CAJUN GRILLED COD + SUMMER VEGGIE SAUTE

I will forever say that Summer cooking is the best kind of cooking. Everything is lighter and fresher and the colors make everything pop and look so pretty on a plate! The best kind of Summer meal in my mind is just picking up whatever is fresh in the produce section and grilling a good piece of fish or other meat. Done and done! 

This dinner is basically no recipe at all- my favorite kind of dinner to make! I was inspired by the fish special at one of our favorite beach spots last weekend (The Wild Olive) and decided to do my own take on it. These Summer veggies are my new favorite combo and the best part is that you can add whatever you like. Just a little garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper is all you need. The cherry tomatoes burst a little as they warm and make their own tasty sauce for another depth of flavor. I hit it all with a generous shake of red pepper flakes before serving- give me all the heat!! Wild caught Cod was on sale this week, but you could use whatever fish you like! I tried to tell my kids we were eating chicken, but they didn't buy it. We typically eat fish one night a week throughout the year, but the Summer is the best because you can always grill it! It's just so much better on the grill. For this dish, I put together a quick cajun rub and let it sit on the fish for about 15 minutes before Mark put it on the grill. 

Add this to your meal plan ASAP for the perfect weeknight Summer dinner! (you can even skip the fish and make these veggies as a side!)

CAJUN GRILLED COD + SUMMER VEGGIE SAUTE

Wild caught cod (I estimate about 1/2 lb. per adult)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb. fresh okra, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 small zucchini, chopped
2 ears sweet corn, cooked and cut off the cob
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

CAJUN RUB-
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cumin

To prepare the fish, pour a little olive oil on top and brush all over. Rub with the cajun seasoning and let the fish sit for 10-15 minutes.

While the fish sits, chop veggies. In a large saute pan on medium heat, saute garlic and olive oil until the garlic is soft and fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add zucchini and okra and cook until the veggies become a little soft and toasty, about 8-10 minutes. Add in tomatoes and corn towards the end and wait for the tomatoes to get soft and a little saucy. Season with salt and pepper at the end to taste.

For the fish, grill for 10-12 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish you may need more time. When it's nice and flaky its done! You can also do in the oven at 400 for 15 minutes. 

Plate a big pile of veggies with the fish on top. Hit it all with some red pepper flakes if you like heat and a squeeze of lemon! 

Grilled Lemon Salmon Kebabs

No better way to start off the week than with a healthy dinner recipe! My love for salmon knows no bounds and I'm always looking for fresh and new ways to prepare it. I LOVE grilling it in the Summer and getting that smokey grill flavor. Kebabs have been having a moment at our house, too. It's so easy to chop up a bunch of fresh ingredients, put them on a stick and throw it all on the grill. A one step meal that's delicous, healthy and doesn't take much prep time. 

These salmon kebabs are going straight to the top of my Summer favorites list. The flavor on the fish was INSANE from the grill as well as each piece being sandwiched between fresh lemon slices. Something about fish and lemon ALWAYS does it for me. I could be happy eating this as a meal every night this Summer. 

I found this recipe via Skinny Taste awhile ago and have been itching to make it. Also, how beautiful does the raw salmon and bright yellow lemon slices photograph!? These tasted as good as they looked. I tweaked the seasonings here a little and came up with my own spice rub for the salmon that was just perfect. It may sound strange, but don't forget to eat the lemons! This might be the best part of the meal.

I just can't stop thinking about these kebabs.

Lemon Salmon Kebabs

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper
1 lb. boneless skinless wild salmon
2 lemons, thinly sliced
4-8 bamboo skewers 
Olive oil

Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before prepping your kebabs. I was able to fit all of my lemon and fish onto 4 skewers, and had them all pretty full. If you are serving more people, divide the fish and lemons amongst 8 skewers. 

In a small bowl, combine oregano, crushed red pepper, garlic powder, kosher salt and cracked pepper.

Cut salmon into 1 inch chunks. Beginning and ending with the salmon, thread salmon and folded lemon slices onto the skewers. Sprinkle evenly with the spice rub and add a little bit more salt and pepper on top as well. Drizzle with olive oil. 

If doing these on an outside grill, grill on medium-high heat for about 8-10 minutes, until fish is fully cooked through. Make sure you turn the skewers often. For a grill pan, grill on medium high heat, turning often and cooking until the fish is cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. 

Citrus Curry Marinade

Grilling season is officially upon us! I'm sitting here on my screened in porch with some iced coffee and my favorite warm weather Pandora station playing- Bob Marley, obviously. It's totally setting my Summer mood.

