Planked Pork Tenderloin with Asian Style BBQ

Ingredients:

* garlic
* fresh ginger
* hoisin sauce
* rice wine vinegar
* brown sugar
* sesame oil
* soy sauce
* red pepper flakes
* 1 pound pork tenderloin
* 1 - 15


Recipe:

Sauce:
1/2 cup hoisin sauce, available in the Asian section of the grocery store
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
Red pepper flakes to taste

Pork:
1 – one pound pork tenderloin, sliver skin removed
1 - 15” Fire and Flavor Cedar or Oak Grilling Plank, soaked

FIRST Combine sauce ingredients in a small sauce pan and place over medium heat. Cook 4-5 minutes, or until reduced. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

NEXT Preheat grill to 350°F or medium-low heat. Place pork in a large reseal able plastic bag. Reserving ½ cup of sauce for later use, add remaining sauce to plastic bag, toss gently to coat and let marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

LAST Remove pork from marinade and discard remaining marinade. Sear pork directly on oil grilled grates for 1 minute on all four sides. Remove from grill and place soaked plank on hot grill. Close lid, allow to heat for 3 minutes, flip plank and place pork onto heated side of plank. Grill with lid closed for 15-20 minutes, or until pork reaches 145 degrees. Remove pork and plank from grill. Tent pork loosely with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve with reserved sauce.

Ref: www.fireandflavor.com
Photo: google images... forgot to take a pic of mine. :(


This sauce was awesome! And very versatile for other dishes too! Was worried about only marinating for 20-30 min but it was actually perfect. I think the sauce would have been TOO much if I let it go longer than that. (Generally I like to marinate over night, but that's a lot of pre-planning that I just don't do...hehe) And once again the cedar planks did not disappoint. However...ahem. Should probably soak for longer and not heat them on the grill on high.... as we learned the hard way... hahahaha

Ginger Scallops

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large carrot, julienned
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/4 pounds scallops
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. In a medium skillet saute the green onions in 2 tablespoons of the butter. Stir in the carrots and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the ginger and the wine. Once hot add the cream, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, over high heat until the sauce is reduced by half.

2. Stir in the scallops and cook for 1 minute. Add the remaining butter and stir until melted. Serve.

Ref: www.allrecipes.com


Delicious!! The flavors of the butter, wine, green onions and fresh ginger melt together! I will admit I was completely freaked out with the thought of cooking scallops. Never done it before and was worried I'd over cook them and end up with little rubber tires in a great sauce. I'm definitely glad I took the advice of other reviewers and seared the scallops on each side for 1 minute in a separate pan with a little extra virgin olive oil before mixing it into the sauce for an additional minute. I don't think the minute alone in the sauce as stated above would have cooked the scallops enough. So crazy how things turn out when I read and follow directions!! What a concept! :D And the best part about this recipe was how easy it was to make! I know, shocked again about how something so easy can be so yummy!

Puerto Nuevo-Style Lobster Tacos

Ingredients

Tacos

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
• Toasted-Garlic Rice with Fresh Herbs and Lime
• Crunchy Pear Salsa
• Warm flour tortillas
• Lime wedges
• 6 1 1/2-pound live lobsters, rinsed

Toasted-Garlic Rice with Fresh Herbs and Lime

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
• 3 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 12 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime peel

Crunchy Pear Salsa

• 3 8-ounce firm but ripe Bosc pears, peeled, cored, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 large serrano or jalapeño chili with seeds, minced
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 3 hours ahead. Cover; chill.)


Directions

Lobster Tacos

Fill very large bowl with ice water. Bring large stockpot of water to boil. Plunge 2 lobsters headfirst into boiling water. Cook 3 minutes (lobsters will not be fully cooked). Using tongs, transfer lobsters to ice water to cool. Repeat procedure twice more with remaining lobsters. Using heavy cleaver or large knife, immediately cut each lobster lengthwise in half. Remove intestinal tract and rinse away green tomalley. Crack claws; remove claw meat. Place claw meat in body cavities.

