Ingredients you will need:

16-20 Extra jumbo, or colossal shrimp, de-veined, raw. You can leave the shell on if you prefer, and are afraid of burning your shrimp, or you can remove it totally. I prefer to remove them if they do not have the head still attached. If they still have the head attached you can leave the head on, and remove the vein, and outer shell still leaving the tail on and it makes for really a nice rustic presentation.

3/4 Cup Spicy Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce, you can add more if you like they just need to be coated. If Sweet Baby Ray’s is unavailable then any local spicy BBQ should do the trick.

1 T chopped fine cilantro, you can take this down to 1 tsp if you do not like so much cilantro

2 cloves of minced garlic

1/8 to 1/4 tsp of cumin powder

Canola Oil, about 1/2 cup.

Coarse salt and black pepper to taste, or a pinch of each

1/2 lime, juiced

*****skewers metal or if you are using wooden they will need to be soaked if you do not want them to burn during the cooking process

Create the Marinade:

Marinade: Add all ingredients into a zip lock bag or tupper ware container. Mix the marinade well and add the shrimp, and evenly coat all of them. Let set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to an hour.

Preheat grill to a medium heat, you can make a higher heat if you are grilling other items just make sure to grill the shrimp last because you do not want to burn them.

Butterfly shrimp by slicing “almost” through lengthwise, but leave shell on shrimp, this will keep the shrimp tender while grilling over such high heat. Or, as a second option remove all of the shell and skewer them, if you do not want to take the time to flip each shrimp from side to side. Just leave a gap in the skewer so they will cook evenly.

Grill about 3 minutes on each side, or maybe a little longer if you are using the colossal shrimp and depending on the heat of your flame. Cook until the shells are hot pink and shrimp is opaque. If the shell has been removed then make sure that the flesh is pink and that there has started to be a slight curvature in the tail. The proteins are coagulating and they are probably very close to being done. At this time pull from the grill and the carry over cooking will finish them off right before you serve them. ** It does not take long for you to over cook your shrimp. So be very careful not to ruin a delicate meal.

This is a really quick and easy recipe that you should be able to knock out pretty quickly. It would be great for a weekend meal or even a tail gate party. It should serve 3-4 people easily if you get the jumbo or colossal shrimp. Enjoy!

I have been doing Research and Development for the last 5 years and I have developed many recipes. These recipes should be very easy to replicate, and I hope you have fun cooking them. They are healthy, quick and easy to prepare. If you are a foodie and like great flavorful dishes then you will want to try my newest recipes.

Some things you just shouldn’t live without.

It’s not that you can’t live without the benefits of a vertical gas smoker – you’ve obviously made it this far – but let’s face it – Turkey Tettrazini or leftover casserole just doesn’t sound appealing 7 nights a week.

We all get into the grind of the same ole’ recipes and menus for dinner or get- togethers – even really good cooks or weekend Grill Sergeants. What’s the antidote to more boring food? Get a vertical gas smoker!

Here are 9 great reasons to get a vertical gas smoker today:

1. Change is good. It’s nice to cook the roast or salmon a different way. New flavors can be infused into meats, fish, poultry, and wild game simply by using different kinds of wood chips such as hickory, applewood, mesquite and many other options.

2. It’s Easy. A vertical gas smoker is so simple to use, anyone can do it. Water or no water, put the food in, start it up with the integrated ignition, and off you go. No complicated methods or confusing directions.

3. Versatility. The Brinkmann vertical gas smoker converts to a grill about waist high, so you can use it to cook hamburgers or grill pizza or corn on the cob when you’re not smoking your latest catch.

4. Mouthwatering flavor. There’s something about smoked meat or fish or chicken that just enhances that tangy BBQ sauce, or rub that you put on. I personally love the saltiness of smoked fish, the smokiness mixed with sweet and sour BBQ sauce, or homemade beef or venison jerky.

