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August 2018 Cooking Challenge - Weeknight cookout!

5K views 37 replies 11 participants last post by  butzy 
#1 · (Edited)
I like day trips, long weekends, and after work fishing. Not everything has to be a 1 week vacation or a 12 hour brisket. You have to make time to enjoy the little things, like this summer weather. I cook outside year round and in the summer I want to eat outside too. Don't wait for an elaborate weekend BBQ. Get outside on weeknights too!

Here's the challenge scenario. You have friends coming over after work. It's a beautiful night to use that patio furniture. What can you make in 1.5 hours or less?

We're not counting inactive prep time. If you were clever to make ferments ahead of time, marinade the night before, thaw meats, stock your freezer and pantry well, etc. then you should be rewarded for good planning!

There is no restriction on ingredients or techniques. If you want to make a berry tart, go ahead. If you want to grill a steak, deep fry zucchini blossoms, it is all good. Anything that you think would be good at a cookout and doesn't take too long to make (if the dish can be made in advance and served cold I will give you unlimited time). Apps, mains, desserts, beverages are all valid entries.

The usual rules apply:
- The challenge begins on the 1st of every month and the last entry must be made by the last day of the month.
- You may post multiple entries.
- All entries must be cooked during the month of the challenge.
- If you use a documented recipe, please cite your source.
- Entries should include the name of your dish and a picture of the final product. Sharing personal recipes and pictures of the process are not mandatory but extremely helpful.
- The winner is chosen by the person who posted the challenge, and is announced after the last day of submissions. The decision is final and falls entirely at the discretion of the challenger.
- Submitting an entry makes you eligible to win. If you do not wish to be considered for the win you may still participate in the challenge, but make your wishes known to the challenger.

The winner's bounty includes praise, virtual high-fives, and the responsibility of posting the next month's challenge. That entails choosing a theme, posting a Challenge thread that includes the guidelines, checking in on the submissions regularly during the month, and promptly choosing a winner at the end of the challenge.
 
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#11 ·
I did the mussels outside on a propane burner. I tossed them with butter, white wine, garden tomatoes, fresh rosemary, basil, oregano flowers, chives, thyme and parsley.The corn I just boiled and flopped on top of the mussels to pick up the juice ;)
 
#13 ·
Chicken for me as well.
I had bought a whole frozen chicken and defrosted it, took off the wings and legs and used them for piri piri chicken.
The remainder of the chicken was used in a sort of Thai style red chicken curry, with the chicken grilled on the braai.
But as quite a lot of that dish was cooked indoors on the stovetop, I didn't include that dish.

So here we go.

Secret marinade ingredient ;)
other ingredients: olive oil-garlic powder-onion powder-smoked paprika-paprika-piri piri powder-fish sauce and red wine vinegar
Liquid Bottle Ingredient Fluid Alcoholic beverage


Chicken in the marinade
Food Ingredient Recipe Cooking Chicken meat


And yes, I was cooking for 2
Dog Dog breed Carnivore Companion dog Gas


They are about done
Food Ingredient Recipe Outdoor grill rack & topper Fast food


And fully done
Food Ingredient Recipe Chicken meat Roasting
 
#15 ·
Chicken for me as well.
I had bought a whole frozen chicken and defrosted it, took off the wings and legs and used them for piri piri chicken.
The remainder of the chicken was used in a sort of Thai style red chicken curry, with the chicken grilled on the braai.
But as quite a lot of that dish was cooked indoors on the stovetop, I didn't include that dish.

So here we go.

Secret marinade ingredient ;)
other ingredients: olive oil-garlic powder-onion powder-smoked paprika-paprika-piri piri powder-fish sauce and red wine vinegar
View attachment 65466

Chicken in the marinade
View attachment 65462

And yes, I was cooking for 2
View attachment 65463

They are about done
View attachment 65464

And fully done
View attachment 65465
That's a good boy! (Or girl)
 
#28 ·
For the concept of the challenge I grilled the filet,made and reduced the Bordelaise sauce, boiled and mashed the potatoes, and roasted the carrots. It was under 90 minutes. It would be a great weeknight guest supper. Paired with a 2010 Bordeaux

Filet Mignon Bordelaise with Boursin mashed potatoes and roasted rainbow baby carrots.

View attachment 65467
Yea I'm coming to your house for weeknight dinner sheesh!!
 
#19 ·
Ah, the nick name is just a spoof on my surname. Very boring.
My brother was The Butz, and me, I became Butzy (I am the youngest after all)...

