McHubby’s Guest Blog: Rum-Brown Sugar-Glazed Shrimp with Lime and Cilantro

As we begin to drift into a Hawaiian state of mind, what better way to prepare for our upcoming trip than to enjoy some seafood? As I casually flipped through my favorite cookbook, Boy Gets Grill, a MUST for all men with a grill, I came across this recipe that practically jumped off the page at me. I mean, come on, shrimp, rum, lime, sugar - what more could you ask for? And the topper, this could not have been any simpler!

Source: Rum-Brown Sugar-Glazed Shrimp with Lime and Cilantro, Boy Gets Grill

Ingredients
For the Glaze
1 cup dark rum
¾ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Pinch of salt

For the Shrimp
24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 limes, zest grated and quartered
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions
Combine the rum and brown sugar in a small saucepan and simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is reduced by half, (roughly 20-25 minutes). Add the pepper and season to taste with salt. (The glaze can be make a few days in advance, covered, and kept refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

Heat your grill to high. Set aside a few tablespoons of glaze for brushing the cooked shrimp.

Brush the shrimp with oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill the shrimp, brushing often with the glaze, until pink, opaque, and just cooked through, 1 ½ to 2 minutes on each side. Remove to a platter and brush with the reserved glaze. Squeeze the lime quarters over the shrimp and sprinkle with lime zest and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.

Pearl Pasta with Grilled Summer Veggies

As a locavore, I love all the fresh summer vegetables and herbs we’re getting from the garden, the farmer’s markets, and our CSA share! This recipe was a great way to use them in a single dish, and it was super easy to prepare.

McHubby put the veggies on the grill while I worked on the Israeli couscous, the larger pearl-like variety of couscous. When the veggies were done, it was just a quick slice into bite-sized pieces, with grilled portobello mushrooms added to the mix. Toss the veggies with the couscous, add the fresh herbs, and enjoy!

Source: Toasted Israeli Couscous Salad with Grilled Summer Vegetables, Bobby Flay

Ingredients
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 green zucchini, quartered lengthwise
2 yellow zucchini, quartered lengthwise
6 spears asparagus, trimmed
12 cherry tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, quartered and seeded
1 yellow bell pepper, quartered and seeded
¼ cup basil chiffonade (stack leaves, roll in a cigar shape and cut crosswise into thin strips)
¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Israeli couscous
3 cups vegetable stock, heated

Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard and garlic, slowly add the olive oil and whisk until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Pour ½ the marinade over the vegetables and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Preheat the grill. Remove the vegetables from the marinade and grill the vegetables until just cooked through. Cut the zucchini and peppers into ½-inch pieces, cut the tomatoes in half.

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, add the couscous and toast until lightly golden brown. Cover the couscous with the hot stock and bring to a boil, cook until al dente and drain well. Place in a large serving bowl, add the grilled vegetables and herbs and toss with the remaining vinaigrette. Serve at room temperature.

Shrimp and Grits

I love love love Southern shrimp and grits! This dish is such a lovely comfort food with the creamy, warm, cheesy grits and saucy shrimp. This recipe produces a roux-stock mixture in which the shrimp are poached so that they are bathed in a light, spicy sauce. So yummy!

Adapted from: Ultimate Shrimp and Grits, Tyler Florence; Bar Americain’s Gulf Shrimp and Grits, Bobby Flay

Ingredients
For the Grits:
4 to 5 cups water or chicken stock

Kosher salt
1 cup yellow stone ground cornmeal
1 cup grated white Cheddar
Freshly ground black pepper
3 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish

For the Shrimp:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound andouille or spicy Italian spicy sausage, cut in chunks
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock
2 to 3 bay leaves
2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on
Pinch cayenne pepper, adjust to personal preference
½ lemon, juiced
Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 green onions, sliced

Directions
To prepare the grits:
Bring 4 cups of the water and 2 teaspoons of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Slowly whisk in the grits and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until the grits are soft and have lost their gritty texture, whisking every few minutes, 15 to 20 minutes. If the mixture becomes too thick, add remaining water and continue cooking until absorbed. Add the cheese and whisk until smooth; season with salt and pepper.

