Grillin' and Chillin!!!!

What a great night! The Patriots play a preseason opening game.... (HECK YEAH) and we are grilling! Here's dinner tonight... Now, you may have met my new favorite neighborhood boy and farming entrepreneur, Chase! And if you haven't... you have now... Love this kid, and his steadfast, reliable, fresh and local stand! Tonight he provided us with summer squash and a zucchini... and we loved it! But first we grilled it! Slice on the bias and drizzle a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and grill for about 2-3 minutes per side... perfect! Next up... rib eye steak! Again, a little olive oil, and my favorite shortcut to flavor, McCormack Montreal Seasoning! Then I threw those steaks on the grill over medium high heat for 3 minutes per side and got medium rare, tasty, perfect, meaty steaks! Cue your inner cave man.. cause these babies are gonna deliver some tasty goodness! So, tonight, we're grilling and chilling... with the Patriot's Pre-Season Opener, tasty squash from our favorite farm stand, and incredible grilled meaty, juicy rib-eye steaks! With a little buttermilk mashed potatoes on the side! Perfect! No complaints! Entirely happy!!

Taco Tuesday! Chipotle Chicken and Killer Slaw!

So tonight's dinner literally took about 30 minutes to make. That's all! And, while not, completely from scratch, it was healthy, delicious, lean and full of nutrition! If you've seen the blog, you know grilled... ANYTHING... on a soft taco with fresh slaw is my favorite, a bit of an addiction... so here we go!! First, I started with the slaw! Super easy, fresh, and with a short cut! That's right, you can make this slaw in literally 5 minutes! First start with half a red cabbage (at least 3-4 cups, chopped), half a red onion chopped, 1-2 cups shredded carrots, and half cup of fresh cilantro. I just pulled the leaves off the stems and ripped them up with my hands and popped them in. Toss everything with this chipotle ranch dressing... super easy! We love this brand, but you could use a traditional mayo, vinegar, salt, sugar combo.... or your favorite dressing. Either way, chopping your own fresh local veggies is supremely better than any slaw you can buy!! So, now we have slaw! The only other thing to prepare tonight is our boneless chicken. Time to season! Tonight I liberally sprinkled my chicken with some salt, pepper, garlic powder, chipotle pepper, and some southwest seasoning. If you don't have all these flavors, you could use your own favorites... or simply salt, pepper and garlic powder. Next, I cleaned my grill, and sprayed with cooking oil (Pam), and popped those babies on to a medium high heat for about 3 minutes per side. After I was sure they were ready (3-4 minutes, depending on how hot your grill is), I flipped them and finished cooking for another 3 minutes! And that's all.... that's it! Grilled chicken and some killer slaw to go with it! So easy and super tasty together! Here's dinner Joe's way! 4 super sized soft tacos filled with grilled chipotle chicken, slaw, and a fresh squeeze of lime! Soooooo GOOD! Stevie's way.... 2 of those super tasty soft tacos... and a big glass of milk (might have been a little spicy for Stevie... but he loved them)!! So, try this super easy, super tasty combo... literally grill anything, any protein you love.... and pair it with some slaw... literally any crispy, fresh, crunchy slaw you love!! Always a winner!!!

Fresh and Local with Cod and Chase!!

Where I live, we're having an embarrassment of riches in the summer vegetable department... and fresh local spectacular veggies are everywhere! Cue Chase... this adorable neighbor dude just started his first, and very own veggie stand... IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD!!! Thank you Chase! You've not only inspired tonight's delicious dinner, but made this Gremlin Mom's day, knowing you're right around the corner.... So, behold... meet Chase, my new constituent and supplier for future Gremlin goodness!! Tonight we took some fresh basil and tomatoes from Chase... and had a great idea for a lean mean summer meal! The other inspiration for tonight's super simple super delicious dinner was Joe... who wanted fish... lean fish... so that's what he got! Tonight it's super simple pan seared cod with a side of garlicky pasta and zucchini topped with sliced fresh cherry tomatoes and basil.... oh, HECK YEAH!!!! So nothing screams summer like this... And this.... And you could basically stop at any corner farm stand, buy two dollars worth of fresh veggies, add your favorite pasta, and have a meal! But tonight we added some delicious fresh fish... cod... YUM! I started by prepping some garlic, about 4 cloves, chopped, and sliced my cherry tomatoes in half. I simply got my big saute pan (or cast iron) on medium high heat and tossed in the zucchini with a little olive oil, salt and pepper for about 3-5 minutes to cook. I added a teaspoon of that chopped garlic for the last minute of it's cooking time. Then, I pulled the barely cooked (and full of nutrition) zucchini out and parked it on the side while I cooked the fish. Next up... cod!! But while my fish cooked, I also cooked my pasta according to the directions on the box (duh...) and just tossed it with some store bought pesto... but I also remembered this trick I saved some of the pasta water and added it to the pasta! You know... so it wouldn't stick together as I tossed it with the pesto. Calorie math.... oil... empty calories. Water... no calories and perfect for this job! Now that the pasta is ready, I tossed it with the pesto and parked that on the side too, while I cooked this spectacular fish! These cod filets were pretty huge (just the way we like them), super fresh, and don't need to be messed with! All I did was add some salt and pepper... and that was it... that's all! Put the filets in a screamin' hot pan on high heat with some olive oil and sear each side for about 3 minutes! After 3 minutes,I added one little tablespoon of butter to the pan, and I carefully turned my fish, and let it go another 3 minutes. Please... don't tell Joe about the butter... I had to do it... and I'm glad I did, and that little pat of butter carried some serious flavor into that fish! "Nuff said! So, let's put it all together!!! Tonight's fabulous Chase inspired summer dinner... and Joe's fresh fish! First, I loaded my plate with the pasta and zucchini, then topped with all those fresh chopped tomatoes! Then, add some of that super tender succulent fish on the side, and you have a winner!! So good, house smells like garlicky goodness... Fresh cod, cooked super simply! Could not be easier. So, thank you Chase!! And thank you Joe! Happy Gremlin Mom with hungry boys, killer great summer veggies, fresh fish... and much to be grateful for!!!

