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Got this new barbecue and it came with a rotisserie attachment so more of that later. Tonight we grilled halibut and with the amazing fruit that is so abundant here is San Diego I opted for a fresh papaya salsa. Mangoes are too messy to deal with and I love the taste of a cold chunky papaya with lemon.  As a side dish I made some steamed Jasmine rice with turmeric for color and the meal was set!

• 1 lb halibut fillet
• 1 lime
• cayenne pepper
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Salsa:

• 2 papayas, seeded and cubed
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
• 1/2 red onion chopped
• red and green bell peppers, chopped small dice
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 clove chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp chopped jalapeno rings

Seed the papaya, and make slices vertically and horizontally in the flesh without going through the peel. Scoop out the papaya and place in a medium bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and let sit in the refrigerator for at least half an hour. In the meantime you can start the rice and clean the fish.

Put the grill on at high heat for at least 5 minutes. Grate the zest of the lime and set aside. Rinse the halibut and pat dry. On a platter squeeze the juice of the lime over the fish. Sprinkle the lime zest, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper on top.

Place the fish on a aluminum foil with enough to fold over and seal into a pouch to cook. Place on the grill for 7 minutes on medium heat. Remove from the grill or when the fish appears flaky when pressed. Top with the papaya salsa and serve with steamed rice that had 1/2 tsp of turmeric put in the boiling water prior.

Tags: halibut, papaya
Posted in Dinner, Fish, Fruit, Side Dish | No Comments »

Barley is a wonderful nutty-like flavored grain. It has a chewy, pasta-like consistency that quickly absorbs flavors. With Dave not being able to eat white rice due to diabetic sugar level issues, we opt now for more brown rice and wheat pastas as well as barley as a side dish substitute.

In this recipe I add basil and Parmesan cheese in a rustic pesto-type style. Barley triples in size when cooked so cook accordingly!

• 1/2 cup dry pearl barley
• 1 1/2 cups water
• salt
• 1/2 cup chopped basil
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup non-fat milk

In a saucepan add the barley and water, bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low for 40 minutes.

While this is cooking take the basil leaves and stack them. Roll them all cigar-like into one piece and cut thin slices across the length.

When the barley has finished cooking, drain excess water and return to the pan. Add the oil, butter, milk, garlic and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  Mix well and add the basil, walnuts and the freshly ground black pepper, toss lightly to mix and serve.

Tags: barley, basil
Posted in Side Dish | No Comments »

This is great on barbecued chicken, Tandori chicken, a base for Indian flavored pizzas, whatever!

• 2 1/2 lbs Granny Smith apples
• 3 fresh jalapeno chilies
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups raisins
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh ground ginger
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp mustard seeds

Peel, core and slice apples about 1/4″ thick. This should come to about 8 cups total. Trim and discard the stems of the jalapenos and chop fine. I usually wear gloves with these as once I rubbed my eyes and that was a HUGE mistake. The oil from the peppers is a tough one on the eyes.

In a 8 qt sauce pan add the apples, peppers, vinegar, sugar, raisins, onion, ginger, garlic, curry powder and mustard seeds. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to simmer, stirring the mixture occasionally for 1 1/2 hours until syrupy. Serve this warm or cool completely and store in an airtight container (I like glass) in the refrigerator.

Tags: apple, chutney, curry, mustard seed
Posted in Fruit, Side Dish, Spice | No Comments »

Polenta is also known as corn meal mush and grits. It is great as a porridge, firmed, molded and grilled or fried or served cold. It is a great base for many things, it’s up to your imagination really.

Here it is paired with green chilies and corn for a Southwest taste.You could even add some red bell peppers for a splash of color contrast. Eating is just as visual, right?

I also love the plain version (no cheese or veggies) grilled with maple syrup for breakfast.

• 1 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 crushed cloves of garlic
• 4 cups low-fat milk
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 cups corn kernels
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 4.5 oz can chopped green chilies
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced small (optional)

In a large saucepan add the butter and milk and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal and garlic stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium and cook for at least 8 minutes. Next, stir in the cheese, green chilies , corn and pepper. Mix thoroughly to incorporate completely. Sprinkle the chopped cilantro on top as garnish and serve with grilled chicken or meat of your choice.

Tags: green chilies, polenta
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Smoked salmon, or any fish actually, on a nice toasted bagel with cream cheese is just a wonderful breakfast. Here is a brine for salmon I use before it goes in the smoker.

