Friday, June 20, 2014

Grass Fed Fillet Served with Potato Crisp

This is just me fooling around with a different way to make potato to serve with steak. I took my mandolin and sliced up a russet potato and layered in an 8" sauté pan. I cooked both sides so they were crisp and it turned out great, kind of like a big crispy french fry.

As for the grass fed fillet, I love it! It's tender, juicy and such a wonderful flavor. More and more if the steak isn't prime or grass fed, I just don't really want it, it's that much better.

1 8oz grass fed fillet
2 teaspoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 russet potato
1 tablespoon canola oil
lite sour cream

Prepare your steak by making sure it's at room temp, always cook steak starting at room temp because the steak cooks more evenly. Make sure you steak is dry. Setting the steak on a couple paper towels while your bringing the steak to room temp is a good approach.

Liberally coat the steak with salt and pepper. Brush on some olive oil and cook in a sauté pan for about 4 minute per side. After 8 minutes check for doneness. Cook for 1 more minute if needed. When cooked remove and set on a plate for at least 5 minutes.

To serve, place the potato crisp on a plate. Place the steak on the potato crisp and add a scoop of lite sour cream and a couple of dashes of tobacco sauce. Garnish the dish with chopped Italian parsley.

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Grilled Halibut with Cilantro Garlic Sauce

 
This perhaps the easiest piece of fish to cook. The flesh is firm and typically doesn't stick to the grill and is easy to identify when done cooking. I've cooked this several different ways my favorite is using a stove top grill and serving with a simple sauce of olive oil, sautéed garlic and cilantro. 

Ingredients:
Halibut filets
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves
1/2 bunch cilantro

Preparation:
Take your halibut filets and place them on a plate with paper towels on the bottom and top. The paper towels will soak up any moisture while the filets come to room temperature. Replace the paper towels if they become saturated.

Heat an 8" sauté pan to medium and add 1 tablespoon olive, 4 cloves rough chopped garlic and chopped cilantro. Let this sauté for just a couple of minutes until the garlic pieces are translucent. Turn off the heat and set a side until the fish is cooked.

Heat you stove top grill pan to medium high. Coat the halibut filets with olive oil and salt and pepper. I have a general cooking rule which is 2/2 flip 2/2 which I will explain.

Place the filets on the grill pan facing 45 degrees to the left side and cook for 2 minutes. Use your tongs and turn the filets 45 degrees to the right side and cook for 2 minutes. After a total of 4 minutes flip the filets and cook them the same, 2 minutes to the left side and then 2 minutes to the right side. At this point the filets should be done. You can check by cutting into the center of one filets and the flesh will be firm and white. If still slightly translucent, cook one more minute. Remove the filets to a serving plate and let rest 2 -3 minutes.

Warm your garlic cilantro sauce and top each filet with a generous portion and serve.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Grilled Chicken Burger on Ciabatta

I find myself making more sandwiches these days and they're just so good and usually healthy. The ciabatta roll gives this chicken sandwich a more rustic taste and red onion really takes it to the next level. I like to serve with a simple salad for a complete meal.

Ingredients:
Grilled chicken breasts
4 cloves garlic
Romaine lettuce
Red onion
Ciabatta bread roll
Mayo
Stone ground mustard
Preparation:
Take your chicken breast and cut it in half to make it twice as thin. Then take a large piece of wax paper and set the 1 of the pieces chicken on it. Fold the wax paper over the top and pound the chichen breast so it's about 1/2" thick. Repeat the process for the remaining pieces.
 
Crush the garlic and spread some on each piece of chicken. Stack all the pieces together and place in a large zip lock bag to marinate for at least 1 hour.
 
Grill your chicken over high heat which should only take a couple of minutes because the pieces are so thin. While the chicken is grilling, place the rolls into a 350 degree oven until they are warmed and crispy on the outside.
 
To assemble, take your ciabatta roll and slice in half. Spread some mayo on the bottom half followed by lettuce, red onion, chicken and tomato. Spread some stone ground mustard on the top half of the bun and top the sandwich. Serve with a simple salad.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Grilled Chicken, Shrimp and Asparagus Caesar Salad

Here's a salad that you can serve as a main dish for dinner. It's really pretty easy to prepare and the flavor combination of the chicken, shrimp, red onion and parmesan cheese work very well together. As usual, I use my favorite salad dressing, Bolthouse Farms and this is the Caesar Parmigianino Yogurt Salad Dressing.
 
Ingredients: Serves 2
1 head romaine lettuce, washed and cut into bite size pieces
1 grilled chicken breast
8 medium cooked shrimp
4 asparagus cut into 1" pcs
Sliced red onion
shaved parmesan cheese
Bolthouse Farms Caesar Parmigianino Yogurt Salad Dressing.
 
Preparation:
Take you prepared romaine lettuce and put into a large salad bowl. Add the sliced grilled chicken, shrimp, asparagus, red onion and 4 tablespoons Caesar Parmigianino Yogurt Salad Dressing and toss. Plate the salad and be sure to have 4 shrimp per serving. Garnish with shave parmesan cheese.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Saffron Rice

 
I saw some saffron at Costo and thought I would make some saffron rice. The saffron gives the rice a sweet taste and very is aromatic. I serve this with a grilled chicken breast and it's a good combination. 
 
Ingredients:
1 cup basmati rice

2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 package saffron
1 tablespoon chopped nuts
 
Preparation:
Add the rice, water, saffron and salt to a rice cooker and let the rice cooker do its thing. When cooked, fluff with a fork and serve. Garnish with green onion and chopped nuts.

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Coconut Shrimp

I saw these jumbo shrimp at Fred Meyer and just had to make something with them. I was hoping to make a healthy version of coconut shrimp that actually tasted as good as deep fried. I looked over a lot of different recipes for oven baked coconut shrimp and put this together and it was amazing. 
 
Ingredients:
12 extra large shrimp
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
 3 tablespoons flour
2 egg whites
Dash of sriracha sauce
Spray canola oil
 
Dipping sauce:
1 tablespoon catsup
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
Juice of 1 orange
Zest of 1 orange
1 teaspoon curry powder
Pinch red pepper flakes
Dash of sriracha sauce
Salt & pepper
 
Preparation:
For the dipping sauce combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and set a side.
 
To make the coconut shrimp, beat 2 egg white with a dash of sriracha and put into a shallow bowl. Combine the shredded coconut, panko bread crumbs and flour and put into a shallow bowl.
 
Make sure your shrimp are dry for the next step. Dip a shrimp into the egg whites and then into the coconut bread crumb mixture. Coat all sides of the shrimp and shake off any excess and put onto a baking pan. Repeat the process for the rest of the shrimp.
 
Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Take the spray canola oil and give a good spray to the shrimp. Put the shrimp in the oven and cook for 8 - 10 minutes.

To serve, place the dipping sauce in a small bowl in the center of a plate. Take the coconut shrimp and place around the outside of the dipping sauce on the plate. Garnish with diced green onions and crushed nuts.