Glowbal » Summer BBQ Series

Glowbal’s Summer BBQ Series | The Perfect Table ft. The Cross Decor & Design

glowbalgroup — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 19:28:23 +0000

Over the last two months, from steaks to salads and wines to desserts, each of our chefs have shared with you their favorite summer barbecue recipe.

With arguably the biggest barbecuing weekend of the summer just days ahead of us, what better way to finalize this series than to show you the perfect way to decorate your summer BBQ table – the most exquisite table to showcase your grill master work!

We asked the Queen of decor & design herself, Darci Ilich, co-owner of The Cross Decor & Design in Yaletown, to show us how to put together a designer table for barbecuing enthusiasts.

Watch below to see the elegance she ‘brings to the table’:

What to look forward to in Glowbal’s Summer BBQ Series:
June 29 - Grilling the Perfect Burger
July 5 - Build a beautiful Black Quinoa Salad
July 12 - Barbeque a rack of Pork Ribs
July 19 - The perfect summer wine recommendation
July 24 - Italian Potato Salad recipe
July 26 - Tips for Great Grilling
August 2 - The Perfect Summer Pitcher – a recipe for the best BBQ cocktail
August 9 - A delightful Pasta Salad recipe
August 14 - Grilled Sockeye Salmon topped with tomato & basil relish
August 16 - Prawn & Chorizo Brochettes with tomatillo & avocado salsa
August 23 - A recipe for the best homemade Blueberry Pie and where to pick your own berries
August 30 - All you will ever need to know to set the perfect table, featuring The Cross Decor

Glowbal’s Summer BBQ Series | Homemade Blueberry Pie

glowbalgroup — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 21:35:32 +0000

Nothing says summer…or barbecue…like a fresh & seasonal berry dessert!

Glowbal Group’s Pastry Sous Chef, Jennifer Carlson, brings to us her favorite summer recipe… a Blueberry Pie.

…and to make this recipe even sweeter, Miss604 recently wrote a piece on where to pick the freshest blueberries in Vancouver and surrounding area. Find out where to pick the filling for your pie HERE!

CRUST:
250 g All Purpose Flour
175g cold butter, cubed

75g cold water
5g salt
14g sugar

1. Sift flour into a mixing bowl add cold butter.
2.   Cut butter into flour – cut butter into about the size of peas or hazelnuts.
3. Dissolve sugar and salt in cold water. Add water to flour mixture until water is just absorbed.     Do not overwork dough.
4.   Separate dough in half and refrigerate covered for at least 4 hours before rolling out.

FILLING:
1300g (6cups) Blueberries
100g sugar
25g cornstarch
Zest and 1/2 juice of a lime

Mix together sugar and cornstarch then toss with the remaining ingredients.

TO ASSEMBLE PIE:
Take one half of dough for the bottom crust and roll out in an even circle to 3mm (1/8 inch) thick. Dust work surface with All Purpose flour, place dough in center and roll in even strokes from center outward in all directions. Lift dough frequently to make sure it’s not sticking – if so dust with more flour.

Roll dough onto rolling pin and then roll out onto ungreased pie shell. Allow dough to drop in pan, and then press it into corners without stretching. Fill with cold filling and set aside.

Roll out second half of pie crust until only 3 mm thick and cut in long strips about 1.5cm wide and long enough to cross the center of the pie. Egg wash the rim of the filled bottom crust. Place 1/2 the strips across the pie about 2.5cm apart. Seal on one side to bottom crust. Weave a strip at a 90 degree angle with the opposite strips going over and under the first row of strips. Repeat this until you reach the edge of the pie shell creating a woven pattern. Egg wash woven pieces carefully. (optional: sprinkle with coarse sugar)

TO BAKE:
Preheat oven to 425-450F (210-220C)
Place pies on the lowest shelf closest to the heat source so the bottom crust does not become soggy. Bake until top crust is a dark golden brown, approximately 30 minutes.

