Grilled on Vacation

Nothing like needing a vacation after your vacation.  We had a great time.  It was exhausting chasing a 17-month old and keeping track of two boys swimming in the ocean, but it was completely worth it.

Now for the food.  It was a bit like The Next Food Network Star, meets Chopped, meets Dinner Impossible.  It's hard making dinner for 25 people and wanting it to actually taste good (The Next Food Network Star).  Plus, not having all the ingredients at your disposal (Chopped) and certainly not having the right equipment in your condo and only one gas grill for the entire complex (Restaurant Impossible) made it even more challenging.  A shout goes out to Chris for snagging the grill before the other group of 25 did.  To Megan for being reinforcement at the grill as I kept bringing down food.  And to Elizabeth and Kristin for playing with Margot.  I would still be cooking dinner now if it weren't for them.  'Holla!'

We were all grilled, all the time.  Here was the menu ...

Green Apple, Brie and Pecan bruschetta - O.K. we were going to grill the bread, but I toasted it in the oven instead.  I used Megan's Candied Pecans here.  It was rustic.

Hamburgers and Beer Brats - no pecans

Grilled corn - no pecans

Grilled corn salad with cilantro, feta, red onion, toasted pecans, cumin and cayenne.  It tasted like summer and was completely gone.

Grilled romaine salad with a bacon and blue cheese dressing.  Thanks goes out to Meredith and David for not panicking when the stove went up in flames and the smoke detector went off.  I stand on my statement, Burnt is the new Charred :)  This salad was great.  It was a wilted salad on steroids.  The blue cheese and bacon on the smoky lettuce was perfect.  I wish I sprinkled it with pecans so it was one of my battle dishes. 

Dessert was a Pecan and Beer Caramel sauce over a Grilled Peach and ice cream.  Like I said, we grilled everything.

It was a pleasure feeding the family ... but I needed a drink afterward.  Well, one before during and after too.