5. Save Money. Smoked salmon is expensive – and you really can’t find smoked venison. So a vertical gas smoker is going to save you money by smoking your own catch or your own elk/deer, etc. Items that are smoked at the store are going to cost more than items that have not been prepared, so you will always save money by smoking your own food.

6. Impress. A man that can cook is always appreciated, but a woman that knows how to use a smoker is amazing! Whether you want to impress your spouse, your date, your friends, or your boss, use a vertical smoker to create a meal for them. You can offer smoked salmon, trout or jerky as a gift that any lucky recipient will really appreciate.

7. Durability. Heavy gauge steel, chrome-plated grates, porcelain-coated steel water pan ensure many years of service without problems.

8. Great Features. Convenient, dual insulated doors make the Brinkmann vertical gas smoker very convenient; it very easy to access food or water pans. Adjustable vents. Easy integrated ignition. This smoker also comes with a powerful 12000 BTU Stainless Steel burner. It has 400 inches of cooking space, and can smoke up to 50 pounds of meat at a time – enough for any crowd. Add the fact that it takes up very little space thanks to it’s vertical design, and you have a no-brainer choice.

9. Super Deal. $149 for a well crafted smoker, that can be used as a grill, will last for years, make great food, and take up little room, what’s not to like? You could spend hundreds more – but why?

10. Fun. It’s great fun to make smoked fish yourself, or homemade jerky. Since cooking is so much a part of life, and it’s great to be outdoors to do it, smoking food is a great way to kick back and relax on the deck with libation in hand to enjoy in any season while the smells build anticipation of your next fabulous meal!

There are many manufacturers of vertical gas smokers, but Brinkmann makes one that balances good quality with easy-on-your-pocketbook pricing. Some others are much poorer quality, or far more expensive.

What are you waiting for? Get your smoke on!

Raeven Tasu enjoys writing about everything from BBQ to Airsoft guns. You can find out more about features and pricing of various smokers, including the popular Vertical Gas Smoker, at my website.

If you’re thinking of buying a new barbecue this year then read our tips on what would be best suited to you. Today there are hundreds of gas and charcoal BBQs, stoves and fire pits, so it can be difficult to get the right one for you.

Firstly look at your budget, however do have an allowance so that you can go up slightly should one particular BBQ really stand out, when you see different barbecues you will start to get the feel of why prices vary so much. Now look at who you are cooking for, how many in your family and how many friends you will have round, this will play a big role in the size of the grill you choose, i.e. how many burners it may have or the size of the cooking area, with this you also need to be sure what you’re going to be cooking, most will cook the favourites like the burgers and sausages, however more recipes are available now than ever before, barbecue cooking can cope with almost everything your kitchen oven can, so bear that in mind as well.

How often will the barbecue be used? This is really important, and one often overlooked. Have you purchased a barbecue before, possibly a few times and maybe one every year, if you have then you’ve probably bought the wrong one every time, a good quality barbecue should last you from 10 years and on, you should always look at what the manufacturer warranty is, they will only offer what they feel confident with, so if its 2 years, then it may well only give you that, an example is Weber, they offer up to 25 years and some like Napoleon will warranty the unit for as long as you own it. Where will the barbecue be located, if you have a patio area just outside the back door, then you are 3 times more likely to use the barbecue often, if you have an area at the bottom of the garden where you like to sit and relax and the barbecue is going there, then you will likely only ever use it when entertaining. For those who use the barbecue a lot then gas is often the best choice, it is easy to light up and quick to clean, hooded grills will enable you to roast food as well as do the trusted bangers and burgers, with good gas barbecues you will find that more have side burners, a really handy addition, perfect for sauces, onions in a pan etc. also look at the barbecue, can it take a rotisserie? Once you have cooked on one you will want to use it again and again.

Don’t always be put off by the looks, we have become really fussy over the last few years on how something looks, and whilst this is important to some extent, don’t be too hasty, try to keep a close eye on what the grill has to offer you over and above how it looks.

