Smores on a Cedar Grilling Plank?

Emily Craner has graduated Eastern Washington University since we heard from her last. Gotta love a repeat blogger! Thanks for another great blog, Emily!

Sometimes, it may not feel like summer. These are the times in which one must urge summer to come on full-force, by sending the swirling smoke from the BBQ circling up into the air as a sacrifice.

I tried my best to do my part last weekend, with simple (yet TOTALLY delicious) chicken, veggie and fruit kabobs.

First we marinated the chicken in some tasty marinade plucked straight from the valleys of Leavenworth, Washington. Found in a little shop called A Matter of Taste and packed carefully home, it is a cracked pepper garlic marinade, and is a little spicy and a lot zesty. The fruit and veggies were tossed in it as well—pineapple, onions, peppers. Sigh. My mouth is watering as I write this.

After soaking the cedar grilling skewers for about twenty minutes, we loaded them up and tossed them on the barbie, watching carefully with spray bottle in hand (the cedar skewers, as skewers are wont to do, caught on fire. While thrilling, in the future I am planning on soaking them for a bit longer). They only took between 15-20 minutes to cook, but after that, it really just depends on your kabob preference. As a tasty side-note, we threw some blanched asparagus on as well, seasoned with the tried and true seasoning—5th Season garlic and onion salt. As another side-note, it is helpful to have a sidekick while planking or skewing. Such as, for example, your trusted dachshund.

Soon, the cedar grilling skewers were done, and we were left with a delicious bevvy of colors, smells, and taste sensations. Total prep time was no more than twenty minutes (not including the time the chicken marinated), and grill time was about the same. Not bad for a delicious, savory kick-off to summer.

Cedar Plank Grilled Orange Roughy with Fresh Tarragon

If you read this blog with any regularity, you know that I’m a huge fan of the Outdoor Gourmet company.  In fact, I’m quickly running through my supply of 100 percent  natural and sustainably  produced Cherry, Maple, and Cedar Grilling Planks  and will soon have to place another order! 

About the Guest Blogger:  Kevin Sandridge

Author of The BBQ Smoker Site, a blog that details products, reviews, new, recipes, competitions, and everything BBQ and native Floridian, Kevin knows his way around the 'cue. Got a question pertaining to cookin' it up on the grill, ask Kevin.

This is one of those things where it felt like my sock drawer had a collision with the ocean and my kitchen. Shrimp and cedar grilling wraps? Weird right?

I've heard of grilling salmon on cedar grilling planks, and even found a really sweet recipe last Christmas for plank grilled figs and pancetta. I didn't know however, you could buy sheets of wood so thin it's almost like paper. But I'm always up for new things, even though cooking meat successfully is difficult for me (I almost always ruin it or overcook it), and I definitely can't grill. What could be difficult about wrapping up some fresh seafood in paper and grilling it?

Nothing actually. It was as easy as it sounded.

The idea with cedar grilling wraps (or any plank grilling) is to soak the wood in water/juice/wine/whatever. Then when you grill your food on the soaked wood, you infuse your food with all the smokey goodness and flavor of the wood. I'm a newbie at this, so I soaked the cedar wraps in water for 20 min.

Probably one of the reasons I'm so bad with grilling, is I tend to forgo the recipe. In this case however, my lackadaisical cooking paid off, because this shrimp could not have tasted better.

I tossed together some olive oil and balsamic vinegar, with shrimp, cilantro, red bell pepper, red pepper flakes and garlic. And that was that. I really wish I could say it was harder- that I slaved away, or that it took an incredible amount of skill, but honestly it took about 10 min. The filling was ready to go by the time the grilling wrappers were done soaking.

Ingredients

1/2 lb Shrimp

3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves of garlic minced

half bunch of cilantro, chopped (if you don't like cilantro, you could use parsley)

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (omit these entirely if you don't like spicy food)

half bell pepper, diced

Salt to taste

Directions

First: Combine ingredients in a bowl, put half of mixture on each cedar wrap. Roll with the grain, tie with twine. Grill on med high for 3 min/side. I arranged the shrimp mixture on the soaked Outdoor Gourmet Cedar Grilling Wraps like I was making a burrito.

Then: wrapped it up and tied it with twine. The hardest part was finding the end to the twine. (don't judge me...ahem)

Next: Grilled it on Medium-High...three min on each side and it was done!

Finally: I served it with wild rice pilaf and salad with a cucumber dill dressing (the coolness of cucumber dill dressing helped tone down the spiciness of the shrimp).

Jim gave it an enthusiastic thumbs up...the kids liked it ok, but weren't a fan of the spiciness. I can't wait to try planked chicken next.

