For me, the sweetness of grilled peaches and the minty lime of mojitos go hand in hand with summer time.  Certain foods and flavors go perfectly with summer and these two are usual suspects.  Peaches bring to the table their simple, honest sweetness and a texture that is fun to enjoy, be it crunchy or soft.  And mojitos take even the hottest summer day and make it cool without dimming the sun one bit; besides, they work their magic in the night time too!

Throughout the summer, Nicole and I have wanted to make mojitos at home.  After looking at several recipes, we found a great online at Taste Of Cuba and modified it to make it our own.  Their recipe called for powdered sugar which I thought was brilliant.  But we wanted more sweetness, though, and worked out a substitution for simple syrup.  We also got rid of the mint sprig used to decorate the glass.  With this recession, we figured we were doing ourselves a favor by mixing it in instead.

M&N’s Cuban Mojito

4 to 5 mint leaves, washed

Juice from 1 lime (about 1 to 2 ounces)

1 Ounce simple syrup (more or less to taste)

2.5 Ounces Bacardi Superior or other white Rum

2 Ounces Sprite Zero, club soda, or other lemon-lime soda

Ice cubes

1. Add the mint leaves, lime juice, and simple syrup to a tall glass.  With the end of a wooden spoon, gently mash (aka muddle) the leaves with the juice and syrup.
2. Add ice to the glass and then add the rum.  Stir to mix the rum with the mint-lime-syrup mixture.
3. Top off the glass with soda.

To give your mojito a bit of an extra kick, add a splash of dark rum after the soda.  To make a more savory version, add a couple basil leaves in along with the mint!

Grilled Peaches

Not too much of a recipe here.  Just heat the grill, slice up those peaches, and get cookin!  I like to slice the peaches from the sides of the pit to form circular disks.  On a hot, lightly oiled grill, each side of the peach should cook for about one minute.  The fruit will become softer the more it cooks; but it will also become sweeter.  Find the “sweet spot” for your grilling technique!  Finally, serve them hot with a light dusting of granulated sugar.

There are big grills, and there are BIG GRILLS.  With more than 7 square feet of grilling surface, the Ranch Kettle by Weber is a big grill.  On the other hand, any grill that is more than 60 feet long and requires a tractor trailer to pull it around is a BIG GRILL.  The Johnsonville Big Taste Grill is a perfect example.

The Johnsonville folks rolled into Manhattan Beach a couple weeks ago for the American Volleyball Professionals (AVP) Manhattan Beach Open.  Located at the corner of Valley and Manhattan Beach Blvd, the truck and trailer-turned-grill took up most of the Vons parking lot.

The “grill”, modeled after a barrel cooker, was fully equipped to handle just about any grilling challenge you could imagine.  With several cooking surfaces, built in refrigerators, and even a kitchen sink, there’s probably no cooking challenge that this grill couldn’t handle.

I must admit; I have a little bit of grill envy.

Sweet summer vegetables!  They’re such a treat to have and taste even better when they’re grilled.  We’ve been eating our fair share of grilled vegetables this summer.  Not to the point that we’re tired of them, but enough that its time to do something different…even if its only a slight change.  The cook-out staple of grilled corn on the cob tastes even better with a few simple modifications from the way we normally eat it.

Nicole and the kids have gone crazy over corn on the cob since I got them eating it with mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese (and a little butter of course!).  And while I love having it that way too, I was looking for a different way to serve it up this time while staying true to the original flavor.  The result: corn on the cob in a bowl!

Grilled Corn Salad

4 Ears of sweet corn, husk on

3-4 Tablespoons of Olive Oil Mayonnaise

1/4 Cup Parmesean cheese

1/4 Red bell pepper, cubed

Butter, to taste

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Grill the corn according to your liking; I know a website that has a few good tips for grilled corn.  Let the corn cool until it can be handled.

Place the thick end of the corn on a plate and use a paring knife to shave the kernels off from top to bottom.  Dump the kernels from the plate into a mixing bowl.

