Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants!

Maple Grilled Salmon

Now that the grilling season is in full force Paul wanted to grill salmon for his weekly turn as chef. Having discovered that apparently here had been a run on maple syrup and I was hoarding it I suggested he find a recipe that used maple syrup. This is what he came up with.

The salmon marinates for longer than is usual for seafood in a delicious mixture of maple syrup, OJ, and rice wine vinegar.  After marinating the salmon the remaining marinade is cooked down to a syrup that is used to baste the salmon while it grills. The result was a wonderful piece of fish!

The original recipe calls for cooking in a frying or grill pan. we did it on the BBQ for about 3 minutes per side and it was perfect.

Maple Grilled Salmon

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skinned
Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; add fish. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 3 hours.

Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.

Remove fish from bag, reserving the marinade. Pour marinade into a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons (about 5 minutes).

Place fish on grill rack or pan coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness, basting occasionally with marinade. Remove fish from grill; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Sesame Grilled Asparagus

Before I went away to Philly the weather around here had turned positively tropical. Those who have followed this blog for awhile know that when it gets warm outside I start to grill (actually . . . I grill year around, just a whole lot more when it is warm). One of my favourite things to grill are vegetables - roasting brings out a lovely sweetness from the natural sugars so grilling brings a cool sweetness AND smokiness - a wonderful combination.

This was at the easiest and tastiest asparagus recipe that I have made in a while - even with the crap asparagus we get in from Mexico and Peru at this time of the year. This was definitely easy to make and the sauce was so simple, yet so flavorful! I liked that it didn't require ingredients that I had to run out and buy - everything was in the pantry.

If you're bored with your regular asparagus recipes or you just want to try something exciting and new you'll want to give this a try!

Sesame Grilled Asparagus

Wooden toothpicks or bamboo skewers
1 pound asparagus
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Salt and black pepper

In a shallow pan, soak skewers in cold water for 1 hour, then drain and set aside.

Preheat grill to high. Snap off the woody bases of the asparagus and discard. Skewer 4 or 5 asparagus spears together, using the toothpicks or 2 bamboo skewers, forming a raft shape.

In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, and garlic and stir with a fork to mix. Brush this mixture on the asparagus rafts on both sides. Season the asparagus with a little salt and lots of pepper.

When ready to cook, place the asparagus rafts on the hot grate and grill until nicely browned on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds as they grill. You can serve the asparagus as rafts or unskewered.

Grilled Figs with Gorgonzola and Prosciutto

First of all, let me apologize from the onset for the crappy photos of this dish - I had no intentions of blogging about it so I wasn't too concerned about the picture. Then Rome Roams commented yesterday and asked me to post the recipe.

This is one of my 'go to' appetizers . . . easy to make, ingredients one can readily get, quick to prepare, and everyone goes overboard with the ohhhsss and ahhhs. I posted a recipe for a similar dish back in 2008 but truth be told, this was much better!

So, with apologies for the crap photo . . . this one is for you Rome Roams . . .

Grilled Figs with Gorgonzola and Prosciutto

12 large fresh black Mission figs, trimmed, and cut in half
4 ounces gorgonzola cheese, cut into 24 slices
12 thin slices of prosciutto, cut in half length-wise (strips)
1 sprig of rosemary 
balsamic glaze (I bring this home from Italy but you can easily make your own)

Set the figs skin side down. Place 1 pieceof cheeseon the cut side of each fig; gently push it inside. Sprinkle 2 or 3 fresh rosemary leaves on top of the cheese. Wrap one piece of prosciutto around each fig so that the cheese is covered. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to help the prosciutto adhere to the figs.

Preheat grill.

Place figs on; grill 6 minutes or until prosciutto is crisp.

Drizzle each fig with balsamic syrup.

Chicken Breast Paillard With Grilled Romaine

When I was busy looking through the latest Better Homes and Gardens grilling magazine last May (why does that seen like a lifetime ago?) I noticed this recipe right away. Anyrecipe that features grilled Romaine lettuce is a plus in my books.

But then a busy summer of life got in the way and it wasn't until last week that I was able to pull this together. Sad, really, as this would have become a weekly staple around here had we known how easy and delicious it was.

Essentially you whip up a quick vinaigrette - part of which you use to dress the salad the rest of which is used to marinade the chicken breast paillards. I confess that I love making paillards - any excuse to whack away at thingswith a meat pounder is a wonderful thing in my books. The other nice thing (beyond the stress release) is that they cook up quickly. Because of this I was able to come home form work and have a delicious dinner on the table by the time Paolo got home.

