Flat-Belly Secret #1: Spicy Honey Mustard Pork Tenderloin
Combine equal parts Dijon and honey, plus a chopped chipotle pepper. Spread half over the surface of a pork tenderloin or chicken breast. Grill until firm, but still yielding, and brush with the other half of the sauce before serving.

Flat-Belly Secret #2: Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken Breast
Season a chicken breast with salt and pepper, wrap in thin slices of prosciutto, and grill over low heat until the prosciutto is crisp and the chicken breast is firm. Also works with a fillet of halibut.

Flat-Belly Secret #3: Grilled Watermelon Salad
Cut watermelon into half-inch squares. Rub with olive oil and grill until lightly caramelized. Toss with arugula, goat cheese, more olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.

Flat-Belly Secret #4: Simple Grilled Shrimp
Mix plenty of olive oil with a few cloves of chopped garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Marinate shrimp in half of the mixture for 20 minutes, and then grill over high heat for 2 minutes a side, brushing with the remaining garlic oil.

Flat-Belly Secret #5: Herb-Grilled Haloumi Cheese
Place a hunk of haloumi cheese (found at Whole Foods or in Greek markets) directly on the grill. Cook until lightly charred on the outside, about 2 minutes a side. Top with olive oil and fresh herbs and serve with toasted bread.

Flat-Belly Secret #6: Gridiron Pizza
Roll a ball of pizza dough (store-bought or homemade) into 12-inch rounds. Cook on a well-oiled grill until the crust is firm enough to handle. Top with tomato sauce or pesto and your choice of cheese and toppings. Return to the coolest part of the grill, cover, and cook until the cheese begins to melt.

Flat-Belly Secret #7: Chopped Summer Salad
Toss zucchini slices, eggplant planks, onion slices, and asparagus spears in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill until lightly charred, then remove to a cutting board and give them a rough chop. Toss with cooked bow-tie pasta, plus olive oil, the juice of a lemon, and grated Parmesan.

Flat-Belly Secret #8: Spicy Shucked Oysters
Shuck a dozen oysters. Top with softened butter mixed with lemon and Tabasco. Place the shells directly on the grill and cook until the butter begins to bubble, 3 to 5 minutes.

Flat-Belly Secret #9: Curry-Seasoned Chicken
Mix curry powder with softened butter. Stuff under the skin of chicken breast and thighs and grill until lightly charred and cooked all the way through.

Flat-Belly Secret #10: Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Sandwich
Marinate a chicken breast in teriyaki sauce for half an hour. Stick it on a hot grill, and when it’s nearly cooked, melt a slice of Swiss overtop. Serve it on a whole-wheat bun with pickled jalapenos, rings of red onion, and a grilled slice of pineapple.

Flat-Belly Secret #11: Tri-Tip Steak
Rub a tri-tip steak with salt, pepper, garlic, salt, onion powder, and cayenne. Grill over medium heat until lightly charred on the outside and pink throughout, about 10 minutes per side.

Flat-Belly Secret #12: Grilled Strawberry Shortcake
Mix together sliced strawberries, balsamic vinegar, and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Set it aside. Throw a slice of angel food cake directly on the grill, and when it’s toasted and caramelized, remove it and scoop the strawberry-balsamic mix on top. Garnish with a scoop of whipped cream.

Flat-Belly Secret #13: Grilled Pineapple Sundae
Grill slices of pineapple until nicely caramelized. Top each with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of melted dark chocolate.

Flat-Belly Secret #14: Grilled Apricots
Halve or pit an apricot or peach, and then cook flat side down until softened, about 5 minutes. Top each slice with a big scoop of Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon walnuts, and 1 tablespoon maple syrup.

Flat-Belly Secret #15: Chicken Tacos

Rub chicken breasts with garlic, lime juice, and cumin. Grill until firm and serve sliced into warm tortillas with grilled onions and guacamole.

Enjoy eating your way to a bangin’ bod!

Recipes Courtesy of David Zinczenko, Men’s Health

Looking for a local spin on a warm weather classic? Try the Emerald City Margarita.

Courtesy of Bal Mar Seattle

Since summer has FINALLY sprung here in the Northwest, thought I’d share a simple, yet really refreshing concoction to cool your simmering brain:

 Earl’s Summertime Elixir

Courtesy of my Dad

 per glass recipe–adjust to taste

-1-2 parts of your favorite rum (quality)

-3 parts bottled water (flat, but you can mix it up by using fizzy)

-1 part good ice (ie. buy at store)

-Fresh lime juice

Chill the rum in your glass, fill with water and squeeze lime juice to taste. Voila! A refreshing, low sugar, low calorie summertime drink!

Whoopi Goldberg’s Big Bad Ass Beef Ribs

Makes 3-1/2 cups of marinade
Serves 6

“You’ll have leftover marinade; use it in the same way
you would any great steak marinade.”

