Mustard & Herb Crusted top Sirloin Roast

A few weeks ago I had my in-laws up to watch a GeeGees football game on what we thought would be a nice but crisp and cool fall day. Therefore we packed mitts, blankets, tuques, warm beverages and in the end it turned out to be the hottest fall day ever, and we had to strip down to T-shirts. The team did fantastic beating Guelph to head to the playoffs. They will be playing Western this Saturday and I plan on being in attendance for what should be a great game.

Post game we headed back to my house to enjoy some fall appetizers and barbeque. We barbeque all year round in my house and many times I think a BBQ in the fall or winter is more exciting than summer. As much as I love sitting on my deck in the summer, and enjoying the aroma of grilled streak, fall and winter grilling is really cozy and comforting. Although the day had been warm, by the time the sun went down it was cool and felt like a fall evening. To make it even more enjoyable I set the deck up with our outdoor couch, lit a fire in the outdoor fireplace, poured some red wine and put a 3 lbs sirloin roast on the rotisserie. We served the roast with fall root mash and balsamic roasted heirloom carrots.

Mustard & Herb Crust

2 garlic cloves minced
2 tsp rosemary
2 tsp thyme
2 T grainy mustard

ground pepper
1 tsp olive oil

Mix all the ingredients together and rub on the roast. Let sit in the fridge for about 1-2 hours.

Preheat the grill to med-high heat (400F). Reduce heat to low to medium heat and roast it slowly for about 20-25 min per lbs. An internal temp of about 155F is good for medium done and 150 for medium rare.

Remove from grill and tent it with foil for 10 mins. Then carve up and serve with horseradish and sides.

In laws and husband watching the GeeGees game.

GeesGees on the side line

Apple chutney with cranberry and almond crackers.

Blue cheese, pears, apples, brie and walnuts with baguette.


Cozy Fire.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin in a Spice Marinade

This weekend I woke up to go for my long run and could not believe that it was already 2 weeks away from the half marathon race day. I completed a half marathon back in May 2010 and after a month or so of rest I started to train for the Army Half Run held on September 19, 2010 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

However, with the summer being so busy I did not realize the race day was creeping up on me. I have been able to get in all my runs, hills, speed, long distances, so I should be prepared, but I do not feel I am as energetic as I was back in May. I think I have run myself down, as I usually do each summer. I always try to balance my training, with friends, family, work and all those things life throws at you (good and bad). I think I will have a good race, but by no means going to reach a personal best and am looking forward to resting afterwards and getting into some cross training over the fall months. Regardless it should be an inspirational race with so many healthy and injured troops and their families participating in the race and therefore I will just be happy to be a part of it.

You can check out my training log at my Uberfit website under Half Marathon Army Run 2010 along with my official training schedule Half Marathon Training Program.This site also offers some other fun posts on nutrition and my travels/hikes/runs.

After my long 20km run, which took a bit over 1 hour and 40min I was famished. I had lots of water and some trail mix to hold me over until dinner. Then I prepared this grilled pork tenderloin in a spice marinade with grilled mustard and rosemary baby potatoes. The pork marinade has wonderful flavours that remind me that fall is coming – allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger.

Marinade

1/2 cup coarsely chopped white onion
2 T white vinegar
1 T soy sauce
1 T olive oil
2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp fresh ginger, chopped
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, finely chopped and seeded
1 pork tenderloin (1 to 1 1/2 lbs)

Mix all the ingredients together. Place the pork tenderloin in a ziplock bag or in a deep dish. Pour the marinade over the tenderloin and place in the fridge for 1-4hours.

Grease the grill and preheat the grill to med high heat. Grill the tenderloin for 15-18min until it reaches an internal temp of 155F to 160F for a nice pink middle. Turn the pork often while grilled. Remove from grill and tent for about 5-10min.

Grilled Grainy Mustard Baby Potatoes

1 lbs of baby potatoes, quartered
1 T grainy Dijon mustard
Freshly ground pepper
1 tsp dried rosemary

Boil the potatoes first for about 5min. This will allow them to cook slightly and reduce having a dry inner potato. Drain and add the ingredients, toss to mix. On a grill pan cook the potatoes using indirect heat for 45 min or until tender to the fork on the inside and slightly crisp on the outside. These can also be cooked in the oven.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Skewers

The kebab is a summer classic and one that I adore making particularly for friends. Kebabs or “skewers” can be made as diverse as your friends are. I have many friends with different culinary tastes, some do not eat chicken; some do not eat beef; some are vegetarian, while others like me love it all. So having a variety of skewers (different meats and vegetables, even fruit) on the table makes it easy to please everyone. It is also fun to host a kebab making party where guests can build their own skewers. I also like how skewers can look rustic or elegant depending on how you want to present them.