Once all the ears are shaved and the kernels are in the bowl, mix in remaining ingredients.

Serve warm or cold.  If you can let it refrigerate overnight, the “grilled” flavor will be more intense!

From the moment I heard of them, they had me at bacon.

My first experience with bacon wrapped hot dogs was during a trip to Santee Alley in LA’s Fashion District.  I had heard of the fabled “death on a bun” and sure enough, my life was changed with the first bite.    No, not because I felt my arteries hardening, but because of the sweet and salty taste of the bacon, the beef flavor of the hot dog, and the savory essence of the grilled onions.

These days, Nicole and I will go to The Alley not because we need new sunglasses or shoes, but because we’re craving the taste of that bacon wrapped dog!

But it’s not easy getting downtown or finding a bacon wrapped dog when the craving strikes.  We’ve tried some substitutes: from carts at farmers’ markets, taco trucks at swap meets, and on the corners after a night of club hopping.  Still, nothing compares to the taste of that Alley dog!

So it goes against everything I believe that I should try to make a bacon wrapped dog at home.  But then, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do!  I tried to be as true to the original as possible, cooking everything outside over open heat.  I didn’t have a big griddle but a small one on my grill worked out just fine.

The results were phenomenal!   It might be a while before I head back to the Alley again.

All the Fixin's on the Grill

Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs

Your favorite hot dogs, the longer and thicker the better
Your favorite hot dog buns, one for each hot dog
Your favorite bacon, one strip for each hot dog
Two small onions, sliced into strips
One red or green pepper sliced into strips
About ¼ cup of olive oil
One jalapeño pepper for each hot dog
One avocado, sliced and scooped out

1.       Prepare one half of the grill to high heat; keep the other half warm.

2.       While the grill is heating up, wrap each hot dog with one slice of bacon.  Trim bacon, if needed, so that it just wraps around the hot dog with very little hanging off.  If needed, use a toothpick to hold the bacon in place.

3.       Combine the onions and red/green peppers and drizzle with olive oil

4.       Place your cooking surfaces over the hot part of the grill and let them heat up.

5.       Place the hot dogs, onion/pepper mix, and jalapeños on the cooking surface.

6.       Cook the hot dogs on each side until the bacon is done, but not too crispy.  Watch out for any dripping grease that might cause flare ups!  Meanwhile, stir the onions and peppers until they are limp and almost caramelized.  Turn the jalapeños so that they are cooked on each side.

7.       When the bacon has cooked and the veggies are done, move the cooking surfaces to the warm side of the grill.  Leave everything there and serve directly from the grill.  Place the hot dog on a bun and cover it with the onion/pepper mix; serve with the jalapeño, avocado, and mustard.

Grilled Romaine Lettuce

I also took this grilling occasion to try a recipe that was shared recently by the Grillin’ Fools.  I’m a firm believer that anything edible can be grilled and this is a perfect example:  grilled salad!  I won’t repeat their recipe verbatim, but basically you half a stalk of Romaine; season it with olive oil, salt, and pepper; then grill it for two to three minutes on each side.  Serve it hot with shredded cheese or your favorite salad dressing.

Nicole opined out loud that “grilling lettuce is doing too much”.  I simply agreed to disagree.  Any argument that might have taken place was settled by the salad disappearing from our plates.

More Street Fare: Fruit with Chili Powder

The bacon wrapped dogs brought to mind another street food that I crave; fresh fruit seasoned with chili powder.  We were able to bring the entire vibe of the street cart home with papaya, mango, and crispy jicama peppered with Pico Limon.  What a meal!

Papaya, Mango, and Jicama with Chili Powder

Vegetables are an excellent example.  We cook these in our kitchen all the time:  fried, boiled, baked, or broiled.  With a few changes to your regular method, you can be cooking those very same veggies on the grill in no time, right next to your fish, chicken, or steak.

