Grilled Yam Salad

Grilled Yam Salad

3 yams
2 red bell peppers (or orange or yellow)
1 sweet onion
olive oil
1 avocado, diced
1 C cherry tomatoes (or more)
3 T cilantro, minced
1 lime juiced
salt

Peel yams and slice length wise, place in large bowl. Slice pepper in 3 big pieces, remove seeds, place in bowl with yams.  Drizzle with olive oil and toss in the bowl with tongs until olive oil covers peppers and yams well.  Slice onion into 1/2 inch thick slices, leave slices together.   Preheat grill on high for a few minutes, then turn heat to low and place yams and peppers on the grill.  Oil onions and place on grill also.  Shut grill to help yams cook well. Watch carefully.  You want a little char, but not too much. When cooked through, remove from grill, dice into desired size pieces and put in a bowl. Add diced avocado, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice and toss to coat.  Salt to taste.

*I'm in love with this salad right now and have made it the last 3 weekends to accompany whatever we are grilling! I even switched up the flavors last weekend and did fresh basil and balsamic vinegar instead of cilantro and lime juice.  Hans liked that even more.  If I'm making a big batch, I store it in the fridge without the avocado and just add the avocado when I serve it.  I prefer it room temp or a little warm, when it's cold, the flavors aren't as lovely.

BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad

BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad

grilled chicken chopped in 1 inch or smaller pieces (marinate in lowry’s mesquite lime and grill)
1-2 C shredded cabbage
1 head romaine lettuce chopped
1-2 tomatoes chopped
4 green onions chopped
1 C thawed frozen sweet corn
1 C black beans drained and rinsed
1 C jicama diced or julienned
1 C red pepper diced
1 C shredded jack cheese
1 C avocado diced
1 C coarse crushed corn chips

Mix ½ C BBQ sauce with ¼ ranch dressing (lighthouse peppercorn ranch or homemade ranch). Toss together all ingredients and mix in dressing to taste.  Serve with extra chips and fresh lime juice.

** This recipe was created 10 plus years ago after my first trip to California Pizza Kitchen and having this salad.  I studied it, had my friend Shannon order it the next week and list off the ingredients to me over the phone, and I made it.  Now we have CPK here, but funny thing is...I like my salad better!

** I find that this salad is best served at a party with the cheese, avacado, chips and dressing on the side.  Then if the salad isn't eaten in one sitting, it stays fresh. Great for a big group and so yummy at a BBQ!

*PS Thanks Kate for the photo!

BBQ Ribs

BBQ Ribs

Ribs ( I use the baby back ribs pre-packed at Costco)
Onion
Salt
Breanna's BBQ Sauce

Place ribs in a large stock pot. If needed, cut slabs in half to help fit into pot.  Cover with water.  Slice onion and pour in some salt (2 T ? Depends on how much water).  Turn on heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours, or until the meat on the ribs is fork tender.   Place ribs on a platter and cover, or wrap in plastic wrap and tin foil.  Refrigerate for  3-5 hours or over night.

About 30 minutes before serving time, heat BBQ to high.  Arrange ribs on the preheated BBQ, and cook, turning and basting with Breanna's BBQ sauce, for about 20 minutes or until heated through.  Remove from heat, slice and serve.

**Most requested birthday dinner at our house!

Breanna's Coleslaw

Breanna's Coleslaw

2 1/2 lb green cabbage, cored and cut into 3-inch chunks, then finely shredded

1 medium sweet onion finely chopped

1 large yellow, orange or red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 large carrot, coarsely grated

OR

A bag of coleslaw mix

A bag of matchstick carrots

1 medium sweet onion finely chopped

1 large yellow, orange or red bell pepper, finely chopped

Dressing:

1 1/4 C mayonnaise

1/3 C cider vinegar

2 t sugar

1 t salt 

1 t pepper

Whisk together mayo, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Toss with slaw mixture.  Chill, covered, stirring often, for at least 1 hour. (One day ahead works great too.)

Serve on BBQ Pork Sandwiches.

BBQ Pork

BBQ Pork

boneless pork roast
BBQ sauce (recipe below)

Place roast in crock pot on low. Pour 1-2 C BBQ sauce over roast and let cook.  After about 6 hours, check roast and see if it is ready to shred.  Add more sauce if needed.  Can cook up to 8 hours depending on size (I know very scientific).

Serve on buns that have been buttered and toasted (a must at our house) and if you want to take it a step further into bliss, serve it with Breanna's Coleslaw (yes, in the sandwich).

Breanna's BBQ Sauce

2 C ketchup
2 C tomato suace
1 1/4 C brown sugar
1 1/4 C red wine vinegar
1/2 C unsulfured molassaes
4 t hickory or mesquite flavored liquid smoke
2 T butter
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t chili powder
1 t paprika
1/2 t celery seed
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1 t salt
1 t coarsely ground black pepper

In a large saucepan over medium heat, mix together the ketchup, tomato sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, molasses, liquid smoke and butter.  Season with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, celery seed, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper.

Reduce heat to low, and simmer for up to 20 minutes. For thicker sauce, simmer longer, and for thinner, less time is needed.  Sauce can also be thinned using a bit of water.