18 beef ribs (not short ribs)

Marinade:
2 cups Butch’s BBQ Sauce (or your favorite brand)
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon powdered thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground block pepper
1 teaspoon natural smoke flavoring

Place the ribs in a large pan of cold water and bring to a boil.
Simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
While the ribs are cooking, combine all the marinade ingredients in a
large saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for
15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Drain the ribs and arrange in 1 layer in a large roasting pan. Pour 2
cups of marinade over them, brushing it on to cover both sides. Bake
for 30 to 40 minutes, until the ribs are tender.
Serve with lots of napkins and a bowl of the remaining marinade
on the side.
 

Butch’s BBQ Sauce

Makes 7 to 8 cups

There are many ingredients in this sauce, but once you make a batch
of it, you’ll have plenty on hand to use any time you like. It’s a keeper
in the refrigerator and freezes well, too. You might even consider split-
ting a batch and storing half in the refrigerator, half in the freezer.

Don’t confuse creamy horseradish sauce with the plain grated variety.
You want a prepared creamy sauce here; it’s usually sold in the condiment
section of the supermarket. The granulated garlic is also found in many
supermarkets.

1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped garlic
4 cups tomato puree
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup clover honey
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup creamy horseradish sauce
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup dark molasses
1/4 cup dried onion
1/4 cup granulated garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until hot.
Add the chopped onion and garlic, and cook, stirring, about 1 minute.
Add all the remaining ingredients and 2-1/2 cups of water. Bring to a
boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for
20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and let cool.
The sauce will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for
2 months.

courtesy of La Belle Cuisine – More Beef Recipes

Paper Orchid Cupcake Wrappers–set of 12 $15.00

BCC Polka Dot Cupcake Liners-set of 50  $49.95

Charlotte-Bella Cupcake Coture-set of 12  $12

 Olivia Swirl Design Cupcake Wrappers-set of 50  $49.95

Meisha Cupcake Wrappers from Kiwi Cakes-set of 12  $18.00

Photo Credit: Mei Teng

Now this is my type of recipe!!

So easy – you can cheat a little too and no one will ever know.

Ingredients

Large pan with curved edges – this will be made on the stove top and no lid is needed – pan to table

4-6 chicken thighs

2 lamb merguez sausage or 2 chorizo

1/2 lb frozen shrimp

1 lb (I use frozen) manila clams

1 large onion

8-16 oz of paella rice (depending on number of people)

Seafood stock (boxed or make your own from clam juice, etc)

Few springs of saffron

A bit of Smoky paprika

Salt & Pepper

Olive oil

Bag of frozen green peas for color

Cook sausage in microwave or on grill or skillet until done – slice.

Heat oil in pan – brown chicken w/ salt & pepper and add chopped onions, cook until soft, add slices of sausage.

Add rice, cover with broth, saffron, smoky paprika – stir slowly. As broth gets absorbed add more, do not over stir.

When rice is near ready (still slightly firm) add shrimp (defrosted – keep tail on whole or cut into pieces) and clams to pan. Spoon some frozen peas (heated) over top before serving.

Start to finish approx 40 minutes.

****Pair with a good Rioja.

Recipe courtesy of Women & Wine

Oh shut up.

• The ale goes in first; fill the glass just slightly less than half full with your favorite chilled Irish ale.
• Float the stout on top of the ale, rather than mixing the two layers. To do this, place a spoon over the glass, convex side up, and slowly pour the stout over the back of the spoon so it drizzles into the glass as gently as possible. Allow the stout to settle, and then make a toast and drink up!

(Hopefully there are some green shamrock sugar cookies within reach to cap off the evening).

And to properly toast the luck o the Irish:

May you live as long as you want, 
And never want as long as you live.

May you be in heaven a full half hour before the devil knows you’re dead
Never let your right hand know what your left hand is doing.

Beimid ag ól! (Let us be drinking!)

Goodmorning fellow carb lovers. Here’s a great recipe for fresh-out-of-the-oven bread, without all of the work. All it really takes is planning a day ahead. Now, even I can manage that.

Ingredients for basic yeasted No Knead Method:

3 cups bread flour (the above video used 1 cup (5 oz.) whole wheat flour and 2 cups (10 1/2 oz.) white bread flour
1/4 tsp. instant yeast
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups purified or spring water

• Mix together the dry ingredients.
• Mix in water until the water is incorporated.
• Cover with plastic and let sit 18 hours.
• Follow video instruction for folding.
• Cover loosely with plastic and rest for 15 minutes.
• Transfer to well floured towel or proofing basket. Cover with towel and let rise about 1 1/2 hours.
• Bake in covered La Cloche or Dutch oven preheated to 500 degrees for 30 minutes.
• Remove cover; reduce heat to 450 degrees and bake an additional 15 minutes.
• Let cool completely on rack.
• Consume bread, be happy.

Further notes: This method of baking is quite forgiving if you alter the ingredients and proportions. One of the great things about a bread recipe that is so easy and involves just one loaf at a time is you don’t feel like you’re risking a lot if your experimenting goes awry.

Try using different flours and/or different proportions of flour and play around with the water measurement a little.

Recipe courtesy of breatopia.com