Cooking surfaces and grill construction, a good quality barbecue will have a cast aluminum cook box, this is the lower part of the grill that houses the burners, cast aluminum will not rust or rot-out so will last you the lifetime of the barbecue. The hood should be double lined, this keeps the grill looking good and also keeps the internal temperature at an accurate level throughout the cooking process. Look at the cooking surface, you generally have a choice between cast iron and stainless steel, either is fine however cast iron will retain heat better and get to temperature a lot faster, this uses less gas and can be cleaned easier, though always remember to keep the grills oiled to protect from rust. With charcoal barbecues you will either get stainless steel or coated steel, try to opt for stainless when your budget allows, both will rust over time but stainless will clean easier and withstand harsher treatment for longer.

Gas or Charcoal?

It comes down to two things, firstly how often you will use the barbecue and secondly what will you be cooking on it, so the answer is very easy once you know these two points, if you’re going to use the barbecue at the weekend for roasting a chicken, or you want it for smoking food, then opt for a good quality charcoal barbecue or smoker, Weber would always be my first choice for charcoal.

If your likely to cook and roast and use the barbecue often then gas is the best option, with a good gas grill you can add different cooking surfaces to suit different foods, I have a flat cooking grate and it gets used every Sunday for the eggs and bacon, rather like a plancha style barbecue used widely in Europe, great for vegetables and stir fries as well!

If you need help, then talk to an expert, you can contact dedicated barbecue centres for help, or talk to the manufacturer.

I would like to begin by telling you about my first experience in Beirut, Lebanon. It was in October of 2005. My friends took me to a very popular restaurant. As a Lebanese American, Lebanese cuisine was very familiar to me. I grew up on it. However, I had never been served quite like this.

First, you start out with a table full of appetizers. This is called, the maza. Chick Pea dip (Hommos Bi Tahina), Eggplant Dip ( Baba Ghanouj), Steak Tartare (Kibbee Nayeh), Fried Cheese (Halloum), Spinach Pies (Fatayer Bi Sabanekh), etc. is just but a small sample of what you are served. I have to say, that I was full after this.

Then they bring out the grilled meats. Beef, Lamb, Chicken. You can order any combination that you wish. The following recipe is for the traditional Chicken Kabob (Shish Taouk). Shish refers to skewer. Taouk refers to Chicken. Taouk is actually a Turkish word.

Ingredients:

4-6 chicken breasts. Skinned and de-boned.

2-3 cloves of garlic. If you like it stronger use more garlic.

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper. I included pepper here but sometimes white pepper is used.

1/2 tsp. allspice (Bhar) This is a mixture of clove, cinnamon and nutmeg. It is used in many savory dishes in Lebanese cuisine.

1/4-1/3 cup of lemon juice

1/4 cup of oil. Use vegetable or canola. Olive oil will overpower the dish.

Instructions:

Wash chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Cut in 1″ pieces. Suitable for skewering.

Peel garlic. Mash together with salt. Make a paste on a cutting board with the garlic and salt.

Add remaining ingredients. Mix well.

Place chicken in a bowl or zip lock bag. Pour marinade over the chicken. Marinate at least for an hour. Overnight is preferable as it really gives the chicken a good flavor.

Skewer chicken. Grill for 10-15 minutes. Keep them turning. Use tongs to turn the skewers.

Grill over medium-high heat. This can be done a gas grill or stove top grill but the real Lebanese way is over coals. Lump charcoal is best.

Serving suggestion:

Serve with Chick Pea Dip (Hummus Bi Tahina), Fresh Pita Bread halves, Parsley Salad (Tabouleh), French Fries, Olives (Zeitoun), etc.

So, there you have it. If you cannot make the visit to Lebanon. Fire up the grill and bring the flavors of the Middle East into your home with Authentic Lebanese Chicken Kabobs. By the way, traditionally you finish the meal with Turkish Coffee, Cream filling with Honey (Kashta), Baklava, Fresh Fruits, etc.

