Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Casserole) Recipe

Ingredients
3/4 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 14-1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 tsp. white pepper
2 large eggs
1/2 lb. large elbow macaroni, cooked
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Method
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Meat sauce: Brown ground beef and onions in a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Chop and add tomatoes with their juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and black pepper. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

Egg Sauce: In a small saucepan heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat, add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk in hot milk and continue whisking until the mixture comes to a boil then lower heat and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp white pepper. Let cool a bit, and then stir in the 2 eggs.

Place half of the macaroni in the bottom of a glass baking dish and top with meat sauce. Top with half of the cheese, then the rest of the macaroni. Pour the egg sauce over the macaroni and top with the remaining Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, in 350-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until casserole is lightly browned.

Grilling season doesn’t have to be about burgers, ribs and steaks. Almost anything can be cooked outdoors, so jump on the opportunity to cook outside again, especially since the weather ought to be getting better and better as summer progresses. Cooking outdoors is fun, and is extremely easy when you are prepared.

And one of the very easiest foods to grill is, believe it or not, whole fish. Whether the fish comes from the fishmonger or the end of your fishing pole, follow a couple of simple preparatory suggestions and you’ll be grilling whole fish anytime the sun comes out. So get ready to put a fresh fish twist on the old 4th of July cookout.

If you’re not too comfortable with a boning knife, have no fear. Grilling whole fish requires minimal carving.

My favorite fish to grill include trout, snapper, bass, sea bream, just about any medium-sized whitefish will do, as well as some smaller fish like mullet, bluefish, mackerel, and butterfish.

Salmon is also a great choice.Avoid flounder, sole, fluke, cod and similar fishes because they can be too delicate.

When selecting your dinner, select a fish with clear eyes, shiny scales and a non-fishy smell. Once you’ve got your hands on a fresh whole fish, here are the 10 easy steps to grill it:

1. Clean the fish: de-scale it by scraping the dull side of a knife against the grain of the scales until it’s smooth. Cut off the fins with a pair of kitchen shears and discard. Then cut along the entire bottom of the fish, remove the guts and discard. Rinse the fish clean.
2. Score the fish with 1/2 inch-deep cuts on both sides, about 1-2 inches apart. This helps the flavors of the marinade (and smoke if applicable) to better penetrate the meat of the fish.
3. Marinate the fish for 1-3 hours in your choice of marinade. If you are using a marinade that is acidic (i.e. with lemon juice, vinegar, etc.) only marinade for 1 hour to avoid “cooking” the fish (as in ceviche).
4. Preheat the grill, or let charcoal ember to flame-less white briquettes.
5. Brush the clean grill and fish with a thin layer of canola oil, peanut oil or any other neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point, to prevent the fish from sticking.
6. Remove the fish from the marinade and wipe it clean to prevent the fish from sticking (save the marinade). Salt and pepper both sides. Optionally, you can stuff the inner cavity of the fish with herbs and pieces of lemon).
7. Grill the fish for 7-12 minutes (depending on the size) in the hottest part of the grill (unless serving salmon rare – 4-5 minutes). Optionally, you can also dip some rosemary or dill sprigs in oil and use them as a bed to grill the fish on if sticking is a concern.
8. Turn the fish over gently with one or two large spatulas. Optionally, you can turn it over onto a large piece of aluminum foil and then slide it onto the grill.
9. Baste the fish with the leftover marinade, and let it grill about as long as the first side.
10. Carefully remove the fish from the grill and place it onto a serving platter. Serve with grilled lemon and enjoy!

Once the fish is cooked it will flake easily away from the spine (again, rare salmon is a special case), and it should be simple enough to avoid any of the smaller bones. You can run a knife along either side of the spine, and then you should be able to slide the knife under the cooked fillets with no problem.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact one of us on the cooking hotline!

Have fun grilling!

A delicious, easy to make healthy option for dinner tonight.

Kitchen Guy’s Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe

Ingredients
9 Tbsp. canola oil, divided use
1 large garlic clove, minced
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
3 chicken breasts
2 cups shredded lettuce
2 cups carrots, julienned
2 cups cucumber, julienned
1 cup jicama, julienned
2/3 cup green onions, sliced
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup sugar-snap peas in pods
1 6-oz, can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
3/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted
4 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Method

For the marinade: Mix together 1 tbsp oil, garlic, 2 tbsp soy sauce, and ground ginger.

Place chicken in marinade, turning pieces several times for at least 1 hour. Remove from marinade and bake at 400 degrees until just cooked through. Let cool, shred and set aside.

In a large bowl, add all of the vegetables and toss. Mix the oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper and shake vigorously to emulsify. Add chicken and toss. Pour dressing over salad and toss again. When serving, top salad with toasted sesame seeds and toasted almonds.

Kitchen Guy’s Grilled Carne Asada Recipe

Ingredients
3 Tbsp. canola oil
1 red bell pepper, julienne sliced
1 green bell pepper, julienne sliced
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 lbs. flank steak
1/2 Tbsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano (Mexican if you have it)
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lemon, juiced
1 lime, juiced
12 flour tortillas
1 cup salsa
2 small avocados, sliced
2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup cilantro

Method
Trim any fat from meat and score the meat. In a small bowl, combine salt, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf. Rub mixture into both sides of flank steak. Rub in the garlic. Pound the meat, gently at first, then working seasonings into meat. Place meat in a shallow dish. Squeeze the citrus juices over both sides, and refrigerate.

Sauté bell peppers and onions in vegetable oil over medium high heat until tender and beginning to brown. Heat tortillas covered in a low oven. Grill the meat until it is medium. Serve on top of tortillas with salsa, cheese, cilantro and sliced avocado.

Review our tasty and unique collection of chef favorite recipes for grilling season!

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