Thrill of the grill on Father’s Day

Show off those grilling skills on Father’s Day with a grilled ribeye steak, grilled corn-on-the-cob, grilled pork chops and grilled veggie kabobs. Chef Joey Tomas from Kroger shows show food radio talk show host Cleverley Stone how to do it.

For more information about food, wine and dining in Houston,
listen to Cleverley’s radio show Saturdays at Noon on Talk 650 AM.
(By the way, she gives out restaurant gift cards on every radio show!)


Grilled Ribeye Steak
Chef Joey Thomas, The Kroger Co.

Ingredients

  • One steak, 16-22 ounces, 1-1 ½ inches thick
  • One bottle of Shiner Bock beer
  • Rosemary, 3 sprigs
  • Thyme, 3 sprigs
  • Kroger Brand Grill Time Steak Seasoning
  • Vegetable or Olive Oil

Directions
1. Marinate steak for 5 hours in beer and herbs, refrigerate.
2. Remove from marinade and pat dry then allow to sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.
3. Apply generous amount of seasoning.
4. Preheat grill and lightly oil grate.
5. Add steak to grill, cook for 4 minutes then turn steak to a 45 degree angle and cook another 4 minutes.
6. Flip steak and repeat steps.


Grilled Corn-on-the-Cob

Ingredients

  • 6 ears of corn, in the husk
  • Butter
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
  • Vegetable or Olive Oil

Directions
1. Preheat grill and lightly oil grate.
2. Before grilling, peel down husk and add butter, salt and pepper, and seasoning.
3. Close husk and tightly wrap in aluminum foil.
4. Cook approximately 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until corn is tender.


Grilled Pork Chops

Ingredients

  • 1 boneless pork loin
  • Garlic and Peppercorn Dry Rub (Kroger Brand or your favorite brand)
  • Vegetable or Olive Oil

Directions
1. Preheat grill and lightly oil grate.
2. Slice chops from roast, 1 inch thick.
3. Brush with oil and apply dry rub.
4. Place on grill and cook 8 minutes per side.


Veggie Kabobs

Ingredients

  • Vegetables of your choice like bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, etc. (or purchase preassembled kabobs at grocery store)
  • Balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing (bottled or make your own)

Directions
1. Preheat grill and lightly oil grate.
2. Brush kabobs with vinaigrette.
3. Place on grill and cook for 15-20 minutes, until tender.

Haven Dishes for Houston Restaurant Week

Haven restaurant is participating in Houston Restaurant Week, continuing through August 21st.  Executive chef and partner Randy Evans shows us how to make three dishes that are on his menu: Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes with Squash Blossom Sauce & Corn Relish; Flat Iron Steak with Roasted Potato Hash & 1015 Onions and Texas Fruit Ambrosia.  Evans is a graduate of the culinary program at the Art Institute of Houston. Prior to opening his own restaurant, Haven, he was the executive chef for Brennan’s, a Houston dining landmark. Evans also shows us a sample of a 3 course dinner that will be available at Haven during Houston Restaurant Week benefiting the Houston Food Bank. For details visit www.HoustonRestaurantWeek.com.
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Appetizer – Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes with Squash Blossom Sauce & Corn Relish
Serves 5
Ingredients for Crab Cakes
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon Creole seafood seasoning
Juice of ½ a lime
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
1 tablespoon oil
1 recipe squash blossom sauce (see recipe below)
1 recipe corn relish
1 recipe pea shoot salad
Ingredients for Squash Blossom Sauce
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 small 1015 onion, chopped into 1/4-inch dice
2 cups vegetable stock or chicken broth
1 small boiling potato, peeled and roughly chopped
12 large (3 to 4-inch) squash blossoms
½ cup milk
1 small zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 large ear of corn, husked, kernels cut from the cob
1/2 cup crème fraiche
Salt to taste
Ingredients for Corn Relish
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup roasted corn (about 1 ear)
1 tablespoon fire-roasted poblano peppers, skinned, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon minced 1015 onion
2 squash blossoms, sliced into strips
Ingredients for Pea Shoot Salad
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons Steen’s sugarcane vinegar
1 teaspoon Steen’s sugarcane syrup
¼ cup sweet pea shoots
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation for the Crab Cakes

1. In a bowl, combine the corn, peppers, mayonnaise, parsley, seafood seasoning, lime juice, salt and pepper; add crab and fold together, taking care to not break up the crabmeat.
2. Then pack the mixture into 2½-inch metal cookie cutter rings. Heat oil in a large cast-iron pan or griddle over medium heat.
Place rings in the pan. Cook crab cakes for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Set aside.
Preparation for the Squash Blossom Sauce
1. In a soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the broth and potato, partially cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
2. Add the blossoms to the broth and simmer 3 more minutes.  Add the milk; bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes more.
Add the zucchini and corn, simmer a couple of more minutes and remove from the heat. Stir in the cream, taste, and season with salt. Puree the mixture and set aside.
Preparation for the Corn Relish
1. In a small sauté pan heat the oil over medium high and add ingredients and cook until onions are translucent.
Adjust the seasoning to taste. Set aside.
Preparation for the Pea Shoot Salad
1. In a bowl combine the oil, vinegar and syrup. Add pea shoots; toss and season to taste.
Presentation
1. Ladle Squash Blossom Sauce to cover plate. Center a crab cake on it and gently slide off rings.
Top with Corn Relish and Pea Shoot Salad and serve.
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Entree – Flat Iron Steak with Roasted Potato Hash & 1015 Onions
Flat Iron Steak with Roasted Potato Hash & 1015 Onions
Serves 4
Ingredients for Steak
4 flat iron steaks
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
Ingredients for Potato Hash
4 new potatoes, quartered
2 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/2 small onion, julienned
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
Ingredients for 1015 Onion Relish
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large 1015 onion, sliced
2 tablespoons white wine
1 tablespoon cold butter
Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation for 1015 Onion Relish
1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over low heat.
Add onion and cook 10 to 15 minutes, or until caramelized.
2. Add wine and cook until reduced.
3. Remove from heat stir in cold butter. Season the onions with salt & pepper.

