Recipe Box, Grilling with HH, tips & tricks
HH has been saying for years that when he retired he was going to learn more about cooking than just throwing meat on the grill and a potato in the oven
I never thought he would actually do it, but now he reads recipes, plans out meals days in advance, makes a grocery list, and goes shopping
He even made this cookbook, putting his recipes in plastic sleeves for easy reference and wiping clean
He has learned to prep chicken on a plastic board
And prepare a beautiful General Tso’s Chinese Chicken
I know you are probably fainting with envy, and yes, I am very 🍀 lucky…
it gives me time to do other things I love 🏊 🎨 📚
but it’s weird to have to share “my kitchen”
and it’s hard for me to be neat and perfect ever all the time…
artists are messy by nature
HH dedicated his career to giving people beautiful smiles and keeping their mouths healthy and pain free. Because he is so used to working efficiently under surgical conditions, he is meticulous in everything he does– he is the definition of “mise en place”
Everything lined up in the proper order, sigh…
This is what my work area looks like, and I’ve cropped the photo to show the least amount of hot mess I usually create
Isn’t cooking supposed to be messy???
Anyhoooo…
He’s a little bit proud, “hey you really should get a picture of this chicken…”
Sigh…
HH said I could share some of his favorite tips and new recipes with you
Here’s a mind blower…
Tip #1 Cook your steak frozen
That’s right, freeze your steak before cooking!
We have tried this several times and here’s what happens…
The outside of the steak will char beautifully without overcooking the inside, you can cook it rare, medium or well and still have a lovely sear on the outside while the meat stays moist on the inside
Note: We prefer the ribeye cut, and often cut them down into smaller portions
Tip #2 Grilled Asparagus
Drizzle asparagus with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place directly on hot grill for 1-2 minutes roll over for 1 additional minute
That’s it! It will be crisp tender and perfect
Tip #3 Vegetables in Foil
Just like the camping days, slice red potatoes and lay on a piece of foil. Add slivers of onion and red pepper. Season with olive oil, salt & pepper, basil and rosemary. Wrap and seal. Place foil packet on hot 400 degree grill for 45 minutes
Tip #4 Steak Sauce
Everything’s better with a little sauce right? Here’s 3 easy ways to brighten your steak
- Butter. Yep, that’s what they do in the fancy steak houses, top the hot steak with a pat of real butter
- 1-2-3 Steak Sauce: equal portions of Worchestershire, Dijon Mustard and melted butter. Serve on top or on the side for dipping
- Onion Bleu Cheese Sauce: Onions sauteed in butter with Worchestershire and bleu cheese
Bonus sauce for Lamb Chops:
Just add a dash of vinegar and garlic powder to mint jelly and melt it down in a small sauce pan. Serve with hot grilled lamb chops
Here is a printable of these tips and sauces
Vegetables in Foil
Ingredients
- 2-3 red potatoes sliced into 1/4″ thick rounds
- 1/2 onion sliced
- 1/2 red pepper cut in strips
- salt pepper, olive oil, rosemary, basil
Instructions
- Place red potatoes on a large piece of foil overlapping flat in a row down the center.
- Top with onion and peppers. Season.
- Fold foil together sealing tightly into a large package.
- Cook on a hot, 400 degree fire, for 45 minutes.
Grilled Asparagus
Ingredients
- Asparagus
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Break of tough ends of asparagus and rinse and pat dry.
- Place asparagus on a pan and coat asparagus with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Place on hot grill grate for 1-2 minutes, turn and cook for 1 more minute.
Frozen Steak
Ingredients
- steak
Instructions
- Place frozen steaks on grill over direct heat, 450-500 for 5 minutes per side.
- Move steaks from direct heat to an indirect part of grill and continue to cook for 10-12 minutes or until desired doneness.
- Use an accurate thermometer to read the inside temperature of the meat. Let steak rest 5 minutes before serving or cutting
1-2-3 Steak Sauce:
Ingredients
- Worcestershire sauce
- Dijon mustard
- melted real butter
Instructions
- combine equal parts Worcestershire, mustard and butter and top grilled steak as its cooking and after it’s done
Onion Bleu Cheese Sauce:
Ingredients
- 2 T butter
- 1/2 yellow onion chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2-3 T Worchestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup crumbled bleu cheese
Instructions
- Melt butter and saute the onions until golden brown, about 8 minutes.
- Add cream and Worchestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
- Let sauce come to boil, then add cheese. Reduce heat and stir to melt.