Take for example corn and asparagus.  With minimal preparation and next to no seasoning, these veggies are some of the easiest to grill.  Following are suggestions — they’re so easy I feel bad calling them recipes! — for bringing these veggies to life on your grill.

Grilled Corn On The Cob

Get four to five unhusked, sweet corn cobs; white or yellow, but sweet.  Plan for about one cob per person; get more if you plan to be hungry!

Unhusked Corn On The Grill

Rinse the outsides of the corn and soak in cool, clean water for at least 30-60 minutes.  The longer, the better; the steam from the soaked husks is part of the cooking process.

Light your grill and warm it to a medium-high heat.  If you are using charcoal, that’s a count to about “three-one-thousand” with your bare hand about an inch from the grilling surface before you have to pull it away.

While your grill is warming, prepare the corn by pulling the husks part-way back — don’t remove them! — and pulling off as much of the silk as you can.  While you have the husks open, you can add a light coat of butter or other seasonings if you like.  I just leave mine au naturale.  Close the husks back tightly.

Lay the corn on the grill.  Let the corn sit for about 5-7 minutes then rotate a quarter turn, allowing each side to cook until the husk becomes browned or blackened.

Remove the corn from the grill when done and set aside; the unhusked cobs will stay piping hot for up to 30 minutes.  Tell folks to handle them gently when eating them!  You can peel the husks away before serving or let your guests shuck for themselves.  Serve with butter, salt, and pepper.  For an added twist, serve with Miracle Whip and parmesan cheese.  Yum!

Grilled Asparagus

Get as much asparagus as you plan to cook, wash it and chop off the rough part at the bottom of the stalk.  I usually serve about 7-8 stalks per person.

Grilling Asparagus - Perpendicular to the Grate!

Rub the stalks with your favorite cooking oil.  I prefer an extra virgin olive oil.  Each stalk should be lightly covered from base to tip.

If your grill isn’t already hot, light and warm it to about medium or medium-high heat.

Place the stalks on the grill perpendicular to the grate.  You can put down foil or use a pan designed for grilling vegetables, but personally, I’d rather nothing come between my food and the heat.

The asparagus will cook quickly so pay attention to them.  Let the stalks cook for about 5-7 minutes total, rotating with tongs until all sides have been cooked.  If you have a long handled spatula, another option is to place the back of the spatula on the asparagus and roll them along the grill instead of turning them individually.  Make sure you don’t roll them off the grate!

Remove the stalks from the grill and serve soon, as they tend to cool off quickly.  If you need to maintain heat for a few minutes, tent your serving plate with foil and set aside.

A Complete Meal…Grilled

The options for pairing grillied corn and grilled asparagus with a protein are limitless.  While grilling isn’t extravagant by any means, cooking these veggies over direct heat will certainly add new flavor to meals you already enjoy.

For this meal, I paired the veggies with grilled herbed chicken breast and rice; three outta four dishes cooked on the grill!

Grilled Corn and Asapargus Served With Grilled Herbed Chicken and Rice

A Flaming Weber Grill

I know some people think Spring and Summer are a sort of “grilling season”.  For me, though, grilling is a year-round activity.  Some of the best steaks I’ve ever made were fired up during an Iowa blizzard!

Fortunately, living in Los Angeles provides optimal grilling weather year round.  I’ve been grilling about once a week during the “winter” months.  Now that things have warmed up a bit, though, I’ve been grilling about three to four times a week.

Whether you are grilling all year long, or just now prepping for grilling season, its always a good time to check your grill and grilling supplies.  I hate not having enough of one thing or another to get my fire going!  Experience has led me to live by the rule that charcoal and lighter fluid should always be purchased as a pair.

Real Simple has a great checklist of prepping your grilling inventory as well as a guide to help maintain your grill.

When it comes to equipment, though, I’m a Weber fan all the way.  My grill, tongs, spatula…just about everything…are all Weber.  They also have some great tips and recipes on their website for turning out that perfect steak, salmon, vegetables, or whatever it is you’re flaming up!