Summer Fish Grilling Tips

Grilled Fish, of all types is a favorite meal in our home.  I’ve grilled on the gas grill, on a grill pan on top of the stove, and even in the oven.  Since it’s summer and we don’t want to heat the house, grilling outside is the preferred method.  Regal Springs Tilapia is helping us out with some great grilling tips for fish. 

Follow these easy techniques compliments of chefs from Regal Springs Tilapia to make your grilled fish perfect each time. And keep reading for a delectable recipe for Grilled Tilapia with Fresh Tomato Relish!

Fabulous Fish Grilling Tips

• The Right Cut: Select the thickest cut you can to avoid breakage when you turn the fish. If one part of the fish is much thicker than the other, consider cutting uneven filets into two to avoid drying out the thinner portion. Cook the thicker half first, and when it’s halfway cooked, put the thinner half on.
• Prevent Sticking, Part I: Achieving a non-stick cooking surface is critical and is a two-part process: First oil the grill, then oil the fish.
• Oil before you light the grill: Spray a light coat of non-stick cooking spray on the grate or wipe a light coat of vegetable or olive oil directly on the grate with a paper towel. Never spray non-stick spray on a grate if the fire is lit. Oil after the grill is lit: This technique is preferred over oiling the grill before it’s lit since heating and then oiling is key to getting those spiffy grill marks seared into the fish. Start with a very hot grill. Brush briskly with a wire brush. Oil the grate by tightly folding a paper towel and dipping it in vegetable oil. Protect your hands from the heat by using tongs to grip the oiled paper towel as you rub it across the grate.
• Oil the fish, too. Lightly brush both sides of the fish with olive, vegetable or sesame oil. Take caution to not over-oil, though, which leads to flare-ups and sooty residue.
• It’s All In The Presentation: For professional-grade crosshatches, turn the fish a quarter turn after 2 minutes on the grill.
• Prevent Breakage: Do not flip the fish repeatedly, and do use a wide-headed spatula. You can tell when filets are ready to flip when edges are flaky and opaque.
• Check for Doneness: The meat is done when the meat is opaque all the way through and the juices run clear. If any part of the meat is still glossy and partially translucent, it’s not done. Remember, too, that fish continues to cook a little after it’s removed from the grill.

GRILLED TILAPIA WITH TOMATO BASIL RELISH

Ingredients:

• 4 (6 oz.) Regal Springs tilapia filets
• 3 medium red onions
• 4 cups cherry tomatoes
• 2 lemons
• 2 cups of fresh basil
• 1 cup of pine nuts
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tbsp. sweet balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper

Preheat grill to medium high heat.
Prepare the tomato relish by slicing tomatoes in half.  Wash and pat dry the basil leaves and slice into 1-inch thin strips (removing tough center vein).  Toss the tomatoes, 3 tbsp. of the olive oil and basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss again and set aside.
Toast the pine nuts by placing in a frying pan over medium high heat and tossing until golden brown–this happens quickly so tend to them carefully.  When toasted, set aside to cool.
Prepare the onions for grilling by slicing into 1 inch slices and brushing each side with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Prepare the tilapia in the same way with the addition of a squeeze of lemon juice.
Place onions on the grill first and cook the slices until golden charred and soft (depending on the heat of the grill, about 8 minutes). Turn carefully so onion does not fall apart.  (Onions can be cooked in tin foil as well).  
Wrap tilapia filets in tin foil and seal tightly.  Place on hot grill and cook 3-4 minutes each side until tender.  
Arrange the grilled onions and tilapia filets on a platter–tilapia in the center and grilled onions around the edge of the platter.  Pour the tomato relish over the fish. Squeeze fresh lemon and balsamic vinegar over the entire mixture and top with toasted pine nuts.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

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Grill Everything

I once posted about Brownies – and cooking them on the grill.  Truth is we like to grill as much as we can when it’s really hot outside. Last night for dinner we did just that, we grilled everything.