Oh yes, if you haven't tried grilled romaine lettuce and are afeared that it will somehow be a bad thing - perhaps those are the things you should focus on whilst pounding the chicken breasts. Let those feelings go. Be free. Grilled Romaine is easy, quick, and delicious! The grilling brings out unforeseen flavour in the simple lettuce and NO, it won't all burn and disintegrate as one friend suggested to me.

SIGH

Chicken Breast Paillard With Grilled Romaine

1/4 cup lemon juice
1 TBS minced shallots
1 TBS Dijon-style mustard
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
1 TBS snipped fresh tarragon
4 chicken breasts
2 heads romaine lettuce, halved lengthwise
nonstick cooking spray
Salt
Freshly Cracked Pepper
Shaved Parmesan Cheese

Make the vinaigrette by whisking together lemon juice, shallots/garlic, mustard, sugar, and salt. Slowly add olive oil, whisking until combined. Stir in pepper and tarragon.

Flatten each chicken breast to 1/4 inch thick. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag. Add half of the vinaigrette. Seal bag, turn to coat chicken. Marinate in fridge for 1 hour.

Drain Chicken and discard marinade. For a charcoal grill, grill on a greased rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 3-4 minutes or until no longer pink, turning once. Coat the cut side of each romaine piece with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Grill romaine, cut side down, about 2 minutes or until edges char. If you are using a gas grill, preheat and reduce heat to medium, and then grill as above.

Place chicken and romaine cut side up, on a plate. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette and top with parmesan cheese.

Open-face Steak Sandwiches with Herbed Goat Cheese and Tomatoes

I don't know about you but as much as we love flank steak the two of us have never been able to eat one and I hope we never can! Leftover flank steak can be used in so many delicious ways. Like these amazing sandwiches.  This open-face flank steak sandwich is a perfect lunch or light dinner.

I have been wanting to make this for some time but had to wait for some really ripe heirloom tomatoes. with this sandwich hearty toasted bread is topped with herbed goat cheese, tomatoes, sliced flank steak and topped with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and placed under the broiler for a few minutes to lightly brown the toppings.

YUM

It looks like a ton-o-steps but it is manageable - we grilled the steak and made the goat cheese mixture one day and put the sandwiches together for dinner the next. With some veggies and dip and a salad it made for a very filling and healthy dinner!

Open-face Steak Sandwiches with Herbed Goat Cheese and Tomatoes

4 oz. fresh goat cheese (1/2 cup), at room temperature
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbs. chopped fresh basil
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp. minced garlic (I omitted this garlic)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Four 1-inch-thick slices sourdough or Tuscan bread
1 large clove garlic, cut in half
Olive oil for brushing and drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lb. heirloom tomatoes, preferably different colors (about 2 small or 1 large), sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/2 lb. leftover grilled flank steak, thinly sliced, preferably at room temperature
2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved

In a small bowl, combine the goat cheese, parsley, basil, lemon zest, and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Position a rack 5 to 6 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler on high. Put the bread on a large baking sheet. Rub one side of each slice with the garlic halves, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toast under the broiler, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Spread equal amounts of the goat cheese on the slices of toast, oiled side up. Distribute the tomato slices among the sandwiches and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Distribute the steak among the sandwiches and drizzle with olive oil. Top each with some of the shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano. Broil until the sandwiches are bubbling and starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes, lowering the rack if necessary to prevent burning. Serve.

Pantry Pork Chops

It's the last weekend of the Slow Travel grilling mains and sides cook-a-thon and its been a quick, easy exploration of various ingredients. Actually, another week was just added but we'll be in a tent along the shores of Lake Huron next weekend so I likely won't be updating my blog or grilling anything then. Sandi selected rosemary as her ingredient.

It was Paul's turn to cook last night so he actually made the entry for this week's slowtravel cooking challenge. This pork chop recipe is from the fine folks at Weber - if you've not been to their site you really should check it out for an amazing collection of grilling tips and recipes.

With this recipe the rosemary is a key ingredient in the marinade. You'd not think that such a small amount of an herb would leave a distinctive taste but it did! We both agreed that these chops were amazing - moist, full of flavour . . . a perfect treat!

Better yet, they were easy to make! We got home late from our shopping trip in the US. Paul started the marinade at 5 PM and we were still sitting down to an amazing dinner at our usual time. Heck, we even had time for an amazing pre-dinner cocktail - the Raspberry Thyme Smash  that we made a few years ago and had forgotten about.

 

Pantry Pork Chops

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 bone-in pork loin chops, each about 8 ounces and 1 inch thick

In a medium bowl whisk the marinade ingredients.