Preheat broiler. Arrange 6 lobster halves, meat side up, on each of 2 large baking sheets. Brush lobster meat generously with some of melted butter. Broil 1 sheet of lobster halves until meat is just opaque, about 3 minutes. Repeat with second sheet. Arrange lobster halves on platter. Drizzle remaining butter over.

Spoon rice, then lobster meat and salsa onto warm tortillas. Fold up tortillas and serve with lime wedges.

Toasted-Garlic Rice with Fresh Herbs and Lime

Place rice in strainer. Rinse under cold water until water runs clear. Drain well. Bring broth and lime juice to simmer in medium saucepan.

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; sauté until golden and sticky, about 1 minute. Add rice; stir 2 minutes. Add hot broth mixture and 3/4 teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover. Cook until rice is tender, about 25 minutes. Turn off heat; let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Add herbs and lime peel to rice; fluff with fork. Season with additional salt, if desired.

Ref: www.epicurious.com

Not gonna lie, I had much higher expectations for this. It was good, just not great. And I think we agreed that we could have done without the tortilla and made it more about the lobster. I really liked the rice even though I only used about 2 cloves of garlic instead the of the suggested 12 cloves (holy stinky breath!) and no cilantro... I know, I know.... but a certain someone doesn't care for cilantro.... lol I was super excited about the salsa after the last cantelope salsa came out so terrific, but this one was only ok... Mike also grilled the lobster tails on the grill stuffed with the salsa which I thought was a great twist and possibly the start of a better recipe next time with perhaps a different type of filling....

Open Faced Tuna Sandwiches with Arugula and Sweet Pickle Mayo

Ingredients

Mayonnaise:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup finely diced sweet pickles (about 2 pickles)

Sandwiches:

• 4 (4 to 6-ounce) albacore tuna steaks
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil for drizzling, plus 1/4 cup
• 4 teaspoons herbs de Provence
• 4 slices sharp white Cheddar
• 1 (1-pound) loaf ciabatta bread halved horizontally
  
• 2 cups arugula, thinly sliced

Directions

For the mayonnaise: In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise and sweet pickles until smooth.

For the sandwiches: Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Season the tuna with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the herbs de Provence. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Place a slice of cheese on each piece of fish during the last minute of grilling. Using a pastry brush, brush the bottom half of the bread with 1/4 cup of olive oil. Cut into 4 pieces, each about 4-inches long and 3-inches wide. Grill, cut side down, for 30 seconds to 1 minute until toasted and golden.

Spread the grilled bread with the sweet pickle mayonnaise. Place a tuna steak on top. Top with the arugula and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.

Ref: www.FoodNetwork.com

Loved it. Hands down a fantastic sandwich! I was running low on extra virgin olive oil so I had to skimp a tad, but it still came out great. I'm sure using the recommended amount of olive oil would have only added to the flavor. Never really used arugula before, but it's a GREAT flavor with the fish. The only thing that we did differently was cooking the tuna steaks well. Still good but I'd still like to try it a little more rare. I was pleasantly surprised with the sweet pickle mayo. I'm generally a dill pickle girl and still may try it will dill later but the sweet ones were delicious!

Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Avocado-Melon Salsa

Ingredients:

• 1 small avocado, diced
• 1 cup 1/3-inch cubes cantaloupe
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3/4 teaspoon grated lime peel

• 4 6-ounce mahi-mahi fillets (each about 1 inch thick)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons Jamaican jerk seasoning

Directions:

Oil grill rack. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Toss first 6 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Season salsa generously with salt and pepper.

Brush fish with 1 tablespoon oil. Spread seasoning in dish. Dredge fish in seasoning, turning to coat. Grill fish until just opaque in center, about 4 minutes per side. Serve with salsa.

