Chili Rub

Everyone getting ready to BBQ or Grill for the 4th of July??

I'm going to do a series of posts of some delishhhhious foods that you can make for the holiday, or just any time this summer.

Let's start off with a Rub. 

A rub is a spice and/or herb mixture.  It's applied to the outside surface of your food before cooking.  They can be used as a dry rub, or a wet rub.  Dry rubs are applied and allowed to sit on the meat, which breaks down the fibers and tenderizes it.  It's great for food that is cooked using direct heat or on food that won't tenderize much.

A wet rub is a dry rub with oil or other fat added to it to create a paste.  Again it's rubbed into and on top of the meat and allowed to sit.

Rubs are very commonly used on meats when grilling or smoking.  They are a great way to add flavor....so try it!

I've made a Chili Rub to go with my pork shoulder for some tasty BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches.  I'll give you the pulled pork sandwich recipe tomorrow!

Rubs are super easy to make, using a variety of spices.  In addition to the BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches, this would be great on grilled or pan fried chicken, pork chops, and steak. 

Start the summer right with a great BBQ and a GREAT RUB!

Chili Rub

2 T coarse salt
1 T Brown Sugar Splenda (or 2 T regular light brown sugar, packed)
1 1/2 T Smoked Chipotle Paprika  (if you can't find this use smoked paprika and add some chipotle powder as well)
1 T Black smoked pepper (or regular black pepper)
1 T garlic powder
1 t dry mustard
1 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1 t dried oregano

Blend all spices together in a bowl.  Use immediately, or cover tightly and store for up to 2 weeks at room temperature.  Makes 1 cup of spice rub.

Source:  Adapted from William-Sonoma

Pizza Night: Individual Pizzas

Who doesn't love pizza??

Pizza is such a popular dish everywhere, so why not make some fresh homemade pizza yourself?

We decided to do individual pizzas, each choosing our own toppings and creating our own perfect pizza, and then sharing them so we can sample and vote on the best.  A pizza tasting party!!

Pizza is easy to make at home. It starts of with a good dough.  You can use store bought or homemade, thick or thin crust.

I bought a whole wheat pizza dough at the grocery store and split it in two.  We both like thin crust pizza so we rolled it out thin, and kept it rustic, not neat and round.

Next, assemble all your toppings.  We chose shredded mozerella, sliced fresh mozerella, sliced turkey pepperoni, whole basil leaves, chopped basil, diced fresh tomatoes, sliced tomatoes, and fresh sliced mushrooms.  You can choose any toppings you like!

To assemble, you will want a sauce to place on the crust of your pizza.  We chose a red sauce that I made from a can of tomato sauce, adding garlic powder, italian seasoning, salt & pepper, which I heated up and simmered for 10 min to blend all the flavors.  You can choose, a white sauce such as alfredo, green sauce such as pesto, or a jarred tomato sauce...even marinara works wonderful.  Just as long as you enjoy the flavor.  Add your tomato sauce to the crust, using a much or as little as you please.

Place your toppings of choice on the pizza.

I chose to make a traditional Margherita Pizza, and MGG made one with diced tomatoes, turkey pepperoni, mushrooms, and a little basil garnish.

Make sure you preheat your oven to 425 - 450 degrees.  I use a pizza stone, which you must put in the oven when it is cold and allow it to heat up with the oven...these stones are awesome for pizza and any kind of bread baking.  Here's the stone in the oven...bad pic...sorry it's dark in there!

Then you slide your pizzas on to the stone, using a peel, or a cookie sheet dusted with cornmeal, and one that doesn't have sides...very important!  This helps get the pizza off the tray!

Cook for about 10-13 minutes.  It's done when everything is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.

Here's mine....yum!!

Here's his....lookin' good!

Allow to cool for about 5 min....Now the serving....mine

his...

both...hey! his is bigger!!! 

a lot bigger....hmmm.

And for the taste contest...well he liked both..and I think I liked his better...I'm partial to pepperoni and mushrooms! 

Happy pizza tasting!!!

Product Review: Surf and Turf & Crate and Barrel's Ginger Dipping Sauce

It's Summertime! 

Don't you just love it?  Well if you are not having a heat wave that is...!

Here in LA we love summer.  We usually have great weather with the exception of several weeks of sweltering heat late summer.  Right now we're having what we call "June Gloom".  It is cloudy in the morning, even chilly, and then it burns off and heats up in the afternoon.

Just preparing us for the heat to come...

Lovin' summer so much I have to share a pretty summer tablescape with you!  A crisp white quilted runner sets the cool mood.  Dark green chargers bring in a touch of the outdoors.  The pretty white plates with dotted edges add texture and set the canvas for a beautiful, summer colored salad plate of pretty flowers!  Even the flatware reflects nature, depicting leaves on the handles.  Isn't this tablescape fresh looking?

But I digress..so on to the product review.  So for summer solstice we decided to grill some surf and turf.  Steak, fillet mignon, and shrimp to be exact.  So I got out my Lodge cast iron grill skillet (one of my best skillets!) and fired it up.

I wanted to try a new product I found at Crate & Barrel...a favorite store of mine!  The Ginger Dipping Sauce sounded so good and reminded me of that great sauce that you get from Benihana's.  You know the one?  It's just awesome...and I want it!

So I picked this one up having high hopes of that great tasting Ginger sauce.  Here's what Crate & Barrel has to say about their product.

Ginger Dipping Sauce. 9.5 oz.

Savory, all natural Asian sauce flavors delicious meals with a minimum of fuss. Dip egg or spring rolls into ginger dipping sauce, season veggies or noodles, or use as a marinade for virtually any protein.

• Ginger Dipping Sauce contains onion, tomato, celery, Japanese soy sauce, canola oil, corn syrup, vinegar, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, spices and herbs

As you can see the ingredients are all natural, and very well balanced.

So we grilled our fillet mignons... (just using salt & pepper)

and our shrimp....(again just using salt & pepper)

and served it with the Ginger Dipping Sauce.    I wanted the food to be all about the dipping sauce complimenting the steak and shrimp's natural flavors.

I liked the sauce but there was a definite prominent vinegar taste.  The ginger was a prominent flavor as well.  A good sauce, but not exactly like that of Benihana fame...I would definitely buy this again...and the price is reasonable at $5.95 as you will get multiple uses out of it if you use this as a dipping sauce.  I'm still going to recreate the famous Benihana sauce but  I would recommend that you pick up a bottle of this if you have the opportunity, it's a close second.  You can buy this online here, ginger dipping sauce which sells for $5.95 at Crate & Barrel.

This dish goes great with my Zucchini and Thyme side dish.  yum!

What your favorite dipping sauce is?
Happy summer!!!