Place the chops in a large, resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the marinade, place in a bowl, and allow to stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before grilling.

Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (350° to 450°F).

Remove the chops from the bag and discard the marinade. Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the chops over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until barely pink in the center, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once or twice. Remove from the grill and let rest for 3 to 5 mintes. Serve warm.

Grilled Salmon Fillets with Fennel-Olive Tapenade

I can recall a day when a BBQ meant nothing more than a steak or a burger tossed on the grill - a piece of fish never entered into my 'BBQ vision'. We're eating far healthier these days. Heck, the other day I was shopping and there was a HUGE sale on halibut fillets - the 'food sale craziness' took hold and I filled my cart with halibut the same way I would have done with steaks in the past.

Salmon is one of the easiest fishes to grill IMHO - it won't fall apart (unless you realy ignore it) and its rich flavour takes well to any marinade, salsa, or topping that you want to pair with it. Lately my fish store has been getting in lots of fresh Atlantic wild-caught salmon which looks and tastes amazing. YUM

I picked salmon as the ingredient for 'my' week in the slowtravel grilling cook-a-thon because I am always on the look out for new ways to grill fish.

It was Paul's turn to cook last night and he selected this recipe to make. It is from the latest Weber grilling book 'Time to Grill'. We booth loved it - I think that I would have enjoyed the tapenade had it been a tad coarser but it tasted just fine. :-)

Grilled Salmon Fillets with Fennel-Olive Tapenade

1 medium fennel bulb, about 1 1/4 lbs, with stalk attached
1 cup garlic stuffed olives
finely grated zest of 1 medium orange
2 T fresh orange juice
2 t roughly chopped fresh tarragon leaves
EVOO
Kosher salt
pepper
6 salmon fillets (with skin), each 6 - 8 oz and about 1 1/4 inches think, pin bones removed

Cut the stalks from the fennel bulbs. Finely shop the stalks and reserve for garnish. Cut and discard the tough core from the fennel bulb. Roughly chop the fennel bulb. In a medium pot of boiling water cook the chopped fennel for 3 minutes. Drain. Run cold water over the fennel to stop the cooking.

Combine fennel, olives, orange zest, orange juice, tarragon, and 3 T olive oil in the bowl of a food procssor. Pulse until you have a coarse texture. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat the grill for direct grilling over high heat.

Brush the salmon with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Grill the salmon with the lid closed as much as possible until you can lift and flip the fillets without them sticking (about 6 - 8 minutes). Flip and cook to desired degree of doneness (about 2 minutes more). Slip a spatula between the skin and the fillets. Lift the fillets off of the grill and transfer to plates.

Serve warm with the tapenade.

Grilled Panzanella Salad

I ignited a wee bit of furor over on facebook last week when I mentioned that I was making a grilled panzanella salad. My Italian friends were horrified.

Panzanella is a Florentine salad of bread and tomatoes popular in the summer. It includes chunks of soaked stale bread and tomatoes, sometimes also onions and basil, dressed with olive oil and vinegar. It does NOT include anything grilled.

Italians are passionate about their food. Given the way their culinary heritage has been stolen from them by the likes of Chef-Boy-ar-dee and Olive Garden I can appreciate their horror when traditional recipes are adapted for a mass-market North American palette.

This salad, by the folks at Bon Appetit magazine, was pretty close to the original. The difference from the traditional being that the veggies and bread were grilled prior to tossing with the dressing. The result is NOT a true panzanella salad and likely should have been called a grilled bread salad but then who would have wanted to have tried it?

Not me.

This would have been a shame as this is a very tasty salad - perfect for using up stale bread and the fresh veggies that are everywhere right now! I can only make panzanella salad for about 6 weeks a year - when I have access to the freshest, juciest tomatoes. If you have some handy  suggest you gather the remaining ingredients and fire up your grill.

Now.

Grilled Panzanella Salad with Bell Peppers, Summer Squash, and Tomatoes

1 1/2 pounds assorted bell peppers (about 3 large), cut into 1 1/2-inch-wide strips
1 1/2 pounds assorted summer squash, cut lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick slices
1 medium-size red onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1 12- to 14-ounce loaf of ciabatta, some crust trimmed to expose bread, cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled, cut into thirds
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound tomatoes, cored, cut into 3/4-inch dice, juices reserved
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup coarsely chopped assorted fresh herbs (such as chives, dill, chervil, and tarragon)
2 tablespoons drained capers

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Brush both sides of bell peppers, squash, onion, and bread slices lightly with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill vegetables until tender and brown, about 4 minutes per side for peppers and squash and 3 minutes per side for onion. Grill bread until browned and crisp, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes. Cool slightly. Rub bread with cut sides of garlic. Tear bread into 3/4-inch pieces; place in very large bowl. Cut grilled vegetables into 1-inch pieces; add to bread in bowl.

