Get Your Grill On!

Maureen Rowan Murphy, Manager Consumer Trends, Nutrition and Lifestyles

I believe the best gift is the gift of time-time spent with those we love. While my Dad is no longer here, one of my fondest memories is the last Father’s Day I spent with him. Not only did we have quality time together, but I grilled and served one of his favorite meals. Had I not tackled my grilling “fears” that cherished memory would likely not exist. While always comfortable cooking in the kitchen my comfort level didn’t extend outdoors. The grill was uncharted territory, and one day I made up my mind that I had to change that. I learned the basics, and then jumped right in and fired up the grill!  Sure, there were a few grilling mishaps, but as my confidence grew so did my skills. I guess you could say it was trial by fire! Now I’m viewed as the grill master in my house. If you’re intimidated like I was, here are tips to help you on your way to becoming a grill master! Gather It Up

• Gather everything up to avoid leaving food unattended on hot grill
• Wire brush
• Long-handled matches/lighter and charcoal for charcoal grill
• Long handled tongs
• Metal spatula
• Basting brushes
• Skewers
• Grill basket
• Meat thermometer
• Clean platters and utensils
• Heavy duty oven mitts

Fire It Up

• Reduce food sticking by taking a paper towel dipped in a little oil, and using tongs, wipe evenly over the grates
• Preheat grill 10 to 15 minutes to ensure it reaches the proper temperature as well as kill any possible bacteria
  • Grilling Temperatures – High: 400-450°F for high; medium-high: 350-400°F; medium: 300-350°F; low: 250-300°F
  • A properly heated grill sears foods on contact, keeps the insides moist and helps prevent sticking
  • Keep a spray water bottle for gas or charcoal grills nearby in case of flare ups
  • Don’t use cooking spray on a hot grill

• Sear the meat to seal in juices and capture its best flavors
  • Turn grill down after searing so food does not burn outside and remain raw inside

• Use tongs when turning meat or poultry to keep natural juices inside
• Turn food only once – the less you flip, the more the flavor develops
• Apply sauces and glazes during last 10 minutes to avoid potential flare-ups

Keep a Lid on It

• Close grill lid to enhance smoky flavor and keep moisture in

Cook It Safe

• Use a food thermometer to ensure a safe internal temperature
  • Steaks, roasts and chops:             145°F with a 3 minute rest time
• Ground beef, pork, lamb and veal: 160°F
• Poultry, including ground poultry: 165°F

Give It a Rest

• Let meat “rest”, tented with foil, about 10 minutes before cutting

Spending time with your Dad and grilling up his favorite meal on Father’s Day- Priceless!! Written by Sara Lilkas, Marketing Intern  The official start of summer may not be until next month (June 20th to be exact), but I am already in the summer spirit! What appears to be a warm and beautiful May has me already searching the for the perfect summer recipes! Now what constitutes the perfect summer recipe? Does it have to be prepared on the grill, does it have to include a certain ingredient? As with most things involving food, your own taste buds are the only authority that truly matter. For me the perfect summer meal is something that’s really simple. I love a simple meal of grilled chicken with a side of grilled vegetables, but even though simple may be my favorite it can get boring every night of the week. For me summer recipes should be light, tasty, and hopefully they do not involve turning the stove on. So in my search for the perfect summer recipe I have stumbled upon a few that I know are going to become staples in my summertime recipe collection. Since there is a much wider variety of fruit in season during the summer months, I love incorporating strawberries, peaches and the like into my cooking as much as I can. I recommend this recipe from Dole, for Grilled Peaches with Crumbled Blue Cheese. They are a great side dish and do not take long to make! I absolutely love to make kabobs on the grill. The best thing about kabobs is that they can be customized for everyone you are making dinner for. When we have our friends over we usually have a kabob making station. I will have everything prepared in different bowls, a variety of  veggies, fruits, and proteins, then everyone gets to choose what they want on their kabobs! It’s a really fun way to make sure everyone is happy with their meal! For more summer recipe inspiration check out Price Chopper’s Savory Summer Pinterest Board! What will you be grilling this summer? Written By: Ellie Wilson, MS, RD  Senior Nutritionist, Price Chopper Supermarkets “Cool as a cucumber” – you can be all that enjoying the farm- fresh cucumbers in the stores right now from farmers like Walter Czajkowski and Mary McNamara at Plainville Farm in Plainville, CT. Cucumbers have a clean, mild flavor and they can star or be a supporting player in salads, salsas, and pickles. Have you ever made your own pickles? It is so easy – try Mary’s easy bread and butter pickle recipe. Everything you need, including the mason jars, are in your store.

• 6.5 cups thinly sliced pickling cucumbers
• 1 cup of onions
• 1.5 cup of sugar
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 3/4 tsp turmeric
• 3/4 tsp mustard seed
• 3/4 tsp celery seed
• 1.5 Tbsp salt