First, we had Bison Burgers.  My mom is visiting until Wednesday so we took her to the farm market with us. She saw the stats on the Bison meat and said she’d like to try some.  Bison Burgers coming up. 

Corn on the Cob – I didn’t want to do the boiling water method, it was way too hot outside.  Heating up an air conditioned home is counter productive.  I used Linette’s idea for a guideline.  We didn’t use all of the spices, just pulled out the silk and pushed the husk back over the cob.  The outside of the husk was charred even though we soaked it, but the inside was perfect.  It also didn’t get watered down like it does sometimes when boiled. When it’s done, pull off the husk, salt, pepper and butter.

Patty Pan Squash – I love grilled squash, so I thought these would be perfect.  The only problem is my husband kept running inside to play some damn game and didn’t watch the grill.  So it was charred on the outside.  I told him, grill marks, dear, we want grill marks, not charring.  However, if you pulled off the char, and ate the inside of the squash it was really tasty.  I sliced the patty pan in half horizontally,then brushed it with oil, salt and garlic pepper.  If you don’t char it, then your squash will be perfect.  The picture is the before picture, just imagine it with beautiful grill marks please.

That’s it, a light, grilled meal – eaten outside on the deck in the shade of a nice big tree.  Can I have some  more s’il vous plait?

 

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Surprise Your Guests With Some New Tastes for the 4th.

I’ve been trying out some new things and there are a few you can bring to the 4th to share with your friends, or have on hand.  I like surprising people and getting them to have a taste on my dime.  Sometimes you’ll don’t mind tasting something new that someone else brings just because you know you’re not wasting your money.  If you like it, then you can buy it yourself next time.  This time you can be the supplier.

Here are some suggestions:

• Zevia -  This is a new sugar free soda made with stevia – a plant based sweetener.

I’ve had stevia before, and I was not thrilled with the taste.  From Wikipedia:  The species Stevia rebaudiana, commonly known as sweetleaf, sweet leaf, sugarleaf, or simply stevia, is widely grown for its sweet leaves. As a sweetener and sugar substitute, stevia’s taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar, although some of its extracts may have a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste at high concentrations.

What I experience was the bitter concentrations and swore off Stevia.  However, some FDA changes came about and now an extract form can be used in foods that is much sweeter tasting without the aftertaste that some of the earlier powdered stuff had.  Zevia was really delicious.  My husband and kids and I all tried it and agreed that we would buy it.  Here’s how good it was – I was drinking it and it popped into my head that since I usually drink sugar free sodas, I should look for a sugar free one – and then thought duh!  they’re all sugar free. Really, I’m not that dumb, it was so good I forgot – especially the cola. 

I should tell you that some of the flavors are a little bit different as they are all natural including the coloring. For example, the Black Cherry contains geraniums, clove buds, and spice oil from the bark of the cassia tree. The Orange Zevia contains annatto, because it was the only way to get the natural orange coloring.  Whole Foods carries Zevia as well as some natural food places.

•  Truvia – While you are at it, try truvia also.  It doesn’t have that bitter aftertaste either.  I bought it after I tasted the Zevia, just because I was impressed with the Zevia.  Now Truvia is my first choice, splenda my second – though restaurants don’t have truvia, so I’m stuck there.

 

•   Agavero – This is something for the adult crowd only.  Agavero is an ultra-premium spirit that is created from a blend of 100% blue agave añejo and reposado tequilas hand blended with the essence of Damiana flower for unparalleled smoothness and taste. My husband loved this stuff.  I enjoyed it, but he absolutely loved it.  He drank it on the rocks – without anything else added.  The Damiana flowers are said to be an aphrodisiac, but I can’t attest to that – or maybe I won’t attest to that – or maybe I’m just not telling.