Glowbal’s Summer BBQ Series | Grilled Tiger Prawn & Chorizo Brochettes

glowbalgroup — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 20:57:37 +0000

As soon as these came off the grill and were topped with charred Tomatillo & Avocado Salsa, we couldn’t stop eating them! Chef Pedro Gonzalez’s old family recipe is truly delicious and perfect for any backyard get together! Watch below to see how it’s done.

Tiger Prawn & Chorizo Brochette - Charred Tomatillo & Avocado Salsa

For the salsa
12 Tomatillos
1 Poblano Chile
1 Anaheim Chile
1/2 small onion
2 peeled garlic cloves
1/2 bunch Cilantro
Lime juice, juice of 2 fresh limes
2 avocados
Salt to taste

Remove husks from the tomatillos and rinse under warm water. Place the onion, tomatillos, and chilies over an open flame on the grill. Leave on the grill until softened and slightly charred.

Place the garlic into a food processor along with 6 tomatillos, 1/2 of each chile and all of the cilantro. Blend until smooth.

Take the remaining 6 charred tomatillos, charred onion, 1/2 chilies and (peeled & pitted) avocados and hand chop. In a bowl, combine the puree with the hand chopped ingredients. Squeeze in the lime juice, add salt to taste and mix all ingredients together.

For the brochettes
8 Prawns
8 Spanish Chorizo, sliced in to coins
8 inch wooden skewers (soaked in cold water) or metal skewers
Olive oil, herbs, garlic, onions

Marinate the prawns overnight in olive oil, minced garlic, herbs, and shaved onions.

Remove the prawns from marinade and skewer 2 prawns with 2 sausage coins interchanging them one piece at a time.

Put pieces of foil on either ends of the skewers so that they don’t catch on fire.

Grill until Prawns are pink and cooked through. Remove from grill, plate and top with Tomatillo & Avocado Salsa and chase with an ice cold Corona.

Glowbal’s Summer BBQ Series | Grilled Sockeye Salmon

glowbalgroup — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 23:11:59 +0000

Every great barbecue needs a great seafood option… and COAST’s Chef de Cuisine, Pedro Gonzalez, has created a grilled salmon dish fit for royalty.

It’s not only a beautiful looking dish with vibrant colors and textures – but it tastes absolutely amazing too!

Give Chef Pedro’s recipe a try and be flooded with compliments at your next barbecue.

Grilled Sockeye Salmon – topped with a melted heirloom tomato and basil relish

For the Relish
12 baby heirloom tomatoes, sliced in half
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp garlic oil
8 leaves basil, torn
Cracked black pepper to taste
Salt to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Roast in an oven or broiler until it has caramelized on top and set aside.

For the Salmon
7 oz portion fresh sockeye salmon
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

Season the fish on all sides, using olive oil, salt & pepper to taste. Grill the fish until rare – approximately 5-7 minutes depending on thickness of portion.

Add the tomato relish to the top of the fish as it finishes cooking on the grill. This allows the tomato relish to melt into the crevices of the fish.

Plate, serve & enjoy!

Glowbal’s Summer BBQ Series | Pasta Salad

glowbalgroup — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 22:22:36 +0000

The perfect summer pasta salad recipe – not only delicious but also easy!

Follow Trattoria’s Executive Chef Jon Chuy’s recipe and enjoy!

Cannellini, Spinach, Kalamata Olive & Sun-dried Tomato Pasta Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette.
Yield: 4-6 servings

What You Will Need:
500 gr. Fusilli pasta, cooked & cooled
¾ cup canned Cannellini beans, rinsed
2 med. shallots, sliced
2 cups spinach, washed, trimmed and sliced
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
¼ lb Mozzarella, hand torn
¼ cup Kalamata Olives, pitted & halved
1 tbs pine nuts, toasted
Pesto Vinaigrette, to taste (recipe below)

Pesto Vinaigrette
Yield: 1 cup
¾ cup fresh basil leaves
½ tbs garlic, minced
1 tbs Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated
1 tbs pine nuts, toasted
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 tbs Red Wine Vinegar

Making the Vinaigrette
In a blender or small food processor blend all vinaigrette ingredients until smooth, adding salt and pepper to taste. If kept chilled and covered, vinaigrette may be made 1 day ahead. Bring vinaigrette to room temperature before using on salads.

