Feast of 1,000 Beasts

I have the best friends in the world. I might have mentioned this a few times in the history of this blog, but it bears repeating. My friend Alan hosted a part over Labor Day weekend, featuring meat dishes. He prepared a few snacks- hummus, guac, cheese dip- and meat- burgers, hot dogs, wings, and chili. The guac was an easy gluten-free. Alan used Bush's beans for his hummus and (maybe I'm giving away a trade secret) peanut butter instead of tahini. I could have just eaten the whole bowl of hummus and been happy with my life. Although I don't have Alan's recipe for his wings, I did look up a recipe that looks pretty good for some grilled wings.

In between meat courses, I made flaming Sambuca shots. My cousin in the DR is a big fan of them- taking a shot (or coordial glass) or Sambuca, adding 3 coffee beans, and lighting it on fire for 5-10 minutes, until the sugars in the alcohol have started to crystalize and brown. Remember to blow out the flame and let it cool off a bit before enjoying!

Oh my goodness! It was good. Here are some ideas for your own meat-tastic grill out. After all, there are a few more weeks until it's too crispy to be outside. I ate until my stomach literally hurt. You should, too.

Burgers: ground beef, salt, pepper
Hot Dogs: Go all-beef- Boar's Head and Hebrew National are my favs; At this link (http://surefoodsliving.com/2009/05/14/hot-dogs-and-sausages-gluten-free-and-dairy-free-list/) they posted a list f GF dogs/sausages. Don't believe everything you read- always double check!
Wings: see below; recipe taken from http://www.examiner.com/x-17285-Milwaukee-Cooking-Examiner~y2009m8d16-Grilled-tequila-wings

Grilled tequila Wings

• 16 wings (and/or drumsticks)
• 1/3-cup butter or margarine
• 1/2-cup Frank's® Red Hot® Sauce - sub with Saracca (red pepper cock sauce)
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 oz. of the tequila of your choice
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2-tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt

Prepare and heat grill. Melt butter in a medium bowl. Add all ingredients to bowl except chicken wings/drumsticks. Mix well. Marinate wings in sauce for approximately one hour. Oil grill grate. Grill chicken for 20 minutes, until brown, turning often to avoid sticking. Brush marinade over chicken wings frequently while grilling to increase flavor. And there you have them, grilled tequila wings for tequila month!

Nick's Saturday Lunch

I am spoiled. If I made a resume for Nick on his credentials for being the best boyfriend, it would take days for anyone to read. Case in point: I came home after a crappy day at work to the dogs being walked/run, dirty dishes cleaned, leafy porch swept, and Nick plating lamb chops, potatoes, and salad as I trudged up the stairs. (Why was my day so ugly? I asked myself. Hhmmm... I can't remember.)

Saturday I woke up after a late night (my roomate's super-fun birthday party). Nick called and got me out of bed sometime just before 11, on his way over. He suggested a honey-glazed chicken breast on the grill. Maybe throw in some zucchini, a side of rice. The next thing I remember was rolling into the parking lot at the Farmer's Market.

Nick's sauce involved honey, chili powder, garlic, and shallot. The zucchini we painted with olive oil and sea salt. Let's just say, I wish I had leftovers.

G-F Hotdogs Via the Grill

My boyfriend mentioned a while back how there is nothing better than a grilled hot dog. I don't remember the last time I had a hot dog. I know I just got out of the habit of eating them. I went about finding one that claims to be G-F and found Applewood Farms to have G-F hot dogs and sausages. Post-Falcon's game, I warmed up the grill and threw a few dogs down, along with some onions (I LOVE grilled onions).

Our Ratings, on a Scale of 1-10
Nick's Rating: 7
Olivia's Rating: 8

Next grilling project: Sausages

Grill Inauguration

Today we broke in my new red and black Aussie charcoal grill with:
* corn in their husks
* vidalia onions
* red and green peppers
* chicken seasoned with salt and pepper

We used the basket on the grill and it turned out so well!