To prepare the shrimp:
Place a deep skillet over medium heat and coat with the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic; sauté for 2 minutes to soften. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, until there is a fair amount of fat in the pan and the sausage is brown. Sprinkle in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon to create a roux. Slowly pour in the chicken stock and continue to stir to avoid lumps. Toss in the bay leaves. When the liquid comes to a simmer, add the shrimp. Poach the shrimp in the stock for 2 to 3 minutes, until they are firm and pink and the gravy is smooth and thick. Add the cayenne pepper and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper; stir in the parsley and green onion. 

Spoon the grits into a serving bowl. Add the shrimp mixture and mix well. Serve immediately.

Grilled Chicken with Toasted Chiles, Coconut Milk, Lime, and Crushed Peanuts

McHubby takes the credit as the primary cook this time. He selected the recipe and did most of the work to prepare the dish, which was delicious! After making the sauce last night, we were able to grill the chicken tonight and quickly assemble the dish.

I have to say that the sauce required the most time and effort in preparing this recipe. The sauce is the key element of this dish—it’s where the flavor is. It has a delicate, smooth, buttery sweet flavor. The gorgeous orange-red color comes from the blend of the chiles and turmeric. The peanut-cilantro garnish perfectly complements the flavor of the sauce in this tasty dish.

Source: Grilled Chicken with Toasted Chiles, Coconut Milk, Lime, and Crushed Peanuts, Boy Gets Grill

Ingredients
For the sauce:

3 dried New Mexico chiles
2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil, such as canola
1 small red onion, coarsely chopped3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
¼ cup canned cream of coconut
Juice of 1 lime, or more to taste
1 tablespoon honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the chicken:
¾ cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
For the sauce:
Heat your grill to high or heat a heavy skillet on the stove.

Place the chiles on the grill and toast on each side for 20 seconds. Remove from the grill, discard the chile stems and seeks, and coarsely chop the chiles. Leave the grill on if you’ll be cooking the chicken right away.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft, about 7 minutes; do not brown. Add the turmeric and cook for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, cream of coconut, and chiles and cook for 10 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth, or use a handheld blender in the pot. Add the lime juice and honey and blend again. Strain the mixture into a bowl and season to taste with lime juice, salt, and pepper. (The sauce can be made a day in advance, covered, and kept refrigerated. Rewarm before serving.)

For the chicken:
Heat your grill to high.

Combine the peanuts and cilantro in a bowl and toss together. Brush the chicken on both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper.

Grill the chicken until browned and firm, about 3 minutes. Turn the breasts over, reduce the heat to medium or move to a cooler part of the grill, and cook until just cooked through, about 3 minutes more.

Remove the chicken to a platter or serving plates and drizzle with the sauce. Sprinkle the peanut-cilantro mixture over the chicken and serve immediately.

Sliders with Chipotle Mayonnaise

Sliders, or miniature hamburgers, are a great party food when you want to have appetizers or smaller sized portions. To ensure that the seasonings permeate the meat mixture before I form my patties, I added Worcestershire sauce and English prime rib rub to the ground chuck and lightly mixed together.

Adapted from: Sliders with Chipotle Mayonnaise, Bobby Flay

Makes: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

Chipotle Mayonnaise:

1 cup mayonnaise

2 chipotles in adobo sauce

1 tablespoon adobo sauce

½ lime, juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sliders:

1 to 1 ½ pounds ground chuck, 80/20
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon English prime rib rub
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cheese slices, your choice

Mini burger buns Burger Bar (if desired):

Chipotle Mayonnaise

Pickles

Red onions
Tomato slices

Lettuce

Directions

Chipotle Mayonnaise:

Add all the ingredients to a food processor and puree. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Sliders:

Preheat grill over medium-high heat.

In a large bowl, lightly mix the ground chuck, Worcestershire sauce, English prime rib rub, salt, and pepper until just blended. Form the meat into 2 to 3-ounce portions, packed tightly.

Place the sliders on the grill. Wait until they are nice and crusty on the first side, about 4 to 5 minutes and then flip and cook another 4 minutes. When the sliders are about done, top with desired cheese and close the grill, allowing the cheese to melt.

Place the slider on mini burger buns and top with chipotle mayonnaise and any other desired toppings.