This marinade is my go-to for chicken. My family has been making this for years and it's always a favorite with big crowds. I love the unexpected flavor of curry. It's bright and slightly sweet and gives the chicken a bright yellowish color when grilled, making it look extra tasty on the plate. 

Speaking of big crowds and parties, while listening to Ina's interview on Katie Couric's podcast last week, she talked a bit about the best ways to prep for a dinner party. She suggests centering your meal around three dishes. With that, she says that one should be made ahead of time, one should be made on the stovetop or grill, and one in the oven. This way you can time your meal appropriately and not be scurrying around trying to get it all served. This is excellent advice.

Bottom line, this marinade makes the most delicious and juicy grilled chicken breast. The butcher at my grocery store will fillet my boneless, skinless chicken breasts for me making for minimal prep work! If you've never asked at your grocery store I bet they will do it. This is almost the only leftover chicken I will eat- it's amazing on salads for lunch! 


Citrus Curry Marinade
(marinade for about 2 pounds of chicken)

1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 1-2 lemons
1 Tbsp. curry powder 
Salt + Pepper- add this to the chicken right before cooking

Whisk marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Pour into a bag or shallow dish and add chicken. Let chicken sit in marinade for 30 minutes- an hour. Add salt and pepper to the chicken as it hits the grill. 

Burger Bowl

The burger craving comes on hard in the Summer. I love gourmet burgers with strange toppings and flavors, but in the Summer, there is nothing like a juicy grilled burger with the classic all American toppings. 

Because I really hate soggy bread, I actually really like burgers without buns. I can pile on toppings and not worry about everything falling apart and spilling onto my plate. Bonus points for skipping out on the extra carbs and making it healthier.

We are LOVING burger bowls this Summer. They are so simple to put together and I almost always have everything on hand. Pickle drizzled on top of it all is a necessary step...it's strange but good! This is far from a recipe and more of a here's what you need and just pile it all together type of post. Enjoy!

Burger Bowls

Lean ground beef burgers- grilled inside or out
Iceberg lettuce, chopped
Tomatoes, sliced
Hamburger dill pickles with some juice reserved
Salt + pepper
Mustard
Ketchup

I start with my bowls and fill with a pile of chopped iceberg lettuce. Layer on sliced tomatoes, pickles and even onions or mushrooms- whatever else sounds tasty to you! Finish with a warm burger and drizzle it all with a little pickle juice. Add mustard and ketchup and devour it all! I also sometimes serve mine with oven roasted potatoes. 

Shawarma- Spiced Grilled Chicken with Garlic Yogurt

I snapped this photo and posted it on Instagram the night I made it. I tagged Skinnytaste, hoping she would see it and what do you know...I was her regram of the day! Giada replied to a tweet once and you know what? This was just as great! A social media shining moment for sure and a fun way to connect with one of my favorite bloggers! That's the fun thing about social media.

Skinnytaste never fails me and is one of the very first food blogs that I ever started reading. Her recipes and fresh and mostly simple and perfect for weeknight dinners. This recipe is packed with TONS of flavor and the chicken marinade will be one of my new go-tos when we grill chicken. This would be the perfect chicken to grill a lot ahead of time and eat throughout the week on salads for lunches! 

I cannot express my love for this recipe enough. The spices are complex and great for Summertime grilling. I topped my chicken on a bed of chopped romaine, cucumbers and grape tomatoes and served baby roasted red potato wedges and grilled onions on the side, with a friendly helping of the garlic yogurt on top! 

Shawarma- Spiced Grilled Chicken with Garlic Yogurt
recipe from Skinnytaste

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in half lengthwise
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
juice from 1 lemon
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. curry powder
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Garlic Yogurt-
1 7oz. container of 2% Plain Greek Yogurt
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
chopped parsley, for garnish

Place chicken breasts in a ziploc bag.

In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and spices and pour into the bag with the chicken. Move the chicken around in the bag to coat it in the marinade. Refrigerate and marinate for 3 hours, up to overnight. 

Over medium- high heat, grill the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side. Let the chicken sit for 5 minutes after cooking before serving. 

Grilled Pizza

Here's a little something to shake up your summertime grill menu. While of you were probably grilling hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken on the grill during Memorial Day weekend, we opted for pizza. 

Pizza. On the grill. I cannot express how deliciously different it is. 