Have fun!

Summer is on its way, and the hottest months in the UK normally mean that it’s time to get out the barbecue, invite the friends and neighbours over and cook some quality food. With a range of different barbecues available, you might have a tough decision to make when it comes to working out which one would be best for you to use.

Your own personal requirements will also have to be taken into consideration; after all, some may require a large barbecue due to the amount of guests that they have round their house on a regular basis, and others may need one that is fairly small due to storage considerations. So without further ado, here are the best options when it comes to choosing a decent barbecue.

First up is the masonry brick barbecue. These designs can be fairly bulky, although they are great for outdoor cooking for large crowds. If you regularly cook food outside then it can make a great addition to your garden, becoming a focal point for parties and outdoor events. Consisting of a small chimney to take smoke away and a grill, these easy to assemble BBQ’s can use firewood and also charcoal for cooking purposes. There are a number of different designs all with their own individual features, so it’s well worth seeing what’s available and, just as importantly, what you need.

Next up is the electric BBQ, allowing you to enjoy barbecued food all year round regardless of the weather conditions. You can use these inside the house as well as outside; so whether you want your guests to shelter away from the elements and still enjoy the great taste of BBQ food, or you want to get out in the sun, both can be easily achieved through using this type of design. Again, there are variations in size and individual specifications, so if you are after this type of BBQ then you can always look on the Internet for companies who sell them before committing to purchase.

In addition to the above designs, the classic gas barbecue is also a popular option for people up and down the country because they are recognised for cooking food very well. Great for cooking burgers and steak, you can use these hugely popular grills when the sun comes out to rustle up some food for the family. Some gas BBQ’s are small in their design and as such can be used when you go on a short trip away such as a camping trip. Alternative designs are larger and more commonly used in the garden.

Whatever you decide to go for, always be safe when cooking your food. If you are outside and the kids are running around, accidents can happen so make sure you cook away from the crowds. Once the food is ready you can relax and spend some quality time with your friends and family. A decent barbecue will provide well cooked food for your guests on any special occasion, so before you decide to purchase your barbecue make sure you work out which one is best for you.

Vincent Rogers writes for a number of UK businesses, For great deals on Outdoor Barbecues he recommends Garden Gift Shop.

There are many ways to cook food these days, the traditional oven, the barbeque for outside purposes and food smokers too. However, you might be forgiven for not immediately recognising a teppanyaki grill.

Well if you haven’t ever heard of it before, let alone used or owned one, this grill is hugely popular in Japan and is a very healthy way to cook your food. It’s essentially an iron griddle that is used for skewered marinated food and is normally long, yet compact in its design. Steak and even chopped vegetables can all be cooked on the teppanyaki grill and as a cooking appliance these designs are becoming more popular in the UK. So what’s all the fuss about?

The teppanyaki grill can cook food quickly, so you won’t be left hanging around too long before enjoying the fruits of your labour. With other forms of cooking, it can take a fairly long time before the food is ready, so if you are on a camping trip for example, you can use the grill to quickly make dinner for your hungry family members.

This type of grill is made with quality materials and are incredibly easy to clean, so you don’t have to spend ages scraping away any excess grime or dirt. As a result, you can use your teppanyaki grill over and over again without having to worry about the clean-up operation afterwards. We’ve all been in a situation where we’ve spent longer cleaning the appliance we used than the time it took to cook the food in the first place, so you’ll have no issues here. Some designs even feature a drip tray which will catch the excess oil from your foods, allowing you to enjoy healthier meals

These grills are also easy to use in the home. So say for example you have cooked a meal for some friends and your guest have enjoyed it so much that the vegetables have all gone, you could use the grill to quickly cook some more. You could even do the same for small chopped pieces of meat as it won’t take long to cook, meaning that your guest won’t stay hungry for long.

