Grilled Tuna and Other Meals

Yes, we've been cooking.  And eating.  Between holidays, sick relatives, and a couple of websites that needed a lot of attention, I haven't really made the time to add the latest gastronomical delights.

So here's few...

Tonight was tuna steak.  Gourmet Magazine called this "Sicilian Tuna."  I call it really good!

It was fun.  I dirtied three pots and grilled outside. (In the 95° muggy heat.)

Sicilian Tuna

ingredients

For tuna:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped oregano
  • 4 (6-ounces) tuna steaks, preferably albacore (1 inch thick; see cooks' note, below)

For sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch dice, plus 3 tablespoons celery leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 2 ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 1/4 cup Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons small capers, drained and chopped
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped basil
  • 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

preparation

Marinate tuna:

Combine oil, lemon juice, anchovies, garlic, oregano, and tuna in a large sealable bag and seal bag, pressing out excess air. Let stand at room temperature, turning occasionally, 30 minutes.

Grill tuna:

Remove tuna from marinade and shake off any excess. Lightly oil grill pan and heat over medium-high heat until smoking. Grill tuna, turning once, until pale pink in center, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.

Meanwhile, make sauce:

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add diced celery and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, olives, and capers and cook until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in basil, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and remove from heat. Spoon sauce over tuna and sprinkle with celery leaves.

This worked on every level.  The tuna marinade was excellent.  The saltiness of the anchovies and the tanginess of the lemon really worked well.  And the tomato sauce...  It was like a bruschetta topping.  In fact, it really would make a great bruschetta.  I will have to remember this one!  I love capers.

Last night was Grilled Pork Chops.  And Watermelon Salad.

Sesame Pork Chops

  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp mirin
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil

Mince garlic. Add all ingredients to saucepan and bring to boil.  Simmer about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and chill completely.

Marinate chops about 30 minutes. Remove chops and reserve marinade.  Grill chops to desired doneness.

Pour marinade into a small saucepan and simmer 5 minutes. Spoon over cooked chops.

These were really simple to do and really tasty.  If you want a bit of heat, add some sambal oelek (chili paste.)

And then we had watermelon salad to top it off.  Not exactly an Asian-inspired side dish, but it was  the perfect accompaniment.  Traditionally, it is cubed watermelon, sliced red onion, mint, feta cheese, a splash of vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil.  I used Victor's homemade ricotta for the feta.  It was good.

Monday for a holiday luncheon we had burgers, baked beans, and potato salad.

The beans and salad came out of a carton.

It was a holiday.

And we had desserts...


Let the Grillin' Begin!

"Summertime...  and the livin' is easy...  "

Okay...  Summer is officially a month away.  But Memorial Day Weekend is the official kick-off to the BBQ season.  Not that we need an official kick-off around here - we do tend to grill year-round - but we don't need a down jacket when we're outside, anymore...

We've pretty much skipped Spring, again, and have headed right into Summer.  Hot and Muggy.  Gotta love the Mid-Atlantic states...

We started the grilling season last night with tri-tip brochettes.  Tri-tip roast cut into cubes and marinated in red wine, olive oil, garlic, and rosemary.  Skewered wuith onions, mushrooms, peppers, and a couple of pieces of andouille sausage that needed using up.  Rice and corn.

Tonight was American Kobe Beef Burgers.

The burgers were great.  I was feeling lazy after a long day at work, so we had store-bought potato salad and baked beans.  Sometimes ya just have to go with it...

I did make some homemade shortcakes, though...  Strawberries are sliced and macerating as I type.

Strawberry Shortcake and fresh whipped cream is on the menu for later...


The Ultimate Burger

I pulled a small piece of top round steak out of the freezer this morning without a clear idea of what I wanted to do.  By 9am I knew I wanted a burger - a chopped beef burger. The weather has been frightful,  pouring rain, hail, wind... Perfect for a barbecue.  (We got your weather, Kate!!)

Chopping beef - as in using a food processor - really creates a different taste and texture from a traditional ground beef.  And chopping a round steak means it's virtually fat-free.