Agavero is made exclusively from blue agave plants that are a minimum of 10 years old when harvested. The production process begins with the delicate baking of the piña, or heart of the blue agave.  The heart of the blue agave is then crushed to obtain the aguamiel (honey water).  The aguamiel is put through natural fermentation and then subjected to two slow distillations to produce tequila.  Before bottling, the tequila is aged in new, French limousine oak barrels. The añejo tequila is aged eighteen months and the reposado tequila is rested up to one year. The long maturation allows for the full benefits of the slightly charred, limousin oak casks to be blended into the liquid. Then the secret ingredient, the essence of the damiana flower, is hand blended to the tequila blend for unparalleled smoothness and taste.

The bottle is lovely to look out blue for the blue agave plant with leave coming up from the bottle.  It’s really a special looking bottle, something that would make a nice gift, or would stand out on your bar.  It would definitely be noticed no matter where it is.

If you like cooking with tequila – here’s a recipe using Agavero:

Grilled Garlicky Agavero Tequila Shrimp Kabobs with Lemon and Fresh Bay Leaves – Serves 6 (courtesy of Diane Brown)

• 2 tablespoons Agavero
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 12 lemon wedges
• 12 fresh bay leaves Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped, fresh parsley Wooden skewers, as needed.

Mix the Agavero, olive oil, pepper, and garlic with the shrimp and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat a gas grill or broiler until moderately hot. Thread the shrimp, bay leaves and lemons on skewers and season with salt and pepper. Grill or broil skewers basting with additional marinade and turning every 2-3 minutes, until shrimp is opaque and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.

• Boar’s Head Pepperhouse Gourmaise – This condiment adds a little zing to your sandwiches.  It’s really a great combination made with a  proprietary blend of black, white, pink and green peppercorns that are then mixed with Boar’s Head Mayonnaise and its Deli Mustard.  It’s great on hot dogs and also hardboiled egg sandwiches. I think it would go well on chicken or as a sauce for salmon.  I’ve been using it on different things and I think the hardboiled egg sandwich spread is one of my favorites, though I love it on deli-meat sandwiches too.

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Grilled Brownie

Last night was our anniversary – and we spent the night alone without any kids, animals, noise – just the two of us spending time together.  Tonight, we grilled chicken and had a salad, nothing really special, just a regular family meal.  Later I was thinking about the anniversary and realized we didn’t do anything to involve the kids, so I told my husband if he ran out and picked up some ice cream I would quickly assemble a brownie (box mix).  Since it’s summer and I hate heating up the house I wanted to try something new and grill it out on the deck . 

I lined my cast iron grill pan with foil, sprayed it with some oil, then poured the mix in it.  I placed the pan over the two middle burners which were turned on low.  The two burners on the outside were on high.  It baked rather quickly with the lid down and came out quite nice. When we are camping I bake biscuits and other things over the stove by flipping pans, but since the grill has a lid to keep in the heat, there’s no need to flip.

We served the warm brownies in a bowl with scoops of ice cream over top for our dessert and enjoyed it on the deck with dusk setting in.  The family loves to eat all of our meals outside and with the new grill – we’ll be doing most of the cooking and it seems if we can get some more cast iron pans, maybe the baking too.  Have you ever tried baking on the grill?  Besides s’mores?  What’s your favorite grilled dessert?

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Father’s Day Recipe Resources

Father’s day is fast approaching – who does the cooking in your house.  Usually, unless we’re grilling, it’s me.  My husband gets a day to relax and read – no work allowed.  It’s true, we don’t have dads, or anywhere we have to be, so Father’s Day is very laid back.  My husband is getting a grill for Father’s Day ( umm, I think I better run out to the store), so we may grill out just to try out his present.  I love the idea of cooking outside and not heating the kitchen, it kind of works against the air conditioning.  Here are some resources you can use to find the recipes to make Father’s Day a delicious celebration.  What’s your favorite Father’s day thing to cook?  Got any ideas?