We attempted this method a couple of years ago during our days in Illinois but we failed miserably and didn't do it correctly. But thanks to dear friends, we now know how to throw a pizza on the grill. It's actually much easier than it sounds and I am here to tell you that the end result is unlike any pizza you have probably ever eaten. It's slightly smokey and has a unique chewy quality that I don't get when I use my pizza stone in the oven. Homemade pizza dough takes this above and beyond so while you're trying something new, try two new things. Make your own dough, then grill it. My Neapolitan Pizza Dough will not disappoint.

We topped one pizza with a thin layer of homemade marinara, sweet Italian sausage, roasted red peppers, slivered red onions and mozzarella. Pizza number two featured my favorite of all pizza toppings; arugula, mushrooms, prosciutto and mozzarella. Pizza on the screened in porch with wine, good friends and our newly hung bistro lights made for a lovely Italian Sunday night.

If you haven't grilled your pizza, you haven't lived.

Grilled Pizza

1 batch Neapolitan Pizza Dough (or your favorite pizza dough)

olive oil for brushing

pizza toppings of your choice

Fire up your grill!

Split pizza dough in half, to create two pizzas. Roll out dough to desired size and thickness on a floured surface.

Brush the top side of the crust with olive oil. Transfer pizza to the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes. The dough will bubble up like a pancake. Remove from grill, flip over onto a flat surface, and top with pizza toppings. Transfer pizza back onto the grill and cook for another 3-4 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Basic Marinade Ratio

It's officially grilling season!! Nothing says Summer cooking like firing up the Komado Joe! Mark does all the heavy lifting (grilling) and I have time to play in the kitchen and focus on fresh salads, sides and tasty cocktails! I came across some great marinating tips in the June issue of Cooking Light and thought I would pass them along. This marinade formula is what I typically stick to and results in perfectly marinated meat every time.

Basic Marinade Ratio

Cooking Light, June 2013, pg. 13

one part acid (vinegar, citrus juice or yogurt)

one part oil 

two parts aromatics (fresh herbs)

salt or soy sauce

sugar

The chef in Cooking Light recommended canola oil as a neutral oil but I always tend to use olive oil. For the sugar component, I like to use Grade A Maple Syrup or honey, but sometimes I leave this part out all together. I try to keep salt to a minimum and unless I am using soy sauce, do not salt the meat until right before it goes on the grill.

Happy grilling to all!

Put an Egg on that Burger!

My little sister cannot get over the fact that Mark and I recently enjoyed eggs atop our grilled Jalapeno Basil Burgers but my response to her was why the heck not!? Don't knock it till you try it.

I actually despised eggs (except for omelettes) up until the past couple of years and now I cannot get enough. I'm just in time, too, because it seems as though the incredible edible mainstay has become somewhat of a trendy ingredient. I can dig it. 

We typically skip the bun when but our grilled burgers are far from naked. We like to load up on fresh toppings of all flavor families. Guacamole, grilled onions, pesto, roasted mushrooms, arugula, heirloom tomatoes...we can now add fried eggs to the rotation. A slightly runny yolk of an over-easy adds fantastic texture but if you are like Mark and prefer your liquid chickens fully cooked, fry it up on both sides- it's just as delicious! 

Blackened Chicken Rub

It's time to officially welcome in the weekend and if you're like us, there is some deck sitting, sun soaking, cocktail sipping, grilling up some yumminess in your 48 hour future. Yes, please!

I recently came up with my own spice rub for blackened chicken and we cannot get enough. The flavors are bold and really stand up to the smoky flavor we get from our (read: Mark's beloved) Komado Joe. In addition, I discovered that by letting your chicken hang out in a brine for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking takes otherwise boring boneless, skinless chicken breast to a whole new level. Simply mix 1/8 cup kosher salt and 1/8 cup sugar in a quart of ice cold water and bathe the chicken. Life changing, I tell you.

This rub also works well on pork, beef, fish and even scrambled eggs. Wait...what!?  I like making my own custom spice mixes because I can control what goes in it! Most of the pre-mixed varieties are packed with sodium and so many other ingredients that I can never pronounce. Weird words and unknown ingredients are never a good thing in the world of food so why not control what you can?! 

Blackened Chicken Rub

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. ground thyme

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1/8 tsp. chili powder

The beauty of making your own spice mixes is that you can play around with flavors and add whatever you want! Here are three add ins that often find their way into this rub. 

Crushed red pepper for extra heat, chipotle chili powder for a hint of peppery smoke and cinnamon for something warm and sweet.

Cheers to the weekend and all of the happy things that come with it! Before you head for an extra early Friday happy hour, pop on over to my friend Mandy's blog, House of Rose! Check out my guest post, where I'm sharing my Top 11 Kitchen Must- Haves!

Happy weekending with the ones that you love.