BBQ

The old barbecue finally bit the dust. Jim went shopping and bought a nice new one. We prefer the old-fashioned charcoal kind rather than propane. It gives the food a more classic BBQ taste.

Here's the grill master doing his thing. Notice the owl? It had to be wired to the railing because it wouldn't stay upright. There are some pigeons around our area of the building, but they don't come near our balcony. This is an excellent humane option for keeping the birds away.

Up first on the 'cue, PC's World's Best Meatless Chick'n Breasts. I can't remember if I blogged about these before. They're made by Gardein and are a vegan product. It says on the box that they are "lightly seasoned" and the last time I had them, I thought they were just OK. Then the grillmaster worked his magic

These turned out sooo delicious when done on the barbecue - with BBQ sauce of course.

Here have another look.

I also had Jim do up some tofu. He's never cooked tofu on the barbecue before and except for the piece on the left & the one on the right that are a little overdone, he did a great job. With some more practice, he'll be tofu grillmaster as well.

Ever since I tried corn-on-the-cob BBQ'd years ago, I don't want it any other way. This is the best way to do corn. Just a few minutes over the coals to coax out the sweetness - so easy! I used to peel back the husks, pull out the silk and then fold the husks back over the corn and cook them that way. Now I just rip everything off and throw the cobs right on the grill naked. The only thing I hate about corn is how it gets all stuck between my teeth, but indulging in fresh, local corn is very much worth it.

I pulled a box of Veat out of the feezer and followed the recipe on the back of the box and made these delicious kebabs.

The marinade was a mixture of tamari, ginger, apple cider vinegar, honey (I used maple syrup), garlic. These were so yummy! I cut out the recipe and want to try it with tofu.

As a side, I took some of the fresh local beets I had bought and made this tangy, sweet & sour dish. It's a great way to liven up beets. You could eat this hot or cold.
.
Canadians (and I'm assuming people in other wintery climates) barbecue all year long. We don't care if it's -20C with snow all over the ground. If the craving hits us, we don our boots, coats & tuques and out we go to fire up the barbecue because nothing tastes quite as yummy as a burger done over hot coals. Good music also helps with the cooking process, so crank up the tunes while you're at it.
- segue here -
In case you didn't notice on my Twitter, I got tickets for the sold out AC/DC concert in Toronto. They are in town on Nov. 7 which is 3 days after Jim's birthday, so it's part of his present/celebration. Although I've been a fan for many years (I have albums on vinyl. Adam Bentley gave me Back In Black one year for Christmas. I think 1980 or 81!!) I've never seen AC/DC live and I just love Angus so this should be a great way to top off Jim's 39th (gasp!!) birthday. How about a retro video? I'm on a video kick lately so what the hey. I really like some of the old stuff with the late Bon Scott on vocals. So here's an AC/DC favorite - 1979's Highway to Hell. This track is especially good to play while grilling some peppers & zucchini. Hell, Fire, Hot, Barbecue. Get it? OK, that was really bad and really lame. sorry