These portable grills are perfect for parties and social events where you sit down for a meal, and it saves you going to and from the kitchen as all of your food is prepared and eaten in the same place. You can even use them in the home over the winter period which means that you can use the barbecue over the summer and then use the teppanyaki grill during the rest of the year.

They really do add a unique flavour to your food and if you are looking to get hold of one there are a number of online stores that you can contact in order make a purchase. For simple cooking, the teppanyaki grill is worth buying, it’s the perfect portable appliance: easy to clean and can be used on trips away or around the home when you have guests over.

Vincent Rogers writes for a number of UK businesses. If you are looking for a Teppanyaki Gill he recommends Garden Gift Shop.

If you do a fair amount of cooking or baking at home, you no doubt have realized that having a stand mixer (as opposed to a hand held mixer), can save you a lot of time in the kitchen. The advantages of a stand mixer, primarily, are that you no longer have to work at, or attend to the mixing of different ingredients. Just put your flower, sugar, butter, etc… into the bowl, turn the unit on, and you can more or less walk away. Or, at a minimum, you don’t have to work so hard at getting your ingredients mixed.

Often times, people who are in the market for a new mixer think that their best bet is to go out and buy a commercial unit. Generally, consumers feel that commercial units are built more solidly, and are more robust.

To some extent this is true. For example, you certainly won’t ever see a commercial stand mixer made of plastic. However, there are certain limitations (and other things) that you need to seriously consider before you go out and purchase (or even look for) a commercial mixer.

The Advantages of a Commercial Mixer for Home Use

It’s true, commercial mixers are generally made to a fairly high standard of quality. However, they are primarily designed with volume and duration of use in mind. As a result, a commercial unit will likely run far fewer hours (over its life), in your home than it would in a bakery. Thus, the unit’s motor would likely last longer. That being said, they are not, however, generally made with the comfort or convenience of the user in mind. And, certainly, no consideration is given as to what kind of environment the unit will sit in. After all, most commercial kitchens have plenty of space for a mixer.

The Disadvantages of a Commercial Mixer for Home Use

Commercial mixers are usually very large. This is the first problem of trying to find one for residential use. Rarely will you find a commercial mixer under 16-20 quarts in bowl size. This is almost triple the size of most home units. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to find a unit that would fit on your counter – for example.

Secondly, commercial stand mixers are generally very noisy, and generate a lot of heat. Also, their motors are quite powerful, and, in some cases, even dangerous.

The Advantages to Residential Stand Mixes

If you’re going to be using a mixer at home, you should really be looking at units that are designed for that purpose. Many companies now make units that are VERY similar to commercial units, with die-cast build and all metal construction. However, the units are smaller and easier to manage.

If you’re serious about baking, but aren’t looking at starting a commercial business, buy a residential mixer for home. You won’t regret it.

Having worked in the restaurant supply industry, and seeing people often on the prowl for commercial equipment to be installed in their home, I thought a discussion on the matter was appropriate (concerning stand mixers). Residential mixers of extremely high quality can now be had at very reasonable prices. Learn more here.

Sometimes a company needs to collectively take a break and give its hard-working employees the chance to unwind. Once people get to know each other on a personal level, rather than through the veneer of professionalism and office politics, it can often become easier to work with one another on a day to day basis. And a shared experience can do wonders in terms of bringing people together.

But what sort of day will everyone appreciate? In most companies, there’s such a variety of individuals that it can be hard to cater to everyone’s tastes. It may be the case that some of the typical team building activities you would assume everyone would enjoy may be unsuitable, or perhaps make some members of staff feel uncomfortable. Nothing is worse than putting the effort into a special day for everyone to enjoy, only to find that no one seems to be having a particularly good time.

That’s why it is important to assess all the options available to the company. Decide on a rough budget and shop around to see what’s available. Failing to do this could lead to an embarrassing moment at a later stage, when you realise you’ve missed out on a truly memorable team-building opportunity.