This particular recipe was inspired by my love of cilantro and lime. To me these ingredients are a match made in heaven. Their fresh and citrus flavour brings a nice tangy freshness to the chicken. The addition of jalapenos if add some of the seeds can also add a bit of heat if so desired.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Skewers

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 tsp chopped fresh jalapeno

1 clove garlic, minced

juice of half a lime

2 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch cubes

cherry tomatoes

cremini or button mushrooms

8 bamboo skewers soaked in water for 30 min or metal skewers

Combine water, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, lime juice, oil, salt and pepper in a plastic freezer bag. Seal and shake the bag to mix well. Add the chicken, seal it and massage the chicken until well coated. Marinade in refrigerator for at least 30 min.

Pre-heat grill to med-high heat.

Thread the chicken onto each skewer (alternate with cherry tomato and mushroom) and cook on grill for 10 minutes, or until chiken is lightly browned and no longer pink in the middle. Turn the chicken occassionally.

Serve with watermelon and feta salad.

Wine Pairing: Running Duck Chardonnay or Chardonnay from France.

2009 Stellar Organic Winery Running Duck Chardonnay, Western Cape, South Africa. This is nice Chardonnay with apple and peach aromas, with a hint of oak and citrus. It pairs nicely with grilled chicken.

Chili-LIme Sweet Potato Fries with Chipotle Mayo

You cannot get a more classic American meal then burger and fries. This pair has been made famous from diners in the 50s and 60s and by the fast food movement which although began earlier grew in popularity in the 70s onward. The burger and fry combo has no bounds as it can be served as part of a backyard barbeque on a summer’s day, grabbed via drive-threw on your way out of town, or ordered in a five star restaurant, likely as a gourmet slider with fancy match-stick potatoes served with seasonal chutneys and aioli.

With so many fun things to do with burgers and fries, I thought I would bring the classic diner to my backyard. I used sweet potato for fries and added some complimentary spices and served these fries up with a spicy chipotle mayo. I just loved dipping my crispy sweet fries into creamy and spicy mayo. These fries were served with a classic beef burger. The plating was a large red basket lined with brown paper (could also use newspaper). It was fun to sit in the backyard eating burgers in fries in what felt like a dish plated at a Diner. I haven’t perfected the plating and will certainly be doing it again in the near future.

Chili Lime Sweet Potatoe Fries & Chipotle Mayo

2 medium sweet potatoes, sliced into fries

(keep on some of the skin for rustic look)
1 T olive oil
1 T lime juice
½ tsp chilli powder
¼ tsp cayenne
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Once the potatoes have been cut up, place them in ice cold water for 30min in the fridge. Then drain the fries and pat them dry. This will help the outer part of the fries to get crispier. But noting the high sugar content of sweet potatoes the inner will inevitably remain soft, which is what makes them so tasty.

Note: Coating the outside of the fries with egg white is also a tip I heard of. I think it did help add a bit more crisp to the outside as well.

Add the oil, lime juice and spices to the fries. On a baking sheet covered with parchment paper line the fries without touching each other.

Bake for 30-40 minutes. Watch them carefully so they do not burn and flip them once during cooking. You may broil them at the very end for about 2 minutes, but be careful not to dry them out.

Check out this delicious burger recipe.

The 19th Hole: Steak and Potato

I was on vacation last week. Rather than my typical hiking and camping trips I was content to just relax at home. The weather was fantastic allowing me to get in gardening, painting, running, cooking, hanging out with friends and family and yes some golf.

I only get out a few times a summer, so it is pretty hard to improve my game with little practice and well let's face it little patience!!! During my week off I was able to get out two times and was very happy with my last game. Although I a long ways off from breaking 100, I definetly felt improved.

The best part of a round of golf is the 19th hole. Whether it is to celebrate a good game or drink away your pathetic excuse for 4 putting on a green, it is a great way to end the game.

My favorite place for the 19th hole is on my deck. My husband and I had a couple beers and opened a bottle of wine to enjoy with a perfectly grilled T-bone steak and baked potato.

Grilled Roast Beef

It has been a great week long vacation. Thus far I have enjoyed drinks with friends on the patio, soaking in a hot tub with a group of girls gabbing away, many barbecues and working in my backyard/garden. Today I will be helping put flagstone down the side of the house to make a nice new path leading to the backyard. Last night after a full day of activities (golfing and tidious errands) I chilled out on the deck and grilled a 2lbs roast beef.

Grainy Mustard Marinade

2 T grainy mustard

1 T red wine vinegar

1 tsp dried or fresh thyme or rosemary

Pre-heat grill to medium high. With marinade on beef, sear each side of the beef on the grill for about 4-5 min per side. Then if using a 3 burner grill, turn the middle burner off and turn the 2 side burners to medium. Grill the beef with indirect heat for about 45-60min for a 2lb roast. Internal temp of 140-145F for medium to medium rare.

Spicy Chicken Souvlaki Wrap

I love BBQ season tremendously, but if you do not change things up frequently you could spend the entire summer eating burgers and sausages and some busy weeks my husband and I have done just that. We have been training for an upcoming hike in the Alps and after work and training it is usually late and we are beat. Therefore we just throw some burgers (turkey, veggie, beef) on the BBQ and have that with fresh local tomatoes and cucumbers from the Parkdale Market.

