Girls might be able to grill, but sometimes...

....a certain girl forgets to defrost the chicken all the way!  Ugh.  Dinner tonight was ruined because of my assumption that the chicken I took out of the freezer and put into a resealable bag with marinade would be thawed in time.  Lesson learned: check on it halfway through the day, or at least more than 5 minutes before you turn on the grill.  Luckily my hubby was able to run down to Whole Foods to grab some meat to grill burgers.

The good news?  I made some amazing potato salad.

Measurements are approximate because I did not measure anything.

2.5 pounds red skin potatoes (1/2 the 5 pound bag)
1 cup mayo
2 TBSP white vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard ( I used Grey Poupon)
1/2 tsp dry ground mustard
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 stalks celery
1/2 sweet white onion (I used Vidalia...yum!  But sometimes I am not in an onion mood so I omit it)

I washed the potatoes and cut them into quarters (or more to make them even-sized.)  Put them into a large pot of salted water which I had started, but was not boiling yet.  I boiled the potatoes until they were fork tender.  Drained them and rinsed with cool water to remove extra starch.  While they were still warm I was able to rub the skins off and cut the potatoes into smaller pieces.

Mix the mayo, vinegar, mustard and spices until smooth.  I like to whisk it.  I always taste it here to see if it needs more of anything.  Some people add 1 tsp of sugar to cut the acid.  I didn't think it needed it today, but sometimes I do.  Add the celery and onion and mix again.  Add the potatoes and fold the mixture over so as not to damage the potatoes but also to mix it all evenly.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I actually like it best right at this point, when the potatoes are still slightly warm.  It is so fresh and tasty.

Thunderstorms

Crazy loud thunderstorms have stopped my grilling plans for tonight.  I am making sausage and peppers and I am not sure that grilling would have improved them that much more.  I like my sausage super well done and doing it in the oven is simple and delicious.  If I change my mind about grilling in the rain I will let you know.

Later that night....It is a good thing I had not started all my grill prep because I needed to do a an errand for someone as a favor and I did not get home until after 7pm and I would have been too hungry to start dinner.  I should have taken a picture because, man oh man alive were those onions and peppers amazing.  With very little prep and time spent actually cooking, I made sausage and peppers and onions over spaghetti with a fresh salad with green leaf lettuce, grape tomatoes and strawberries.  Now if only I had thought to make dessert...

edited to add:
I had leftovers for lunch and snapped a quick picture of it.  Check out how nice and caramelized those Vidalia onions are.  Their sweetness complemented the hot italian sausage nicely.

Leftover grilled chicken = my favorite salad ever

One of my favorite salads ever is a barbecue grilled chicken over greens with veggies and ranch dressing.  Cheesecake Factory and California Pizza Kitchen both make amazing, if not high in fat and money, versions.  Since I had leftover chicken from last night, I decided to take a break from the pb&j monotony.  I happened to have a little bit (read: only enough for one person) of green leaf lettuce, grape tomatoes, leftover corn and ranch dressing.

I started making it in a bowl and realized that when I get a salad at a restaurant, it often comes on a plate.  I think, mentally, if I fill a dinner plate with salad I will feel more like I am eating a real meal, not just salad.  So the bowl went away and the dinner plate came out.  I added the greens, tomatoes, corn and chicken and threw on a few croutons.  I drizzled a little bit of bbq sauce and then ranch dressing on top of the salad.  It looked beautiful and not much different than ones I have had in a restaurant except maybe half the size.  They always throw more ingredients in, but I am not sure that makes it tastier.  Well, maybe some black beans would have improved it a little.  By the end of my salad, I was satisfied and there was barely any dressing on my plate.  I am so used to having pools of dressing sitting in the bowl or plate when I am finished that I was a little surprised.  But you know what?  It tasted better and crisper without all that extra dressing weighing the lettuce down.  I think next time I will nix the croutons with this salad.

Welcome to Girls Can Grill, or GCG as Vinnie put it

Anyone who knows me knows that I love food.  I love almost every part about it...buying it, cooking, baking and always eating it.  I watch Food Network and Cooking channel and read books about food and restaurants.  This year I had decided I was going to build garden beds and even grow my own food.  But then I scheduled to hand surgeries, pretty much back to back right in the beginning and crucial part of growing season.  The one thing that I was never really into doing was grilling.  You see, I grew up in a household of male grillers.  My dad is The Griller and I have 3 fire-loving brothers who would join him or fill in as needed.  Even when I was out on my own, I cooked and baked with regularity but frankly, I was afraid of the grill.

I didn't know how it operated.  I was slightly afraid of the flames.  I was really afraid if I had to light it myself with a match.  I had seen my brother singe his hairline and eyebrows enough times to know that it was a true possibility.  Call me vain, but I just don't want to lose my eyelashes, eyebrows or any speck of hair!

The summer that Lilly was born I started to use the grill once in a while.  I know that Vinnie thought (and might still think) that the grill is his domain.  And he can and does grill really delicious food for us.    But I was curious to see if I could be as good a griller as I am a baker or cook.  I know I am not making restaurant food, but I think I am pretty good and my food tastes pretty delicious.  The first 2 summers were okay and I stuck to pretty basic burgers and dogs and the occasional london broil.  Last summer Vinnie bought a Weber and oh my, did that make all the difference in the world.

This blog might become more about food in general, rather than just grilling, but it is summer after all and grilling is the name of the game in the summertime.  So, I hope you enjoy reading about my grilling journey.  Comment, give suggestions, comment again!