For many people Memorial Day weekend is considered the official start of the grilling season.  Folks are digging our their grills, locating their tongs and spatulas, exchanging propane tanks, and purchasing charcoal in anticipation of the coming weekend.  For many of us this will be the first three-day weekend in a long time and with warmer weather it is a natural that everyone is ready to get outside and grill.  I however am one of those crazy people who insist on grilling year-round.  Like the postal motto, neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night keeps me from my grill, and over the years I have found there is almost nothing that can not be prepared on the grill.

While I do love a good burger and always enjoy a brat there are so many options for grilling I thought this coming holiday weekend would be a good reason to share some of my favorite things to grill.  So get your charcoal stocked or your tanks filled and enjoy some time with your family and friends.  Fire up the grill and cook with confidence and know what ever you decide to prepare you will make it memorable.

Grilled Romaine Salad

Grilled Pineapple & Cucumber Salad

Blue Cheese & Bacon Stuffed Onion

Crab Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers

Cedar Plank Salmon

Rosemary Lemon Chicken

Island Style BBQ Chicken

Wisconsin Style Beer Brats

Grilled Filet of Beef

Beer Can Chicken

White BBQ Chicken Shish Kebab

Rosemary Lemon Cheesecake

Smoking in your Gas Grill

I also hope this weekend that everyone will take some time to remember the reason for this holiday, the memory of the countless men and women who have gave their lives during active military duty as well as those who currently serve.

Fort Logan National Cemetery, Denver Colorado

With temperatures reaching into the 80’s this weekend, it seemed like we were having a tropical heat wave. So I decided to cook something that reminded me of the many wonderful times I have spent in the Aloha state.

During the early 80’s I was working as a bartender at a ski resort in Summit County, Colorado. How lucky I was to have been hired for a position at an aprés ski lodge at the base of the mountain. Those were wild and crazy times I tell you, pretty much like Hot Tub Time Machine.

One of the neatest things about resort life is how the people you work with really become your comrades. It was just such a co-worker from Maui who I became good friends with, Tracey had come to escape “island fever”, to experience some winter, and ski for a season. When the mountain closed she invited me to spend the “mud season” at her ocean side house in the small town of Paia, located on the north shore of Maui on the road to Hana town. With no work and a pocket full of tips from the winter season, I gladly accepted the invitation. Tracey introduced me to a friend of hers, Bob Kiger who had recently move to Paia from L.A.  He had escaped the hectic lifestyle of a Hollywood producer to become a laid back surfer dude, and to start a bike rental company. His idea was to take people by van to the top of the Haleakalā Volcano (elevation 10,023 feet) to watch the sunrise, and then guide them on a ride down the mountain on California Cruiser style bikes. He offered me a free trip to check out his idea, which I eagerly accepted.  Little did we know at the time that his crazy notion would become the incredibly successful Cruiser Bob’s Maui Bike Tours.

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Island-style BBQ Chicken (Ka Moa)

Island food is an amazing combination of fresh flavors combining Hawaiian tradition with some Asian influence creating a flavor that is out of this world.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Hawaiian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup of spicy BBQ sauce
• ½ cup Hoisin sauce
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon ginger finely minced
• 4 fresh chicken quarters

Instructions

• Mix all ingredients together in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Preheat your grill on high. When hot, turn off one half leaving the other half on high.
• Place the chicken on the side of the grill with no heat and close the lid.
• Cook for about 10 minutes.
• Open the grill and brush all sides of the chicken with the glaze.
• Close the lid and continue to cook for another 20 minutes checking meat with a thermometer. Remove chicken from grill when it tests 165º F. Cooking times will vary depending on the size and the cut of the meat
• Tent the chicken with foil and allow to rest for about 10 minutes.

Notes

I like to use chicken quarters, but any cut will work for this dish.

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Haleakalā Slaw (House of the sun)

An explosion of flavors from sweet to heat make this slaw an interesting side dish. Definitely not the your mothers slaw.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Hawaiian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

Slaw

• ¼ head of cabbage core removed and thinly sliced
• 1 carrot cut into matchsticks
• 1 jalapeno slivered
• 4 - 5 green onions thinly sliced
• 1½ cup bean sprouts
• 1 orange pepper cut into small strips
• ¼ fresh pineapple core removed and cut into bite size pieces
• 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds

Dressing

• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon ginger minced
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Slaw

• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss with hands to mix well.

Dressing

• Whisk together and pour of slaw, mixing well to coat evenly. Use only enough dressing to coat.

 Mahalo for reading my story. I truly hope you will enjoy this dish.  Aloha!