Let’s get one thing straight: I am not a cook. Mostly I make PB n' J, chicken pasta with jarred alfredo sauce and things that were once frozen. However, I was extremely excited when I was asked to do this blog. I’ve never cedar planked anything in my life, but cedar grilling planked salmon is one of my favorite foods in the world. I enthusiastically chose a recipe from outdoorgourmet.com (maple cedar grilling planked salmon) and commenced preparations. Since I was cooking anyway, I decided to turn it into a par-tay, Schweitzer style.

So I spread the word, bought ingredients and said some prayers for the turnout. And it was a blast. The night started out fairly typical of me trying to cook: I had foolishly placed my jar of sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil in the fridge, and all the oil congealed into a solid mass. Also, as I was hand-shelling pistachios, I managed to spill half of them on the floor. (What to do, what to do…well, a little floor spice never hurt anyone). Placing the jar of tomatoes in a glass of hot water melted the oil back to liquid form. Soon after that, the drinks started flowing and things started looking up.

First I made the appetizer, which wasn’t as easy as I thought. I got the recipe from the Food Network and it said prep time would be 20 minutes. False. Maybe if you bought already shelled and crushed pistachios, but that’s not the way I roll. I also fought a hard-won battle with the goat cheese. But, it was delicious and a huge hit with everyone.

After the food had been devoured, an intense game of Apples to Apples commenced. Someone, who shall remain nameless, got a little too competitive for his own good (...or maybe it was the beer?) and got a little rowdy every time he won. But it was all in good fun.

Overall, the experience was amazing and I’m so glad I got to share it with some of my favorite people. Even my dad came up for the big event. I think what I learned from this experience is that cooking some great food is an awesome way to bring people together…maybe I’ll have to start doing it more often! Welcome to Your Weekend!

Outdoor Gourmet Maple Plank Salmon, KR style

2lbs. fresh salmon

Brown Sugar

Salt

Pepper

Crushed pistachios

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle brown sugar, salt and pepper on salmon. Cover with crushed pistachios and bake for 20-25 minutes or until fish is light pink throughout

Aunt Julie’s Salad

Dressing:

½ cup sugar (I probably used less than ¼ cup)

½ cup apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon grated red onion

½ teaspoon dry mustard

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil)

Salad:

1 bag fresh spinach

¾ finely chopped red apples

Desired amount red onion

Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl and mix. Then combine with spinach, apples and onions in a large bowl. Toss and serve.

Tomato and Goat Cheese Skewers

1 jar sundried tomatoes, packed in oil

8-10oz log of goat cheese, chilled

Half bunch of fresh basil

1 cup pistachio nuts, finely chopped

20 cocktail skewers

Cut goat cheese log in half lengthwise. Cut each half into 10 pieces and roll into balls. Roll each of the goat cheese balls in shallow bowl of crushed pistachios so half of each ball is covered. Place on chilled baking sheet. Drain tomatoes and pat dry with a paper towel. Fold one tomato around a fresh basil leaf and skewer to the goat cheese balls. Repeat with remaining skewers.

Note about the return guest blogger- Jake Donahue

Jake is a man of many talents- he makes a living as a designer, writer, photographer, multimedia-er (check out his stuff at www.donahuemediagroup.com) but he makes a stir when at the grill. Thanks Jake!

Since I first learned of the miracle that is cedar-plank grilling, I’ve been thinking about what to ‘cue almost every day. Whether a flank steak or salmon, eggplant or bread, my mouth is running faster than my mind. And as great as my charred concoctions may be, my health-conscious wife will only let me grill every so often – apparently red meat isn’t as good for you as, say, most everything else? Nevertheless, I still stand in awe of the cedar grilling plank.

Oh, sure, I could Google a never-ending array of recipes, but how fun is that? What’s more, why try something that you know works well? Especially when there’s a chance you can produce planked perfection or barbecue brilliance all on your own.

Nay, I say and for today I create my own recipe!

Side Note: When it comes to mixing flames and flammable cooking materials, don’t just read the instructions – adhere to them like a child’s diaper! Some idiot before you (somebody like me) has already tempted fate by neglecting the rules. So, please, unless you want to risk burning down your house (or marriage), follow the directions!

That being said, I obviously did not. While I was instructed to soak the cedar plank for 1-2 hours, I decided to forgo any advice and dunk it for no more than 30 minutes. To see why that is a bad idea, check out what happened:

Anyway, as for the recipe itself, it turned out quite well. I mustered my own marinade and soaked the meat for a solid 45 minutes (not in the fridge). Some people say to always marinate in the fridge, but as far as I’m concerned, anything less than an hour is fine on the counter. It seems to me that if the meat is less-cold, it absorbs the juices more thoroughly.

