2 Text and photographs © 2015 by Bonnie Matthews All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018. Skyhorse Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund- raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or [email protected]. Skyhorse® and Skyhorse Publishing® are registered trademarks of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.®, a Delaware corporation. Visit our website at www.skyhorsepublishing.com. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file. Cover photo by Bonnie Matthews End paper illustrations by Bonnie Matthews Print ISBN: 978-1-63220-292-5 3 Ebook ISBN: 978-1-63220-753-1 Printed in China 4 Contents INTRODUCTION A Fresh Look at Cooking with Fire Grilling Secrets Top 10 Grilling Secrets & Gadgets About the Author Chapter 1: Planks and Slab Cooking Chapter 2: Worldly Kabobs Chapter 3: Stuff it. Wrap It. Tie it up! Chapter 4: Simply Chicken Chapter 5: Sizzling Stir-Fries and Skillet-based Grilling Chapter 6: For the Love of Veggies Chapter 7: The Meat of the Matter Chapter 8: Seafood and Grill It Chapter 9: Muffin Tin Grilling and Baking, Plus Grilled Desserts INDEX 5 6 For all my Facebook friends who follow me at “Bonnie On Oz” who have been with me on this journey of inspiring others about healthy food and mindful living. And to Cremora, my cat and companion who was ever present during the photo shoots and patiently awaited leftovers after the shots. Special thanks to Alysia Gadson, my friend and neighbor who lent me her grill and tasted all the recipes with me. Her feedback was invaluable. And thanks for sneaking in my apartment and doing the dishes! You’re a real gem! Also to my friends, Arabella Girardi, Emily Duke, and Kelli Felix who assisted with writing, photo shoots, and taste testing! To Bloodroot Blades for providing their amazing hand crafted knife for one of the shots; and to Black Diamond Meats for providing premium grass-fed beef and pork for some of the recipes. Also to Maya and Richard for allowing me to chill and shoot some of the photos at their airbnb.com hideaway spot in Ojai, California. 7 8 Introduction A Fresh Look at Cooking with Fire It’s unmistakable—that wonderful smell of someone grilling in summer! That smell of charcoal brings up so many memories of impromptu neighborhood gatherings. It’s a ritual—everyone dusts off the patio furniture that first warm day in summer and heads to the store to get hotdogs, burgers, and coleslaw. Am I right? Grilling is naturally a great way to entertain, since everyone can gather on a back patio. There’s something about a fire that brings people together. Socializing, sharing food, Frisbee throwing, and cooking, all at once. That works for me! It’s a time to slow down and connect with our neighbors and friends without the TV or Internet—and it gets people outside. What’s more, everyone participates so you, as the host, aren’t stuck in the kitchen doing all the work. It’s a given that if you show up for a grilling party you’re going to have fun. Bacon is all the rage these days—but you won’t find pork bacon in this book. You also won’t find blue cheese burgers, bones, skin, or beer cans up the butt of a chicken. Yep, there’s plenty of those books out there if that’s what you are looking for. But I wanted to create something a bit different with Hot & Hip Grilling Secrets. I’m integrating a fresher, healthier look at cooking on the grill. I want to ignite your senses with a new way of thinking about grilling. Instead of the humdrum burger and bun for dinner, I 9 want to share ways to save time and help you meal plan with the leftovers. For example, if you stoke up the grill you may as well cook a whole filet of salmon so you can enjoy part of it right away and the rest on top of a fresh salad for lunch the next day. This book covers more than grilling meats—you’ll learn about grilling fish, veggies, flatbreads, and even baked goods. (Yes, you can bake on the grill! In the heat of summer, who wants to be stuck inside with the oven on? Seriously?) You know that midsummer has arrived when the garden is so overgrown with tomatoes, zucchini, and basil that you don’t know what to do with them all. I want to elevate your meals with flavor combinations that will inspire you to use all of them! I’m also going to encourage you to try ingredients you may not be familiar with, like spaghetti squash, that vegetable that you keep passing by at the grocery store because you have no idea how to cook it; it’s so versatile and a great substitute for pasta. My focus throughout this book is on fresh, healthy, creative—and delicious—grilling. There are a few secrets I’m going to share with you that will transform your grilling forever. You’ll learn how to craft the right combination of spiciness, sweetness, and tangy vinegar, and just how long to marinate before firing up that grill. And for those folks who steer away from cooking fish on the grill because it always turns out too dry, let me introduce you to the plank! Yes, wood planks when soaked in water create a wonderful base for grilling moist fish filets every time. Planks not only create a moisture barrier and add flavor infused from the wood, they also work as a platter for serving and make for easy clean up. I have more secrets where those came from, so keep reading! 10