September 21, 2011: Citrus Marinade for Fish Recipe

I came up with this marinade for any type of fish; we were grilling salmon and halibut at the same time on the barbecue, using a piece of cedar, and I wanted a flavor profile that would work equally well for both types of fish - something that wasn't too Oriental or Mexican or otherwise overpowering in flavor. This is what I came up with and it was quite refreshing and delicious!

Citrus Marinade for Fish

1 cup pineapple mango juice (or orange juice)

1 T. lemon juice

1 t. dried or dehydrated cilantro or 1 T. fresh cilantro

1 t. minced garlic

1 t. olive oil

Whisk all ingredients together in a glass container. Add the fish (about 1 ½ to 2 pounds).

Sprinkle the fish with 2 t. citrus peel seasoning, freshly ground black pepper, and 1 t. garlic salt. Let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for one hour before grilling (or baking).

August 31, 2011: Halibut Topped with Dill Sour Cream Recipe

This recipe is one from the back of a package of Waterfront Bistro frozen halibut. As typical, I altered it slightly. I never know if a new recipe is going to please my husband, but this one did – he really loved this fish and didn’t even need to smother it in tartar sauce!

Halibut topped with dill sour cream served with coconut Jasmine rice and snow peas sauteed in sesame oil

Halibut Topped With Dill Sour Cream

2 6-ounce halibut steaks

2 t. fresh lemon juice (about 1/3 of a lemon)
1/2 t. citrus peel seasoning blend

Garlic salt and pepper, to taste

¼ cup sour cream

2 T. panko bread crumbs

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 t. chopped fresh dill

Place halibut steaks in a greased pan. Squeeze lemon over the top of the fish. Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. Spread sour cream over the top.

Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and dill. Sprinkle over the top of the fish.

Bake in a 425 degree oven for 15 – 20 minutes, until fish flakes easily. If desired, place under broiler for a couple minutes to crisp crumb topping.

July 19, 2011: Grilled Asian Tuna Recipe

Here’s another way I came up with to make tuna steaks on the grill using a quickly concocted Asian seasoning blend similar to 5 spice powder. This tuna was a big hit with my picky husband! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

My husband has perfected his technique for grilling tuna - it should always be bright pink in the center when you serve tuna.

Grilled Asian Tuna

2 fresh tuna steaks, about 1/3 pound each
1 t. chopped ginger (jarred)
2 T. soy sauce

Asian Seasoning Blend
1 teaspoon each Coriander seeds, Fennel seeds, Sesame seeds, Black peppercorns
1/3 stick cinnamon
1 t. dehydrated garlic
½ t. cumin powder
1 t. citrus peel seasoning blend
1 t. kosher salt

Combine seeds, peppercorns and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Heat over medium and stir frequently, just until toasted and fragrant (5 – 10 minutes). Remove from heat and crush with a mortar and pestle or whirl in a coffee grinder.

Add remaining spices. You will have more than you need for this recipe; store the remainder in tightly sealed jar.

To prepare tuna:
Rub both sides of tuna steaks with ginger and pour soy sauce over. Sprinkle both sides of the steaks with a total of 2 teaspoons of the spice blend. Let the tuna marinate at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Grill over medium high heat for a few minutes per side.

Serve with pineapple salsa, if desired.

July 10, 2011: Rotisserie Chicken Recipe

Since we got our “mac daddy” big, stainless steel grill last year, my husband and I have been doing our best to use all of its features. One of our favorite meals from the grill is rotisserie chicken.

We last served rotisserie chicken with the Parmesan green beans recipe I shared yesterday so the seasoning mixture is similar. This chicken was scrumptious – nicely seasoned, very moist and tender, yet crisped on the outside. If you have a rotisserie option on your grill, use it!

Rotisserie Chicken

4 pound roasting chicken
Salt and pepper
1 key lime
1 t. lemon pepper
1 t. garlic salt
1 t. citrus peel seasoning blend

Heat grill to 400 degrees.

Rinse chicken inside and out; remove giblets, if necessary. Sprinkle inside cavity with salt and pepper.

Cut lime in half and remove seeds. Squeeze juice into inside cavity of chicken; rub cut halves over outer skin.

Mix together remaining seasonings. Rub over outside of chicken.

Thread chicken onto rotisserie skewers and secure. Roast on grill for one and a half hours, until crispy on the outside, legs move easily in the joints, and no red juice is remaining.

July 9, 2011: Parmesan Green Beans Recipe

If you’re lucky, you might get a big bounty of green beans from your garden this year (me - not so much; I’ll be lucky to get a handful). Although my family all love green beans, it gets old serving the same way over and over again.

This recipe is a slightly Candy-ified variation on one I found in this month’s issue of Relish magazine.

Parmesan Green Beans

1 pound fresh green beans, washed and stem ends snapped off
1 t. olive oil
½ t. sesame oil
½ t. lemon pepper blend
½ t. dried citrus peel seasoning blend
½ t. garlic salt
¼ cup water
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Snap the green beans into 2 inch pieces. Heat the olive oil and sesame oil in a sauté pan to medium low. Add green beans. Cook, stirring frequently, until beans begin to brown. Add seasonings and water; cover and cook until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove cover from pan and let water evaporate. When liquid is almost all gone, add the grated cheese. Do not stir. Turn off heat and let cheese melt through and become crispy on the bottom of the pan.

Serves 4.

June 29, 2011: Citrus Risotto Recipe

This is a nice, light side dish that goes great with grilled meats. It does take some time during preparation to stir the dish, so it’s not the best one to select when you have guests – but the flavor does have that “wow” factor. Try it and see what you think.

Citrus Risotto

¼ cup butter
1 ½ cups Arborio (short grain) rice (I have also used jasmine rice with nice results)
1 t. minced garlic
1 t. dried parsley
1 t. citrus peel seasoning blend
Juice of one key lime
1 quart chicken broth
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the rice and cook until lightly browned. Slowly stir in 1 ½ cups of the chicken broth and the garlic, parsley, lime juice and citrus seasoning. Continue stirring frequently, until almost all the broth is absorbed. Continue to add broth a half cup at a time and stir frequently until it is almost absorbed before adding additional broth. The rice is done when all the broth is nearly absorbed and the sauce is creamy. Just before serving, stir in the grated Parmesan cheese.