Grilled Tilapia with Capers

I truly have neglected this blog for way to long.  I feel bad because my one fan has been waiting since April to get a new recipe.  I have felt the pressure and finally my ducks are in a row, the stars are aligned, my baby is asleep, my other three are at school, and my spunky 4 year old is safely swimming in the bath.  It is perfect time to get a blog post done.  I must hurry though because before long life will be CRAZY again.

 My mom had us over for dinner and made a new recipe. Grilled Tilapia with capers.  It was heavenly.  Her and my Uncle Carl decided to try something new.  Apparently Carl really wanted tilapia with capers so my mom got on her trusty computer and together they came up with a fabulous dinner.  We also had mango and coconut rice.  The two went together so well.  They make me laugh when they work together.  They still act silly even at their age.  They tease each other like brother and sister do.  I am glad Carl was there so that mom would try something so different.  It is one of my new favorite dishes.  

4 Tilapia fillet
3 T Olive Oil
1 lemon finely zested
2 lemons juiced
1/2 C dry white wine
1 shallot thinly sliced
Splash of heavy cream
1 stick of butter cut in cubes
1/4 C Fresh Parsley
1/4 C drained capers
black pepper
salt


Heat grill to high.  Brush fish on both sides with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook 3-4 minutes per side or until lightly golden brown and slightly charred. 

Combine shallots, lemon juice and zest, white wine in a small sauce pan on high heat.  Cook until reduced by half.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Whisk together the cream, butter, and wine mixture in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Add the parsley and capers.  Stir.  Serve over the Tilapia.  Enjoy!

Lime Cilantro Salmon

I'll have to be honest this is only my second time cooking fish EVER!!!! Yes, I know I'm so unhealthy, crazy, and WHAT!!! I have a husband that is well to put it nicely a food freak. That was nice I promise. He starts to dry heave if you even mention fish. So, I am just a little worried to see what would happen if there was actually fish on the table. When he got home tonight the first thing he said when he closed the garage door was "Something smells fishy." My heart sunk. Then he came up took a look at it and said "...hmm, that smells...good." It made my little heart smile. And after a couple of nervous bits he said "mmm, this tastes pretty good. No, really good." Ahh, sweet SUCCESS!!

1 pound salmon or 4, 6 ounce fillets.  
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp. coriander
coarse salt and ground pepper to taste
Heat grill to medium high, rub the salmon with coarse salt, ground pepper, coriander, and olive oil.  Lightly oil the grill; place salmon skin side UP on the grill.  Cook for 5 minutes.  While cooking make your sauce.  Turn over with a spatula and cook 4 more minutes or until opaque and flaky.  Serve salmon and drizzle with Lime Cilantro sauce.

Sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 T soy sauce
3 tsp sugar

1 T Fresh cilantro chopped

Stir all ingredients together except cilanto. Then fold in the cilantro.  Spoon over the salmon. ENJOY

Barbecue Chicken Salad

My sister introduced me to Barbecue Chicken Salad at California Pizza Kitchen. I loved it. I love just about anything they have at CPK. I wrote down what was in the salad one of the times I had it and went home and tried to recreate it. It was okay but didn't quite test like CPK's version. I found a recipe on line and tried it out. Although I have tweaked it a little bit I do use the marinade exactly. I don't know who wrote the recipe but thanks to whomever you are.

This salad is a little extensive. I was in the kitchen a good 2 hours yesterday getting it ready. You could do it in steps so that you are not doing everything at once but plan on 2 hours start to finish. It is so yummy and well worth not skipping steps to make it turn out wonderfully.

Salad
1 head Romaine Lettuce
1 head iceberg Lettuce
1 can Black Beans rinsed and drained
1-2 cups corn
jicama
3-4 T cilantro
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
Ranch Dressing

Toss together add:

BBQ Chicken
diced tomatoes
green onion
Corn tortilla strips


Barbecue Chicken Recipe
1 1/3 T Olive Oil
1 1/3 T minced garlic
2 tsp Soy Sauce
2 tsp Salt
1/4 c sweet and spicy BBQ sauce
5 boneless skinless chicken breast
Marinade for at least 1 hour longer is better. You can cook it on the BBQ or stove top. Make sure that you coat the chicken with the remaining sauce in the bowl while on the BBQ. If you make in a pan I recommend dicing it first.

Fried Tortilla Strips
Canola Oil
12 corn tortilla
cut 1/4 inch wide place in med-med high heated oil. Cook until crisp and barely changing color. They change fast.



Serves 8-10, ENJOY!

Best Burger Ever!

I absolutely love this recipe that I found in Martha Stewart Everyday Foods. I will have to admit I LOVE Martha. Her easy recipe magazine is one of my favorite things ever. It is actually a meatball recipe but who says you always have to follow rules. I thought it might just make a yummy burger and darn it, it is!

I have tested this on very picky eaters,"Men's men", kids, and even women. The consensus is that they all love it.
1 large egg
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 large onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs or oatmeal
3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
16 ounces hamburger
1 t. Italian seasoning

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Roll into balls big enough for a patty and flatten to about 1/2 inch thick. Grill to desired amount.

Toppings for us include green leaf lettuce, tomatoes, purple onion, ketchup, mustard, pickles, mayo(not for me). Toast the bun and enjoy!

Grandma Dorothy's Teriyaki Steak Sandwiches

If you know my family you know we love these sandwiches. These are a must whenever we have company over for a BBQ. My siblings always request this when they are in town. It doesn't look like much but, oh, it is delicious. My mom's side of the family always have these at big get togethers. They remind me of cousins, and having a wonderful time together. There is something so special about playing in the back yard with your family and the smell of the BBQ in the air. Oh, I love it. Seriously though, make these this summer. Try it out and tell me how you like it. My hubby doesn't love the butter on the roll, but I think he is missing out.

Sirloin Tip roast about 5 lbs. cut into thin slices (uncooked) We ask the butcher to cut it as thin as he can without it falling apart.

Marinade:
1/2 cup oil
2 T. Vinegar
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 T. minced onion
1/3 tsp garlic powder

Blend the ingredients. Toss with thinly sliced beef and marinate for 24 hours. Cook on grill for about 1 minute on each side until done. Serve on buttered potato rolls. and you will ENJOY (I promise) Serves about 15-20