- Keep warm over low heat until serving. Makes enough for 2-4 steaks
Easy Mint Sauce for Lamb
Ingredients
- mint jelly
- vinegar
- garlic powder
Instructions
- heat mint jelly in a small saucepan until it melts and add a dash of vinegar and garlic powder
You can see these other delicious HH recipes by clicking on the green highlighted titles below
Red Snapper with Brown Sugar Mustard Glaze
So keep that grill going while the temps are still warm!
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How fun! My hubby is pretty great in the kitchen too! 🙂 We are lucky girls. That onion bleu cheese sauce sounds so divine – and love the tip about grilling steaks frozen. Wish I would have read yesterday as hubby thawed strip steaks in the microwave before grilling, and they just didn’t taste the same.
We were shocked at how well this works, we have done it 3 times in last few weeks. it’s so nice to pull out a frozen steak at the last minute and toss it on the grill. Be sure to use the direct/indirect method for the best results Jodi, and let me know if you try it!
Lucky woman! This all looks amazing, but I’m not sure if having a great chef post-menopause is such a good thing for the waistline, lol! I love HH’s comment of you should get a picture of this. Too funny. They seem to get into the swing of things with us, don’t they?
It’s definitely an adjustment! thanks Rita
Lucky you Jenna! My husband is great with grilled meals but not as neat as HH! Did you know I am a periodontist by profession? I came to the US from Canada to do my post doc residency at U of Pennsylvania and stayed for love. Was kind of dentistry did HH practice?
I sort of knew from reading your blog but never asked you Johanne, and have been curious about the Canadian tie. HH was a general dentist but he specialized in cosmetic dentistry and invisalign orthodontics. As you know dentistry is very stressful, he hasn’t missed it for a minute 🙂
Dentistry is very stressful. When I decided to go back to school and specialize, I had been practicing 6 1/2 yrs and owned a large group practice in downtown Toronto where I had 2 full time associates working for me and 3 full time hygienists. I kept my specialty practice really small in comparison as I didn’t care for all the management aspects of dentistry . I really loved doing surgery. I developed brachial plexopathy(Thoracic Outlet Syndrome) in my non dominant hand and had to retire prematurely at 42. I miss my professional life very much. It was such a big part of my identity. Regards to HH!
I think you two make a perfect couple! Congratulations on your hubby’s recent retirement and his meticulous love for grilling, and his meticulous preparations. I never thought of cooking a steak in the frozen state, but it makes sense! Best wishes in sharing the kitchen together!
Luckily he is a neat freak, and cleans up as he goes, I am pretty territorial about my kitchen! Thanks Kitty-
Lucky woman. My MIL enjoys this same benefit since FIL retired. He was a colonel in the Air Force and likes to run the show, and she was happy to let him take over the kitchen! I have always kind of preferred to put a steak on the grill at least half frozen so the middle stays juicy, especially a thinner cut. That surgical precision really shows in the chicken dish — it looks too perfect to eat (but I’ll bet it was delicious!). I have some ring binders I have made, but they are certainly not as precise and organized as HH’s. Count your blessings!
Yes, I am lucky but he’s high maintenance, requires constant praise! >
In the last five years, I’ve joked with my hubby that he’s become a fabulous housewife! He does laundry with me, grocery shopping, walks the dog, feeds the cats and mows the lawn. He is great at grilling and boiling eggs. The rest of the cooking is up to me. But, I highly expect him to learn more when he retires like HH. With the two of us in the kitchen, we may never eat the same meal twice again! I bet The Painted Apron house probably has a new recipe 3x a day! 😘😜😋🍞🍗🍝🍲 Yum!!! You are a blessed woman!
Ha! There’s advantages and disadvantages, but it’s never a dull moment…sounds like your doing a great “training” job Kim! >
How great Jenna! My hubby is tidy in the kitchen too…. me not so much. I had a friend I used to work with in my retail days that was a floral designer and always said “creative minds are seldom tidy”…Amen! Keep us posted on HH’s meals and future kitchen tips, I laughed out loud at “hey you really should get a picture of this chicken…”!! Maybe he should be your photographer too 🙂
He’s quite proud of himself, but I must admit that I do a lot of eye rolling when he’s not looking 🙂 >
That’s one purdy bird! I’ll bet it tasted great:@)
I’m pretty sure I muttered “show off” under my breath when he proudly displayed it 🙂 >
Jenna, I am not sure I could share my kitchen…but I am so impressed with HH and his cooking tips! Also, is having a retire husband hard to get used to?
Ha! I’ll tell you when we go to lunch! >
Wow, everything looks so tasty and delicious!
I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/
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