Better Living

With summer finally reaching that point where we can actually spend time outdoors enjoying cooler temperatures, we'll all be firing up the grill again for some outdoor cuisine! Many of our homeowners entertain in their backyard as much as they do in their new Cachet Home, especially with the focus we place on designing outdoor courtyards, covered patios, and outdoor spaces perfect for built-in barbeques. Careful planning is required to build an outdoor entertaining area that will not only compliment your home and homesite but your lifestyle as well. When designing an outdoor barbeque there are a few key considerations including the counter style and surfaces, the barbeque unit, shade, and your budget.

The barbeque counter is a primary consideration in starting the design work. For instance, how much seating do you think you may need, or want to provide? Putting a cantilevered top on your counter space enables you to pull up chairs and stools on both sides - an important consideration if the Chef needs company or coaching along the way! However, if space is limited you may want to consider a masonry barbeque area, and locate the seating at a separate outdoor table. Consider adding electricity to your barbeque area, too, so you can incorporate lighting or a rotisserie. Also, the number of people that you typically cook for will be an important consideration in the size of the unit you choose. You certainly don't want to cook dinner for 10 on a grill that only holds two steaks at a time!

When selecting the surface material for your new outdoor barbeque, you will want to compliment the other hard surface materials that are being used in your yard. How well those surfaces clean-up or perform under our Arizona sun is another important consideration. Many homeowners have added "sleeves" to their barbeque area to accommodate an outdoor umbrella, or have even designed their barbeques under a Ramada to provide a more comfortable, shaded environment.

More and more, we are seeing homeowners add full outdoor kitchens to their outdoor living environments. This popular amenity can include refrigerators, sinks, ice chests, and expansive preparation and serving areas. While still considered a luxury item, a modest built-in barbeque will start around $6,000 and the sky is the limit! Cachet's professional landscape designers work with every Cachet homeowner individually to design and build the outdoor environment that will enhance their lifestyle perfectly! To view some of the most alluring choices, visit http://www.landscape-resources.com/portfolio/fireplaces.asp, or call Dan Skeoch, Sales and Marketing Director for Landscape Resources in Scottsdale.

Here are a few tips from Linda Cobb, the Queen of Clean, to help make your grill cleanup a little easier.

To keep the outside of your grill as attractive as the food that comes off it take some GOJO® Creme Waterless Hand Cleaner (Which you can find at grocery stores, hardware stores, and home centers) and rub it on the outside of a cool grill with an old rag or paper towel. Work it into the metal well, pay special attention to any grease or barbecue sauce spots. Don't rinse, take paper towels and buff the grill surface and watch as the dirt is replaced by a great shine!
For those of you that are using a pan on your grill to warm barbeque sauce or cook additional food, rub the bottom of the pan with bar soap and it will be easier to clean the soot off when you're done.
And don't forget...leave the brushes for the dogs! Wire brushes just retain the food from your last meal and reapply it to the grill the next time you use it. Make a ball of aluminum foil and "scrub" the warm grill rack surface, taking care not to burn your fingers.
Bon Appetit!

You can find more tips from the Queen of Clean at http://www.queenofclean.com.

Just in case you don't already have a favorite barbecue recipe, here are a few we chose from the Better Homes and Gardens website:

Rib-Eye Steaks with Hot-as-Heck Sauce
Ingredients
1/3 cup sugar
1 medium onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups light beer or water
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
1 to 2 tablespoons purchased habanero hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
4 10-ounce beef rib-eye or sirloin strip steaks, cut 1 inch thick
Grilled whole fresh chili peppers* (optional)

Directions
1. For sauce, in a medium saucepan cook sugar over medium-high heat until it begins to melt, shaking the pan occasionally (do not stir). Reduce heat to low; add onion and garlic. Cook and stir for 5 minutes more or until mixture is golden brown. Bring beer or water just to boiling in a small skillet. Carefully and gradually add boiling beef or water to sugar mixture, stirring constantly. Whisk in tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, habanero sauce, chipotle peppers, and salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes or to desired consistency. Set aside.
2. Place steaks on the lightly oiled rack or the grill directly over medium heat. Grill for 10 to 18 minutes or until desired doneness, turning once.
3. Brush some of the sauce onto the steaks during the last few minutes of grilling. Pass remaining sauce with steaks. Cover and chill any remaining sauce for up to 1 week. Serve with grilled chili peppers, if desired. Makes 4 servings.
*Note: To grill chili peppers, lightly brush whole peppers with oil. Grill for 5 to 10 minutes over medium heat or until slightly charred.

