GRILLED

Ahhhhhhhh.

It's starting to feel like SUMMER.  It's finally warm.  The days are looooong:  that 5:30am CF class doesn't seem so unreasonable when it's light out and working all day doesn't seem so bad when you have hours of daylight left after you get home.  School is winding down:  Dylan graduates from St. Joan of Arc on Saturday.  Noah's finals start on Tuesday.  Corey's lifeguarding job has started.  It feels GREAT.

You know what else feels great?  Firing up the grill.  This week we had two quintessential summer meals.

Grilled Steak Salad

Marinade a couple flank steaks in equal parts balsamic and olive oil, add a few good dashes of worcestershire, then some garlic, kosher salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes and a chopped onion or shallots. Marinade as long as possible - overnight in fridge or at least an hour at room temp,

Prep the salad:  wash a bunch of greens, chop cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, etc

Arrange them on a platter

 grill or oven roast asparagus and zucchini that has been coated in olive oil and salt & pepper.  If grilling, turn frequently over med heat until tender but not mushy.  Cool then cut into large chunks

Steam some corn, let cool, then shear the corn from the cob and arrange on the platter.

 

Discard the marinade and grill the steak over medium heat, 7 minutes per side.  take off grill and cover with foil and let it rest for ten minutes, then slice against the grain.

 Make a little balsamic vinaigrette and drizzle over the top of the salad.  

Marinated Grilled Salmon, quinoa and lemon green beans

Marinade a salmon fillet or two in approx 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup each veg oil and sesame oil, 

a few tablespoons of rice vinegar, some garlic (a few crushed cloves) and some pepper.  Marinade in a zip lock all day, if possible.

Grill it for 10 minutes or so, depending on thickness.  The key to salmon staying together is start grilling it skin side up on a greased grill, then carefully flip at about 5 minutes and it holds together and looks great.

Cook up some quinoa.  I use 1/2 chicken broth, half water for the liquid to give it some more flavor.

Steam up some trimmed green beans in a couple inches of water for just a couple minutes.  Drain the water. 

Zest half a lemon over the top then squeeze that half right onto the green beans . Add a TON of black pepper and a little salt. 

Yeah, summer!!

Asheville

How can one return to the pedestrian tasks of life like working and cooking after an epic wedding weekend?  How? 

Sigh.  I guess one must.  But it aint easy.  Because this weekend?  This weekend was about weddings and celebrations and love and wisdom and family. 

This weekend my sister Julie Corey married John Kelley in Asheville, North Carolina, their home.  It was magical.  Start to finish, it was a celebration of love, of family and of life's most essential lessons.  But most of all it was a celebration of Julie and John. 

Can I tell you about it? I know this is a food blog but a) we ate a lot of food and b) this is really what it's all about, right?

A few observations and favorite moments:

Julie is a master party planner and hostess. You'd think she did this for a living.  Oh, she does!  But still, when it's your own gig you'd think it'd get a tad overwhelming or stressful.  She was the epitome of calm and efficient and poised.  She had help, of course, especially from Ellie, but ultimately it was all on Julie and she killed it.

Friday night was a cookout at their house for their out of town guests.  The weather cooperated perfectly, the booze flowed freely and the catered food was perfect (burgers and dogs and veggie burgers and marinated grilled chicken, ramen cole slaw, salad, fruit and cookies.)  The party was supposed to be 6-9 and I think we left around midnight.

The Littles!

Cousin Bonding - Dylan and Clara

John and some of the road crew

Saturday, wedding day, you'd think the bride and groom would be in bed or the salon.  Not these two.  Instead, we biked up to the very top of Mt. Everest.  At least I'm pretty sure it was Mt. Everest.  At least it freaking felt like climbing Mt. Everest.  Julie and John are part of this group of friends who all seem laid back and crunchy and alternative, with their tattoos and sandals and their home brewed beer, but in reality they are a bunch of freaking badass ninjas who eat up and spit out normal athletes.  I do CrossFit! I'm in great shape!  I can clean and jerk 100 lbs!  I was a WEENIE out there.  ( My inner dialogue went something like this, as I was desperately trying to keep the bride-to-be in my sights;  I hate biking.  I really hate biking.  I think I hate Julie.  repeat ad nauseum).









