Memorial Day BBQing is one of our favorite and most delicious pastimes! But America is not the only one that loves BBQ. Argentinean Asado is akin to the American barbecue; an outdoor cookout replete with salty slow-cooked meats, delicious red wine and a roaring wood fire. Considered the national dish of Argentina, asado is both a social event and a traditional method for cooking beef, pork and lamb.” For asado, the main course is all about the meat. (Flanken steak is one of the most popular cuts of meat for asado, which is found in Southwestern and Asian markets as well as most grocery stores.) Other favorites for the asado grill are chorizo, beef ribs and even grilled provolone. Never marinated or heavily seasoned with dry rubs, asado meat is seasoned only with salt which is rubbed into every nook and cranny, coating it entirely. Well marbled cuts like the skirt or hanger steak are popular choices as well as beef tenderloin or the tri-tip. I had a hankering for Skirt steak, so I fired up the grill and prepared the slather that would make this BBQ the best! While Americans love their marinades and rubs for grilled meats versus simply salting it, we have embraced the classic accompaniment to the Argentine asado—Chimichurri Sauce. This bright blend of herbs, oil and vinegar makes it the perfect paring for grilled meats, chicken and even shrimp. It’s the beginning of a long, hot summer and grills will be used aplenty! I think, you’ll enjoy this Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce recipe year round as a go-to finishing sauce!
red wine vinegar
Crunchy Dill Pickle Salad
Whoa! This recipe was the surprise of the century! I admit, I initially had the same reaction that most people have when I tell them about Crunchy Dill Pickle Salad. The comments range from “Hmmm, not sure about this one” to “Nah, this just doesn’t sound right.” But once they taste it, and realize how many foods this delicious, refreshing salad goes with, it quickly becomes one of their favorites. Crunchy Dill Pickle Salad was a recipe that I turned into a video for Red Mountain Weight Loss. It’s the perfect salad if you’re trying to get and stay fit, but more than that, it’s a crunchy and flavorful addition to just about every dish from fried chicken, seafood, pork, beef and kabobs, to a great topper for hot dogs and brats! I love this salad so much that I can’t wait to share it with you and I’m hoping you have the same reaction that everyone else does! The Crunchy Pickle Salad has just a few readily available ingredients, and the real stars of the salad are crispy pickles, fresh dill and sliced fresh fennel. I like that it has fennel for several reasons. While there are hundreds of recipes using cooked fennel, it’s harder to find dishes using fresh, thin slices of this versatile bulb. The sweet flavor of fennel gives the salad such a unique flavor, and the crunchy dill pickles are the perfect pairing. Also, fresh dill weed goes so well in the salad, adding more brightness and depth. You may be tempted to use a soggier pickle and dried dill, but don’t! These two ingredients make the recipe! It’s the perfect picnic side as it doesn’t wilt and can be stored and enjoyed for 3 or 4 days after assembling! I mentioned that this salad goes well with kabobs, so I’ve added a very simple and low calorie recipe for you to enjoy with your Crunchy Dill Pickle Salad!
Watch my How to Video for Crunchy Dill Pickle Salad here!
Kebabs and Crunchy Dill Pickle Salad
Cinnamon Laced Beef Chili
This week the word is Brrrrr! That means it’s time to pull out your favorite chili recipe, grab a Dutch oven and get cookin! This yummy dish makes the cold weather almost welcome, and there isn’t a finer bowl of winter comfort food than homemade chili! This particular recipe has a fabulous twist—cinnamon sticks, which adds a subtle earthiness to the dish.(You’ll find many award-winning chili recipes have added cinnamon to the mix!) I’ve partnered with La Mesa RV to travel our great state, looking for fun adventures and cooking delicious dishes in all sorts of RV’s, and this week, it was time for a hot bowl of spicy beef and chiles! Grab a bowl full and devour!
Caponata
Right about this time of the year in Arizona, we look at big, heavy meals and well, they just don’t look appetizing because of the heat. That’s when charcuterie boards and light bites are a welcome meal or appetizer. Caponata is the perfect choice for days like that; when noshing is the most satisfying. This dish called Caponata, a sweet and savory fresh vegetable sauté comes from the Sicilian side of my family, my father’s side. I’ve share with you before that I grew up in a civil war zone of sorts, between the North and the South. Momma is from Venice, (northern Italy) and Dad came from Trapani, the southernmost tip of Sicily’s “boot.” Friendly battles raged at the kitchen table all of my life, with the northern contingency (Mom) insisting that food from the north, like Risotto, Polenta and Osso Buco are much preferred over southern Italy’s Arancini, Calzones and of course, Caponata. Guess who was the big winner in the plate wars? Me! I loved it all, and didn’t mind the friendly fire of food one bit! Caponata is delicious either as an appetizer on toasted baguette slices or as or a light afternoon meal served over pasta or steamed rice. If you’ve heard the term “Agrodolce”, Caponata’s sauce is the perfect example. Its name comes from “agro” meaning sour and “dolce” meaning sweet. The sweetness comes from sautéed yellow onion and a little bit of sugar, while the sour is derived from the capers and vinegar. There are a whole lot of delicious flavors in between, and the best part is, you can make up a big batch and enjoy it all week long in various recipes. This week, Dad’s side wins the battle, but the Italian food war is far from over!