Sweet and Smoky Grilled Salmon
Ingredients
1 cup alder or hickory wood chips
6 4- to 5-ounce salmon fillets, 1-inch thick
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. finely snipped fresh thyme
1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
Thyme and Pepper Rice (optional)
Grilled Squash (optional)

Directions
1. At least 1 hour before grilling; soak wood chips in enough water to cover. Drain before using. Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Place butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on 100 percent power (high) for 30 seconds or until melted. Remove from microwave. Stir in thyme, brown sugar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Microwave 30 seconds more to meld flavors. Stir to dissolve sugar. Brush generously over fish.
3. For a charcoal grill, sprinkle wood chips directly over medium coals. Grill fish, meaty side down, directly over coals for 3 minutes. Turn skin side down. Grill for 5 to 7 minutes more or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Add wood chips according to manufacturer's directions. Place fish on greased grill rack over heat. Cover; grill as above.)
4. Serve fish with Thyme and Pepper Rice and Grilled Squash, if desired. Makes: 6 servings
5. Thyme and Pepper Rice and Grilled Squash: Brush 2 quartered sweet peppers and 2 halved summer squash or zucchini with olive or cooking oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Add to grill rack with salmon, turning when you turn salmon. Remove from grill and chop peppers; toss with 3 cups hot cooked rice and 2 teaspoons snipped fresh thyme. Slice squash crosswise and serve with salmon and rice mixture.

Baby Potato Kabobs
Ingredients
1 pound small potatoes, such as baby Dutch yellow, fingerlings, baby purple, and/or new red potatoes
4 6-inch fresh rosemary sprigs
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon snipped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Directions
1. Wash potatoes. In a medium saucepan cook the potatoes, covered, in a small amount of boiling salted water for 12 to 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool slightly.
2. Skewer the potatoes onto rosemary sprigs or short metal skewers. In a small bowl stir together olive oil and snipped rosemary. Brush oil mixture over potatoes. Sprinkle with coarse salt.
3. Grill potato kabobs on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals about 5 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned, turning once. Makes 4 side-dish servings.

Grilled Vegetable Salad with Garlic Dressing
Ingredients
2 red and/or yellow sweet peppers
2 Japanese eggplants, halved lengthwise
2 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise, or 8 to 10 yellow sunburst or pattypan squash*
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups dried tortiglioni or rigatoni
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon bottled roasted minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup cubed fontina cheese (3 ounces)
1 to 2 tablespoons snipped fresh Italian parsley or parsley

Directions
1. Halve sweet peppers lengthwise; remove and discard stems, seeds, and membranes. Brush sweet peppers, eggplants, and zucchini with the 1 tablespoon oil. To grill, place vegetables on the grill rack directly over medium-hot coals. Grill, uncovered, for 8 to 12 minutes or until vegetables are tender, turning occasionally. Remove vegetables from grill; cool slightly. Cut vegetables into 1-inch pieces.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. For dressing, in a screw-top jar combine balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar, olive oil, water, bottled roasted minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover and shake well.
3. Drain pasta. Rinse with cold water; drain again. In a large bowl combine pasta and grilled vegetables. Pour dressing over salad. Toss lightly to coat. Stir in cheese; sprinkle with parsley. Makes 4 servings.
*Note: If using sunburst or pattypan squash, precook for 3 minutes in a small amount of boiling water before grilling.
Make-Ahead Tip: Cut up cheese; wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Prepare dressing; cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Remove from refrigerator about 15 minutes before tossing with salad.

For more grilling recipes, tips and ideas from Better Homes and Gardens, visit their website at www.bhg.com.