Grilling Tips

Hooray hooray outdoor grilling starts today! And on that note, this is a reprint from a couple a years ago about safe grilling. Enjoy.

Hey Gang- I found another great website full of helpful infromation. As grilling season is in, and the fourth is this weekend here are some great tips form http://www.simpleanddelicious.com/. Enjoy and and have a happy holiday

Basic Grilling Tips
Grill season is just around the corner. Before you start cooking, make sure that you get your grill cleaned and in tip-top shape. Be sure to check back often as our Grill series continues.

Clean Your Grate

Make sure that you purchase propane or charcoal so that you are ready to clean your grate. Then if your grate has burnt-on food from your last grilling extravaganza, you’ll be ready when it’s time to fire up the grill. After about 15 minutes, scrub the grate with a stiff wire grill brush until all food particles are burned or scraped off. Let it cool down and cover.
Spray the cold, clean grate with PAM® for Grilling Spray (and your utensils, too). Then preheat grill about 15 minutes before starting to cook.
After cooking, scrape grill down with grill brush to remove burnt-on particles. ‘Cook’ another 15 minutes to help burn off remaining traces of food. Brush once more and extinguish fire. You will have a clean grate for your next meal.

Prepare Your Foods

Meats
Choose a thicker cut of meat and fish for more tender and flavorful results.
Trim excess fat from meats, leaving only about 1/4 inch of fat for flavor. Less fat helps avoid flare-ups and makes cleaning easier.
To avoid cross-contamination when handling raw meat, always bring out two plates when grilling—one for the raw meat and one for the cooked meat.

Vegetable

Wash and cut veggies in half or into 1/2 inch thick slices that won’t fall through the grate.
Smaller vegetables can be skewered for easy grilling—or use a grilling basket.
Spray vegetables lightly with PAM®; season with salt, if desired, before cooking.

Choose Your Tools

Use long-handled tools and long barbecue mitts to protect your hands from the heat.
Use tongs to turn and serve the meat, not forks—you will pierce the food and lose flavorful juices.
Use a meat thermometer to help determine internal temperature.
Before You Grill

Spray PAM® For Grilling on the cold grill and tongs.

Creamy Pesto Baked Ziti

what you need

1pkg. (16 oz.) ziti pasta
1Tbsp. olive oil
3/4lb. Italian turkey sausage (about 3 links), casings removed
1 onion, chopped
3cloves garlic, chopped
1can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes, undrained
1/3cup pesto
1tub (10 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Original Cooking Creme
1bag (5 oz.) baby spinach leaves
1pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese with a TOUCH OF PHILADELPHIA, divided
1/2cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheesemake it
HEAT oven to 375ºF.

BRING large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add ziti and cook until al dente.

MEANWHILE, heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until browned, using the back of a wooden spoon to break up sausage. Add onion and garlic and saute until tender. Stir in tomatoes and pesto. Simmer 10 min. Stir in cooking creme.

DRAIN pasta; return to pot. Add spinach, meat sauce and 1-1/2 cups mozzarella cheese and stir to combine. Spoon into 3-qt. baking dish. Top with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and Parmesan.

BAKE until completely heated through and golden on top, about 20 min.

kraft kitchens tipsSERVING SUGGESTIONServe with a cold glass of prepared CRYSTAL LIGHT Peach Tea.MAKE AHEADPrepare the sauce the night before so all you need to do is cook the pasta, assemble and bake off the morning of the game.SUBSTITUTEPrepare using KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese.

Snack Cake

If you are feeling a little snack? This is easy and good. Sometimes nothing is bette than a warm piece of cake and cold glass of milk. This cake might even be good to take to a pot luck or party.

 

3/4

cup all-purpose flour

1/2

cup packed brown sugar

2

tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa

1/2

teaspoon baking soda

1/4

teaspoon salt

1/2

cup water

3

tablespoons canola oil

1/2

teaspoon white vinegar

1/4

teaspoon vanilla

1/4

cup semisweet chocolate chips

Powdered sugar, if desired

• Heat oven to 350°F. In ungreased 9x5-inch loaf pan, mix flour, brown sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt with fork. Stir in remaining ingredients except chocolate chips and powdered sugar. Sprinkle chocolate chips over batter.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling rack 30 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Gourmet Grilled Cheese.

How about this. Do something a little differnet with your grilled cheese.  after all grilled cheese is not just for kids. Yes it is ok to play with your food.

This will make one really good sandwich.


1/2 sliced avocado
1 medium tomato sliced
2 slices monterey jack
2 tablespoons tangy mayo
butter
2 slices of bacon cooked
salt and pepper
2 slices of sour dough bread.

butter one side of each slice of bread. spread mayo on the other side and place a slice of cheese grill lightly on the butter side.
When the cheese has melted, remove from the heat and layer the rest of the ingreditents. cover with the other slice of bread. cut in half and enjoy.

to make the tangy mayo-- 1 1/2 tablepoon of mayo, 1 teaspoon honey mustard, and 2 teaspoons ranch dressing.

Ham, Apple and cheese

Ingredients


1 sliced Granny Smith apple
1/3 cup mayonnaise
8 slices sharp cheddar  cheese
8 slices sourdough bread
4 slices fully cooked ham
1/4 cup butter, softened

Directions

 Spread bread with mayo. Layer a few slices of apple, a slice of ham and another slice of cheese on four slices of bread; cover with remaining bread.

Butter the outsides of the sandwiches. Cook in a large skillet over medium heat on each side until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted. Yield: 4 servings