GRILLED CHICKEN TIKKA 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs Juice from 4 lemons 1 tablespoon of salt (15ml) ½ cup of plan yogurt (125ml) 3 tablespoons of ground almonds (15ml) 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger (15ml) 5 cloves of garlic 3 teaspoons of paprika (15ml) 2 teaspoons of garam masala (10ml) 1 teaspoon of turmeric (5ml) ½ teaspoon of freshly ground pepper (2.5ml) ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper (2.5ml) Extra virgin olive oil

Combine chicken lemon juice and salt in a large bowl and toss until the chicken is well coated. Place the chicken and the remaining liquid into a large plastic bag.

In another bowl, combine yogurt, almonds, ginger, garlic, paprika, garam masala, turmeric, pepper & cayenne. Mix well and pour over the chicken. Toss and coat the chicken in the mixture. Close the bag and place it in the fridge to marinate for 4 hours up to overnight.

Place some bamboo skewers into water and leave to soak for 30 – 45minutes.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator ½ hour prior to cooking time. Leave it to come to room temperature

Preheat the grill to medium high heat.

Place two or three pieces of chicken on each bamboo skewer. Oil the grill grate and then place the skewers down in a way that the skewers are off the heat and the chicken is on. Cook with the lid up for 7 to 8 minutes per side.

Yield: 4 servings
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SMOKED PORK TENDERLOIN  1 tablespoon of ground all spice (15ml) 1 tablespoon of brown sugar (15ml) 1 tablespoon of onion powder (15ml) 1 ½ teaspoon of celery salt (7.5ml) 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg (5ml) 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon (5ml) 1 teaspoon of dried thyme (5ml) 2 x 14 ounce pork tenderloins 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil (10ml) 2 handfuls of wood chips 1 handful of wood chips, soaked in water for 30 minutes

Basting Liquid
1 cup of chicken stock (250ml)
2 tablespoons of Canola oil (30ml)
1 tablespoon of cider vinegar (15ml)
2 tablespoons of Maple Syrup (30ml)

Combine all of the spices into a bowl and mix well.  Separate 1/3 of this mixture and set it aside for use later.  Coat the tenderloins with 1 teaspoon of oil each.  Massage the remaining 2/3 of the spices into the pork tenderloins being sure to coat them evenly.

Place the tenderloins into a sealable plastic bag and leave in the fridge to marinate for 4 hours to overnight. 

Remove the tenderloins from the fridge 30 minutes prior to barbecuing.

Prepare the smoker.  Turn the barbecue onto high heat.  With a fork, poke several holes into the bottom of a tin pie plate.  Squeeze the excess water from the wet chips and place them into the pie plate.  Add the dry chips and mix.  Place the plate directly on top of the heat source – below the grill grate. 

Place the tenderloins onto grill on high heat and sear the outside, turning until their exterior is well charred.  This will take approximately 3 minutes per side.  Reduce the heat under the smoke package and turn the heat off everywhere else.  Move the tenderloins over to sit on the grate over top of the burners that are off.  Close the lid and allow to smoke for 1 ½ hours. 

Prepare your mop.  In a small saucepan, combine the 1/3 of the spice mixture from the rub that was set aside with the other mop ingredients.  Place over heat and warm this mixture.  Use it to baste the tenderloins 2- 3 times during the smoking process – after 30 minutes, after 50 minutes, and again after 1 hr & 15 minutes.

The tenderloins are ready when their internal temperature has reached 160 F. Cover the meat with foil and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

 Yield:  4 Servings
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GRILLED FENNEL WITH ANCHOVY GARLIC BUTTER 2 fennel bulbs 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil 5 tablespoons of room temperature butter 4 large garlic cloves 5 anchovy fillets Juice from 1 lemon 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon of freshly chopped cilantro

Trim the fennel bulbs of their leafy tops. Cut the bulb into ¾ inch wedges being sure to leave the root end in tact so that they don’t fall apart on the grill.

Preheat the grill to high heat.

Meanwhile place the soft butter in a large bowl. Crush the garlic and add it to the bowl. Rinse the anchovy fillets and dice them. Add the anchovy bits to the bowl and mix. Squeeze the juice from a fresh lemon into the bowl. Add the black pepper and cilantro. Mix it all together well.

Drizzle the fennel wedges with the olive oil. Lower the heat to medium high and place the fennel on the grill. Cook for approximately 5 minutes per side with the lid up. Watch for flare ups and shift the vegetable if they persist.

Serve hot with garlic anchovy butter melting on top.

Yield: 4 servings
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SMOKEY BANANA SALSA 2 Chipotle peppers from a can, finely diced 4 ripe bananas, peeled and diced (about 2 cups) (500ml) ½ medium red pepper, finely diced ½ cup of red onion, finely diced (125ml) 4 tablespoons of freshly chopped mint (60ml) 2 tablespoon of orange juice (30ml) 2 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lime juice (30ml) 1 tablespoon of honey (15ml)

Combine all of the ingredients into a bowl except the banana. Toss gently. Add the banana and toss again to coat. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

Yield: 3 cups of salsa
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AVOCADO AND WATERCRESS SOUP 3 large, medium ripe avocados 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (30ml) 8 ounces of watercress (250ml) 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce (15ml) 1 large green chili or jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped Peel the avocados. Cut in half and remove the pit. Cut them into cubes and place in a glass or ceramic bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice overtop to avoid having them discolour.

Bring the chicken stock to a simmer.

Wash the watercress and pat it dry. Trim off the hard stems and wilted leaves and coarsely chop. Add the watercress to the chicken stock. Add the diced avocado, soy chili, and season with salt and pepper. Let simmer for 5 minutes.

Using a hand wand or a blender to mix finish the soup by puree it until it reaches desired smoothness. Place in a non-reactive bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the soup chill in the fridge. Adjust seasoning and serve chilled.

Yield: Serves 6
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