Foil Packet Beets

During a recent trip to my hometown, I discovered a couple from up north had taken over a greenhouse operation that had been in business years ago.  The business had been sold to the bother of one of my girl friends but he moved on leaving the business in limbo for several years before this nice young couple bought it.  They really are super, full of wholesome back-to-the-land ideals which is a win:win for everyone who stops by to enjoy their offerings of organic produce.  Many of the varieties they grow are heirloom as well!  Their prices are more than reasonable, under the price of the grocery stores as well. 
  

I bought a small bunch of mixed heirloom beets.  The dark red beets are Detroit Dark Red, an old time heirloom beet dating back to 1892.  The candy stripe beets are a pre-1840's heirloom variety called Italian Chioggia, commonly referred to as bullseye or candy stripe beets.  The Detroit Dark Red beet remains a favourite for home gardeners but both heirloom varieties are easily grown in the home garden.

Candy stripe beets are gorgeous raw but the red bleeds into the white when they are cooked.  They retain their colour better if roasted or steamed rather than boiled.  I used a foil packet to cook the beets on the grill.  

Foil packets are one of the simplest way to cook vegetables on the grill.  I use them quite often because foil packets give consistently good results.  Foods steam nicely in the foil packet retaining both their vibrant colour and flavour.  I brush a little olive or coconut oil on the foil sheet, put the desired vegetables on top then dab with a little butter and seasoning of choice then tightly close the foil packet.  This particular method is great for on the grill but also lends itself nicely for cooking camp sides. 

The Detroit Dark Red beet colour bled into the candy stripe beets as I knew they would.  Don't let the paler colour of the candy stripe beets fool you though as these are really tasty beets!  

Camp Style Honey Glazed Carrots

We did a fair amount of camping when the kids were growing up.  Two things criteria for camping foods seemed to be consistent in that we wanted simpler foods that could be prepared on the campfire, on the campstove, the propane grill or in the RV and we wanted something just a bit different.  The end result is we ended up with several meals and dishes that can be cooked using one of the four methods that met both of the criteria.  At the same time many of these simpler camp style foods have become family favourites including our family favorite taco salad that started out as a camping recipe. 

Vegetables can present a problem when camping simply because a lot of times you don't want to take the time to set up the camp stove or heat up the RV just to boil up vegetables.  I quickly found foil packets worked nicely as the vegetables could be cooked on the propane grill or on the firepit that quite often was on during the dinner.    I devised several rather simple vegetable based foil packets that gave us nice vegetable sides without a lot of time or effort.  I continue to use these especially during the hot summer months when I cook as much as possible on the outside grill.  One such dish is Camp Style Honey Glazed Carrots pictured.

Camp Style Honey Glazed Carrots

2 c prepared carrots or baby carrots
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp fresh chopped chives
pinch of salt

Place the ingredients on a sheet of tin foil.  Fold long ends together to form a tight seal then repeat with each resulting end.  Wrap a second time.  Place the foil packet on the grill or firepit in indirect heat.  Let cook about 20 minutes.  Carefully remove from heat.  Poke holes in the tin foil to allow steam to escape [careful as steam can burn].  Open the packet and serve.

She Said (6) - Salmon and Vegetable Packets

If you recall my husband and I are having a bit of a contest with each of us using a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens® New Grilling Book to create a meal. In total there will be 12 recipes, 6 of his choosing and 6 of mine. The contest ends August 31 so the first week of September I will post a poll where you can vote for the meal you liked best. The rules are all the ingredients must be used but the amounts can be altered.

Ingredients

I chose a salmon dish for my 6^th and final recipe of the contest. The recipe indicated that the meal is cooked on the grill then served in its foil pouch which would make this an ideal recipe for camping. I did not serve in the foil pouch choosing to plate the meal instead.

The ingredients for the meal are pictured. I used wild Pacific salmon fillets and homemade chicken stock. The dried rosemary was from my previous garden. All of the produce used in the dish was locally grown some from my garden and some purchased. The recipe said to use 4 small yellow summer squash (zucchini) but I used 3 medium green summer squash instead.

