Kathryn’s cooking it up…again.  I haven’t stopped cooking, I’ve just stopped blogging, mostly out of laziness.  I’m trying to shake off the winter blues and dive into summer, immediately! So to anyone who is still following me, let me know what you want to see on my blog this spring!

Summer is knocking on the door, and being the Midwesterners that we are, I’m sure some of you have already sparked up your grills, including myself.  I think I’d like to discuss grilling tips and recipes to follow.  Comments, suggestions, criticism always welcome!

Recipe is courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine, June 2009.

Try these out this Labor Day. It may be the last time you fire up the grill for the season. Though we haven’t had much heat this summer, this recipe will heat up your senses!

The three-cheese filling is a nice complement for the spicy peppers. You can also use a milder Chile, such as a cherry pepper. Shredded cheddar cheese can take the place of Parmesan, if you like.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (4 ounces) soft goat cheese
1/2 cup (4 ounces) fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped seeded tomato
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
16 jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation:

1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

2. Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well. Spoon about 2 teaspoons cheese mixture into each pepper half. Place pepper halves, cheese side up, on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill peppers 5 minutes or until bottoms of peppers are charred and cheese mixture is lightly browned. Carefully place peppers on a serving platter. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Yield
16 servings (serving size: 2 pepper halves)

Nutritional Information
Calories: 84 Fat: 4.8g (sat 3.1g, mono 1.2g, poly 0.2g) Protein: 7.1g Carbohydrate: 3.5g
Fiber: 0.9g Cholesterol: 11mg Iron: 0.6mg Sodium: 334mg Calcium: 117mg

Jill Hough, Cooking Light, JUNE 2009

Below is a recipe I found about 2 years ago from Gourmet Magazine.  I’ve made it multiple times and it’s a winner EVERY time.  Its got a nice heat to it, but it’s not overpowering with heat!  Light up that grill and give this one a try.

Chipotle Lime Honey Chicken

1/4-cup fresh limejuice

1/4-cup olive oil

2 1/2 tablespoons Chipotle Tabasco

1/2-teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons quality honey

2-2 ½ lbs chicken, boneless-skinless preferred

Warm charcoal grill for cooking over direct heat with medium-hot charcoal.  If you are cooking with propane, set to moderate heat.

Combine together limejuice, oil, Tabasco, and salt in a liquid-measuring cup. Put chicken in a large sealable bag and add 1/3-cup marinade (reserve remainder in cup). Seal bag, forcing out excess air, and marinate chicken at room temperature, about 15 minutes. Stir honey into remaining marinade until dissolved to make sauce.

Grill chicken (discarding marinade in bag) on lightly oiled grill rack, covered only if using a gas grill, turning chicken over occasionally and moving it to avoid flare-ups if necessary, until just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes total.

Brush both sides of chicken with some of reserved sauce, then continue to grill, turning over once, until lightly browned, about 1 minute more. Serve chicken drizzled with remaining sauce.