Tag

peppers

Cedar Planked Herbed Cream and Cheese Capsicums

Herbed Cream Cheese Capsicums Smoked on a Natural Wood Plank

By Cedar Plank Recipes, Cheese, Recipes

If you are looking for a colourful and tasty side dish or appetiser, these pepper boats with herbed cream cheese filling grilled on a cedar plank are a sure winner. If you serve about 6 of them to each person, you can call it a meal.

In this recipe we use basil, chives and coriander but feel free to use whatever herbs you have handy. Enjoy the creaminess from the filling, the bite from the garlic, the freshness from the herbs, plus the sweet crunch from the blackened peppers.

Cedar Planked Herbed Cream Cheese Capsicums – serves 4

You’ll need:

  • 1 large cedar plank
  • 250g cream cheese, softened
  • 1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
  • 2 large red, yellow, or orange capsicums, seeded, and quartered
  • olive oil for brushing and drizzling
  • ½ cup chopped tomatoes
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

Step 1:
Soak the cedar plank for an hour, fully submerged in water, and prepare your grill to medium-high heat.

Step 2:
In a medium-sized bowl, beat the cream cheese until it’s lovely and smooth. Beat in the garlic, basil, and chives then set aside.

Step 3:
Brush the skin side of each capsicum quarter with olive oil. Put them on the soaked plank, spoon some cream cheese into the middle of each, making sure you don’t overstuff, then place the plank on the grill and cover. Grill for 5 minutes, or until the bottoms are scorched and the cheese has melted. Sprinkle them with chopped tomatoes, fresh coriander, and drizzle of olive oil then serve.

Filling and not spilling the quartered capsicums is the hardest part of this recipe, so unless you have a steady hand make sure to keep some paper towels handy. If you have some herbed cream cheese mix left over, it’s great on bagels for breakfast or spread it on your sandwiches for lunch.

July 20, 2021
Mushrooms on a grilling plank

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms Smoked on a Natural Wood Plank

By Cedar Plank Recipes, Recipes, Vegetables

Vegetables, especially those beautiful big “meaty” portobellos mushrooms, taste amazing when cooked on a plank. Stuffed portobello mushrooms are a real treat, and an excellent way to impress your guests. Grab the biggest mushrooms you can find for that wow-factor.

There’s a huge variety of fillings you can use for a dish like this, but we decided on an summery Italian flavour used veggies only. We chose squash, zucchini, corn, and beautiful fresh capsicum for the filling. The delicate smoky flavour is delicious and will enhance all the vegetable flavours.

We used a beautiful shredded asiago cheese from our local Mediteranian deli, but you can use any cheese you like. From gooey mozzarella to strong Stilton, anything goes. Vegan cheese in an option if you want to keep your dish 100% plant based.

Summery Cedar Grilled Portobello Mushrooms – Serves 4

You’ll need:

  • 4 large, firm Portobello mushrooms
  • Olive oil
  • 2 cups of (vegan) cheese
  • 1 small buttercup or butternut squash
  • 1 large or two small courgettes/zucchini
  • 1 cup of corn kernels – fresh or from a can
  • 3-4 green, red, orange and/or yellow peppers

Step 1:

While your cedar wood soaks in water, cut the veggies and grill them up. Toss them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and place them on the grill. Remove the grills and stems from the mushrooms to create a nice flat surface for stuffing. You can cut them into pieces and add them to the veggie mix when you fill the caps.

Step 2:

Brush your mushrooms with olive oil and place them on the grill for no longer than 3 minutes, with the caps side up. Take them off the grill and let them cool. If moisture appears, pat them dry with a paper towel.

Step 3:

Fill the caps with shredded cheese and layer your veggies on top so it shows the different colours. Sprinkle some more cheese on top and place them on the plank. Keep the grill temperature around 150 C for the best results. While the mushrooms are cooking, you’ll hear the cedar wood cracking and a sweet smell will fill the air. The cheese on the bottom will melt beautifully, and the veggies will turn golden in about 15 minutes.

Step 4:

Garnish your stuffed mushroos with fresh grilled corn, some basil, and a drizzle of olive oil then serve.

Serving suggestions:

You can serve your cedar plank grilled stuffed portobello mushrooms on a bed of wilted spinach, with a fresh garden salad, or with a garlic pototo mash and broccoli. It’s a lovely light option for a meat-free dinner. A prosecco or another light white wine with this is a match made in heaven, but a nice red also works. Check out or other recipes if you’re looking for more ways to impress your dinner guests.

July 7, 2021
Ribeye with Peppers and Onions Smoked on a Natural Wood Plank

Ribeye with Peppers and Onions Smoked on a Natural Wood Plank

By Cedar Plank Recipes, Meat, Recipes, Vegetables

One of our firm family favourites, this delicious meal is ready to enjoy within 30 minutes. It’s hard to find something tastier to come from the grill than a thick-cut, perfectly cooked bone-in ribeye steak. It’s full of flavour and so tender, thanks to the marbling through the beef. Cooking it on a cedar wood plank takes this classic to another level.

Grilled Ribeye – Serves 2

You’ll need:

  • 2 nice ribeye steaks
  • salt & pepper
  • 1 large brown onion
  • 2 medium sized red bell peppers
  • Garlic to your taste

Step 1:
Soak the plank. Put the plank in a large container, weigh it down, and cover with water. Soak for at least one hour.

Step 2:
Season the beef. Sprinkle the ribeye steaks evenly with the salt and pepper. Let rest at room temperature for one hour, or up to overnight, refrigerated.

Step 3:
Set the grill up with two heat zones – one zone set to high, and another zone set to no heat. For our Weber, we light a chimney starter full of charcoal, wait for it to be covered with ash, then pour it in a thick pile covering half of the charcoal grate, about two coals deep. This leaves the other half of the charcoal grate empty.

Step 4:
Prepare the pepper and onion topping. While the grill is heating up, slice the onions, peppers, and garlic. Toss them together in a medium bowl with the salt, then set aside.

Step 5:

Char the plank and sear the steaks. When the grill is ready, remove the plank from the water and let excess water drip off. Put the plank over the high heat part of the grill and leave it until it is blackened on the bottom and starting to smoke. That’ll be done in about 3 minutes.

Move the plank to the unlit side of the grill, flip the plank over so the blackened side is facing up. Put the ribeye steaks on the grill over the coals and sear until they are well browned on the bottom, in about 4 minutes. Flip the steaks onto the plank, browned side facing up, and top each steak with a handful of the pepper and onions.

Step 6:

Plank cook the steaks. Cook them with the lid closed until the steaks reach an internal temperature of 50 for medium-rare in about 25 minutes, a little less for rare and a little more for medium. Cooking a steak well done is criminal.

Step 7:

Remove the plank to a heat safe surface, such as a baking sheet with a towel under it. Let the steaks rest for 10 minutes. Cut the bone away from the ribeye, then slice the steaks and serve, topped with the peppers and onions.

You can enjoy this yummy ribeye with all sorts of sides such as chunky fries or potato wedges, a nice fresh salad or roast veggies. For a special lunch, you can also serve it in a toasted bun cheese and sauce.

July 7, 2021