Salmon and Vegetable Packets
source: Meredith Corporation, Better Homes and Garden New Grilling Book, 2005. Pp. 322

1 lb fresh or frozen skinless salmon
2 c carrot strips
2 c red sweet pepper strips
12 fresh asparagus spears
4 small summer squash
½ c dry white wine or chicken stock
2 tsp snipped fresh rosemary or ½ tsp dried rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp butter
hot cooked white or brown rice (optional)

Thaw fish if frozen. Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels. Measure the thickness of the fish then cut into 4 serving-size pieces and set aside. [Foil pack formation method changed by me.] Cut eight 18-inch pieces of heavy-duty foil. Layer in 4 sets of two. Spray the top layer of foil with oil in health mister or brush lightly with vegetable oil. Arrange the vegetables and salmon in equal portions on each top layer of foil. Mix chicken stock, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Drizzle over the fish and vegetables. Top each packet with a pat of butter. Fold the 2 opposite sided together and make a double fold to hold them together. Fold the each end together using a double fold to create a sealed packet. Repeat with the second layer of foil for each packet making it slightly looser than the first. Place on preheated medium heat grill. Cook 12 to 14 minutes per ½-inch thickness of fish. When finished cooking remove from heat. Carefully open each packet avoiding the steam. Serve in foil packet or plate as desired.

Grilling

Pictured is the assembly of the foil packets (top) and on the grill (bottom). Once you have the fish and vegetables ready on the 2 layers of foil it is time to form your packet. This is quite easy using a double fold method that forms a centre seam. The same double fold method is used to form each end seam. The end result is a tightly sealed rectangular shaped foil packet with 3 double folded seams. To made a double seam: As oriented in the picture bring the top and bottom edges of the foil together over the fish and vegetables. Hold the two edges then fold them over about a ½-inch. Press along the fold with your fingers. Fold the first fold over again about a ½-inch. Press with your fingers then press the fold flat across the packet. You have now created a double seam. Repeat this fold on each end to create a tightly sealed foil packet.

Foil packet cooking whether at home or camping is a convenient method for cooking moist, tender and tasty meals with little clean-up. The foil packet itself can serve as the serving dish especially when camping. The food is cooked by the steam produced from the food as it cooks inside the packet. This method results in moist, tender and flavourful meats, poultry and fish. A variety of vegetables and/or sauces can be added to the packets for a complete entrée or cooked in separate foil packets as a side dish.

Salmon and Vegetable Packets

Pictured is the salmon and vegetable packet after cooking served with a side of Calrose rice. Calrose rice is a medium grain rice grown in California. It was developed in California in the early 1970s from a radiation-bred variety of japonica medium-grain rice. The rice is sticky when cooked making it ideal for sushi. My favourite way to cook Calrose rice is in the rice maker with homemade chicken stock and butter.

What I love about using any steaming method of cooking is the colour retention in vegetables. Don't they look lovely? The salmon and vegetable packet did not disappoint. The salmon was nicely cooked, definitely flakey and tender. I liked the addition of asparagus in the vegetable mix. The sauce used was pleasant and not overpowering. I would be tempted to add a bit of maple syrup to the sauce. Overall we found the meal quite pleasing so this is a keeper recipe.

Grilled Pork Steak

If you have been following this blog you know we use our outdoor gas grill for more than grilling. It serves as a barbeque, oven and smoker as well. The weather has turned cooler with a strong hint of autumn in the air. The sun was out and it was dry so my husband decided grilling would be nice. He's been away since early Sunday morning and arrived home late last night so really needed home cooked comfort food.

Grilled Pork Steak

Tonight's dinner consisted of grilled pork steak, foil pack potatoes and steamed spinach. Old Fashioned Chile Sauce made the perfect autumn flavoured complement. It was a nice comfort meal!

We buy pork on the hoof meaning we buy the pig live from the farmer who then takes it to the abattoir for us. We pay the farmer for the pig and the abattoir for the cutting and wrapping. This affords us the luxury of having the meat cut exactly as we want it. Pork steak is a cut from shoulder blade roasts. Unlike the extra thick (1¼ inch) pork chops we have pork steaks cut to ½ inch thick. The steaks have a fair amount of fat that keeps the meat moist and flavourful while cooking. The meat is not as tender as other cuts of pork. Grilled then simmered in barbeque sauce is one way to tenderize the meat but slow cooking will give nice tender results as well.

Method: Heat the grill to medium low. Grill the pork steaks slowly without flare-ups. Turn when grill marks are well defined.

The potatoes were cooked in foil on the grill. They were lightly seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and garlic pepper. They were perfect topped with the deep aromatic flavours of the chili sauce.

Method: Wash the potatoes. Slice thinly using a mandolin. Place the sliced potatoes on a sheet of heavy tin foil or in a foil baking pan. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the potatoes. Season. Add another layer of heavy tin foil. Seal edges tightly. Place on grill on indirect heat about 15 minutes before putting the meat on. To serve, poke a hole in the top layer of tinfoil to release the steam then remove the tinfoil. Use a large, wide blade knife to lift the potatoes in a step fashion row for plating. Top with chili sauce if desired.

