Onion Bombs!

For several years now, friends of mine have been making (and raving about) these things called onion bombs. I've been meaning to make them myself for EVER, and tonight I finally did!

Onion bombs are basically halved, separated onion layers, stuffed with seasoned meat, reassembled, wrapped in bacon, smoked and indirect grill-roasted, then brushed with bbq sauce to finish.

In other words... heaven.

The meat mixture I used was -

1 lb. extra lean ground beef
3/4 C. finely chopped mushrooms
1 T. finely chopped onion
1/2 C. dry bread crumbs (or substitute of your choice)
heaping tablespoon dried parsley
about 2 t. Worcestershire sauce (just shake it to taste)
1 t. Montreal steak seasoning
1 T. ketchup

2 medium onions
1 - 12 oz. package bacon
bbq sauce of your choice

wood chips for smoking, soaked

Slice stem and root ends from onions, then slice in half lengthwise. Carefully remove papery outer layers. Separate inner layers, keeping matched pairs together. You will get 3-4 pairs of good size from each onion. Chop some of the remaining onion for the filling, and save the rest for another use.

Combine all ingredients for meat filling, mixing well.

Fill each onion half with meat, pressing the matching halves back together. Wrap each onion with 2-3 slices of bacon until covered, securing with picks.

Preheat grill for indirect cooking, to about 400°. I used a drip pan, because bacon grease all over the inside of my grill is not my idea of a good time. Place onion bombs over drip pan, throw some wood chips in there (using your preferred grill-smoking method), close the lid, and let them roast for about an hour, turning occasionally. Brush with bbq sauce during the last 10 minutes or so. Remove to plate and let stand about 5 minutes before serving.

Mesquite wood chips on the left.

About halfway done cooking. Should have used a little more bacon on a couple of these, but oh well...

Served with my Awesome Broccoli Slaw, they were (dare I say it), da bomb.

Everything Must Be Grilled!!

If you've read this blog for more than five minutes, you know how much I love to cook outdoors. It's an especially happy day when I can do an entire dinner on the grill! Since grilling proteins is kind of a no-brainer, I'd like to focus on a couple quick and easy side dishes that are perfect to throw along side of whatever else you have going.

This particular dinner was bone-on chicken breasts marinated in store-bought Italian dressing, so I wanted something with similar flavors to go with them... roasted green beans and lemon/thyme orzo fit the bill perfectly.

Roasted Green Beans

(all amounts are approximate and to taste)

Frozen green beans (whole or cut)

Extra virgin olive oil

salt

pepper

granulated garlic

white balsamic

In a disposable aluminum pan, toss frozen beans with oil, salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. Grill over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until edges of beans start to brown a little, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from grill and splash with balsamic to taste.

Lemon Orzo with Fresh Thyme

1/2 T. each butter and olive oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 C. orzo

1 3/4 C. chicken broth

1 T. fresh thyme, lightly chopped

zest and juice of half a lemon

1/4 C. grated Parmesan

pepper to taste

In a heavy, medium-sized pot, combine butter, oil, garlic, and orzo. Saute over medium-low heat just until orzo starts to brown a little. Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until pasta is done, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.

I hope this inspires you to think a little outside of your normal grilling box and try utilizing your grill to it's fullest potential!

Melon and Cucumber Salsa

Here is another "what the heck is taking up so much room in my fridge?" recipe I came up with. It turned out very well, and was the perfect accompaniment to the spicy jerk chicken I made for dinner that night! I think it would also pair very well with almost any simple grilled (or roasted) chicken breast, pork, or fish recipe.

Melon and Cucumber Salsa

1 C. cantaloupe, cut into small dice

1 C. honeydew melon, cut into small dice

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into small dice

1 T. grated fresh ginger

1 small shallot, finely chopped

1 large jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

zest and juice of one lime

1/4 C. cilantro, chopped

1 T. honey

large pinch of kosher salt

Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Served with jerk chicken and Jamaican rice and peas.