Back on topic ;)
My manager is off, so been quite busy. Hope to get some more dishes in. Got some decent ideas...
 
#20 ·
Potjie (non traditional)

Can be made with any type of meat and vegetables etc. I used thinly sliced pork chop cut into pieces, to make sure I would stay within the time limit.
Non-traditional: as potjies are normally not spicy, but mine are. Also, the purists fry onions and meat, add the other ingredients, close the lid and don't stir or check. They actually get angry if you would lift the lid!
Me, I use them as I would use any cast iron pot. I open, adjust spices, stir etc etc

Anyway, here we go:

The set up:
Plant Sky Tree Natural material Grass


Frying the fatty meat pieces
Natural material Wood Gas Cuisine Dish

Adding sliced red onions (I recently bought a 7 kg bag of red onions and maybe that's a bit of overkill for 1 person)
Automotive tire Cookware and bakeware Grass Gas Cooking

Spices (and obviously extra garlic. Also used some soy and kecap and a bit of vinegar)
Font Automotive tire Handwriting Gas Bumper
Handwriting Font Publication Book Ink


Added the pork
Cuisine Wood Cooking Natural material Grass


And now we wait:
Plant Automotive tire Terrestrial plant Grass Gas

And then we eat (with home made pita and coriander leaf)
Food Ingredient Recipe Fines herbes Mixture

I could have made the pita bread while the potjie was going, but I still had some in the freezer, so used those first.
Pita and pizza will follow as another entry (if time permits)
 
#21 ·
#22 ·
With ingredients in just about any cupboard, these sweet tooth-satisfying bars can be whipped up in 90. Ten minutes for prep, 20 minutes in the oven, and an hour in the fridge.
Pour melted butter in a lined pan, mix with a layer of crushed graham crackers, a layer of coarsely chopped nuts, lots of dark chocolate chips, coconut flakes, and top the whole thing with a can of condensed milk.
Heck, if I were marketing these things, I could say, "No added sugar." :rolleyes:
Food Tableware Ingredient Recipe Staple food
Food Recipe Ingredient Staple food Produce
 
#23 ·
With ingredients in just about any cupboard, these sweet tooth-satisfying bars can be whipped up in 90. Ten minutes for prep, 20 minutes in the oven, and an hour in the fridge.
Pour melted butter in a lined pan, mix with a layer of crushed graham crackers, a layer of coarsely chopped nuts, lots of dark chocolate chips, coconut flakes, and top the whole thing with a can of condensed milk.
Heck, if I were marketing these things, I could say, "No added sugar." :rolleyes:
View attachment 65482 View attachment 65483
Yeah I'm gonna go ahead and copy this one down. Looks easy and AMAZING.
 
#24 · (Edited)
We entertained two friends tonight with this yummy dinner: baked pakora with cilantro sauce, chickpea curry over basmati rice, lots and lots of blueberry-vodka lassi (Greek yogurt, blueberries, ice, vodka, lime juice, sugar, and cardamon garnished with ground pistachios and mint), and a green salad my friend brought. It was all ready in well under 90 minutes including prep earlier in the day.

Food Tableware Cocktail Ingredient Recipe
Food Tableware Ingredient Recipe Fines herbes
Food Tableware Ingredient Fines herbes Recipe
Font Recipe Material property Paper product Paper
Food Tableware Blender Green Ingredient
Font Handwriting Parallel Paper Paper product
Food Ingredient Recipe Cuisine Fines herbes
Handwriting Font Paper product Paper Document
Food Ingredient Recipe Cuisine Dish
The garam masala made the meal. There is a chef here who owns an amazing Indian street food place. He recently began selling spices he sources, toasts, and blends. You open the container, take a whiff, and think you died and went to Heaven.
 

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#29 ·
pizza time (again)

Been quite busy as my manager was away on leave and the times I did manage to cook, I forgot to take pictures.
But we are back...
Here's the set up:
Plant Wood Natural landscape Grass Trunk

And the results
Food Pizza Ingredient Fast food Recipe


Food Pizza Ingredient Recipe Fast food


And as a little extra:
This was from an earlier cook (also this month), some pita bread to go with the kebabs (that I forgot to take pictures of)
Textile Pink Petal Tints and shades Magenta

This little pizza oven works quite fast, so difficult to take pictures of shaping and assembling pizza's and cooking them.
I really like it for pita bread
 
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