Wine: 2007 Amador Cellars Zinfandel ( LOVED it!)
Rich and complex with supple layers of black cherry, plum, raspberry and vanilla followed by warm clove and nutmeg spices on the finish.
www.amadorcellars.com

Ref: epicurious.com

Cantaloupe in salsa never occurred to me. Then again if even half of these recipes "occurred" to me, I wouldn't be domestically challenged and would be a happy, famous, chubby chef off living the dream somewhere... haha. Anyways, this was a crazy flavor combination between the jerk seasoning on the fish, to the salty, sweet, sour flavors of that delicious salsa! I've been really good lately at following directions (at least in cooking, lol) because I think the key to the salsa is the proportions of each ingredient. So yea, follow the directions. lol. Also I snagged that photo from epicurious. Totally forgot to take a picture of mine last night. But I promise it looked the same! :D

Scallops Wrapped in Bacon

Ingredients

• 12 slices applewood smoked bacon or other thick-cut bacon
• 12 (U-10 size) sea scallops
• 2 tablespoons Essence, recipe follows
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 12 (6-inch) bamboo skewers, soaked in warm water for about 30 minutes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the bacon strips on the parchment paper and bake until just beginning to get golden around the edges but still very pliable, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.

Season the scallops on all sides with the Essence and salt. Wrap each scallop in 1 piece of the bacon, securing it through the center with a bamboo skewer. Repeat with the remaining scallops.

When the grill is hot, brush the grates lightly with oil, then place the scallops on the grill and cook, turning frequently, until just cooked through about 7 minutes total. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper to taste. Garnish each scallop with a dab of the butter and serve immediately.

Ref: Food Network

I interpreted "season the scallop on all sides" as "roll the scallop in it". Yea don't do that. Too intense and you lose the flavor of the scallop, so yes, SPRINKLE in a better word to use. haha! Great flavors though. Also it was decided that the bacon strips could be cut in half. But overall, quite delicious! And thank you Mike for taking on grill duty. Cooking scallops scare me... I'm still afraid I'll turn them into rubber.... :D

Lemongrass Coconut Soup

Ingredients

• lemongrass
• coconut milk
• vegetable stock
• basil
• sriracha chili sauce
  
• corn starch
• snow peas
• red bell peppers
• baby corn
• cauliflower
• carrots
• peas
• sweet corn
• green onions
• celery
• water chestnuts
• olive oil
• garlic
• ginger
• fish sauce
• birds eye Thai chili's
• red Thai curry paste
• lime juice

(I don't use measurements so you decide for yourselves): steep lemongrass (use more than you think you need - bundle it before you steep) in 2/3 coconut milk and 1/3 vegetable stock (go easy on the amount of salt you add if you're using pre-packaged veggie stock)... bring to a boil, stir it frequently, and simmer. Add basil, sriracha, and corn starch (slurry it with water before you add it or you'll get lumps). Broth should be opaque, and basil will float to the top.

Saute your choice of vegetables (I used snow peas, red bells, baby corn, cauliflower, carrots, peas, sweet corn, green onions, celery, and water chestnuts) in olive oil, minced garlic and ginger (lots of both), fish sauce, sriracha, Thai chili's (birds eye), a little red Thai curry, lime juice, and a little bit of coconut milk (the fatty part)...salt and pepper aren't really necessary, there's a lot of flavor in there! Don't add veggies to the broth till just before you serve, and garnish with fresh chopped basil...enjoy :)


Ref: Veronica Hart


I've been pouty and sick with a stupid sinus cold this weekend which ultimately leaves me craving soup. A friend left her recipe for a fantastic lemongrass coconut soup. Gave me plenty of motivation to get my butt out of bed and to the grocery store. Um Veronica, your "I don't use measurements" quite frankly scared the crap out of me, but I was dying to try this. What I found is I made more veggies than broth (oops) and I made it hot as hell. It had such a kick I'm pretty sure it kicked my cold right out of my system. And I may have botched the "slurry" instructions, haha. But bottom line I LOVED it and will play with ingredient ratios the next time, like more broth. lol I also didn't use ANY salt or pepper, she was right, totally didn't need it. For your reference I used 2 cups coconut milk to 1 cup of veggie broth and it made about 2 servings. Thanks Veronica! Amazing recipe!