Monday, November 29, 2010

'Tis The Season

No entries today - we put up our decoration this weekend and I wanted to share an ornament Kristen got me last year.    =o9

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Citrus-Flavored Shark

The other day I found something very interesting in the grocery store - shark!  How often do you get a chance to eat something like that?  Problem is that I had no idea how to prepare it.



It looked similar to salmon, which I've done plenty of times before, so I decided to do it the same way.  I did a lot of prep work beforehand since I wasn't planning on cooking it until the next day (which ended up being the following day, as we were out most of yesterday.)



I decided to use citrus flavors, along with Italian.  (You'll see why Italian flavors in a minute.)


I started by making an opening along the center of the fish to stuff the crab meat.  After stuffing them I brushed them with olive oil.


I topped the fish with citrus Bosari, lemon juice, lime juice, and orange juice.  I also topped it with melted butter.


It ended up sitting for two nights like this in the refrigerator.


  I also wanted to try my hand at Cavatappi noodles.  I've had them several times before at restaurants but never prepared them.  I decided to do Italiam spices with diced tomatoes and olive oil on top.


When I do noodles, I like to add in any seasoning and/or olive oil while the water is boiling.


I heated some diced tomatoes to top the noodles.  I would've liked to make this from fresh tomatoes but I really didn't have time, and had some in a can already that needed to be used.


The grill board ended up soaking overnight. 






I put a couple orange slices on the grill to make a garnish.


Oh, and I don't think I've ever shown off my grill glove. 



I think I overdid the tomatoes.  I had intended on just heating them, but they ended up stewing slightly.





 

 


 

The shark tasted great, but very fishy.  If I were to make it again I'd probably do it breaded, with something crunchy like sesame seeds, or something to really overpower the fish flavor.  =o9

Grilled Turkey Tenderloins

For the past few years my family has not done traditional Thanksgiving dinners, at least not when we're preparing the food.  We used to go to upstate New York for years to a huge traditional family dinner, and the time, effort, and preparation that would go into those meals isn't something any of us want to take on.  So, we try to keep things simple.

This year I did grilled turkey tenderloins that we found.  I had wanted to find turkey medallions but we went with the loins instead.









Although I wish I had picked a non-marinated set of turkey tenderloins, the turkey turned out great.  Nice and crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside.  =o9

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Grilled Bananas with Dulce de Leche Ice Cream and Cinnamon-Orange Sauce

Kristen had some company over today, so I thought I'd make something sweet for them.  I've wanted to try the grilled banana recipe for a while and today seemed like a good time to try.

The first step was the sauce, which was simply just orange juice and zest, sugar and brown sugar, boiled to reduce with cinnamon added at the end.  I'm not sure I reduced it enough but I got the taste right.



Next, I quartered the bananas, brushed them with canola oil, and put them on the grill.


I left them in the skin so they didn't fall apart on the grill. 


The recipe called for toasted almond slivers, and I added the orange I used for the zest as a garnish.


After reducing the sauce I added the cinnamon and it made the sauce a nice reddish brown.



After a few minutes I flipped the bananas until the skin started to peel off.








Once off the grill I added them to a bowl.  I could've put them in a fancy design, or mushed them together, but I went with a simple layout.


After that, I added the ice cream, sauce, and almonds.  I couldn't find Dulce de Leche so I just used a creamy vanilla.




I'll confess - I had several bites before I remembered to add the garnish.


Oh, my!  YUM!  I loved it, and my two testers cleaned their bowls.  This entry has encouraged me to try more of the fruit/desert recipes.  =o9