Balsamic Vinegar Marinade
Note from Cheri:
I came up with this recipe to use in my Grilled Vegetable Salad with Goat Cheese, but it also works great as a meat or chicken marinade. If you plan on using this marinade on beef or lamb, substitute red for white wine.
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 tsp. fresh rosemary
1 tsp. fresh oregano
2/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1 cup dry red or white (depending on what your using the marinade for) wine
Mix all ingredients together. Marinade meat for several hous or overnight and grill. Use also to marinate vegetables, as in our Grilled Vegetable Salad with Goat Cheese.
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Grilled Vegetable Salad with Goat Cheese
I love this great grilled salad served either hot of the grill or cooled to room temperature. It even works chilled, but I prefer it warm. While I usually use my balsamic vinegar marinade, but most any marinade will work.
Adding the goat cheese on top of the hot vegetables makes it melt, making a creamy "dressing."
Use any mixture of grilled vegetables you like. My grilled vegetable salads usually include some combination of the following: red and yellow cherry tomatoes, zucchini, yellow or other summer squash, Vidalia onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, Belgian endive, parboiled potatoes, asparagus, artichoke hearts, eggplant. Use whatever vegetables you like.
4 cups mixed vegetables, cut for grilling
1 recipe balsamic vinegar marinade (follow link for recipe)
4 oz. crumbled goat cheese
Serves 4
Marinate vegetables in balsamic vinegar marinade (or marinade of your choice) for at least an hour. Grill vegetables over hot coals until somewhat charred on the outside and tender on the inside (about 10-20 minutes, depending on the vegetable). Remove from grill and place hot vegetables on plates and top with crumbled goat cheese. Serve.
Note
Cut the vegetables into small chunks. If vegetable pieces are too thick, the inside won't cook while the outside will burn. For grilling, you can either thread chunks of vegetables onto skewers or use a grill basket. This handy gadget is available wherever barbecue supplies are sold and prevents cut vegetables from falling through the grate.
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Homemade Prepared Horseradish
Note from Cheri:
Instead of buying prepared horseradish, here's an easy way to make your own at home -- cheaper and no preservatives!
11/2 cups peeled horseradish root, cut into small pieces
1 cup vinegar (I like cider vinegar)
3 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
Makes About 2 Cups
Put all ingredients in a blender and puree. Cover and store in refrigerator. Be careful when handling the hoseradish root, as it is strong!
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Horseradish Cream Dipping Sauce
3 T prepared horseradish with beets
1 C light sour cream
salt to taste
Combine ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and mix well. Season to taste with salt.
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Steak and Burger Marinade
This isn't really a marinade, but rather a sauce that you brush on the meat while it's cooking. You can also use it for veggie burgers or portabella mushrooms and for food being cooked on the stove top or barbeque. The sauce will keep in your refrigerator for several weeks.
The recipe is inspired by a sauce made by Jonnie Parkinson, a former owner of Biloxi, Mississippi's Project Lounge. The Lounge is a local hangout that's known for having the best burgers or steak sandwiches anywhere. This sauce is the reason.
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup Worchestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
6 minced garlic cloves
1/4 tsp. black pepper
hot sauce to taste
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
Combine all ingredients. Generously brush both sides of steak or burger with sauce. Place on grill or pan and use a pastry or sauce brush to brush on additional sauce while meat cooks.
ENJOY!!!!!
