Marinades add variety to grilled meats

Another year of school has come and gone, and the children are all about 5 inches taller than they were at the start of the school year. Lexie's teacher and I were looking at pictures from the beginning of school, and she has changed so much. She has lost that toddler, little-girl look and is taking on the look of a first-grader. Ross also has changed a great deal in his height and in his facial features. It is so much fun to watch them grow and experience all of the wonderful things that being a child can bring. We survived all the parties, the near-epidemic of the flu, play day, chili supper and saying goodbye to friends for the summer. So, for now we say goodbye to kindergarten and third grade and look forward to what lies ahead for us.

Nina Mehrle of Cape Girardeau shares a recipe with us for a crisp that uses some of summer's very best: strawberries and rhubarb.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

Topping:

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Dash salt

6 tablespoons butter, softened

3/4 cup rolled oats

Filling:

5 cups strawberries

3 cups rhubarb slices, 1/3-inch thick

2/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

For the topping: In a large bowl mix all ingredients except butter and oats and blend thoroughly. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in oats. Set aside.

For the filling: In another bowl, mix strawberries, rhubarb, sugar and cornstarch. Blend thoroughly. Spoon mixture into a 10-by-10-by-2 inch baking dish. Cover evenly with topping. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is lightly browned.

Makes 8 or 9 servings. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

Nina also added that she and John enjoy leftovers warmed up in the microwave and it works great.

My sister-in-law Ann makes delicious kabobs, but the marinade is her secret. She is not keeping it a secret any longer and is sharing it with you. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have over family conversation and great times together.

Ann's Beef Kabobs

2 pounds beef sirloin, cubed into large chunks

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 cup water

2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced

3 to 4 green onions, chopped

1/2 teaspoon Accent

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Pinch ground ginger

Cube beef and place in a glass, lidded bowl. Sprinkle sugar over beef. Refrigerate for about 1 hour. Mix remaining ingredients together and pour over beef and refrigerate about 3 more hours. Skewer the beef alternating with Vidalia chunks, pineapple chunks, whole fresh mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and green pepper squares. Grill until desired doneness of the beef and the vegetables are just tender.

My brother Wes was a judge at the Missouri Beef Cookoff several years ago and the winning recipe that year has been a winner with me ever since. It's for kabobs with a surprise ingredient: peanut butter.

Lu-Wow Kabobs

3 (8 ounce) beef loin strip steaks, 1-inch thick

2 medium red bell peppers

8 ounces fresh mushrooms

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon minced garlic

4 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Cut beef into 1-inch cubes; set aside. Wash vegetables, cut peppers into 1 to 1/4-inch squares, stem mushrooms; set all aside. Thread beef and vegetables onto six 12-inch-long skewers, alternating the beef and vegetables. Lay the skewers in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Combine peanut butter, brown sugar, garlic, soy sauce, and lemon juice in a small bowl and blend. Pour over the skewered beef and vegetables, turning to coat. Let stand about 15 minutes or longer in the refrigerator. Place skewers on a broiling pan and broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat source for 8 to 10 minutes, turning only once during cooking. Season with salt and pepper.

Over last weekend I grilled Scott his favorite pork tenderloin teriyaki that I have shared with you before. It is a delicious combination of flavors and is one of our family favorites. Another marinade that I enjoy using is what I typically put on flank or sirloin steaks when I grill them.

Beef Marinade

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons vinegar

1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon minced onion

1 flank steak or two sirloin steaks

Score flank steak and place in glass dish or in a plastic zip-top bag. Combine all other ingredients and mix well. Pour over steak. Cover or close bag and refrigerate overnight. When about ready to serve, grill steak about 8 to 10 minutes on each side. Allow meat to rest about 10 minutes after removing from the grill.

If using the flank steak, slice on the bias or across the grain into thin slices. Bring the leftover marinade to a full boil and then pour over sliced steak.

We have a friend who goes salmon fishing every September and brings back his limit every year. There is nothing like fresh salmon on the grill. This marinade is from the fisherman himself, John Keller.

Salmon Marinade

1 clove garlic, minced, or 1 teaspoon chopped garlic

4 to 6 green onions, chopped

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

Mix all ingredients together and pour over salmon in a glass baking dish and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours or as needed to fit into your grilling schedule. (I have left it in the refrigerator for several hours and it does fine.) Grill salmon skin side down on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil over medium to hot coals until the fish starts to flake. Do not overcook. While still on the grill, sprinkle with toasted sliced almonds, then remove fish to a serving platter, placing your spatula just under the fish, leaving the skin on the foil. Discard the foil.

Garnish with lemon twists and a small bunch of dill, if desired.

Another one of our family favorites is the Missouri Pork Chop recipe we got from John teller from Uniontown, Mo. He got the recipe from the Agri-Missouri cookbook and it is definitely a winner with my husband.

Missouri Pork Chops

4 pork chops, about 1 1/4-inch thick

1 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Garlic powder

Combine soy sauce, vinegar, the 1 tablespoon garlic powder and brown sugar. Place chops in a shallow dish. Pour marinade over chops. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or longer if desired. Place chops on grill about six inches above low to medium coals. Grill for 45 to 55 minutes, turning and basting with marinade every 10 to 15 minutes, until meat reaches 165 degrees on a meat thermometer. Sprinkle chops lightly with additional garlic powder when basting the meat if desired.

Allow meat to rest at least 10 minutes before serving.

I had not planned ahead of time to make this an all-marinade food column, but as I went it turned into one. I do not often get to share many of our favorites, but it just seemed like this week would be a great week to break out the grill and start grilling your way into summer.

So, until next time, happy grilling.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by the Southeast Missourian staff.