If you ever wondered how to grill fish without it falling apart on the grill….or you have a fish basket and you get sick of cleaning it after use, then I have just the solution for you.  You can use this technique for cooking many things on the grill, but it works extra nice for this Butter Citrus Tilapia.

Ingredients

• 2 Tilapia Filets
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 lemon
• 1 orange
• salt and pepper to taste

Salt and pepper both sides of the filets.  Squeeze the juice of the lemon and the orange on the filet and let marinade for 30-60 minutes.  Heat your grill to medium heat.  Create an aluminum foil “pan” by folding up the edges about 2 inches high and make sure no juices will be able to escape through the cracks.  Melt the butter in a small bowl, then pour it on the aluminum pan.  Put the filets with the marinade in the aluminum pan.  Cook for about 5 minutes per side or until the fish is cooked thru and flakes off with a fork.

This would also be a great recipe for trout.

Sorry for the crummy picture on a kid plate with the filet that broke off the spatula.  I don’t always get the presentation right, but this one tastes pretty good.  I know, Tilapia isn’t the best source of Omega 3, but it is better than a hot dog, right?

-GrillDude

Ooops!  I mean Shrimp n Peppers.  This is a variation on Shrimp on the Barbie and a little bit spicier.

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 pounds of peeled shrimp
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 chopped jalapeño
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 yellow bell pepper diced
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 lemons

Mix melted butter, garlic, jalapeño, bell peppers, cayenne pepper and salt into a bowl.   Coat the shrimp with the butter/pepper mixture and let it marinade in the fridge for about an hour.   

Mix the cilantro and juice from 2 lemons in a separate bowl.

Toss the shrimp in a grill pan on the grill set to high.  Let cook until pink on both sides, then pour the lemon/cilantro mixture on shrimp.  Remove shrimp after 30 sec or so.  Cut the remaining lemon into wedges for those who love more lemon juice on their shrimp!  Serve em up.

-GrillDude

I usually prepare too much food when grilling, which ends up being economical in the long run…if you like leftovers.  Check out the Tilapia with Chipotle Sauce posting for the recipe that makes up most of this leftovers dish.

For fish dishes, I usually get finicky when eating leftovers.  This means I plan to eat my leftovers the very next day, or I just throw it out.  The fish seems to get too “fishy” tasting if you save it for too long.

Ingredients

• Tilapia with Chipotle Sauce (1 fillet leftover)
• Black beans (leftover)
• Rice (leftover)
• Pepper Jack Cheese grated
• 2 Flour Tortillas
• Cholula brand Hot Sauce

Tear the fillet into pieces and put half on each flour tortilla.  Put a spoonful of beans and a spoonful of rice over the fillet.  Grate some pepper jack cheese and sprinkle over the top.  Add Cholula hot sauce to taste.

My method to rolling a good burrito may not be based on a lineage of Hispanic culture, but more of trial and error.  Actually, I am more of a folder than a roller.  I suppose there are better places to learn how to roll a burrito.  Try  Via De Los Santos…my favorite Mexican food restaurant in Phoenix.  They have an authentic atmosphere and inexpensive food that tastes great.   Oh, back to rolling a burrito.

1) Less is more.  Don’t think you can pack all that junk in your burrito that Chipotle’s restaurant can put in a burrito.  If you have been there, you know what I mean.  Those suckers are HUGE!  (But PaPaPa can eat one of those 1000 calorie bombers in one sitting).  In any case, don’t put too much in your burrito.  Instead, have 2 burritos with less stuff.

2) Get your ingredients into a line on the tortilla

3) Make a small fold over the top and the bottom.

4) Take the right portion and fold it to cover your ingredients, then fold the left side over.

The true test to whether you rolled a good burrito is if you can pick it up and eat it with your hands.  That is all that really matters, right?  To all my Mexican buddies, chime in if you have a better method.

Ok, you got it rolled?  This is where I normally tell you to fire up your grill and get your food crispy.  But, if you made it this far though today’s blog, you are probably ready to eat.  Throw it in the microwave for 60 seconds and you are ready to scarf.   Yes, MICROWAVE…..this is in tradition for leftovers, and you don’t expect me to break tradition, do you?

Throw your burritos on a plate with some tortilla chips and maybe a few pepperoccini’s and you have a filling lunch.  Add a margarita, and have yourself a nice spring afternoon.

-GrillDude

Ingredients

• Four 8 ounce Tilapia fillets
• 3 tablespoons sherry vinigar
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 chipotle chiles from a can with adobo sauce
• 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from can
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 2 Cups wood chips (hickory, or mesquite) soaked in water for an hour

Mix vinegars, cipotles, adobo sauce, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a food processor until it is a smooth consistency.

Save 1/3 of the sauce for basting during cooking.  Pour the remaining in a plastic bag with the tilapia and marinade for 30-60 minutes.

