Post by BBQ Butcher on Apr 19, 2008 6:33:58 GMT -5
This week there will be a small deviation from my normal theme. I’m going to get away from the pasture and fields and meander into the garden for a bit. Whether you live here in Florida or in Maine, summer is just around the corner and the warmer weather means an occasional salad on the table instead of a roast.
Some of the following salad recipes have been tried and true tested by The Barbecue Butcher, his cooking buddies, Jeff (Hvac4u) and Mike (OvalRuler), during a week long retreat in Lynchburg, Tennessee at the Jack Daniel’s Distillery. The remaining recipes, mainly with the seafood, were perfected in our spare time while participating in a barbecue competition in Key Largo, Florida.
Soooo…..what else can you do with all the goodies that come from your grill? How about pairing them with some nice fresh greens for a salad! Or chopping them for a deli type treat? Hang on, here we go…………
Chicken Salad
4 /grilled/smoked split chicken breasts
1 cup 'good' mayo (Jeff suggests Dukes Brand)
1/3 block softened cream cheese
2 TBSP sweet pickle relish
1 TBSP prepared mustard (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Remove chicken from bones and discard the bones and skin. Shred the chicken into small pieces. Mix all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl. Add more mayo if necessary to reach desired consistency. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve with your favorite bread or crackers. The smoke flavor from the chicken gives this chicken salad a unique flavor and characteristic.
Grilled Ahi Tuna Salad
1 6-8 oz tuna fillet, previously smoked or grilled, cooled
1 TBS minced sweet onion
1-2 TBS Sweet Pickle Relish
4-5 drops hot sauce
ground black pepper to taste
2-3 drops of lemon juice
2 TBS mayo, or to your desired texture.
Shred tuna and mix well with other ingredients. Serve with crackers or pita chips. This also makes a great stuffing for a large tomato.
Grilled Caesar Salad
2 heads Romaine lettuce cut in half
Olive Oil
Grated Parmesan cheese (the cheap stuff is fine)
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
Caesar Dressing
Croutons
Parmesan or Reggiano cheese shavings
Spray, or rub, the cut side of the Romaine with olive oil; sprinkle with the salt, pepper and grated Parmesan. Rub this in lightly. Place Romaine cut side down on a hot grill for approximately 1-2 minutes (we want grill marks, but don't want the Romaine to wilt). Remove from grill, drizzle with the Caesar dressing; add the croutons and the cheese shavings. Voila, heaven! This is great with a steak of your choice.
Grilled Shrimp Salad
1 lb shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1-2 heads Boston Bibb lettuce
1 avocado cut into cubes
1 tomato cut into cubes
Thousand Island dressing
Roll the shrimp in a mixture of garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne, then skewer and grill over a medium hot grill. For the salad, wash and tear both heads of lettuce and place on plates. Top with tomato, avocado and shrimp. Drip salad dressing over all lightly.
Crabmeat & Shrimp Salad
½ lb Surimi (imitation crabmeat)
½ lb small shrimp, peeled & de-veined*
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 big slice of Vidalia onion, finely chopped
Pepper, garlic and tarragon to taste
¼, + or -, cup of fat free ranch dressing
¼, + or -, cup of mayonnaise
Combine all, taste for seasonings, refrigerate before serving.
*cooking these on a grill topper on your grill for a couple of minutes will change the whole taste of this salad.
Oriental Chicken Salad
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 teaspoons brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon hot chili paste
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
16 (3.5 inch square) wonton wrappers, shredded
4 cups romaine lettuce - torn, washed and dried
2 cups shredded carrots
1 bunch green onions, chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
To prepare the dressing, whisk together the hoisin sauce, peanut butter, brown sugar, chili paste, ginger, vinegar and sesame oil.
Grill chicken until cooked, cool and slice.
Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a large shallow pan with nonstick vegetable spray, arrange shredded wontons in a single layer and bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool.
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, wontons, lettuce, carrots, green onions and cilantro. Toss with dressing and serve.
Grilled Beef Salad
1 lb stir fry beef (Sirloin or Round)
Marinade of your choice (I like Oriental)
1 bag fresh Baby Spinach
½ orange, cut into bite size chunks
½ cup of shredded Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese
Raspberry Vinaigrette
Marinate the beef stir-fry strips in the marinade for 30 minutes or longer. Skewer and grill over medium heat. Remember, spinach needs to be really washed well. Tear the spinach into a big bowl and toss with vinaigrette, arrange on two plates. Top with oranges, grilled meat and cheese shavings.
Grilled Fajita Salad
½-¾ lb Skirt Steak*, grilled, sliced against the grain into thin slices
½ head of iceberg lettuce (or greens of your choice)
1 large beefsteak tomato cut into wedges
Red or sweet onion slices, cut into rings
Sliced black and green olives
Salad dressing
Tortilla chips
Build salad to your liking, top with the Skirt Steak and dressing. Serve tortilla chips on the side.
