Recipes

In addition to his skills in the kitchen, Chef Max is a grill expert and would love to share some of his tips, including:

The best way to start a fire with charcoal is by building a pyramid
Tips and advice on how to perfectly cook your proteins and produce on the grill
His favorite sides and appetizers to pair with your summer meals

Recipe:

Kick-Ass Spiced Flank Steak - Preheat A charcoal grill to medium heat. Arrange the steaks on a large Baking sheet. Rub them all with Kick-Ass Spice blend. Sprinkle with rosemary. Rub with a little olive oil and Garlic, Season the steaks on both sides with salt and pepper. Drizzle with some lemon juice and lemon zest. Allow the steaks to marinate for 30 minutes. Grill the steaks for 5 minutes on each side for a nice medium-rare, or until it reaches your desired Doneness. Note: While a charcoal grill imparts the best flavor to these steaks, you can use a grill pan with sizzlingly good results.

2 Flank Steaks
3 tbsp-Chef Max Kick-Ass Spice Blend
2 sprigs- Fresh Rosemary-Stripped and Chopped
1 tbsp-Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic-Peeled, Minced
S&P
1 Lemon

Three Bean Salad - Summer Tomato, Champagne Vinaigrette Navy Beans, Great Northern Beans, and Cannellini Beans

1/2 cup- Navy Beans (Canned or Fresh)
1/2 cup-Great Northern Beans (Canned or Fresh)
1/2 cup -Cannellini (Canned or Fresh)
1/2 cup Tiny Tomato
2 clove-Garlic Fresh Minced
1/2 small bulb -Fennel
1/2 bunch- Cilantro
2 cup Arugula
1/4 cup- Shallots
1/4 cup Olive Oil
4 tbsp-Champagne Vinegar
1 tsp-Lemon Juice
1/4 Salt
1/4 Black Pepper

If you are using canned beans, open and strain excess liquid. If you are using fresh beans follow cooking directions for the beans. Allow them to cool before starting this recipe.

In a large mixing bowl or salad bowl toss together the first 7 ingredients to which all ingredients are mixed well.
For the dressing, combine in a mason jar the remaining ingredients - screw top on and shake well. Pour Dressing over Salad. Place in the fridge till you are ready to serve.

This recipe is great because it can be used in so many ways and year-round if you'd like. It can be eaten as just a salad or it can complement your favorite fish or grilled poultry dish. This is one of those recipes you can have in the fridge and pull out whenever you are ready, it holds well in the fridge.

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Crisp Summer Watermelon Salad - Watermelon is my favorite fruit, so I love to sneak it into recipes. I love to add watermelon as a secret ingredient because it can be used in so many ways. Watermelon in a salad during the summer BBQ is a fantastic addition that will wow your guests. It is excellent with a champagne vinaigrette, feta, arugula, shallots, and fresh edible greens from the garden or your farmers market.

Ingredients:
1/4- Watermelon, Dice Large
1 -Shallots
2 cups -Arugula
1/2 cup-Feta Diced or Crumbled
1tsp -Chef Max Spice Blend
1/4 cup -Olive Oil
2 tsp-Honey
1/4 cup -Champagne Vinaigrette
1/2 tsp -Dijon Mustard
A dash of salt and pepper

Cooking steps
In a mixing bowl or large wooden salad bowl, add the watermelon, shallots, arugula, and feta. In a blender combine the Chef Max Spice Blend, olive oil, honey, champagne vinaigrette, and dijon mustard, blend until the dressing is nice and smooth. Place dressing and salad in a fridge to chill for 25 minutes. Take your dressing and pour it over your salad, give it a gentle toss, and place it in a serving bowl. Top with fresh greens or edible flowers. Serve alongside your favorite BBQ Dish.
I like to add Watermelon juice to my summer BBQ; it is also a great grilled char flavor that brings out the sweetness of the watermelon.

Chef Max Hardy Motivational Quotes:

If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough. -- Oprah Winfrey
When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, I used everything you gave me. -- Erma Bombeck
The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Everything has beauty, but not everyone can see it. -- Confucius
I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear. -- Rosa Parks
I would rather die of passion than of boredom. -- Vincent van Gogh
Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. -- Dalai Lama
Change your thoughts and you change your world. -- Norman Vincent Peale
“Cooking is like painting or writing a song. Just as there are only so many notes or colors, there are only so many flavors – it’s how you combine them that sets you apart.” Wolfgang Puck
“Life doesn’t just hand you things, you have to get out there and make things happen. That’s the fun part.”Emeril Lagasse
"You don't need a silver fork to eat good food."Paul Prudhomme
"People who love to eat are always the best people." Julia Child
"To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art." François de la Rochefoucauld
"Laughter is brightest where food is best." Irish Proverb
“We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.” – Maya Angelou
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” – President Barack Obama
“Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.” – Dr. Mae Jamison
“One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.” – Arthur Ashe
“When you can do the common things of life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world.” —George Washington Carver
“Find the good. It’s all around you. Find it, showcase it, and you’ll start believing in it.” —Jesse Owens
“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” —Jackie Robinson
“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.” —Booker T. Washington
"Hold on to your dreams of a better life and stay committed to striving to realize it." - Earl G. Graves, Sr.
"The road back may not be as short as we wish,... But there are solid reasons to feel confident about the future." - Richard Parsons
"I have this ability to find this hidden talent in people that sometimes even they didn't know they had." - Berry Gordy