We finally, or so we thought, had time to sit down and have a different meal. I was excited to BBQ some chicken souvlaki and found an amazing recipe over at Kalofagas. I mean if you want good Greek food, you should likely take the advice of a Greek foodie, right. I altered the recipe slightly.

Well do we not get all the ingredients and get ready to start cooking when we decide to head to a friend’s cottage for the weekend. We were planning on leaving the Saturday morning, but were feeling like being with friends and last minute decided to leave the Friday night.

We still hadn’t eaten’ so rather than nicely BBQ these chicken skewers and serve them with kalamata olives and warm pita bread, we made the quick and easy to go version. Luckily the sauce was already made and the chicken had been marinating for a few hours. So we cooked the chicken stove top, spread some tzaziki on a wrap, added the chicken, tomatoes and feta, wrapped it up in tin foil and we hit the road.

Although it was rushed it was worth being at the cottage that night to hang out with friends, play games and eat more food. So I will likely make this recipe again as the marinade for the chicken is outstanding, however next time I will grill the chicken and serve it as intended with some warm pita.

2-4 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
1/3 cup strained Greek yogurt or store bought tzaziki
1/2 cup olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
couple of bay leaves crushed
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 T Grainy Dijon mustard
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 T paprika
2 tsp. dry oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Tomatoe, diced

romaine letter, shredded

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Chop chicken into 1" cubes and set aside in a bowl.

Add all the ingredients from the greek yogurt to the salt and pepper, whisk and pour over the chicken. Mix together. Place plastic wrap over it and place in the fridge to marinate for 3 hours.

Either on a grill or over the stove cook the chicken until done, on med high heat only takes about 4-5 min per side. If using skewers make sure they have been soaked in water first for about 20 min so they do not burn.

Warm up your tortillas or pita for a few seconds in the mircrowave. Spread tzaziki on it, add chicken, chopped tomatoes, lettuce and feta cheese. Serve with a greek salad and olives.

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Quesadillas

The other night I made a new version of my sweet potato & spinach quesadillas. I found this version in the new LCBO Food & Drink magazine, summer 2009 edition. Rather than mash the sweet potatoes up the potatoes were diced into small cubes and cooked in a skillet only for about 10-15 minutes, along with other ingredients and spices. The diced potatoes added a nice texture to the quesadillas. It made enough for 3 small tortillas (8”) and 2 large tortillas (10”)

1 T olive oil
4 green onions, sliced
1 celery, diced
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
½ cup black beans (drained and rinsed if using canned ones)
1 red pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, minced and seeded
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
¼ tsp chili powder
Dash cayenne
Feta cheese, crumbled
4 whole wheat 8-10” tortillas

Prepare all the vegetables in advance. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and let heat. Add the green onions, celery, sweet potatoes, black beans and spices. Let cook until onions are soft. Then add the jalapeno and red pepper. Cook for 10-15 min more. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile preheat the grill to med-high. Make sure to grease it first as you do not want the quesadillas to stick.

Spoon the sweet potato mixture onto half of the tortillas and sprinkle with feta cheese (or cheese of your choice – however feta is amazing on these). Fold the tortillas in half and place on the grill for a total of 5 minutes (2.5 minutes per side). Use the back of the spatula to press them down, but beware ingredients will tend to squeeze out if you really filled them like I did.

Remove from grill and serve immediately with sour cream and salsa.

Try these quesadillas recipes:

Black bean & Corn Quesadillas

Sweet Potatoe & Spinach Quesadillas

Caribbean Chicken

I really enjoy spicy foods, so when I saw an episode of Guy Big Bite’s on Food TV in which he made a spicy caribbean chicken I was anxious to try it. In the show he actually used the seeds of the jalapenos, and in the recipe it called for a seeded jalapeno. I seeded the jalapenos and regretted it, as I found the chicken could have been spicier. So if you like heat, try adding at least half the seeds of the jalapeno.

Apart from that, the flavors of this jerk recipe are incredible, the allspice stands out, but is not overpowering and rest of the flavors are nicely balanced. Guy also puts his in the oven for about 15 minutes, but I cooked them the entire time on the grill. They were still moist and had that great grilled aroma.

1 teaspoon allspice
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup orange juice, fresh
1 tablespoon lime zest
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves
2 tablespoons jalapeno, seeded, diced
2 teaspoons freshly grated or chopped ginger
1 clove garlic
Salt and pepper
4 chicken breasts, bone and skin on
Lime wedges

Puree all ingredients except chicken in food processor. Add marinade and chicken to re-sealable plastic bag, mix thoroughly and let marinate, refrigerated, for 4 to 8 hours.

Heat grill to high, remove excess marinade from chicken and place on grill. Grill each side of chicken for about 10 minutes (or until internal temperature is 165F) and chicken is white.