Recipes Collection: grilled

Showing posts with label grilled. Show all posts

Thursday, March 20, 2014

SANDRAS OUTDOOR BLACKENED SEASONED GRILLED CHICKEN

The blackened-seasoned chicken
is a wonderful way to assure
that your poultry is flavored
and grilled to moist perfection...

Servings: (4)
Prep: 15 mins. |
Grill: 20 to 30 mins.,
depending on size of chicken breasts

Posted by Sandra

INGREDIENTS
4 chicken breasts, 6 to 8 ozs. ea. with skin and bones removed (see tips for other options)
2 lemons, cut into wedges
3/4 lb. butter, melted
Cooking spray

***Blackened Seasoning
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt

METHOD

Preheat your BBQ grill to medium-high heat, (we use a charcoal).

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan melt the butter, and set aside.

In a shallow dish, thoroughly mix the blackening spices.

Place a medium-size cast iron skillet on the grill to heat it so it is very hot; cover grill.

Meanwhile, dip the chicken breasts into the melted butter, and generously press the chicken breasts into the blackening seasoning on each side. Be sure to press the spices into the chicken so most adheres during searing process. Spray both sides of chicken breasts with oil.

Place the chicken breasts on the hot skillet, and grill for 10 to 15 minutes (depending upon their size), and then turn the breasts over and grill for 10 to 15 minutes longer on the other side (internal temperature should read 165 to 170 degrees). Remove chicken to a plate, and tent for 5 minutes for juices to redistribute. Serve immediately with lemon wedges. - Enjoy!

I like to serve blackened chicken over caesar salad as an entree:
-- (see recipe by clicking here: Caesar Salad with Fresh Croutons)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tips:

--Grill time/temperatures for alternatives are: Fresh Salmon and Halibut (same as recipe above, except cook for 4 minutes on first side, and 3 to 4 minutes on other side = internal temperature should read 145 degrees; and Fresh Tuna steaks for 3 minutes per side (as they should be served medium rare).

--Also, I prefer to cook “blackened” recipes outdoors because you have to cook the fish/poultry at such a high heat that it tends to set off indoor smoke alarms even with good internal ventilation.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Cedar Plank Salmon with Garlicky Sugar Snap Peas and Grilled Lemon

I promised, after my glutenous 4th of July weekend, that I would return to a more healthy and summer appropriate meal plan and, after 1 day, I have remained true to my word. I must admit, after a well balanced and heart healthy meal such as this, I did feel particularly motivated to continue down this fresh and delightfully delicious culinary course.

If the idea of using a cedar plank at home is a bit daunting or sounds like a bit too much trouble, let me put your concerns to rest! This method is actually much easier than grilling the fish directly on the grates because the plank is the cooking medium. There are no worries about flipping the fish in one piece or concerns about it sticking and fusing itself molecularly to the grill. It infuses the fish with the most wonderful smokey flavor with absolutely no muss or fuss.

Culinary cedar planks are available at most large supermarkets (usually in the same aisle as grill accessories and charcoal) but, please, make certain you are using a cedar plank for cooking and not one from the home improvement store which may have been chemically treated. Once you have your cedar plank, the first thing to do, approximately 2 hours before you will be ready to grill, is fill up the kitchen sink and let it soak. This will encourage the plank to give off copious amounts of smoke which is what will flavor the fish and it will prevent the plank from catching fire and going up in flames.

Arrange your grill for indirect cooking. If you are using a gas grill, like me, leave the middle burner off and set the other two to medium high. Let the grill preheat for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the cedar plank from the kitchen sink where it was soaking and dry it off. Remove the skin from the salmon, if it has not been done already and season it with salt and pepper. Place it on the cedar plank with the side where the skin was directly on the plank. Spread the salmon with a layer of Dijon mustard covering the top and the sides. Then, sprinkle with an equal amount of brown sugar and top with a thinly sliced lemon wheel. Simply place the plank directly on the grill over the center where the burner is off. Let it cook for about 20-30 minutes. During the last 10 minutes place half of a lemon, cut side down, directly on the grill. Remove the cedar plank and place it on a heat proof baking sheet, along with the lemon. You can remove the fish to your plate or, if you choose, it can also be served directly from the cedar plank.

Serve with sugar snap peas which were quick sauteed in a hot pan with canola oil, hot pepper flakes, and a large minced garlic clove. Remove from the heat, drizzle with toasted sesame oil and coarse sea salt. As a finishing touch, be sure to shower your plate with a bit of that wonderfully smokey sweet and tart grilled lemon juice!

This is my entry into the Two for Tuesdays Blog Hop Carnival. Hop on over to see Heather at girlichef and be sure to visit some of the other great food blogs hosting and contributing to the Real Food movement!