Grilled Chicken BLT and Fresh Local Corn! Ahhh... Summahhhh!!!!

So, as usual, I am super excited to have not only my 3 boys home for dinner.... I have one of my favorite extra boys!!! Wooohooo! Boys in da' HOUSE! Happy Mom and happy eaters... and my dinner is super simple and ridiculously delicious!! Grilled chicken BLT's on homemade bread (focaccia) and simple fresh picked (6 hours ago) Hadley corn!! Nothing better! Here we go... First, the transport vessel for our summer sandwich of awesomeness... focaccia... simple flat bread! First, I took my favorite store bought bread dough and let it thaw and spread it over a sheet pan. You can make your flat bread as big or as little as you like. Tonight, we made our enormous!! Then, I drizzled some olive oil over the top and spread that dough with my fingers... putting dimples in the dough as I spread it! Last, I sprinkled some tasty flavor on that bread, poppy seeds, granulated onion, garlic powder and some sesame seeds... but you don't have to. It will be great either way! I cooked the bread in a 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes, or until golden and cooked through! BOOM! Awesome bread ready for some sandwich deliciousness!! Then, time for simple grilled boneless chicken breasts, super lean, packed with protein, and ready to please this house full of athletic marathon eaters!! All I did was butterfly the breasts in half (the long flat way... making 2 thinner pieces) with a sharp knife. I sprinkled my chicken with some salt and pepper and garlic powder and a little thyme. Then, grilled on medium high heat for about 3-4 minutes per side (depending on thickness), then pulled off the grill to rest. When done, the chicken will lose it's pink color, and seem opaque, firm, but NOT HARD... hard chicken is dry (shoe-leather) chicken... don't overcook the chicken!! And finally!!! The bacon! I cooked my thick cut bacon in a 375 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes until crisp and yummy! BLT's require super tasty salty, crispy bacon, and that's just what we got! So... to assemble the sandwich... split the focaccia and toast it for a minute or two, just to get crisp! Spread with your favorite mayo, slice up that grilled chicken and spread it all over! Top with your favorite lettuce (our was super fresh local red leaf lettuce picked about 10 hours ago... thank you western Mass), sliced tomato, and a few slices (or as many as you like), of that crispy salty bacon!! And here you have it... the simplest icon of a summer sandwich... made with love and grilled chicken goodness! BLT's done RIGHT! And a bunch of boys to share it with.... VERY happy Gremlinmom !!!

Burgers and Boys.... and Kick Ass Slaw!!! In 5 Minutes!!!

So... this is a familiar tale... burgers, wedges, and some sort of veggie, as in tonight's cole slaw!!! Dinner, Joe's way.... So, like I said, we took our humble potatoes.... cheap, easy, adaptable, and so eager to please... and chopped them into wedges, coated them with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and then propped them up like little soldiers.... And they will taste amazing this way!! We sprinkled some of our wedges with some cayenne pepper, because we like a little heat! After about 45 minutes in a 375 degree oven, your wedges will look like this!! And will be super tasty and crispy on the outside, tender, and creamy on the inside! Sooo flippin' GOOD! If you couldn't tell, already.... we're potato wedge JUNKIES!! And we can afford... and LOVE... this habit of awesomeness!! So, while Burgers are grilling.... Here's who stole the SHOW!! This freakin' amazing tangy, crispy, crunchy, creamy sweet slaw!! And it was so easy!!! First, I grabbed a red cabbage, chopped carrots, a red onion, and some cilantro from my friend's garden, and thought.... Heck Yeah.... This could be good!! First I chopped half of that red cabbage and added it with about 1 cup of the shredded carrots, about 1/3 of that red onion, and about a half cup of fresh cilantro (or to taste)! Chop and toss together and get ready to take the easy road to some tasty slaw with this creamy chipotle salad dressing. Tonight, I used about a quarter cup, or 4 tablespoons, with a little salt and pepper! Doesn't look fancy.... but make it, taste it, and you'll get addicted to this crispy crunchy fresh veggie side dish to everything and anything you eat this summer!!!