Building the dish:
Place a large pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, add a generous amount of salt to the water and give the water a stir. Cook the Fusilli pasta for 6-9 minutes depending on your preferred doneness (I usually cook it for 7 minutes.) Strain the pasta, toss with a little olive oil and let cool. Refrigerate if you are cooking the pasta a day ahead.

Meanwhile, gather all your vegetables and start cutting to proper thickness and lengths.

In a large mixing bowl, toss the cooled pasta, vegetables and spinach with the Pesto Vinaigrette. Place in a serving bowl and garnish with the toasted pine nuts and hand torn Mozzarella.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Glowbal’s Summer BBQ Series | The Perfect Pitcher

glowbalgroup — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 17:09:16 +0000

A Sanafir spin on a classic cocktail that dates back as far as Prohibition!

The original Bee’s Knees cocktail was made of ‘bathtub gin’, honey and lemon juice. The honey was added to mask the horrendous flavored gin – the only kind that was available in those days.

Sanafir’s Bar Manager, Matteo Caniglia, takes some of the original ingredients and kicks it up a notch – using rum and adding mint, fennel and pear nectar…. now this cocktail really is ‘the bee’s knees’.

Make this easy pitcher style bevy for that extra touch at your next barbecue!

What You Will Need:
5oz Bacardi White
3.5 oz of honey
2.5 oz of lemon juice
10 oz pear nectar
25 mint leaves
8 fennel leaves

Method:
In a large pitcher, pour in the honey & lemon juice. Add the fennel and give it a quick muddle. Take the mint and slap it in your hands to release the oils and put in with the rest of ingredients, fill with ice and stir for several minutes. Garnish with fennel sprigs. Taste and serve in large wine glasses….or just add straws to the pitcher! Enjoy.

Glowbal’s Summer BBQ Series | Tips for Great Grilling

glowbalgroup — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 20:28:29 +0000

Using 3 of Black+Blue’s most popular cuts, Executive Chef Jason Labahn shares with us his top tips for great grilling. From checking to ensure the grill is hot enough to making a beautiful crust on your steak – you will look like a pro at your next barbecue!

Re-cap of Chef Jason’s tips:

1. To ensure grill is hot enough, hold your hand 5 inches over the grill for 5 seconds. If you can hold your hand there for longer the grill is not hot enough.
2. For medium rare, measure the thickness of steak and grill for 2-3 minutes per inch on each side. To increase doneness, add 1 minute per inch on each side.
3. It is important to cook each side of the steak for an equal amount of time.
4. Resting a steak is very important – allow to rest for 5 minutes per pound to obtain ultimate juicyness.

Glowbal’s Summer BBQ Series | Italian Potato Salad

glowbalgroup — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 20:37:36 +0000

A classic barbecue side dish… with a Glowbal twist.

We all know that Potato Salad recipes can go 1 of 2 ways; mayonnaise overload… or so incredibly dry you need a pitcher of water to wash it down.

Italian Kitchen’s Executive Chef Shaughn Halls provides us with a Potato Salad recipe that is so good, even Potato Salad skeptics will be going back for seconds.