Prepare a foil packet with the wood chips by poking holes in it.  Prepare a hot fire on one side of the grill and place the foil packet directly on the fire for 15-10 minutes before putting the fish on the grill.

Oil a large peice of foil with Pam grill spray and place over a medium heat burner.  Place the fish on the foil and baste with the marinade.  Close the lid on the grill for five minutes.

Flip the fish with a spatula and baste the other side with the marinade.  Let cook with the lid closed for five more minutes.

Serve up with your favorite sides.

Tomorrow, I am going to have a burrito with the leftovers.

-GrillDude

I have to say that the roasted corn husk gives this a unique flavor.  My picky 7 year old even likes this salmon (albeit without the capers and red peppers).   This recipe was derived from the book “Fish & Shellfish Grilled & Smoked”.  

Ingredients

• 4 ears of corn with husks
• Four 6 oz salmon filets
• 1/4 cup seeded and chopped red bell pepper
• 4 teaspoons drained capers
• 4 tablespoons butter
• sea salt
• fresh ground pepper
• Kitchen string

Clams are so easy to make on the grill.  My wife and I decided to do a seafood appetizer platter with Grilled Shrimp and Clams.  Check out my Shrimp on the Barbie blog for the shrimp recipe.   Below is how to make Grilled Clams and Spicy Butter Sauce.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs little neck clams (about 30)
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 1 finely chopped clove of garlic
• 1/2 finely chopped jalepeno
• 1 teaspoon fresh shredded horseradish
• 2 Tablespoons white wine
• Tabasco to taste (I do about 10 shakes)
• Fresh ground pepper to taste

Sauce Preparation

Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small dipping bowl and microwave until the butter melts completely (30-40 seconds).  Mix and serve hot when the clams are done.

Grilling the Clams

Preheat the grill to high.  Put all of the clams on the grill and make sure all clams are laying flat, then don’t touch them again until you pull them off the grill.  As the clams open up, they are ready to be pulled off the grill (approximately 5-7 min).  They may not all be ready at the same time, so wait until they open.  I usually get about 4 clams that don’t open.  Don’t try to pry them open and don’t eat them.  

You can serve them up with a small toasted loaf of sourdough bread (great to dip in the sauce).  An even easier alternative to the Spicy Butter Sauce is to pull the clams off the grill and sprinkle olive oil over the clams (aim for the meat), then try to shoot a drop of Tabasco in each clam.

-GrillDude

I am finding more and more grilled fish recipes that I really like.  Orange roughy is great since it is not too fishy tasting, is light and flakey, and you don’t really have to mess with the bones.

This recipe comes from a great grilled fish recipe book Fish & Shellfish, Grilled & Smoked .

Orange Zest Marinade

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 clove galric, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• Juice of 1 orange
• Four 6- to 8-ounce roughy fillets

Combine the marinade ingredients and pour into a resealable plastic bag.  Add the fish, seal, shake to coat everything, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Prepare a hot fire.

Remove the fish from the marinade.  In a saucepan, bring the marinade to a boil and cook for 5 minutes to use for basting.

When ready to grill, set an oiled perforated grill rack over the fire.  Place the fish on the rack and grill until the fillets are opaque and just beginning to flake in the thickest part, but are still moist, 4 to 5 minutes per side, turning once and basting frequently with the marinade.

Review

First, let me say that this book is awesome!  I keep finding great fish recipes in it and am learning more and more about different types of fish.

The marinade gives the fish a buttery taste with a hint of sweetness from the orange.   I didn’t really notice the red pepper flakes, so I would probably add a little more to spice it up (I love spicy food)

I don’t know if it is my grill, or just me worrying about undercooking my fish, but I found that I had to let this cook about 8 minutes on each side with the burner on high.

Get yourself a good fish basket. The basket is a must-have for cooking fish so it doesn’t fall apart and it makes it much easier to flip your fish.

The recipe recommends to serve this with the author’s Mandarin Orange Salad which is also in the same book. 

Today, I made this with brown rice from a box, and cooked up some frozen veggies.  Not that I am a presentation snob or anything, but you have to admit the veggies give the meal some color.

-GrillDude

I got on this seared ahi kick, and have been wanting to prepare it on the grill for a while.  There are two places in Phoenix where I love their seared ahi.  The first is at Steamers in the Biltmore Fashion Park.   Their Dinner menu has an Ahi Au-Poivre, Pepper-seared Ahi served with wasabi mashed potatoes, spring rolls and Ponzu sauce.  The wasabi mashed potatoes have the perfect amount of zing to your nose….Delicious!  They also have a seared ahi on the lunch menu, but it does not compare to the Ahi Au-Poivre. 

