Quick Grill Artist : Fast and Fabulous Recipes for Cooking with Fire

by KOLPAS, NORMAN

• ISBN13: 9780609609514
• ISBN10: 0609609513
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-04-01
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter

Summary

Want the secrets to grilling meals with less effort, but more fabulous flavor and imagination? What are you waiting for? Americans love to grill, but who wants to spend hours marinating, basting, and worrying about timing to the sound of stomachs growling? Now there's a book for everyone who wants quick results with great grilled flavor, but without the fuss. Seasoned expert Norman Kolpas has developed more than 100 artful recipes that make grilling fun again. But cooking is believing when dishes like Cuban Steaks with Garlic-Citrus Marinade and Moroccan Swordfish Kabobs can find their way to the table in 45 minutes or less. The entertaining options are endless, as Kolpas offers vegetable, beef, pork, lamb, poultry, and seafood dishes, as well as complementary sides and salsas. From cheesy and crunchy appetizers to sweet and smoky desserts, you can whip up an entire feast with minimal mess and hassle. Because the recipes feature easy-to-find ingredients and simple equipment, anyone can master the art of grilling in a flash. Creative sidebars suggest shopping from the salad bar to cut down on preparation time or wowing guests with simple surprises like grilled pizzas or fruits. "Quick Tips and Variations" for each recipe make this a book to use again and again, as the recipes can be a launching pad for lots of other delicious versions. With a guide to choosing the right grill, fuels and fire-building, tools, safety, and cleanup, even novices will soon have the expertise to fire up the grill with confidence. After stocking the pantry with a few quick-grill staples, you'll be all set to pound, smear, blend, brush, and inject flavor into grilled meats.

Author Biography

NORMAN KOLPAS is the award-winning author of more than three dozen cookbooks. From 1991 to 2001, he served as consulting editor on the entire Williams-Sonoma publishing program, helping to lead the creative development of more than one hundred titles (including five on grilling), with approximately 13.5 million copies in print. Kolpas also served as consulting editor on the illustrated <b>Joy of Cooking</b> series. An acclaimed nonfiction and cookbook writing teacher in the Writers’ Program at UCLA Extension, he has written books for chef John Sedlar, restaurateur Michael McCarty, and the Hotel Bel-Air. He is now senior vice president of content for Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc. A Southern Californian with a family to feed, he grills year-round.

Table of Contents

introduction	9	(18)
appetizers, breads, and pizzas	27	(21)
meat	48	(37)
poultry	85	(22)
seafood	107	(22)
vegetables	129	(34)
fruit and other desserts	163	(9)
index	172

Excerpts

Flank Steak Fajitas on the Grill
makes 4 to 6 servings

The Mexican restaurant favorite is exceedingly easy to make—and exceptionally delicious when grilled. The quick cooking, followed by thin slicing across the grain, brings tenderness to a chewy, less expensive cut of beef.

1 1/2 pounds flank steak
1 teaspoon mild to medium-hot pure chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt
black pepper
2 red, yellow, or green bell peppers, quartered, stemmed, and seeded
1 yellow or red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 corn tortillas
2 limes, cut into wedges

Preheat the grill.

Meanwhile, trim any excess fat or connective tissue from the surface of the steak. Put the steak in a large, shallow container and sprinkle it on both sides with the chile powder, cumin, and salt and black pepper to taste. Add the bell pepper quarters to the dish. Insert two or three sturdy wooden toothpicks sideways into each onion slice to secure the rings, then add the onions to the dish. Drizzle the olive oil evenly all over both sides of the steak, peppers, and onions. Set aside.

Carefully oil the grill rack. Add the steak, bell pepper quarters, and onions. Grill the vegetables until they are tender and nicely browned on both sides, even slightly charred, 8 to 10 minutes total. Remove them to a clean serving dish and cover them with foil while the steak continues grilling. Cook the steak, turning once, until done to your liking, 15 to 17 minutes for medium. Remove the steak from the grill to a cutting board and cover it with foil to keep warm. Warm the tortillas on the grill, turning them once, just until they soften and give off an aroma of corn. Remove them from the grill when they are done, stacking them on a plate and covering them with foil.

In the kitchen, quickly squeeze a couple of wedges of lime all over the steak. With a sharp knife, cut the steak across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Remove the toothpicks from the onion slices and cut each slice in half. Cut the peppers into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Toss the steak strips and the vegetables together and serve, passing the fajita mixture and the tortillas for guests to make their own soft tacos.

Quick tips & variations:

* Any other thin cuts of steak, such as top round or London broil, may be used in place of the flank steak.
* If you don't want to go to the trouble of making your own guacamole or salsa to go with, substitute your favorite fresh or bottled tomato salsa or hot chile sauce, along with slices of firm but ripe Hass avocado.
* For further embellishments, offer shredded lettuce, shredded cheddar or Jack cheese, and fresh cilantro.

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Excerpted from The Quick Grill Artist: Fast and Fabulous Recipes for Cooking with Fire by Norman Kolpas
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.