Recipe #36: Fish Tacos

Simple recipe.  Just mix 1-1/2 cup of chunky salsa with a small can of sliced black olives and an 11 oz can of Mexican corn. 
Spray the fish fillets (we used tilapia) with PAM and put it directly over HIGH HEAT (If you're a real man, that means charcoal).  3 minutes to a side and then take them off and make the fillets into chunks.

While chunking the fillets, nuke the salsa for two minutes just to warm it.

THEN put some fish, some salsa some cheese and some lettuce on a softshell tortilla.  Roll it and eat it.  My wife (my regular focus group) LOVED them.  Me, not so much.  I always thought fish tacos were kind of a gross idea, anyway. 
The next time I grill will be OCTOBER  1!  So we are planning the next recipe will be OKTOBERFEST PIGOUT!

Recipe #35: Big Bird in Bourbon Sauce

YUUUMMM!!
The bar-b-que sauce came from another source, because the recipe sounded better.  It's AMAZING --  way better than Famous Dave's:
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Saute chopped onion and garlic (butter or olive oil)
After about 4 minutes add:

• 2 cups of ketchup
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1cup molasses
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon chili powder (or to taste)
• a tablespoon black pepper.

simmer for about 20 minutes.  Stir in 2 ozs of bourbon (one of those small bottles).
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Let it simmer.
We grilled the bird over hot coals and applewood.  Then brushed bar-b-que sauce on for the last 5 minutes.  Then we cut it up put on a slice of toast and poured Bar-b-que sauce on it like Famous Dave's.  SCRUMPTIOUS.

Next Time:  Dr Pepper Glazed Ham!

Recipe #34: Grilled fish and chips.

Great recipe!!!  Today I'm giving step by step grilling instructions, so sit down and pay attention!

First off, Real Men Don't Use Propane!


Fire up the CHARCOAL grill.  I use a starter chimney because even though you might be a real man and use charcoal, starter fluid (ICK!) stinks and makes the food taste like gasoline.  Starter chimney --  coals inside and newspaper underneath --  that's all it takes.

Soak the fillets in evaporated milk for about an hour.  Takes away that fishy taste!

A 12 ounce can of Carnation evaporated milk.  You just put the fish in a bowl and let it soak for an hour.  Meanwhile, you grind up a can of sour cream and onion Pringles into dust and add some lemon pepper, paprika  and cayenne pepper.

Roll the fillets in the seasons Pringle crumbs.

AND GRILL!  Gently because tilapia is a thin fillet and it can burn easily.  Just 4 minutes to a side.  Notice I have the fillets off to the edge away from direct heat.

Be careful removing them from the grill --  they are a little fragile when they are done to perfection!

All that's left to do is eat it!  We had ours with tartar sauce and a lovely corn chowder made with the grilled corn left from Recipe #33!


A FABULOUS MEAL!!!!!!






NEXT TIME:  Big Bird with Bourbon Sauce!

Recipe #33: Holy Mole Pollo

Holy (MO-lay po-yo)  I've never tried mole before -- it's a Mexican sauce base you can get at the international aisle of your supermarket.  You just mix 1 part mole with 3 parts broth and bring it to boil.  Thin, to make the sauce for this recipe, I added a can of cilantro diced tomatoes and some minced garlic.  IT'S GOOD.  It makes a great sauce for the grilled chicken breast!  We had it with farm-fresh-grilled-in-the-husk-corn-on-the-cob!

Tomorrow:  Fish and Chips!

Recipe #32: Bock Bock Kabobs

My wife responded after her first bite --  "Yeah! Interesting!"

Just cherry tomatoes, chunks o' chicken, chunks o' green pepper, chunks o' artichoke and chunks o' new potatoes on skewers.  While they grill you baste them with creamy italian and some Mrs. Dash for Chicken.
GOOD!  But I don't know why they are called Bock Bock Kabobs!

Tomorrow:  Holy Mole Pollo (Chicken breast basted with Mexican mole!)

Recipe # 31: Bean-Chicken Quesadillas

The cookbook calls them Wedgies -- cuz yer spozed ta cut the grilled quesadillas into 6 triangles and eat them with your hands.  But we ate them with a knife and fork and used salsa as a dipping sauce.

Nothing to it!  Small can of sliced olives, small can of flaked chicken breast, small can of sliced jalapenos (pronounced "hala PAY nyos" --  not "hala PEE nose") AND a can of fat free refried beans.  You mix all that up in a bowl, then spread it onto a tortilla.  Cover with shredded cheese and put another tortilla on top.  Grill for 2 minutes per side.
NOTE:  It is far easier to put the chicken and bean stuff on one HALF of a tortilla, put cheese on the bean stuff and fold it over.  Spray PAM on both sides of your pre-heated George Foreman and grill it for 2-3 minutes.  Neater, and you don't waste a grill full of charcoal on something that takes 2 minutes to cook!

Next time: Bock Bock Kabobs

Recipe #30: Red Hot Ribs

A lot of different things on the grill that day!

Labor Day weekend.  I had my family to serve as my focus group for this recipe which I never ever made before.
Boneless beef rib, marinaded (of course!)  in beer (OF COURSE!), crushed jalapenos, tabasco sauce, a little worchestershire sauce and MANWICH.  Marinaded a few hours then toss them on a hot grill.  You're supposed to turn and baste with marinade several times, but the marinade drips on the coals and they don't burn right!  So I dispensed with the basting, and the ribs did dry out just a bit.

BEST right off the grill.   

 

Hiatus for a bit:  Tired of beer marinades!!!

Recipe #29 - Jah Mon Jerk Pork Chops!

Pretty Good!  Though we are getting a little tired of marinaded meat.  Sometimes I like to smoke it!  Anywhooooo:
Pork chops, marinaded in black beans (drained), pineapple juice, hot sauce, cider vinegar and chopped up red bell pepper. I let them marinade over night.  Then seasoned with carribean seasoning and thrown on a hot charcoal grill.  About 5-6 minutes per side.  Meanwhile, the black bean and red pepper marinade is boiled down and the crushed pineapple (where I got the juice from) is stirred in.  Served over rice.

My sweetie declared it "GOOD, but a really interesting mix of vegetables."  YEAH blackbeans, red bell pepper and pineapple keeps the palate interested and the pork chops were SO tender and flavorful!!!

Next time:  ON THE ROAD AGAIN. Red Hot Ribs with the extended fam in St Paul!