LEMONY-SPIKED SWEET TEA

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, Emeril at the Grill, HarperStudio Publishers, New York, 2009, courtesy Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.

7 cups water
6 orange pekoe tea bags
11⁄2 cups sugar
11⁄3 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup Bacardi 151 or other high-proof golden rum
Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish

1. Bring 4 cups of the water to a boil in a medium saucepan and add the tea bags.  Remove the pan from the heat, cover it, and allow the tea bags to steep for
5 minutes.

2. Remove and discard the tea bags. Add the sugar to the saucepan and stir until dissolved.  Add the remaining 3 cups water and stir to combine.  Transfer the mixture to a pitcher, and add the lemon juice and rum.  Chill thoroughly before serving.

3. Serve over ice, in tall glasses garnished with mint sprigs.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

EMERIL’S SALAD

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, Emeril’s 20-40-60, HarperStrudio Publishers, New York, 2009, courtesy Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc,

8 cups (about 4 ounces) loosely packed assorted baby salad greens
1⁄2 cup (about 3 ounces) grated pepper Jack cheese
1⁄4 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1⁄4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1⁄4 cup (about 2 ounces) whole oil-packed sundried tomatoes, drained and julienned
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Simple Croutons, or store-bought croutons, for serving (optional)
4 tablespoons alfalfa sprouts or broccoli sprouts

1. To assemble the salad, place the greens, cheese, and chopped herbs in a large mixing bowl.  Add the julienned sundried tomatoes.  Drizzle the balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil over the salad, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Toss to coat well.

2. Divide the salad equally among four salad plates.  Place 4 or 5 croutons on each plate, and top each salad with 1 tablespoon of the sprouts.  Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

BACON POTATO SALAD

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, Emeril at the Grill, HarperStudio Publishers, New York, 2009, courtesy Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.

How can you go wrong with potatoes and bacon? This salad is deceptively
simple and an ideal grilling side.

2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
3⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1⁄3 cup finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions, white and green parts
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
4 hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
3⁄4 cup mayonnaise
11⁄2 tablespoons Creole or other whole-grain mustard
4 strips crisp-cooked bacon, crumbled

1. Place the potatoes in a saucepan, add water to cover, and bring to a boil.  Cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 minutes.

2. Drain the potatoes and transfer them to a salad bowl.  While the potatoes are still warm, season them with the salt, cayenne, black pepper, and lemon juice.  Toss well to combine.  Add the celery, green onions, parsley, and eggs.

3. In a small bowl, stir the mayonnaise and mustard together.  Add this to the salad. Sprinkle the bacon over the salad, and toss gently but thoroughly to mix well.

4. Serve immediately, or refrigerate, covered, and serve slightly chilled.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

SAMBAL SHRIMP

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, Emeril at the Grill, HarperStrudio Publishers, New York, 2009, courtesy Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc,
   
2 cups Sambal Oelek (ground fresh chili paste)
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup fresh squeezed lime juice
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup minced garlic
¼ cup minced fresh ginger
¼ cup mirin
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
3 pounds head-on U-10 shrimp, peeled and deveined, head and tail segment intact
2 tablespoons rough chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons rough chopped mint

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients except the shrimp, cilantro and mint and whisk well to combine.  Set aside and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.  In a 1-gallon resealable food storage plastic bag, place the shrimp and add all but ½ cup of the sambal marinade into the bag.  Allow the shrimp to marinate for 1 hour.

Preheat a grill to medium-high.

Place the shrimp on the grill and cook until shrimp are just cooked through, 2 to 2½ minutes per side. Transfer the cooked shrimp to a large bowl.  Add the reserved ½ cup of marinade along with the cilantro and mint and toss well to combine. Transfer shrimp to a large serving bowl or platter and serve immediately.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

BACON WRAPPED STUFFED HOT DOGS

Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse.  Copyright © 2010, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.  All rights reserved

8 kosher-style hot dogs
3/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese
8 strips smoked bacon
8 hot dog buns
Relish
Ketchup
Mustard

Preheat a griddle to medium heat.  Use a paring knife to slice each hot dog almost completely through the middle lengthwise, leaving the ends still attached but forming a long lengthwise pocket.  Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of the cheese in each of the hot dogs.  Wrap each hot dog with 1 slice of the bacon, overlapping the bacon in a spiral fashion. Place the hot dogs on the griddle, cheese side up, and cook for 3 minutes.  Turn the hot dogs on one of its sides and cook for another 3 minutes.  Turn the hot dog on the second side and cook another 3 minutes. Finally, turn the hot dogs cheese side down and cook for a final 3 minutes. T o serve, place the hot dogs in the buns and serve with the relish, ketchup and mustard.

