Grilled Cod, Potatoes, and Corn in Foil

For this 4th of July last week, I knew I had to grill. It's practically a constitutional law. However, I was sick of grilling the typical burgers, steaks, etc. So, I turned to the classic New England seafood bake for inspiration!




Okay, so not quite THAT classic. Instead of fancy pants ingredients like lobster or clams, I used good ole New England cod. This recipe is easy to make, light and summery, and delicious! Enjoy.


Ingredients:

• 1 fillet of cod. Any other firm white fish will do, but cod holds up nicely to the grilling.

• 1 ear of corn

• 4 small red potatoes

• 1/2 lemon, sliced

• 4 tbsp. butter. Yeah baby!

• 1 tbsp. Old Bay. This seasoning tastes fantastic on any seafood. Feel free to use salt, pepper, etc. instead if you'd like.

That's it! You also just need two large sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil. The fish, potato, and corn will steam in the foil and be delicious and moist. This recipe makes for two packets, so share with a buddy, or chow down yourself.


Directions:

Cut your cod fillet in half and slice up your potatoes and lemon into thin slices. Take all the husk off the corn and cut the cob into two pieces. Put everything in a Ziploc and head out to the grill!




Turn on the grill to high heat to warm up while you prepare your packets. On a sheet of aluminum foil, put half the potato slices and top with some Old Bay (or other seasoning) and 1 tbsp. butter.




Put the fish on top of the potatoes and a half ear of the corn beside them. Put 1/2 tbsp. butter on both the corn and the fish and top with half the lemon slices. Sprinkle more Old Bay on everything (to taste).




Fold up the foil around the food into a packet and seal tightly. Repeat with the rest of the ingredients.

Cook on the grill for about 20-25 minutes until the fish flakes easily when you twist a fork in it and the potatoes are nice and tender. This gives you the perfect opportunity to crack open a beer and enjoy the great outdoors.



Open the steaming packet of deliciousness and dig in!




Do YOU have any fun and easy grilling recipes?

Grilling Season, Part Two: Starters, Sides, and Dessert

Welcome back! I hope you all have been enjoying your Big Ass Burgers (and resulting food coma.)

Now I'd like to talk about some starters, sides, and even desserts for grilling. As I said in my last post, grilling is really nothing to be scared of. Anyone can do it!




Starter: Chips and Guacamole



Okay, so you don't actually grill guacamole. But it is a great recipe for enjoying outdoors that everyone should know how to make.

As most people would attest to, guacamole is @%$&ing delicious. Creamy and refreshing, it makes for the perfect summer starter. I adapted my recipe from Robin Miller's.

Feel free to make the guacamole ahead of time before you get to the grill, but not too far in advance, as it tends to get brown and icky. If you know it will be a while before you get outside, add some more lime juice. The acidity will help stop the browning process! SCIENCE!!

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe avocados

• 1/2 tomato

• 2 cloves minced garlic

• Juice of 2 small limes. You can also use bottled lime juice.

• 2 tbsp. fresh cilantro

• 1 tbsp. minced onion. The kind in the container, not actual onion.

This guacamole takes about five minutes to make, and then you can pack it up and take it outside with a big bowl of chips. Ole!

Directions:

Slice your avocados in half, working your knife around the pit. Then pop out the pit and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh into a small bowl.



Dice up your tomato and add it to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Using a large spoon or potato masher, mash everything together. Ta da! How easy is that?




Side Dishes: Fries and Corn on the Cob

You can't really enjoy a burger without fries. That's like peanut butter without jelly, or Angelina without Brad. Grilling potatoes can be tricky, so I compromised. I made them ahead of time in the oven, brought them out to the grill, and reheated them to give em that nice grill flavor in a fraction of the time.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and cut a large baking potato into 8 wedges. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and garlic pepper, and pop into the oven for 35 minutes until they are nice and toasty brown.




When you get out to the grill, put the fries on a piece of foil on the upper level of the grill so they don't burn. Let them reheat and soak up some grill goodness while your burger cooks. Yum!





Another grilling classic is corn on the cob. There are many schools of thought on how to go about grilling corn, but I'll give you my easy way.