I've got to say that my final experiment was my favorite. Corn dog! I thawed the dog for half an hour before wrapping it in a cedar wrap that had soaked for half an hour. Cook time was only twelve minutes, and good thing. This was the most delectable scent coming from the grill, wafting through the cold winter air, making my mouth water uncontrollably. I unwrapped it, smothered it in mustard, and had a feast of epic proportions. It was so scrumptious. If you never thought the word “scrumptious” could describe a corn dog, think again! The dog paired nicely with a refreshing glass of Antioxidant Cherry 7-Up over ice. I think it might be important for one to antioxidize after ingesting a frozen burrito, hot pocket, and a corn dog.

Welcome to your weekend.

Note about the guest blogger- Veronica Culver

Veronica Culver is a marketing professional in the high tech industry by day, and by night she is the author, photographer, chief cook and bottle washer for the innovative food blog The Enchanted Cook. She is an "eclectic eater" and loves to share her recipes, food and travel experiences.

Mmmm, warm melty brie crusted with sliced almonds and chewy dried cranberries, drizzled with honey...what a delicious small plate! Just perfect for the holidays, or any time of the year.

Imagine a cold snowy day, a warm crackling fire blazing away in the fireplace and everyone gathered around chatting after a long day of skiing enjoying this melted Brie with a glass of Chardonnay before dinner. Sounds like fun to me!

Outdoor Gourmet, environmentally-conscious maker of gourmet grilling planks made from reclaimed wood, was kind enough to send me a sample pack of some of their items to try. Their Fromagier Line of planks really caught my eye.

Along with the instructions they included great serving suggestions

Just soak the plank submerged in water for at least an hour before using.

After your plank has soaked for an hour, it's ready for use.

Maple Planked Brie

Outdoor Grill 400 degrees F

Serves 4-6 as an appetizer

Ingredients:

1 7-inch x 7-inch Outdoor Gourmet Maple Plank, pre-soaked in water

1 wedge Brie cheese (I used Supreme French Brie)

2 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons sliced almonds

2 Tablespoons dried cranberries

Place the wedge of Brie in the center of the plank. Drizzle with half of the honey, then arrange slices of almonds on top and press on the sides. Sprinkle with cranberries and drizzle with remaining honey.

Place plank with Brie directly on grill and close the lid. Check brie after a few minutes to see if it is melted. I used a particularly soft and creamy Brie, so it only took about 5 minutes or so. Once melted, remove from grill and serve immediately with slices of French baguette and/or crackers.

I love companies like Outdoor Gourmet that are environmentally responsible. They source their raw material in a way that respects the environment. They don't cut down any trees; instead, they recycle seconds (off grade lumber).

Welcome to your weekend!

Note about the guest blogger- Crysta Evanenko.

Crysta lives and attends nursing school in Walla Walla, Washington. She is a planking aficionado, love pie with good coffe, and is the owner of often-featured Trucker- the Trusty Labra-Mutt. Thanks for the great recipe, Crysta!

Pumpkin pie- so seasonal and not just for breakfast anymore! There is nothing better than a slice of homemade pumpkin pie, a dollop of whipped cream and a cup or two of coffee. Yes, I realize that there are “real” holidays that each have special significances ‘round this time of year, but for me, pumpkin pie is the reason for the season.

Around my place, it's easy to know when the holiday season is starting to ramp up- Mom starts complaining about the size of her kitchen; “it’s too small” “I need another oven” or “get the heck out of here! I’m trying to cook!”. This year, I started thinking about how I could help contribute to the holiday fare without taking up precious kitchen space.

Brilliance struck! I could plank pumpkin on the grill and save a ton of time. Brilliant and delicious! I rummaged through my cache of grilling planks and couldn’t decide on a wood type, so I tried a few. Grill-based trial and error brought me to a discovery- I wouldn’t recommend using a cedar or hickory planks with something as delicately flavored as pumpkin. I found these more distinctive wood flavors overpowered the “squashiness” that I wanted to come through in my pie. On the other hand, Trucker the trusty Labra-mutt was one happy pooch, as he was the beneficiary of several batches of test pumpkin.

After several trial grilling sessions, I settled on the Outdoor Gourmet Maple Grilling Planks as the wood flavor best for my purpose. My pumpkin was lightly infused with subtle, sweet maple wood smoke flavor. And Mom was so impressed by my “out of the kitchen” thinking- we had a very nice, planked pumpkin pie breakfast together.

So here is how it’s done…

Maple-Planked Pumpkin Pie Filling!

Ingredients

2 c. cooked pumpkin

1 can evaporated milk

3 teas. pumpkin pie spice

1 T. cinnamon

2 teas. ground ginger

½ c. real maple syrup

1/4 c. brown sugar (if you like your pies sweeter, add ¼ c more sugar)

2 eggs

Directions

First thing you need to do is- pick up a sugar pumpkin from your local grocery store, farmers market, or neighbor’s pumpkin patch. Sugar pumpkins are smaller and have a stronger pumpkin flavor than a carving pumpkin. You’re also going to need a couple Outdoor Gourmet maple grilling planks. It’s best to soak the planks overnight because maple is a hard wood.

