There is a man at my house that LOVES good meat from the grill!  I adore him and try to make his every bite delicious!  If you're looking for a way to amp up your next cookout or even a Monday night dinner, Cowboy Butter is just the ticket! This is the fastest thing I've made in a long time and is a buttery, lemony dip with just a kick of heat!  The whole process takes about 5 minutes but the goodness of this dip holds to the last bite!

You'll need:

• 6 tablespoons melted butter 
• Juice and zest of half a lemon
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped chives
• 2 teaspoons minced thyme
• 1/4  teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the cowboy butter sauce recipe: In a small bowl, combine melted butter, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, cayenne, and paprika. Whisk the sauce to combine.

Stir in parsley, chives, crushed red pepper flakes, and thyme and season with salt and pepper.

Serve the cowboy butter sauce with grilled meats, like steak or chicken bites, for dipping. 

Feel free to double quantities if you want more sauce. For a thicker butter sauce, add more mustard.

Grill up your favorite meats and enjoy!

Summer Vegetable Marinade

   

The garden is planted and I want to be ready the minute my veggies are ready to pick!  This marinade is just perfect for adding that little something special to your summer veggies and it won't heat up your kitchen!  

You'll need:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Grilled Vegetables:

• 1 pound carrots halved or quartered lengthwise
• 1 pound asparagus trimmed
• 2 zucchini quartered lengthwise
• 2 yellow squash quartered lengthwise
• 1 large red bell pepper cut into ½ inch strips

To Make the Marinade:

Set out a 1-2 cup measuring pitcher. Measure all ingredients into the pitcher. Whisk until smooth. (Use immediately or cover and refrigerate for later use.)

For the Best Grilled Vegetables:

• Trim and slice all the vegetables into long strips.    This makes them less likely to fall through the grill grates.
• Place the vegetables on a large rimmed baking sheet. Pour the marinade over the vegetables. Then gently toss the veggies to coat in the marinade.
• Allow the vegetables to marinate for 30+ minutes. (Or up to several hours.)
• Meanwhile, preheat the grill to medium heat, about 350 degrees F.
• Once the grill is hot, place the carrots on first, laying them across the grates so they don’t fall through. Let the carrots grill for 3-4 minutes, then flip them over. Then lay the rest of the vegetables on the grill. Grill another 8-10 minutes, flipping once. Remove with tongs.

You can use any vegetables you like with this marinade. Just be sure to place the hardest, most dense, vegetables on the grill first to give them a head start. Root vegetables will need more time to grill than other vegetables.  A grill wok can be used to make this super easy and eliminates the risk of veggies falling through your grill.  Resist the southern urge to cook everything to the end of it's life... these veggies are best served al dente'.