When it comes to deciding which activity to do there are certain “go to” activities that seem to work well in most office situations. One modern classic is paint balling. A company can organise themselves into teams (or death squads), pick up their weapons and get either as tactical or as Rambo as they like. Cue rudimentary military sign language and terrible Arnold Schwarzenegger impressions. Usually there will be a variety of scenarios to play through, such as sieges, capture the flag and sometimes even historic reenactments.

But sometimes the idea of paint balling won’t appeal to certain members of a team. For a more refined day out, a team cookery session can be a great activity, and usually an activity that is universally liked by the group. Corporate days are available for almost all styles of cookery, from traditional English to Thai. This is great way to get teams to gel, whilst simultaneously broadening their culinary horizons.

There are also a variety of rather more unorthodox corporate days that have emerged in recent times. Smoothie making, sumo suit wrestling and even spy days are becoming increasingly popular. Whether you decide to go with a tried and tested day, or something more unusual, team building is an essential part of modern office life.

Allowing for a properly bonded team to form doesn’t make sense only from a HR perspective, but also from a financial one. Studies have shown that people working in offices built on good relationships are actually more productive, with a lower staff turnover.

Team building days are not the only way to build office relationships, but they should form a part of a business’s overall strategy to keep staff happy.

Written by Julie Brown from The Cookery School at Braxted Park. An establishedcookery school offering small group cookery classes and also corporate cooking days and team building cooking events, in the beautiful surroundings within Braxted Park Estate. The Cookery School at Braxted Park offers cookery courses in Essex for all abilities taught by award-winning chefs.

Probably the main reason that many people consider buying a low-fat air fryer such as the Tefal Actifry or the Philips Air Fryer, is simply because they can prepare those much beloved deep fried chips but with very little or no oil. This obviously makes these machines very appealing if you are trying to lose weight! However, there are at least two things that stop people from making that purchase; can you only cook chips and do they really taste like the deep fried ones you really love?

In brief, both the two particular machines mentioned circulate hot air around the food that often cooks the food a lot faster than other conventional methods. However, the Tefal uses a paddle that pushes and turns the food inside the pan. In contrast, the Philips does not do this, so in the case of certain foods you will need to shake the pan half way through the cooking process.

In answer to the first question, yes, you can cook a great deal more than chips in your air fryer. However, just what you can prepare will depend on the particular model because of differences in the way these appliances work. In the Tefal you need to nothing until the machine ‘pings’ when the food is ready. In the Philips you often need to give the basket a shake half way through the cooking process depending on what you are cooking.

Returning to the quality of the chips. You will find that both the above models will produce a very similar end product. However, they are not the same as the deep fried variety. That’s not to say they don’t look and taste good as they certainly do. However, most people report that they are the closest thing to the original that you can get and far superior to low-fat oven chips. So, do you have to prepare your potatoes any differently?

Although you can also use frozen chips, to prepare them fresh all you have to do is chip your potatoes as normal. Thin French fries are the fastest to cook and only take less than 10 minutes. It is recommended you soak the chips in water for half an hour to remove most of the starch, dry them thoroughly and drizzle over half to one tablespoon of oil. Heat the fryer for a couple of minutes and pop in the chips.

The primary difference with the Philips is that it has a basket, a food divider and a cooking container. This means that it is probably more versatile for your kitchen. For example, you can bake brownies, quiches and jacket potatoes that you could not do in the Tefal. In contrast, it would be more difficult to make curries (but not impossible) in the Philips where the Tefal makes it really easy.

Obviously, this is just a quick overview of air fryers which has concluded that cooking chips in a low-fat air fryer does not produce chips that taste exactly like deep fried ones. It does suggest however that they are probably the closest you can produce and are of course much healthier.

For great recipes, tips and reviews on owning one of the latest air fryers like the Philips or Tefal models, go to www.airfryers.org for more information.