Whisk first 3 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in 1/3 cup oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

Add dressing, tomatoes with juices, and all remaining ingredients to salad; toss. Let stand 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Herbed Grilled Chicken Breasts

This week the slow travel grilling group had chicken breasts as the ingredient to work with. It was Amy's choice - one she made because she wanted new ways to grill them. This is the neat thing about this challenge - you end up with a wealth of new ways to cook with a particular ingredient - sort of like a  chain letter without all of the annoyances.

I picked a recipe from the folks at Fine Cooking - originally published in July 2003, it was republished this summer in their 'Best of Fine Cooking Grilling' book. Clearly it had to be good if it was in the 'Best of' book!

This recipe was perfect for summer cooking - fresh ingredients, it cooked quickly, and it tasted amazing! It had an added bonus - you get to pound the chicken breasts into thin 'sheets' which can provided a much needed stress release . . . time spent pounding away at things with a meat pounder is a fun time in my books.

When your baser anger has been sated the pallards (pie-yards) are marinated with herbs, lemon, oil, chilli pepper, prior to grilling. The end result was so delicious that 'someone' ate THREE of them Yes, that was not a typo - THREE. In one sitting.

There is praise for you.

 . . . or gluttony . . . You decide. :-)

Herbed Grilled Chicken Breasts

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each), trimmed and rinsed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crushed red chile flakes
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, flat-leaf parsley, or other fresh herb
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, plus 4 lemon wedges for serving
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; more for drizzling

Lightly wet a chicken breast with cold water and set it between two sheets of plastic wrap. Pound it into a broad, flat sheet about 1/4-inch thick (called a paillard), using a meat pounder, the side of a heavy cleaver, or a skillet. Pound the other breasts into paillards the same way and arrange them on a baking sheet.

Generously season each paillard on both sides with salt and pepper and a pinch or two of chile flakes. Sprinkle both sides with the garlic and rosemary. Drizzle both sides with the lemon juice and olive oil and pat into the meat with your fingertips. Refrigerate the paillards for 20 minutes while you prepare the grill.

Heat a gas grill to high or prepare a hot charcoal fire. Brush and oil the grill grate.

Arrange the paillards on the grill grate and grill until cooked and firm to the touch, 1 to 2 minutes per side. (Use a long, wide spatula to move and turn the paillards.) Transfer the paillards to a platter or plates. Drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately with lemon wedges for squeezing.

Grilled Green Beans with Garlic and Lemon Zest

This week the slowtravel grilling group had a vegetable to play about with. Terry had selected green beans - a vegetable that can be a challenge to grill since those darn things keep falling through the grates! Happily I was able to solve this problem with my amazing new grill basket from Bobby Flay!

Confession time . . . I used a combination of green and yello beans since that is whya was at the market. Hopefully the rules allow me to make that wee modification. :-)

I used a recipe that Michael Ruhlman had posted on his blog. in his post and recipe he provides options:

I like to toss the green veg in olive oil to which I’ve added smashed or minced garlic, and put them over high direct heat, tossing or turning them every few minutes or so. They cook in about 7-10 minutes. If you like heat, add some dried red chilli flakes. If you like seasoning that goes well with smoke, throw some whole or crushed cumin seeds in as well. And grill away.

garlic - check

heat - check

smokey spice - check

Yes, we went with every option going. The result was amazing. The flavours are fresh and delicious - the green beans get caramelized from the grilling which takes their flavour to an entire new level. try this recipe out and I defy you to eat but one!

Grilled Green Beans with Garlic and Lemon Zest

1/4 cup olive oil
2 to 3 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced to a paste
1 to 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (optional)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, whole or crushed in a mortar and pestle (optional)
1 pound green beans, stem ends picked (if you don’t have a grill pan, substitute asparagus)
1 lemon for zesting
Salt to taste

Start a fire a half hour before cooking your beans (you may be cooking other stuff on the grill, so just know that you’ll need ten minutes of medium-high to high heat for the beans—more about multiple dishes on the same grill next week).

Combine olive oil and garlic in a bowl (as well as the red pepper flakes and cumin if using). Swirl the oil around with your fingers to distribute the garlic (and other seasonings). Add the green beans and toss by hand till they’re uniformly coated. Put them in your hot grill basket or on the hot grate and cook till they’re gorgeous and tender.

Remove to a serving dish, season with salt and finish with freshly grated lemon zest.