Sterilize 3 jars by covering them in boiling water for 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Pack cucumbers and onions in layers a wide mouth mason jar. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over the vegetables. Store in the refrigerator. For the first 2 days shake jar to mix well. Enjoy! Those same cucumbers are great in a cucumber and onion salad – just slice cucumbers and onions thinly (try sweet onions for this salad!). Add Ken’s Light Italian dressing and serve. Couldn’t be easier!  Summer is also grilling time, so putting together a quick and easy grilled meal for friends and family is fun and fresh! Peppers are also coming in – our friends at Blackhorse farms have beautiful peppers in the stores, and they can be enjoyed in this super summer recipe from Eating Well. The shrimp is on sale, and all of the ingredients are waiting for you. https://www.pricechopper.com/recipes/9816/Grilled-Shrimp-Cocktail-with-Yellow-Gazpacho-Salsa Delicious, and my favorite part – it is all really good and good for you. Enjoy! Written By: Ellie Wilson, MS, RD  Senior Nutritionist, Price Chopper Supermarkets There is so much to talk about! Summer squash is the star this week, and we have it from our farmer partners at Reeves Farm, Shaul’s Farm, Paul Mazza Farms, Davandjer Farms, Black Horse Farms, Hoover’s Produce, and Plainville Farm. I have visited many of these farms – this year is a good harvest for summer squash. Yellow summer squash and zucchini are super versatile – mild flavored, they can be served grilled, sautéed, ribboned (a beautiful presentation, and so easy to do with your usual handy kitchen peeler), or in salads; grated and added to quick bread batter, chopped in soup or pasta dishes – the possibilities are almost endless. These squash are low in calories, and high in Vitamin C. We also have some delicate and petite patty pan squash. Mild flavored like its cousins, patty pan adds great visual appeal to a meal. Patty pans also have a few different names – they can be called scallop squash, or button squash. Little kids call them flying saucers, and you can use that to get them to try a new vegetable! Heather Eckhardt at Kinderhook Creek Farm has shared a terrific zucchini appetizer recipe that is great for summer parties and will have your friends begging for the recipe. Heather Eckhardt’s Zucchini Appetizer

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• 4 cups diced zucchini
• 1 cup sliced onion
• 1 cup sliced green pepper
• 2 to 3 sliced tomatoes
• 1 ½ cup Bisquick baking mix.
• 1 tsp chopped Italian parsley
• 4 eggs
• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• ¾ cup grated cheese (I used Cabot Alpine Cheddar)

Mix oil, eggs, Bisquick, parsley, salt and pepper together. Stir in zucchini. Spread onto a cookie sheet (with a high lip, or a jelly roll pan), single layer. Then layer the onion, pepper, and tomatoes, as though it were a pizza. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake at 350 F for 30 – 35 minutes. Cool slightly and cut into squares with a pizza cutter. I slice squash up, and depending on how hot it is, grill them with olive oil and fresh basil in a grill pan over a low flame, or oven roast them the same way. All of the summer squashes can be made this way – fresh basil, a little sea salt to finish and you have the tastes of summer on your plate. Zucchini and yellow squash are great for kabobs with a delicious Certified Angus Beef steak. You can add some fresh herbs and spices in for a little extra flavor. Summer Sizzle Steak

• 2 pounds CAB London Broil or Strip Steak, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
• ¾ cup of Ken’s Lite Asian Sesame with Ginger and Soy dressing
• 1 Tbsp Dijon style mustard
• 1 Tbsp dried rosemary
• 1 zucchini, cut into ¾ inch rounds
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch squares
• ½ red onion, cut into chunks
• Fresh ginger root – 1 tsp minced

Combine dressing, mustard, herbs and ginger in a close-able plastic bag or bowl with a cover. Add meat and vegetables to the dressing. Allow to marinate for 2 hours, refrigerated. Thread onto wooden or metal skewers. Note – wooden skewers should be soaked in water for an hour before use. Grill kabobs 5 minutes each side until meat reaches desired doneness. Written by Lee French, VP of Seafood Merchandising Most types of seafood benefit from the quick cooking and smoky flavor of grilling.  Make sure to keep close tabs on the process, as seafood tends to require less cooking time than meat.  Shrimp, scallops and small pieces of fish work great on kabobs which can be marinated, or not, and cooked directly on the grill.  Clams and oysters are easy to prepare on the grill and no shucking is required!  Herbs and marinades add a nice burst of flavor to most seafood.  For safety sake, do any infusing in the refrigerator – seafood should be kept cold until cooking time.  You don’t need a special basket to grill fish.  As with any grilling adventure, start with a spotless grill, add a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil to a clean kitchen cloth or paper towel.  Use tongs to rub the grate lightly with the cloth or towel, this will prevent the fish from sticking.  Most fish can be cooked right on the grate at medium heat. At Price Chopper, we offer you the largest selection and variety of seafood.  We provide you with the highest quality of healthy seafood that will ensure you have a wholesome and delicious eating experience.  We offer six dry marinades to flavor your seafood at no additional charge!  We also provide you with NuVal scores on all Seafood so that you can make sure you are choosing high nutritional value items. We are especially proud of our NEW Central Market Classics line of shrimp.  These shrimp are all natural and are uncut.  They are the finest shrimp you can buy anywhere!  Try the recipe below and you will be glad you are grilling today!! Herb Marinated Grilled Shrimp: The secret to grilling shrimp is to keep a close eye on them.  Shrimp cook fast enough for you to keep the lid up and an eye on them at all times.  Overcooked shrimp are rubbery so take them off the second they are done. Prep time is 10 minutes.  Cook time is 6 minutes. Total time is 16 minutes. Yield serves 6. Ingredients: –       2 pounds CMC 21-25 P&D Raw Shrimp –       ¼ cup olive oil –       ¼ cup chopped cilantro –       ½ shallot diced –       3 tablespoons lemon juice –       1 teaspoon dried basil –       1 clove garlic minced –       ½ teaspoon salt Preparation: Rinse shrimp thoroughly and pat dry and place in a resealable bag.  Mix remaining ingredients together and pour mixture over shrimp.  Seal bag and allow marinating for 2-4 hours in the refrigerator.  Preheat grill for medium-high heat.  Remove shrimp from bag and DISCARD the marinade.  Place shrimp on grill and allow cooking for 3 minutes each side.  Remove from heat and serve.  Enjoy!