Preparation for Potato Hash
1. Pre-heat an oven at 400°F.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine ingredients and place on a baking pan in a single layer.
Bake in oven for 30 minutes until potatoes are tender.
Preparation for Steak
1. Rub steaks with oil and season with salt & pepper.
2. Grill over high heat for 2 minutes on each side.
Place under broiler and cook until desired doneness.
3. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Presentation
Place a spoonful of potato hash in center of the plate.
Place the grilled steak on top of hash and top with onion relish.
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Dessert – Texas Fruit Ambrosia
Serves 12
Ingredients
2 peaches, peeled & sliced
2 plums, peeled & sliced
4 figs, quartered
2 Rio Queen navel oranges, segmented. Reserve the juice.
½ cup blackberries
½ cup blueberries
¼ cup pecan pieces
2 tablespoons toasted coconut
Ingredients for Lemon Curd
½ cup lemon juice
½ tablespoon lemon zest
1¼ cup sugar
4 eggs
1 sticks butter
Ingredients for Peach Sorbet
(makes 12 cups)
4 cups peach puree (made from 4 cups of sliced fresh peaches, pureed)
4 cups simple syrup (2 Qt water: 2½ cups sugar: 2 cups corn syrup)
5 cups water
Juice of half a lemon
Preparation for Lemon Curd
1. Over a double boiler, add lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar and eggs.
Stir constantly – if you stop, the eggs will curdle.
When mix has become thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, remove from heat.
2. Add butter cubes and stir until completely incorporated.
3. Transfer curd to a shallow rectangular baking pan, cover with plastic directly
over top and refrigerate.
Preparation for Peach Sorbet
1. Combine the puree and simple syrup.
2. Add enough water to bring the mixture to between 16 & 20° Baume.
(You can use a saccharometer to measure this. Usually available at kitchen supply stores.)
3. Add the lemon juice.
4. Process in ice cream maker.
Presentation
1. In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients (fruits, pecans, toasted coconut, lemon curd)
except the sorbet.
2. Gently fold the ingredients to combine them. Try not to break up fruits into small pieces.
3. Place a scoop of fruit mixture in individual dessert bowl and top with a scoop of the peach sorbet.
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Web links: www.HavenHouston.com, www.HoustonRestaurantWeek.com, www.Cleverley.com
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For more information about food, wine and dining in Houston, catch Cleverley’s radio show,
Saturdays at Noon on Talk 650 AM. (PS: She gives out free restaurant gift certificates on every radio show!)==================================

Texas Shrimp & Corn Make for Green Cooking

They say it’s not easy being “green,” but this chef says by just buying food that is produced locally, you can reduce your carbon footprint.

Chef Randy Evans from Haven Restaurant shares why local foods are eco-friendly, and cooks with a Texas treat with shrimp and corn.

Wild Texas Shrimp w/ Crushed Texas Corn

Makes 6 appetizers

1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp (16-20 count)

Salt and pepper to taste

3 slices thick cut bacon finely diced

1½ cups thinly sliced baby bella or shiitake mushrooms

1 clove shaved garlic

½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 recipe Crushed corn

¼ cup thinly sliced green onions

 

Crushed Corn Sauce

3 ears yellow corn (approx. 3 cups)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup small diced 1015 onion

1 clove shaved garlic

2 cups shrimp

1 cup milk

Juice of ½ lime

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon white pepper

FOR THE SAUCE

Remove kernels from cobs. Scrape the cobs with the back of a knife and add milked corn to the kernels. Set cobs aside. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat; sauté the corn, onion, and garlic for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add reserved cobs and cover with stock and milk. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove and discard cobs. Add lime juice, salt and pepper. Purée half of the sauce in a blender and add back to the sauce pan.

FOR THE SHRIMP

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat; render bacon lardons until almost crispy. Add mushrooms and garlic cook for 3-4 minutes until most of the moisture has evaporated. Season the shrimp on both sides with salt and pepper. Add shrimp to the pan and once the shrimp are almost cooked, but still slightly gray in the center, deglaze pan with wine. Add the thyme and allow shrimp to cook through.

TO PLATE

 

Spoon crushed corn in center of a shallow bowl. Spoon the bacon mushroom mixture around the bowl and place 3 shrimp on the crushed corn. Garnish with a sprinkling of green onions.

 

 

 

Roasted Corn, Scallions, Fennel and Pumpkin Pancake

Source: Maarten Smeets, Chef of Radisson Aruba Resort

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dry pancake mix
  • 2/3 cup cold water
  • 1tbsp veg oil
  • 2 cups roasted corn kernels
  • 1/3 cup scalliooons, chopped
  • 3 tbsp fennel chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups pumpkin filling

Directions:

  1. Place pancake mix in bowl, add water and vegetable oil and stir to blend.
  2. Add remaining ingredients and stir to blend.
  3. Cook on medium – flip pancake when edges start to brown and bubbling
    occurs in the center
  4. Set aside.