Yield: 4-6 servings

NORTHERN ITALIAN-STYLE CHICKEN UNDER A BRICK

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, Emeril at the Grill, HarperStrudio Publishers, New York, 2009, courtesy Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc,

1 cup olive oil
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1⁄2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
One 3- to 31⁄2-pound chicken
2 bricks, completely wrapped in aluminum foil
2 teaspoons Emeril’s Original Essence or Creole Seasoning
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

1. In a small mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, lemon zest, rosemary, thyme, parsley, kosher salt, and crushed red pepper.  Mix to combine, and set the marinade aside.

2. Place the chicken on a cutting board.  With a boning knife and/or poultry scissors, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it.  Place the chicken skin
side down, and using a paring or small boning knife, cut underneath and around the breastbone on both sides, cutting the cartilage away from the flesh so that you can work your fingers underneath the bone, and then carefully remove the breastbone.  The chicken should now lie flat like an open book.  Tuck the wing tips behind the wing joint that meets the breast.  Cut small slits in the skin that hangs beneath the thighs, and tuck the tips of the drumstick bones inside.  Place the chicken in a 13 X 9-inch nonreactive baking dish, and pour the marinade over it.  Refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours, turning the chicken occasionally in the marinade.

3. Preheat the oven to 500°F, and preheat a grill to medium-low.

4. Heat the bricks in the oven for 20 minutes.  (Alternatively, heat the bricks on the grill for 30 minutes.)

5. Remove the chicken from the marinade (discard the marinade), and season it on both sides with the Original Essence, salt, and white pepper.

6. Place the chicken, skin side down, on the grill, and set the bricks on top of the chicken to cover it completely and flatten it.  Cook until the skin has nice grill marks, about 15 minutes.  Then turn the chicken 45 degrees and cook until a second set of grill marks forms, creating a crosshatch pattern, about 15 minutes longer.

7. Using pot holders or thick kitchen towels, remove the bricks and set them aside.  Carefully turn the chicken over so that it is now skin side up.  Cook until the juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the deepest portion of the thigh registers 165°F, about 15 minutes.  Remove the chicken from the grill, place it on a cutting board, and let it rest for 5 minutes.  Then cut the chicken into quarters and serve immediately.

Note: The cooking time may vary slightly, depending on your grill.

Yield: 4 servings

GRILLED MARINATED FLANK STEAK WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, Emeril at the Grill, HarperStudio Publishers, New York, 2009, courtesy Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.

11⁄2 cups dry sherry
1⁄2 cup sherry vinegar
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1⁄2 cup olive oil
one 11⁄2- to 2- pound flank steak
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Chimichurri Sauce (recipe follows), for serving

1. In a shallow nonreactive bowl that is large enough to hold the steak, combine the sherry, sherry vinegar, red onion, garlic, and olive oil. Stir to blend well. Lay the steak over the marinade and turn so that it is coated on both sides. Wrap the bowl loosely in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, turning the steak occasionally.

2. Preheat a grill to high.

3. Remove the steak from the marinade (discard the marinade), and season it with the salt and pepper.  Grill the steak for 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium rare.  Remove it from the grill and let it rest for 5 minutes.  Then thinly slice the steak across the grain, and serve it with the Chimichurri Sauce.

4 to 6 servings

For the Chimichurri Sauce:
1 cup extra- virgin olive oil
2 ⁄3 cup sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup chopped fresh flat- leaf parsley
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Combine the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, basil, garlic, shallots, and oregano in a food processor, and pulse until well blended (do not puree). Stir in the kosher salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Transfer the sauce to a nonreactive bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and set it aside for at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours at room temperature. (The sauce will keep in an airtight nonreactive container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)

Yield: About 2½ cups

PEANUT BUTTER-CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, Emeril’s 20-40-60, HarperStrudio Publishers, New York, 2009, courtesy Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc,

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
1⁄2 cup packed light brown sugar
1⁄2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Position two oven racks in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.

3. Divide the dough into 24 portions, about 1 heaping tablespoon each.  Roll each portion between your hands to form a smooth ball.  Place the balls of dough on ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart.  You should get about 12 cookies per sheet.  Using a fork, press on the dough in two directions to form a crosshatch pattern.

4. Bake the cookies, rotating the sheets between oven racks and turning them back to front midway, until the cookies are puffed and lightly golden, about 10 minutes.  Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheets.  Then remove them with a metal spatula.

Yield: About 24 cookies