What You Will Need:
2 lbs Baby New Potatoes
¼ cup cooked Hot Pancetta, chopped
4 whole Scallions
3 tbsp prepared Mayonnaise
¼ cup Pickled Eggplant Strips, drained
¼ cup Sun-dried Tomatoes, julienned
3 tbsp Basil, chopped
2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
Sat and Pepper to taste

Method:
Cut potatoes in half, place in pot and cover with cold water. Add 2 tbsp of salt to water and bring to a boil. Simmer potatoes for 6 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Drain well. Char scallions on grill, let cool and chop. Combine potatoes, eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes, pancetta and basil in a bowl. Toss until everything is combined. Add mayonnaise, Dijon and red wine vinegar. Toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with charred scallions. Refrigerate overnight for best taste.

Glowbal’s Summer BBQ Series | Summer Wines

glowbalgroup — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 21:23:38 +0000

What’s a BBQ without a crisp and refreshing, beautiful bottle of wine.

For this week’s installment of our Summer BBQ Series we asked our Corporate Beverage Manager, Francis Pendon, to recommend 2 wines that are a must-do at your table this summer.

His picks? Two wines from our very own back yard! The Okanagan’s highly acclaimed Burrowing Owl and Road 13.

TASTING NOTES
Burrowing Owl – Pinot Gris
“A soft, welcoming nose of Asian pear, cantaloupe melon, apple blossom and lemon with hints of tropical fruit and baking spice. The palate is dry with balanced acidity and a soft, full texture that leads from ripe pear through nectarine, blood orange, ruby grapefruit onto mineral and nutmeg complexities. This wine has the weight and texture to pair with rich white fish such as halibut, white wine poached chicken or mussels in a curry cream sauce.”

Available at any BC Liquor Store.

Road 13 – Rosé
“A combination of 95 % Gamay Noir, 2 % Kerner, 2 % Bacchus and 1 % Riesling. The 2010 Honest John’s Rosé is a bright salmon color; this “foodie” wine starts with aromas of white pepper, fresh strawberries and herbes de Provence. The palate is generous and savory showing flavors of fresh ground pepper, red cherries, strawberries and dry herbs. The wine has a beautiful mouth-feel with a long, lingering, dry finish. This summer sipper is begging for food.”

Available at specialty stores, such as Liberty Wine Merchants.

Glowbal’s Summer BBQ Series | BBQ’d Pork Ribs

glowbalgroup — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 18:39:59 +0000

Hey Vancouver! Mother Nature has been kind enough to throw a little sunshine our way and that means it’s time to get outside and get grilling!

This week, we recommend wet wipes and finger bowls because glowbal grill’s Executive Chef Jay Vallee is showing us, in 4 easy steps, what it takes to barbeque the most succulent, meat-falling-off-the-bone Pork Ribs! They are finger licking good!

Recipe:
Baby Back Ribs
4 racks of baby back ribs
1 white onion(1inch dice)
1L apple juice
8 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp black peppercorns
2L chicken stock
1L Chipotle BBQ sauce(recipe to follow)

Chipotle BBQ Sauce
4 cups Ketchup
2 cups Brown sugar
2 cups white onion, chopped
1 cup water
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup molasses
4 tbsp Dijon
4 cloves chopped, garlic
6 teaspoons paprika
6 teaspoons chili powder
½ cup canned chipotle peppers

Method:
For the BBQ Sauce:
Place all ingredients in large pot. Bring to boil then reduce to simmer. Simmer for 30-40mins. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Put aside for later. BBQ sauce will last up to a week in the fridge.

For the Ribs:
Pre heat broiler to 350. Place the ribs on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Place ribs under broiler and cook 7-10min until browned on each side.

Remove the ribs and let cool on a resting rack. In a large pot place the onions with a bit of oil and sauté until golden brown. Once cooked add thyme, peppercorns, bay leaves, apple juice and chicken stock. Bring liquid to a boil and add the ribs. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer the ribs for 1-1.5hours until the meat is tender and almost falling off the bone. Remove ribs from the liquid and let cool.

When ready to BBQ, brush the ribs with a liberal amount of Chipotle BBQ sauce on each side. Grill the ribs until sauce is slightly charred and caramelized and the meat is hot throughout. Once cooked, place on a large platter and serve family style.