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 salt
• 2 cups soy sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp Tabasco sauce

Mix all of the above in a bowl with a whisk to incorporate thoroughly. In a 13×9″ pan pour a little of the brine in the bottom of the pan. Next place the salmon to be smoked in the pan and pour the balance of the brine over the salmon to cover. Refrigerate at least 8 hours. Place salmon on a rack to drain overnight. Follow your smoker instructions and using alder wood chips, smoke the salmon for 6 hours.

Tags: fish, smoked salmon
Posted in Breakfast, Side Dish, Snacks | No Comments »

One of my favorite fruits, papaya, is mixed here with sweet crab meat and curry. Placed back in the papaya “bowl” made from the peel.

• 2 ripe papayas
• 2 cups flaked cooked crab meat
• 2 tbsp finely chopped green onion tops or chives
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 tbsp toasted sunflower seeds
• mint for garnish

Cut the papayas in half lengthwise and carefully remove all seeds. Use a melon baller and scoop out the papaya pulp. Be careful not rip the skin which will be the shell for the meal.

In a frying pan toast the sunflower seeds lightly and let cool. In a mixing bowl lightly toss the toasted seeds, crab meat, chives, lemon juice and curry powder with the papaya balls and mix well. Divide the mixture evenly between the 4 papaya shells and garnish with the mint sprig. Serve as a side dish or light salad with dinner or lunch.

Tags: crab, papaya
Posted in Appetizer, Fruit, Side Dish, Spice | No Comments »

These are a great side dish for any BBQ main meat dish. Colorful, great flavor and simple. I like to serve these with a jalapeno mint jelly!

• 1 1/4 cups fresh corn kernels
• 1 cup finely chopped sweet red bell pepper
• 1 cup finely chopped green onions
• 1 tbsp finely chopped jalapeno rings
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup of milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

In a mixing bowl combine the corn kernels, red pepper, green onion and jalapenos. Sprinkle this vegetable mixture with the cumin, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper – stir to blend thoroughly.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Spoon the batter a 1/4 cup at a time, into the pan and cook the fritters about 2 minutes or until golden brown on one side. Turn and cook another 2 minutes.

Tags: corn, jalapenos, red peppers
Posted in Side Dish, Vegetable | No Comments »

My mom taught and showed me so many things, but cooking was a favorite thing we both enjoyed doing together and sharing. When she passed away my Dad asked if I wanted anything of hers and I asked if I could go through her cookbooks and recipes so I could pass on my favorites and keep the memories alive. Here is a simple white bean meal I always loved. Very simple and with a salad and crusty french bread it is a wonderful meal.

• 1 small bag of white navy beans
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 large carrot
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soak the beans overnight in water covering the beans by 1 inch. Drain the water and add fresh water to cover by 1 inch in a large stock pot. Add the chopped onion, carrot and seasonings. Bring to a boil, cover and lower heat to simmer for 3-4 hours or until beans are soft, but not mushy. At this point she added fresh franks from the butcher and cooked for an additional 20 minutes, but sometimes I like to add chicken or leave alone. Season to taste.

Tags: Beans
Posted in Side Dish | No Comments »

Delicious, easy and perfect with roasted chicken.

• 6-8 medium red potatoes, quartered
• 1/3 cup Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasonings

Preheat oven to 425°. Mix all ingredients except potatoes in a mixing bowl. Add potatoes and toss to coat completely. Place potatoes in a 13″x9″ baking pan sprayed with Pam. Bake these for 40 minutes until crispy.

Tags: dijon mustard, potato
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These are great to make in large batches and kept in the refrigerator for easy snacking. Cold, crisp and full of spicy goodness.

• 4 cups fresh green beans trimmed and washed
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 cups distilled white vinegar
• 1 bunch of fresh dill
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp pickling salt
• 2 fresh red peppers

Wash jelly jars, keep hot and prepare the lids per manufacturers instructions. Boil vinegar water. Distribute seasonings in each jar and fill each with the raw green beans leaving 1/2″ space on top. Pour the hot brine in each jar and lightly run a spatula around the inside to release any air bubbles. Wipe the top with a clean cloth and place on lid and seal. Process the jars in boiling water for 5 minutes. Store in a cool, dry place for 6 weeks.

Tags: canning, dill, green beans
Posted in Side Dish, Snacks, Vegetable | No Comments »