And then it was show time:



As each of the five of us sisters came in to the bridal suite and saw Julie before the wedding, we started to cry.  Corey said, She looks like a goddess.  And she did.  Breathtakingly, stunningly beautiful.  And oh my Lord, that dress.

Julie's three children are older, and their parents split up a very long time ago.  They are tremendous young adults who weathered the pain and challenges of divorce shockingly well.  To see those three amazing kids lead Julie down the aisle, with Joe giving her away, just about broke your heart open with joy.  It's their mom, who they adore, and everyone just radiated nothing but love and happiness and gratitude for this love and for this amazing moment.

Erin

Colleen

And then this moment.  Cue ugly cry.

The ceremony was simple and heartfelt.  It felt so intimate and true and honest and grownup.  

It felt so RIGHT.

 

Sisters and Mom

12/66 Flatley cousins

The New Corey Crew

The 8 Cousins - Clara, Dylan, Corey, Colleen, Erin, Joe, Noah and Jimmy

The reception was as wonderful as the ceremony.  Food stations (spicy pork tacos, fried chicken and biscuits) and gorgeous apps passed - crab rangoon, fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits.  Guests mingled, visited, ate and drank and then, after a while, the DJ set up and we hit the dance floor all. night. long.  I don't think I ever sat down!

 

The Flatleys took to the stage at one point for a rousing rendition of Mamie Riley and then my cousin Mykle led us in Who Put the Overalls in Mrs. Murphy's Chowder:  two family traditions we lovingly upheld.  Dad and Uncle Tom would have been so proud.  (we totally took over, as usual.  John, after the latter song said, ok, the Kelleys need to regroup!)

Julie and John just drank it in.  It was a beautiful thing to watch my big sister just glow all night, savoring the love of her friends and family and her new husband, and he of her.  They simply radiated love and happiness and gratitude.

But the most moving part of the whole night came when Julie's three kids all made a toast to John and Julie.  They thanked their mom for loving them so well and always putting them first.  And they thanked John for embracing them, for understanding that they were a package deal and for, as Joe said, "loving our mom the way she deserves to be loved."  It simply doesn't get better than that.

To Julie and John.  Wishing you the very best in the decades ahead.  I hope they are filled with laughter and trust and that the love you share only grows and grows. 
And to Johhny K:  welcome to the family.  We are soooo happy to have you in the fold. 

This week is for remembering what it's all about. 

I can go back to cooking next week. 

old and new

May is the new December.   This is a crazy time of year, particularly when one is starting a new job, has a daughter who just finished up her first year of college, a junior gearing up for college apps and an 8th grader who is about to graduate.  And my sister is getting MARRIED this week!!  So forgive me for not cooking much.    So let's get back to food, shall we?

Last week's menus.  Some old and some new. 

Sunday:  chick pea pumpkin stew.  I rarely cook vegetarian.  When I do, everyone seems to be starving again in an hour, so I avoid it, but this recipe looked pretty good. So I tried it.  The verdict: a lot of work and mediocre-tasty, but if veggie is your thing and you like a moroccan flair, it's worth a try.

 Then, mid week we did the traditional and ever popular BAKED ZITI.  Yum.  Thaw or make some homemade sauce, cook up some ziti, mix a container of cottage cheese with two eggs and a cup of mozzarella, mix it all together, spread in a 9x13 and add a ton more sauce and parmy on top.  Cook covered in foil for  30 or so at 350, then 10 more without foil.  

Then lastly, I tried another new recipe, this one a mexican salsa soup.  It was DELISH.  But warning, do NOT use the extra spicy habanero salsa you have on hand and might use for chips.  Homigod.  Corey asked me if I made a deal with the devil when I cooked it.   But besides that, a definite winner.

 Heat up a little oil then add a jar of your favorite salsa.  heat for two minutes or so.

 add 4-5 cups chicken broth.  heat to a boil then reduce heat to simmer.

 Grill and cut up some chicken - about 2 cups cubed.

 

Add 1-1/2 cups frozen corn kernels & a can of drained and rinsed black beans.

Heat for 20 minutes or so, until all is hot and mixed and yummy.

Add some cilantro and avocado cubes and tortilla chips.

Bon Apetit!!