I fried up some sweet red peppers and a couple of slices of bacon and they added just the right amount of necessary greasiness.  Not to mention a ton of flavor.  A burger without a little bit of grease just isn't any fun at all!

It was way-bigger than I could finish.  Cybil was very happy.

I really would like to see a bit more warmth from Mother Nature.  I have a bazillion warm-weather menu ideas floating aound in my head, but I can't get motivated on anything when the weather sucks.

Maybe I'll just start planning Easter and not worry about anything else.  There are Peeps to figure out what to do with!


Chicken and Pumpkin

What to do when you have lots of pumpkin puree in the house?  Start using it in fun and creative ways!  Like a Pumpkin BBQ Sauce.

I really went international with this one...   I started with the pumpkin puree and added a bit of Banana Sauce  from the Philippines and Matouk's Calypso Sauce from Trinidad and Tobago.  To round things out, I added a bit of Gate's BBQ Sauce from Kansas City.

It was spicy hot.  The Calypso Sauce is a scotch bonnet mustard sauce, the Banana Sauce is a sweeter-than-ketchup sauce but with a similar flavor profile, and the Gates BBQ Sauce is just good BBQ.  It made for a great combination.

I schmeared it all over the chicken and then oven-roasted it for about 30 minutes at 425°.  They were big breasts.

Brussels sprouts - the last of the stalk - were oven-roasted with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper.  They were perfect in their roasted simplicity.  Red whole-grain rice finished the plate.

The sauce really was good.  Even with the heat of the calypso sauce, the pumpkin came through.

It's given me an idea about a pumpkin chipotle bbq sauce.

Stay tuned.


Steaks on the Barbie

The Midwest has been going through some of the worst weather in recorded history, the past 24 or so hours.  Howling winds, blinding rain, flight cancellations by the hundreds.  A total mess.  Here, outside of Valley Forge, it's a warmish 73°, kinda damp, dark, and looking like it would really like  to storm a bit.

Perfect barbecue weather.

I had picked up another tenderloin and, armed with a sharp knife, cut a couple of nice steaks.

I put some teeny tiny potatoes in the oven with a bit of olive oil and garlic, pulled some peas out of the freezer, and while I grilled, Victor cooked some onions.

Steak and onions.  It is just such a great flavor combination.  I don't even care what kind of onions they are - they all turn sweet in a skillet.

And speaking of sweet, there's pumpkin pie in the fridge for later on this evening...

And thunderstorms in the forecast.

Let it storm.  We have an old egg beater to whip cream if the power goes out.

Always prepared.


Chicken and Chorizo

The calendar is saying one more day to Fall.  The thermometer is saying it's definitely still Summer.

So out to the grill we go.

A couple of chorizo sausages, a chicken breast, onion, and red pepper put onto a skewer.  How easy is that?

And last night's rice mixed with a can of black beans and a can of chopped green chiles.

Seriously simple.


Tri-Tip and Stuffed Tomatoes

Three's Company!

We have a friend spending the night which always means a little extra twist on dinner.  Barb is the first of two weeks of friends visiting.  It's really going to be a fun time around the house.  LOTS of food, of course.  It's what we do.

Which brings us right back to tonight...

We started with a tri-tip roast I cooked on the grill.  I did a dry rub with smoked paprika, Hungarian paprika, cumin, garlic, Mozambique Peri-Peri spice - a fiery hot pepper blend - and salt and pepper.  I liberally coated the tri-tip and onto the grill it went.

Meanwhile, I oven roasted some potatoes and then, when they were done, coated them with a mixture of 2 tbsp melted butter mixed with 1 tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard.

And the tomatoes...

I started by hollowing out three tomatoes from the garden.

I had an orange cauliflower so I took maybe a cup and a half of florets and steamed them until mushy.  I mashed them and then mixed in a teaspoon of butter, salt, pepper, and maybe an ounce of smoked cheddar cheese.

I filled the tomatoes and topped them with buttered bread crumbs.  Into the oven for 15 minutes at 350°.

It really was a simple meal with just a couple of easy twists.

And right now there's peanut butter chocolate chip ice cream being made.