Find a nice cob of corn and peel away the husk until only a single layer covers the corn. Also, make sure to remove all the corn silk (the stuff that looks like hair.) That shit will burn up on the grill!

Peel back the final husk, spray the corn with butter spray or rub with butter, and put the layer of husk back up. It's fine if some of the corn is exposed.




Put the cob down and grill, baby, grill! The husk will protect it from burning and will keep the kernels moist. Turn it every few minutes so all the sides can brown up evenly. The whole thing takes about 10 minutes, and the corn is done when it is a bit charred on the outside and the kernels are tender and juicy. Slather on some more butter and enjoy!




Dessert: Grilled Peaches and Pineapple

I bet you didn't know you could grill dessert, huh? Fruit on the grill is delicious and healthy! Give it a try. Just cut up a pineapple into rings, sprinkle with cinnamon, and toss on the grill for a minute on each side.

Or, put some canned peach slices on a piece of foil, sprinkle with cinnamon, and let them warm through on the grill for a couple minutes. The grill helps caramelize the sugars in the fruit, and the cinnamon brings out the grill's smoky flavor. You can then serve the fruit over ice cream if you'd like. Deeeelicious!



I hope this gave you some good ideas and a couple of helpful tips. Do YOU have any grilling advice, recipes, or questions? Let's hear em!

Grilling Season, Part One: the Big Ass Burger

Ahh, summer. Birds are chirping, lawn mowers are motoring along, and children are urinating in kiddie pools. Who doesn't love summer?

One of my favorite parts of this time of year is getting together with friends and family and grilling in the great outdoors. If you are a young twenty-something like myself, it is a really fun way to socialize. But it can also be daunting! What do I make? How do I turn on the grill without it exploding? And how do I get that nasty crust off the grill afterwards?

No worries, my friends. In this two part series, I will include some delicious grilling recipes and outdoor eating tips. Today is my recipe for my Big Ass Burger, and Wednesday I will post ideas for starters, sides, and even grilled dessert. Enjoy!

The Main Event: the Big Ass Burger

Nothing screams summertime like a big ole mouth-watering grilled burger. But not just any burger. My Big Ass Burger is a monstrosity of flavor that will fill you up and give your jaw a workout. 1/3 lb. of grass-fed beef topped with caramelized onions and mushrooms, Muenster cheese, lettuce, and tomato, all on a kaiser roll. Sometimes you just need to indulge a little!

Below are the toppings and accompaniments I used, but feel free to mix it up.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 lb.ground beef. Since I was indulging, I splurged and bought grass-fed beef. Grass-fed is more expensive, but it is much healthier and has an intense, sweet flavor. Cows are meant to eat grass, and the proof is in the beef!

• 2 tbsp. olive oil. Since grass-fed beef is less fatty, this will help the meat stay rich and moist. Use less if using regular ground beef.

• Salt and garlic pepper to taste

• 2 slices Muenster cheese

• 1 slice tomato

• 1 onion

• 1 kaiser roll. You need a quality roll to stand up to the Big Ass Burger. None of those wimpy Wonderbread hamburger buns that fall apart.

• 2 leafs of romaine lettuce

• 1 handful white mushrooms

• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

When you are using quality ground beef, you want to keep it simple and not add too many flavors. Let that yummy cow shine through!


Directions:

TIP #1: Before you even head out to the grill, you can whip up some amazing caramelized mushrooms and onions to top your Big Ass Burger. Well worth it!

Start by slicing up your onion and mushrooms into thin slices.



Heat a skillet to medium high and melt a tablespoon of butter and some olive oil to coat the pan. Then toss in your onion slices.




Let the onion soften and brown for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add your mushrooms. After the mushrooms have softened and browned for a minute, add the balsamic vinegar. This adds a wonderful tart sweetness.




Let the mixture cook and brown for several more minutes. There is no precise time to this, just get those babies soft and delicious!




In a bowl, combine the beef, olive oil, salt, and garlic pepper. Use your hands to mix everything together and shape it into a patty.

TIP #2: Do not overwork the meat! (That's what he said?) But seriously, it makes the burger dense and tough, and no one wants that. Using your fingers lightly makes sure the burger stays a burger, and not a dried out brick.




