Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

I got this recipe off www.kraftfoods.com and made a few tweaks to it. My whole family gave it thumbs way up. It had a really great flavor.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts.
4 T. Italian dressing, divided (I used Newman's Own)
2 small tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp dried basil, or you can use fresh
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (I didn't have any on hand, so I chopped up a string cheese stick)

Marinade the chicken with 2T. Italian dressing for 10 minutes. Cover 1/2 of grill with heavy duty foil. Heat grill and place chicken on the uncovered side of the grill. Throw away the marinade. Cook for 6 minutes. In the mean time, mix the tomatoes, remaining dressing, basil, and cheese. Turn chicken over and place on foil. Top with tomato mixture and grill for 8 minutes, until chicken is done and cheese is melted.

Rosemary Garlic Beef (from Better Homes and Gardens)

ROSEMARY GARLIC BEEF
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 rosemary branches, leaves chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 pounds sirloin tips, in thin strips or 1 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Mix together olive oil, vinegar, rosemary leaves, garlic, red pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a non-reactive 3-to 4-quart bowl. Immerse the beef in the marinade. Refrigerate 4 hours to overnight.

To cook, remove as much marinade as possible from the beef. Thread the beef on skewers, or on sturdy sprigs of rosemary. Sprinkle all sides with the remaining teaspoon of salt and the pepper. Grill over medium-high heat, turning every 1 1/2 minutes, until beef is deeply browned on the outside and still rare on the inside, 8-10 minutes (or to personal preference).

I marinated the steak (I used steak instead of sirloin tips) overnight and then all day. It was fantastic! We ate it with wild rice, rolls, and salad.

Buttermilk Pancakes

Whisk together:
2 C. Buttermilk (I never have buttermilk on hand, so I make 2 cups of powdered milk, take out 2 T. of the milk and add 2 T. lemon juice.)
2 eggs
1/4 C. oil

Add:
2 C. flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 T. baking powder
3 T. sugar

Whisk until blended (may be slightly lumpy). Cook and serve. If we don't eat a whole batch in one day, I will put the batter in the fridge until the next day.

Grilled pineapple

I just stumbled onto this recipe somewhere online, and it is soooooo good. It's a great side for a night of BBQ, or pretty much any other dish.

1 pineapple, skinned, cleaned and cut into spears.
3 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1/4 tsp. black pepper

I ususally end up cutting the pineapple into 8 pieces lengthwise, then those into halves or thirds. You want the chunks big enough to grill without falling between the slats.

Combine honey, lime juice and black pepper in small bowl. Baste all sides of pineapple and (if you have time) let it marinate for a couple hours.

Place chunks on hot grill. You want it to cook hot enough that the outsides get carmelized and have nice grill marks, without making the inside mushy. Keep basting honey mixture onto the pineapple as it cooks.

Lion House Tomato Bisque

My mom gave me this recipe and it's really good, especially with grilled cheese sandwiches. Go easy on the sugar though. I thought 1/2 C. was too much, but my mom puts in more than 1 C. Also, this makes a lot, so I'd suggest halving the recipe.

4 cans Tomato soup
2 cups Chicken Stock
1 Cup Beef Stock
12-15 Roma Tomatoes
1 Bunch Fresh Basil or 2 Tbsp. Dry Basil
1 Cup +/- Sugar (balances acidity of tomatoes)
2-3 Cups Cream (or Half and Half) (fat keeps the soup from curdling)
Salt/Pepper To Taste

Roast tomatoes in 350 degree oven until the tops begin to blacken. (Approximately 1 hr.)
In a large pot combine soup, chicken and beef stock. Place the roasted tomatoes and basil in a blender and puree until smooth. (Tip: may want to cover the lid with a towel to avoid ‘blowout’ when hot tomatoes are pureed.) Add the puree to the soup pot and let simmer. Add the sugar until slightly sweet. (Don’t be stingy with the sugar; it may take more depending on your tomatoes.) Finish with the cream and then season to taste with salt and pepper. You’re looking for a slightly sweet creamy flavor, but not marinara sauce.