I love having friends over...


BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

It's the chicken that keeps on giving - and it hasn't finished, yet!

Tonight was a gooey, cheesy, smoky, spicy chicken sandwich.  Really messy.  And really good.

I started off by sauteing a small onion along with a bell pepper and a clove of garlic.  When it was all pretty well cooked, I added a chopped tomato from the garden and about a cup of BBQ sauce.  (Gates Kansas City BBQ Sauce, to be exact.)

Into the simmering sauce I added a couple cups of shredded chicken and heated it all through.

Onto rolls it went with smoked cheddar on top.  I popped it under the broiler to melt the cheese and dinner was served.  With fries.

It really was a messy sandwich.  It was perfect, though.  I ate it over the fries and all the cheesy gooey filling that slid out went onto them.  I had chickeny cheese fries with dinner!

And I used lots of napkins.


Ribs

It's a perfect day.  The weather has been absolutely gorgeous.  We did a few chores around the house - I fixed some fence rails and Victor is painting the back deck - but it's been a slow and easy day.

Even dinner.

BBQ ribs, fries, peas and corn.  It really doesn't get any easier.

I baked the ribs with Gate's BBQ sauce for about 2 hours at 225° and then finished them off on the grill.

Fries and peas & corn.

Simplicity.

I'm saving myself for tomorrow's Pasta Feast.


Cheese Burgers

Lunch the way it is supposed to be.

A bacon cheese burger with lettuce, tomato, fried peppers, mayo, ketchup, and mustard.

And tonight is Victor's Pasta Night.

I can't wait!


Chicken and Sweet Potatoes

I've been dreaming of Sweet Potatoes.  They're one of my favorite foods - yet, like a lot of things, they tend to get overlooked.  They're almost always in the house - and almost always just get popped into the oven and baked.  Until tonight.

I actually peeled one, sliced it thin, and made a sort of galette out of it.  I'm going to eventually fry some sweet potatoes, I know.  But not tonight.

Sweet Potato Galette

  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 3 tbsp butter, divided
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp flour
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Peel potato and slice thin. Mix potatoes in bowl with brown sugar, spices, and flour.  Mix well.  Add 2 tbsp melted butter and mix.

Melt 1 tbsp butter in an 8" skillet and layer potatoes evenly, overlapping in concentric circles.

Press down, cover with foil, and place a 425° oven for about 45 minutes.  Remove foil for last 15 minutes of cooking.

The cicken was marinated in olive oil, red wine, garlic, salt, pepper, and herbs d'Provence and then grilled over indirect heat for about 45 minutes.

I made the bean salad yesterday.

Fresh Bean Salad

  • 1 1/2 cups shelled cranberry beans (or a can of beans of your choice, rinsed and drained)
  • several ounces of fresh green beans, trimmed
  • 1/2 red onion, sliced
  • 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • fresh basil
  • fresh oregano
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Cook beans until soft.  Blanch green beans.  Place both in ice water to stop cooking and quickly chill.

Drain.  Mix in bowl with remaining ingredients.  Serve chilled or at room temperature.

And I used up the last of the bread dough in the 'fridge for a fresh loaf of bread.

Time to mix up a new batch tomorrow!


Sausages and Waffle Chips

I love our deep fryer!

While I planned on grilling sausages and making baked beans, I originally planned to make a bit of potato salad.  And then I looked across the room to the fryer.

Waffle Chips!

Waffle chips are easy to cut with your trusty mandoline.  Using the ripple cutting edge, it's just a matter of doing a half-turn after each cut.

Accompanying the chips were grilled Hungarian sausages and Phoebe's Baked Beans.

I really do like the fact that I can make something like waffle chips without a lot of effort - or waste.  Stove-top frying has never been something I've enjoyed.  Everything thus far has come out crisp and not even remotely greasy.

I like.

I am trying to be reasonably responsible with this thing.  I have this vision of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution where the house he went to had a deep fryer that was in constant use.  They were not a petite family.  I think if I keep that in the forefront of my mind, I won't go overboard.  I don't want to have to bury this one in the yard like they did.