Pack up your mushrooms and onions, lettuce/tomato/cheese, and patty in separate containers and head out to the grill.

I like using gas grills cause I don't know how to deal with charcoal. Follow the instructions on the gas grill for turning it on without causing a small explosion, and heat the grill to high.

TIP #3: Let the grill heat up. I know it's tempting to just put the burger on right away, but you want it to sear as soon as it hits the grill. This will also help the meat cook evenly.

Cook the burger on one side for about 4-5 minutes depending on the thickness of the burger.

TIP #4: Do not squish down the burger with your spatula, even though you might think it will make you look like a cool grill-master. This makes the juices run out, causing scary flare-ups and making your burger dry out. Just let the poor thing be!




Flip your burger carefully and let it cook on the other side for another 4-5 minutes.

TIP #4: When there are just a couple minutes left, put your buns on the grill so they get nice and toasty. I sprayed mine with some butter spray first to help them crisp up.

TIP #5: When there is just a minute or so to go, spoon some of the mushrooms and onions onto the burger. Then cover it with the cheese. When it melts, it will help glue the toppings down to the burger. Clever, right?




Forces, assemble! Put your patty with mushrooms, onions, and cheese on the bun and top with the slice of tomato and romaine lettuce.

Unhinge your jaw and take a big ole bite of your Big Ass Burger. Let the euphoria commence!



Stay tuned Wednesday to learn how to make those tasty looking fries, guacamole, and delicious grilled sides and desserts! Happy grilling :)

Grilled Pork Chop with Blackberry Reduction

Woooo-eeee! That sure does sound fancy, don't it?

IT'S NOT.

It looks fancy, and it tastes fancy, but it is super easy to make! I promise! This legit takes about fifteen minutes to make.

Boneless pork chops are a great source of lean protein and make a nice change from chicken or fish. I never ate pork growing up (JEW) so it is my forbidden fruit....and speaking of fruit, pork goes great with it!

(Cue Peter Brady saying "Pork chops and applesaaaaaaauce")




In this recipe I grill my pork chop on my handy dandy Foreman grill, but you can use an outdoor grill if you'd like, or you can just cook it up in a pan (sear in a bit of olive oil about 3-4 minutes on each side til it's done.)

Enjoy!


Ingredients:

• 1 boneless pork loin chop

• 1 shallot. Shallots are great...sort of like a cross between onion and garlic, with a nice mild flavor.

• 1 tbsp. butter

• 3 tbsp. seedless blackberry preserves. You can also use raspberry or really any other kind of preserves, but blackberry pairs great with the wine and balsamic vinegar.

• 2 tbsp. red wine. Any kind will do....after all, we aren't snobs here!

• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar. This cuts the sweetness of the wine and preserves really well.

• 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, plus a few whole sprigs to garnish. You can use 1/2 tsp. of dried thyme if you'd like, but fresh is better!

You can also use this sauce on chicken or beef...it's just that versatile! Takes hardly any time to make, too.


Directions:

Turn on your Foreman grill to let it preheat, making sure to ignore the nasty crust I left at the bottom of my drip tray.

Peel your shallot and mince it up.




Heat a small saucepan to medium high and melt your butter. Add your minced shallot and cook until translucent.




Add your wine, balsamic vinegar, and thyme leaves. Stir and let cook for a couple minutes to let it reduce and thicken (you might wanna turn down the heat a bit so it doesn't burn).

This would be a good time to put your pork chop on the Foreman, as it will only take a few minutes!





Add your preserves and mix them thoroughly into the sauce, breaking up any large globs. Let it simmer and reduce while your pork chop finishes grilling.





Remove your pork chop from the grill. Don't cut into it right away! Let it "rest" for a few minutes while your sauce thickens...this helps the juices get back into the meat so it stays nice and moist (that's what he said?)

For presentation points, slice it at a bias (fancy term for at an angle) once it has rested.





Once your sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, it should be done! Drizzle it over your pork chop, garnish with some sprigs of fresh thyme, and go hog wild! (Get it? Har har har)