 

• Taste of Home has great recipes contributed by home cooks from all over.  Here are some suggestions: Father’s Day recipes   Grilling Guide  Father’s Day Recipes Created for Dads by Dads .  Take a look at these Braided Pork Tenderloins.

 

• Kraft Foods sent out a newsletter with their Father’s Day Recipe choices: Kraft Foods Father’s Day Recipes.  I love steak and this is one of my husband’s favorite ways to season it (just don’t cover the whole darn thing in foil like he does).

Italian Style Marinated Steak

1/2 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing

 2   boneless beef sirloin steaks (1 lb.)

1/2 cup A.1. Original Steak Sauce

POUR dressing over steaks in resalable plastic bag; seal bag. Turn bag over several times to evenly coat steaks with dressing. Refrigerate 30 min. to marinate.

PREHEAT grill to medium-high heat. Remove steaks from marinade; discard bag and marinade.

GRILL steaks 4 to 5 min. on each side or until medium doneness (160°F.) Brush steaks with steak sauce; let stand 10 min. Cut into thin slices to serve. Garnish with grilled cherry tomatoes, if desired.

 

• My Recipes also has some Father’s Day recipes they’d like to share.  My husband loves grilled chicken – maybe even more than steak, so this Beer Can Chicken with Cola might hit the spot.

• The American Meat Institute has a Grilling guide with recipes for the grill including Lamb Burgers

Lamb Burgers

1 pound ground American lamb
¼ cup finely chopped green onions
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves, DIVIDED
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup nonfat plain yogurt
½ cup peeled and minced cucumber
¼ cup crumbled Feta cheese (basil and tomato flavored, preferred)

4 onion rolls, split

1. Preheat grill or broiler.

2. Gently mix lamb with onions, garlic, 1 teaspoon oregano, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Form into four ½-inch thick burgers.

3. Grill or broil 4 to 5 inches from heat source 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature reaches the desired degree of doneness: 145°F for medium- rare to 160°F for medium.

4. Grill rolls, cut side down, only until warm.

5. Meanwhile, mix yogurt, remaining oregano and cucumber together. Cover and reserve in the refrigerator.

6. For each burger, spread 2 tablespoons sauce on each roll half and add 1 tablespoon Feta on bottom roll half. Top with burgers and cover with remaining roll half.

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Grilled Stuffed Peppers

Grilled Peppers Stuffed with Black Eyed Peas Read more

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What I’m Digging: Webber’s Horseradish Mustard

 

This is what mustard is all about.  It’s from my home town, Buffalo NY, and it’s still about the only place you can get it at a reasonable mustard price.   You can get it from places like www.amazon.com or www.budricks.com.  It’s smooth, it’s got some spice to it – otherwise I don’t think I would eat it.  And once you’ve tried it a few times, you probably won’t go back to the regular old yellow mustard you’ve grown accustomed to.    Now that grilling season is upon us, I can’t wait to use this on hamburgers and hot dogs.

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What I’m digging…my Big Green Egg

“What?  You’ve never heard of the Big Green Egg?  Holy Jeebus.  WAYSA?” 

This is what I want to say to people.  This is by far the best outside cooking device known to mankind.  When we moved to Florida I purchased a nice sized regular grill and thought that it would suffice.  Then I was looking through some old files on the computer and …well to make a long story even longer…I bought one.  And then I got the bug…the BGE bug.   

My poor grill.  It’s only used now as a workhorse for bulk or pedestrian items such as hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken wings. 

My lovely ceramic piece of art cookware takes on the rest of my grilling and roasting work.  I’ve made beef jerky, smoked fish, roasted pork and grilled chicken.  All of these meats come out extremely tasty, with a nice natural smoke flavor and very succulent.  From the published material, I understand you can do breads and pizza in it, but I haven’t gotten there yet. 

There is one down side.  It’s very expensive.  My medium sized BGE was about $800.

Mine is a medium sized, but I am going to keep my eye out for an extra large. 

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