*Substitute Sirloin Steak, Chicken or Turkey Breast, if desired.
Some of the following salad recipes have been tried and true tested by The Barbecue Butcher, his cooking buddies, Jeff (Hvac4u) and Mike (OvalRuler), during a week long retreat in Lynchburg, Tennessee at the Jack Daniel’s Distillery. The remaining recipes, mainly with the seafood, were perfected in our spare time while participating in a barbecue competition in Key Largo, Florida.
Soooo…..what else can you do with all the goodies that come from your grill? How about pairing them with some nice fresh greens for a salad! Or chopping them for a deli type treat? Hang on, here we go…………
Chicken Salad
4 /grilled/smoked split chicken breasts
1 cup 'good' mayo (Jeff suggests Dukes Brand)
1/3 block softened cream cheese
2 TBSP sweet pickle relish
1 TBSP prepared mustard (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Remove chicken from bones and discard the bones and skin. Shred the chicken into small pieces. Mix all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl. Add more mayo if necessary to reach desired consistency. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve with your favorite bread or crackers. The smoke flavor from the chicken gives this chicken salad a unique flavor and characteristic.
Grilled Ahi Tuna Salad
1 6-8 oz tuna fillet, previously smoked or grilled, cooled
1 TBS minced sweet onion
1-2 TBS Sweet Pickle Relish
4-5 drops hot sauce
ground black pepper to taste
2-3 drops of lemon juice
2 TBS mayo, or to your desired texture.
Shred tuna and mix well with other ingredients. Serve with crackers or pita chips. This also makes a great stuffing for a large tomato.
Grilled Caesar Salad
2 heads Romaine lettuce cut in half
Olive Oil
Grated Parmesan cheese (the cheap stuff is fine)
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
Caesar Dressing
Croutons
Parmesan or Reggiano cheese shavings
Spray, or rub, the cut side of the Romaine with olive oil; sprinkle with the salt, pepper and grated Parmesan. Rub this in lightly. Place Romaine cut side down on a hot grill for approximately 1-2 minutes (we want grill marks, but don't want the Romaine to wilt). Remove from grill, drizzle with the Caesar dressing; add the croutons and the cheese shavings. Voila, heaven! This is great with a steak of your choice.
Grilled Shrimp Salad
1 lb shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1-2 heads Boston Bibb lettuce
1 avocado cut into cubes
1 tomato cut into cubes
Thousand Island dressing
Roll the shrimp in a mixture of garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne, then skewer and grill over a medium hot grill. For the salad, wash and tear both heads of lettuce and place on plates. Top with tomato, avocado and shrimp. Drip salad dressing over all lightly.
Crabmeat & Shrimp Salad
½ lb Surimi (imitation crabmeat)
½ lb small shrimp, peeled & de-veined*
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 big slice of Vidalia onion, finely chopped
Pepper, garlic and tarragon to taste
¼, + or -, cup of fat free ranch dressing
¼, + or -, cup of mayonnaise
Combine all, taste for seasonings, refrigerate before serving.
*cooking these on a grill topper on your grill for a couple of minutes will change the whole taste of this salad.
Oriental Chicken Salad
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 teaspoons brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon hot chili paste
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
16 (3.5 inch square) wonton wrappers, shredded
4 cups romaine lettuce - torn, washed and dried
2 cups shredded carrots
1 bunch green onions, chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
To prepare the dressing, whisk together the hoisin sauce, peanut butter, brown sugar, chili paste, ginger, vinegar and sesame oil.
Grill chicken until cooked, cool and slice.
Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a large shallow pan with nonstick vegetable spray, arrange shredded wontons in a single layer and bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool.
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, wontons, lettuce, carrots, green onions and cilantro. Toss with dressing and serve.
Grilled Beef Salad
1 lb stir fry beef (Sirloin or Round)
Marinade of your choice (I like Oriental)
1 bag fresh Baby Spinach
½ orange, cut into bite size chunks
½ cup of shredded Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese
Raspberry Vinaigrette
Marinate the beef stir-fry strips in the marinade for 30 minutes or longer. Skewer and grill over medium heat. Remember, spinach needs to be really washed well. Tear the spinach into a big bowl and toss with vinaigrette, arrange on two plates. Top with oranges, grilled meat and cheese shavings.
Grilled Fajita Salad
½-¾ lb Skirt Steak*, grilled, sliced against the grain into thin slices
½ head of iceberg lettuce (or greens of your choice)
1 large beefsteak tomato cut into wedges
Red or sweet onion slices, cut into rings
Sliced black and green olives
Salad dressing
Tortilla chips
Build salad to your liking, top with the Skirt Steak and dressing. Serve tortilla chips on the side.
*Substitute Sirloin Steak, Chicken or Turkey Breast, if desired.