Stewart and create an inspiration board for your spring themed party.
- Incorporating your theme — Just go for it! If you fancy a Flower Power Party, then go all out go with floral beer, edible flowers, if it can hold water put some fresh flowers in it.
To host a great spring party, all you need to do is focus on the three d’s:
- Decorations
- Drinks
- Dinner.
Here are some decorations, drink, and dinner ideas from Martha Stewart.com:
Let a flock of colorful paper butterflies loose, and you’ll instantly give party decorations a lift.
- Trace the template onto a folded piece of paper, cut out the shape, and unfold the wings. (For different sizes, photocopy the template, reducing or enlarging the image.)
- Attach some to paper lanterns with tape or glue dots (sold by the roll at crafts stores), then fold the wings upward for true-to-life flutter form. For topflight cocktails, make 2 slits in the center of a butterfly cutout, and then slide a straw through.
Drinks:
Serves 8
Martha’s Tip: If you don’t have limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur, you can make a similar tasting drink-increase the vodka to 1 1/2 cups and add 3/4 cup Lemon Syrup.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup chilled vodka
- 1 1/2 cups chilled limoncello liqueur
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- Seltzer
- Lemon zest, cut in thin strips for garnish
Directions:
In a large pitcher, whisk together vodka, limoncello liqueur, fresh orange juice, and fresh lemon juice. To serve, divide among 8 ice-filled glasses and top with seltzer Garnish with lemon zest.
Dinner:
Serves: 6 to 8 people
Martha’s Tip — You can use two 4 1/2-pound birds: Stuff a half garlic head into each cavity, arrange chickens side by side in a large roasting pan, and reduce the cooking time to about fifty-five minutes.
Ingredients:
- 1 large whole chicken (about 7 1/2 pounds)
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 garlic bulb, halved horizontally
- 60 garlic cloves (do not peel)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425. Let chicken stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Remove giblets and excess fat from cavity. Rinse chicken; pat dry. Brush outside with butter, and season with salt and pepper. Place garlic bulb in cavity. Transfer chicken to a roasting pan. Tuck wing tips under; tie legs with kitchen twine.
- Roast chicken, basting occasionally with pan juices, 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and arrange garlic cloves around chicken. Continue roasting until skin is deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of the thigh (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, about 1 hour.
- Transfer chicken and garlic cloves to a platter. Let stand 15 minutes, then remove garlic bulb from cavity, and discard. Carve chicken, and serve.
For more spring party planning ideas, check out Martha Stewart.com for decorations, party themes and menu ideas.