Kitchen Update, Grilled Chicken and Camp Style Potatoes

Recipes, pictures and method follow the kitchen update!

It took us little time to choose a complimentary paint colour to match the abundance of wood and our navy blue leather couch set in the family room. We also have a large fieldstone fireplace with gas fireplace insert so the colour had to tie that in as well. The kitchen opens into the family room with a breakfast bar separating the two. The bottom third of both rooms is tongue and groove wood as are both ceilings finished in a medium dark mahogany. The kitchen cabinets and all trim is the same medium dark mahogany. The wood finish is warm so we decided on cool overtones for the paint that would be replacing the wallpaper.

Paint & Countertop Colours

Our daughter helped me choose the colour and I couldn't be happier. She picked several samples to show me as I was shopping in another section of Home Depot. This chip sample appealed to me immediately. The scan is not the best but this will give you an idea. The only painted wall in the kitchen has a patio door and little area. It along with the family room walls have been painted in Country Mist. The kitchen window, patio door and family room window are about one foot deep and framed in wood. I painted the depth with Tide Pools to create a shadow box effect. The kitchen window and patio door have an additional trimming towards the outside. I am going to paint this trim in Marina Isle. The same three colours will be repeated in the guest bathroom off the family room but I haven't decided how yet.

At the same time, my daughter picked out several countertop samples. We have been contemplating these. My son took one look and pulled one sample that works wonderfully with the paint chip and cabinets. The back splash is tentatively to be tiled in a aqua glass tile that is in between Country Mist and Tide Pools. My kitchen will no longer be pink so watch for an updated look for my blog to reflect that once life slows down a bit.

Grilled Chicken Medallions

Chicken medallions are ideal for grilling. They can be bought pre-made or you can make them yourself using boneless, skinless chicken. Form them into a round, wrap with bacon and secure with a toothpick. The bacon adds flavour and keeps the chicken moist so seasoning is not needed. If desired add the seasoning of your choice but do so lightly. My suggestions for seasoning of chicken medallions is Old Bay Seasoning or a simple seasoning salt but herb combinations would work as well so experiment until you get one you like.

Prior to grilling the medallions will be about four inches in diameter. They shrink in diameter but plump up. Don't let the size fool you as these are quite filling. Grill the medallions on a medium hot until the juices from the chicken run clear and the bacon is cooked to medium with crispy spots on the edges.


Camp Style Potatoes

I served camp style potatoes with the chicken medallions. These potatoes are a family favourite from our camping days easily adapted to the home grill. This is more of a method of cooking the potatoes that can easily be adapted for more servings. Use a no salt seasoning for a low sodium side dish.

Camp Style Potatoes

4 - 6 large potatoes
1/2 Spanish or Vidalia onion
dash onion garlic seasoning
dash Montreal Steak seasoning (optional)
extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tsp butter
foil pan (optional)
tin foil

Wash potatoes and cut into bite size pieces. Chop potatoes. Continue in one of the two following methods:
(1) Drizzle olive oil into foil pan. Mix the vegetables and pour into foil pan. Sprinkle with seasoning. Cut butter into 1/4 tsp chunks. Put butter over the vegetables. Seal the foil pan tightly with tin foil. Continue with grilling instructions.
(2) Lay a sheet of tin foil about 18-24 inches long on the counter. Drizzle olive oil in the centre, keeping it away from all edges. Pour the vegetables into the centre, season and add butter. Pull the two short ends of the foil together and fold several times to form a tight seam but not enough to push the vegetables out of the newly formed short ends. Repeat the folds for both of the new short ends forming a tightly sealed foil packet.

To grill: Place the potato packet on the grill on indirect heat. Grill for approximately 35 minutes. Use caution when opening the packet to prevent steam burns.

Grilled Herbed Chicken

Grilled chicken is one of our summer favourites. Instead of marinating the boneless, skinless chicken breasts before grilling I use a mixture of butter and Herbs de Provence to brush on the chicken as it grilled. This reduced the prep time yet resulted in a moist, flavourful piece of chicken. I served the chicken with steamed spinach and Calrose rice cooked in homecanned chicken stock in the rice cooker. Calrose rice is a medium grain rice that cooks up nicely without being sticky. This meal is low sodium and low fat even if you are like me who likes just a little unsalted butter to enhance the flavour of most cooked vegetables and rice. Butter has 3 - 4 grams of fat per teaspoon depending on the brand so stay at one teaspoon or less.