Next- Preheat grill to medium heat (300 degrees). Scrub, split and seed your sugar pumpkin. Put aside your seeds to bake them off in your oven with a little salt and have a delicious snack. Cover pre-soaked planks and seeded pumpkin halves with aluminum foil. The pumpkin flesh should be face down on the planks- aids in absorbing smoke and maple infused water vapor. The stick in on the grill!

Then- Smoke for 15-25 mins. and carefully remove planks and pumpkin from grill. A knife should easily slide though the pumpkin. Open the tin foil and let the pumpkin to cool down. Scoop out the pumpkin meat being careful not to include the skin. I recommend using a food processer to make the pumpkin smooth and creamy. You now have pumpkin for a pie filling!

Add- all ingredients, excluding the eggs. Fold together and taste. If the balance of spices if to you liking, add eggs. If not, please feel free to add more or less of any of the spices for your family’s taste.

Pour filling into pie crust.In my family we use the Krusties’ pie mix and all we have to do is add water and end up with beautiful crusty/tasty pie crust. The only place we have found it is at Cash n’ Carry, but I would recommend asking your local grocery store to stock it. It is fantastic time saver.

Finally- Bake for 35 to 40 mins. at 400 degrees. Allow to cool, then top with something good or enjoy this pie as a stand-alone. Enjoy!

Welcome to your weekend! -KB

This week, I have a guest blogger! My friend Dave was good enough to give a bit of insider info on the commercial fishing industry in Bristol Bay, AK.

Thanks Dave! Welcome to your weekend. -KB

Winter has finally given way to a beautiful spring here in the Northwest. This spring, before we know it, will become summer, where the Alaskan fishing industry will quietly swing into full gear.

When we bring salmon home from the store to enjoy a wonderful meal, we might not consider exactly how this particular salmon got to our dinner plate. Like all our foodstuffs, the salmon was once a living “breathing” organism. In the next few months we will track some of the various life-cycles of herring and salmon while also providing an insight into the fishing industry. The fishing industry most familiar to this author is commercial fishing district of Bristol Bay, Alaska. Bristol Bay is located roughly 300 miles west of Anchorage. Bristol Bay is home to five river districts that provide some of the largest and richest runs of sockeye salmon (also known as red salmon) in the world.

In order for this fishery to remain a viable and natural resource the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) controls these rivers to ensure that escapement numbers are reached. What are escapement numbers? Escapement numbers are the fish allowed to return to the spawning grounds to reproduce. For instance, in 2009, according to the ADF&G, the total salmon returning to Bristol Bay was 40.43 million fish, of which 9.53 million sockeye were allowed to escape. The ADF&G predicts a slightly smaller run this year of 39.77 million fish, where 8.01 million fish are allotted for escapement and 31.76 million fish are allotted for processing. These numbers, for this area of Alaska, are fairly typical over the recent years. Why are escapement numbers important? These fish that escape and reproduce provide this renewable and precious resource that allows us to enjoy a delicious source of protein while maintaining the delicate balance of the Alaskan eco-system.

At an average selling price of $0.70 per pound in 2009 (for sockeye), fishermen make some or all of their living in this relatively short six week season. Fishermen generally have a contract to fish for a certain processing company which buys their entire catch. From the moment of catch, to the processing facility, and beyond to your local seafood department, quality control remains paramount. Processors are charged with the responsibility of preparing the salmon safely for the specific market buying them. For instance, some processors focus on specialty markets such as smokehouses while others fill industrial sized orders. In later entries we shall discuss the specific processes that go into preparing an average salmon for the market.

Fishing in the Naknek River

Although the average salmon season lasts only six short weeks in Bristol Bay, there is no lack of preparation that goes into a typical salmon season. No matter whether one works on the fishing boats or on land in a processing facility the fishing industry is grueling work. While sockeye salmon may reign king in Bristol Bay during the months of June and July, Pink and Coho Salmon have later or more abundant runs in August and September in other parts of Alaska. Salmon is not the only marine fishing in Alaska. From Crab to Pollock Alaska provides an extraordinary amount of marine produce for the world to enjoy.

As Discovery’s Deadliest Catch has illustrated, fishing remains a dangerous job. However tough and dangerous work there is to be done, the American spirit remains well and alive to accomplish the task. If one is well motivated and resilient one can typically find decent employment in this industry.

On the other hand, sport fishing is also abundant and should be taken advantage of given the opportunity. The natural wonders of Alaska are awe inspiring with thousands of acres of national parks. Given the opportunity, Katmai National Park should not be overlooked. For as little as $200 (accessible by plane from King Salmon, AK) visitors can walk amongst the bears and visit Brooks Falls.

Bears dueling for Salmon – Katmai Nat. Park (Brooks Falls)