Asparagus-Avocado’s- and- Lamb : It’s spring !!

• 1 1/2 lb medium asparagus (24), trimmed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt

Grilled Asparagus ~ Paula Dean




1 pound asparagus
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Prepare Grill :
Trim asparagus. In a small bowl, combine oil, garlic, zest and paprika and stir with a fork. Lay asparagus side by side and pierce on 2 wooden skewers to form a raft. Place rafts on the grill and brush with oil mixture. Cook to desired tenderness and season with salt and pepper.

Balsamic Asparagus

1 lb fresh asparagus
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat grill on high heat.
Snap off tough ends of asparagus and wash well through 2-3 changes of cold water.Combine all ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag, seal and marinate for 30-60 minutes.Remove asparagus from bag (discard marinade) and place on preheated oiled grill rack. Grill 5 minutes on each side or until asparagus is done.

4 avocados, peeled, halved, and pitted
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1 red onion, sliced
1/2 lemon
1 cup pesto sauce
1/2 cup pine nuts
Parmiggiano-Reggiano
Directions
Preheat a grill over medium heat.

Cover a large tray with tomato quarters, and set aside.Place avocado halves in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Place each half on a hot open grill for about 30 to 45 seconds. Remove and place on top of the tomatoes arranged on tray. Drizzle with olive oil again.In another bowl, cover the red onion slices with the juice from the lemon half and olive oil. Place onions in the empty avocado pit holes. Cover with the lemon/olive oil mix. Then, top with pesto, distributing generously on all sides. Sprinkle pine nuts and cheese on top, to taste.

Grilled Avocado and Salsa

Oh.  My.  Goodness.  Really, people.  Grilled avocados are the bomb.  Just cut your avocado in half, remove the seed, and brush it with some lime juice and olive oil.  Place it flesh-side down on your hot grill for about 5 to 7 minutes.

Lamb:
1 boneless leg of lamb, 4 to 6 pounds, butterflied
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon or strong brown mustard
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried spearmint
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

Unroll the leg of lamb and remove any excess fat. You want the leg as uniformly flat as possible, so you may need to cut into the bigger muscle to open it up a little. Score the fat cap with a sharp knife, making crisscross cuts every half inch or so to help the meat take in the marinade.Combine everything but the lamb in a food processor and blend until it’s a thick paste. Spread the paste over all sides of the leg. Work the paste into the crevices and the cuts you made in the fat cap.Wrap the leg in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.Set your grill up for a direct cook over medium heat (350°F). Add wood for smoke (I like grape vine or apple for meats like lamb). Put the lamb, skin side down, on the middle of the hot grate. After 20 minutes, flip the roast and rotate it 180 degrees. Cook for another 20 minutes, then flip and rotate again.Continue cooking until the leg reaches an internal temperature of 135 degrees (medium rare), about another 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the grill and let rest for 10 minutes before carving against the grain into thin slices for serving.

2 3/4 lbs lamb racks, frenched ( I have never Frenched;  a good quality butcher will do it for you )
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh Greek oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh spearmint, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, fine minced
2 -3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt
fresh coarse ground black pepper

Day before, up till one hour before cooking, salt and pepper Lamb to taste.Rub Lamb gently to coat with Extra virgin olive oil . Rub minced garlic evenly to Lamb.Combine herbs, fluff together, and spread evenly on cutting board.Roll lamb in chopped herbs to coat, sprinkling herbs onto the concave side of the rack, or anywhere that they don’t stick. Allow all to sit 1- 24 hours. Allow meat to come to room temp before grilling. 30-45 minutes before grilling, prepare a hot grill for direct/indirect grilling.Stand racks up on end facing each other, grill on high heat 3-4 minutes.Grill outside of racks on high heat 2-3 minutes  Drop coals, or reduce heat to medium and grill inside side of racks 2-3 minutes, or to an internal temp of 115*.Rest meat 10 minutes before carving. Slice using bones for a guide (should look like rare lamb chops.)  Serve on platter w/ rosemary sprig and/or mint leaves.

Fun stuff for a small space

Accessorize your small space just as you would a large space.  Here are some really fun things that are not going to take up a ton of room but give you the ability to cook and entertain on your patio/deck.

Cute and functional… These little babies are sweeeeet!!

Bodum, (Yes…The company that makes the french press.) offers the Fyrkat grill.  It is portable and easy to carry with silicone handles (genius!) and is perfect for grilling up a nice dinner for a small group!

The colours are UBER AWESOME as well!

Smokey Joe! You sir, are adorable! All dressed up in a green porcelain finish! See him at Crate and Barrel.

If you prefer the strong silent type then the traditional black Smokey Joe is the guy for you.  Just like his green cousin he is small in stature but can cook a mean burger or steak.  Weber has many other styles of grills for small spaces check out their web page to see more.

Eva Solo you are adorable!

Add some charcoal and you are ready to cook a meal in the great outdoors. Imagine purchasing a few of these darling little pots and having guest make their own dinner.














A rug adds warmth to any space and, with the advance of technology, the fibers today are amazing, not to mention stylish. So go ahead and cover that concrete floor!

Mad Mats has a huge selection of recycled outdoor rugs in every colour palette you can imagine.

With a myriad of sizes, they have your patio covered!

I know you’re thinking:  “She has officially lost her mind!” 

Just take a moment and read this blog I wrote in July to see other options for fire that do not require, wood, propane or gas lines.

Conmoto has these small fire pots available in several finishes and colours. So, yes – you can have a fire even in the smallest of spaces.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Don’t forget:  As January turns into February, we are getting closer and closer to warming up and getting outside to enjoy our Room Without Walls!

Jane