My second favorite is the Z’Tejas where they have a Seared Sesame Ahi Tuna appetizer.  It is served with peppercorn vinaigrette and spicy soy mustard.  I love these sauces, and wish they had it in a lunch or dinner portion!  Below was my attempt to try to come close to the Z’Tejas recipe.  I didn’t get very close, but it is still pretty good.  If anyone has the Z’Tejas secret, I would love to know. 

See the Shrimp on the Barbie post for the recipe made with this meal.

Ingredients

• Two 3/4 pound Ahi steaks (make sure you buy sushi grade fish)
• Pink Peppercorn Vinaigrette (see recipe below)
• Spicy Mustard Soy Sauce (see recipe below)
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• Black Sesame seeds
• Pickled ginger

Mix all seasonings (exclude sesame seeds) in a bowl to create the rub.  Rub both sides of the Ahi and press lightly into the fish.  I use about 2 teaspoons of the rub on each steak.  Next generously sprinkle the sesame seeds on the fish and press into the fish.

Turn your grill on high heat with the lid closed.  Make sure you lightly oil the grates.  Let it get to about 480 degrees.  With the lid open, sear the tuna on high heat about 3 minutes per side, leaving it raw on the inside.  I use a spatula to make it easier to turn.  Pour about 2-3 tablespoons of Peppercorn Vinaigrette over the fish.  Drizzle the Spicy Mustard Soy Sauce over the Ahi.  Serve with pickled ginger.

Pink Peppercorn Vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoons pink peppercorns, slightly crushed
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Mix the vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil together.  Add the parsley, peppercorns, ground pepper and salt.  Mix well.  Leave at room temperature if you will be using it soon.
 

Spicy Mustard Soy Sauce

• 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 jalapeño peppers, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 2 teaspoons real horseradish (not the creamy stuff)

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.  Leave at room temperature if you will be serving soon.

Simple Asparagus

Grilling Asparagus is simple.  Put the asparagus in a large freezer bag with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1teaspoon of fresh ground pepper and 1 teaspoon of sea salt.  Seal the bag and work the asparagus around to get them fully coated.  Place directly the grill at high heat and cook them for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally. 

-GrillDude

This dish usually ends up being an appetizer or side dish with something else.  But I have also eaten over noodles.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds of peeled shrimp
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 chopped jalapeño
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 lemons

Mix butter, garlic, jalapeño and salt into a bowl (I usually heat just a little it up to get the butter melted).  Coat the shrimp and let it marinade in the fridge for about an hour.   

Mix the cilantro and 1 lemon in a separate bowl.

I use one of those grill pans with holes in it (gives me good flare up!), but you can also put them on shish kabob (just make sure you soak wood shish kabobs for about 30-60 min first).  Toss the shrimp on the grill set to high.  Let cook until pink on both sides, then pour the lemon/cilantro mixture on shrimp.  Remove shrimp after 30 sec or so.  Cut the remaining lemon into wedges for those who love more lemon juice on their shrimp!  Serve em up.

-GrillDude

We went to Sedona for a few days and stopped at the Rainbow Trout Farm in Oak Creek Canyon the final day to catch our dinner fresh.  The Trout Farm has become a tradition when we spend time in Sedona.  The fish is kind of pricey if you want them to clean the fish and put on ice, but it is delicious with my favorite trout recipe below.  It was about $10 per small trout.  Even though my dad tought me how to clean a fish, I haven’t done it since I was 14.  I think this is a call for help from my sister-in-law Stacy to give me a lesson.   
 

The following recipe is from Fish & Shellfish, Grilled & Smoked: 300 Foolproof Recipes for Everything from Amberjack to Whitefish, Plus Really Good Rubs, Marvelous Marinades, Sassy Sauces, and Sumptous Sidesby Karen Adler & Judith M. Fertig.

Ingredients
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, plus 4 sprigs
2 lemons, thinly sliced
Four 12- to 16-ounce rainbow trout, dressed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Tomato Salsa
3 cups cooked brown rice

Instructions

1. Prepare a medium-hot fire
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, then add the lemon juice and chopped cilantro
3. When ready to grill, place 2 or 3 slices of lemon and 1 sprig of cilantro in the cavity of each fish.  Season with salt and pepper.  Put the fish in an oiled grill rack and grill the trout until the meat is opaque and just beginning to flake when tested with a fork, 8 to 10 minutes per side (I actually left this on about 15 min per side), turning once and basing occasionally with the cilantro-butter mixture. 
4. Serve over brown rice with the salsa

Also good with catfish, char or whitefish

Tomato Salsa
2 cups peeled and chopped ripe tomatoes
1 small onion, diced
3 banana chilies, seeded and diced
¼ cup Vinaigrette Marinade
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

In a medium-size bowl, combine all the ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Serve cold or at room temperature.  Will keep, tightly covered, in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

Vinaigrette Marinade
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in the glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.  Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to several weeks.

-GrillDude