Grilled Tuna with Herbed Aioli

Image by roger_mommaerts via Flickr

I've been using this recipe for about a year now; the Aioli keeps in the refrigerator for about a month so you can use it for other types of fish as well; I've used it on Tilapia and Salmon. It gives your fish some Zing! The recipe is from Bon Appetit Magazine, July 2003 edition.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2 teaspoons dried tarragon
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 4 7-0z tuna steaks (each about 1 inch thick)

Preparation:

Whisk together first 6 ingredients in shallow dish for marinade. Place mayonnaise in separate small bowl. Whisk in 1 1/2 tablespoons marinade. Set aioli aside.

Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Place fish in marinade in dish, turning to coat evenly. Marinate 1 hour at room temperature, turning fish occasionally.

Oil grill rack. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill fish to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium. Top fish with aioli and serve.

More Cheap Eats from the Garden ....

Image by sweet mustache via Flickr

Michael wanted me to post the recipes for the meal I created this evening, since he enjoyed it so much. It was simple and easy, and cost very little -- my estimate was around $7.50 for the entire meal. Since seeing the movie "Food Inc." last week I have tried to make a conscious effort to eat less processed meats and more fish (at least until I discover that the commercial fish industry is just as bad as the meat industry!!).

Here's what was on the menu:

• Pan-seared Tilapia with Cajun spices;
• Garlic & Parsley Red Potatoes; and
• Tomato Salad with Red Onion and Basil.

Tilapia
I found Tilapia (previously frozen) on sale at Walmart for $4.68/lb. The package I bought cost $5.04. I rubbed in some Cajun seasoning and Old Bay seasoning and let it sit for about 15 minutes at room temperature. I then added a bit of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or as Racheal Ray says, "EVOO") to a cast iron skillet and sauteed the fish for about 3-4 minutes per side. I put it on a serving platter and squeezed some fresh lemon on top. Total Cost: about $5.50.

Potatoes
I still had some small red potatoes left over from our potato harvest about a month ago. I boiled about a pound in some water to which I added about a teaspoon of salt and 2 cloves of smashed garlic. I cooked them until just tender (about 15 minutes) then drained them, added about a tablespoon of margarine and topped them with some chopped fresh parsley from the garden. Total Cost: since most of the ingredients came from the garden (except the margarine), I estimate about $1.00.

Tomato Salad
I sliced up three tomatoes that we picked this afternoon. I then sliced a red onion, also from the garden (picked about 3 weeks ago and cured). To the tomatoes and onion, I added about a tablespoon of EVOO, a splash of red wine vinegar and salt and pepper, and gently mixed it all together. I garnished the salad with about 1/4 cup of fresh chopped basil leaves. Total Cost: since most of the ingredients cam from the garden, I estimate about $1.00.

There it is, a great-tasting, healthy meal for about $7.50 -- maybe $8.00 -- for two people -- That's $3.75-$4.00 per person. It's amazing how much we are saving by having our own garden!

An update on Squash Blossoms

I experimented a little today with some squash blossoms -- I wanted to try and oven bake them rather than cook them in oil. I also thought I would stuff them with some mozzarella cheese. They turned out delicious, but they were a bit tricky to prepare and keep the cheese inside the blossoms. Here's how I did it:

Ingredients:

• 12 squash blossoms, stamen removed and rinsed (try to pick them while the blossoms are open, they will be easier to stuff).
• 3 large eggs, beaten - place in a shallow dish or tray for dipping the blossoms.
• 1 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
• 6 large basil leaves, chopped fine
• Garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs - place in a shallow dish or tray for rolling the blossoms.

Mix the basil leaves with the cheese; add a few dashes of garlic and onion powder and salt & pepper. Place about 1-2 teaspoons of the cheese mixture inside the squash blossom and fold the petals up over the stuffing. Hold the flower together and dip into the egg mixture to coat, then roll the flower in the bread crumbs. Place on an olive oil-coated baking sheet. Spray the tops with olive oil cooking spray and bake in a 375-degree oven for about 10 minutes; turn over and bake another 5 minutes or until golden brown.

These are best straight out of the oven, while the cheese is nice and gooey. They may be a little tricky to make, but they are so worth it!

An Unusual Zucchini Bread Recipe

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I found this recipe on one of my favorite recipe websites and decided to give it a try, since we have an overabundance of zucchini these days and I'm wanting to use up as much as I can before I have no room left in my fridge. This recipe was just a bit different from the standard zucchini bread recipes I've usually made. It included a few different ingredients like curry powder, lemon zest and poppy seeds which you usually don't find in the average zucchini bread.

I did make a couple of adjustments to the recipe. I could not find crystallized ginger on my shopping expedition this morning so I omitted that. I also used only half of the poppy seeds that the recipe called for, as well as only half the amount of curry powder. I did not have whole wheat pastry flour but had a little bit of whole wheat flour. I used a cup of whole wheat flour, 1-3/4 cups of all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup of ground flaxseed. I also substituted vegetable oil for the butter. The results were perfect. The bread came out wonderfully moist and delicious. You can actually taste the lemon zest and the hint of curry powder; the flavors married quite well. I will definitely make this a couple more times this summer, and freeze some for gifts.

Here's the link to the recipe:

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/my-special-zucchini-bread-recipe-recipe.html

I hope you enjoy this unique Zucchini Bread as much as Michael and I do. And make a double batch -- it is so worth it!

Fried Squash Blossoms

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Well I finally was able to pick enough squash flowers so that I could make one of my favorite dishes, Squash Blossoms (or as my mother used to call them, Coogoots Flowers - Coogoots is the Italians' word for zucchini). I was able to get some beautiful open blooms from the yellow squash, zucchini and pumpkin plants; I had about a dozen blossoms in all, which made a perfect lunch for me and Michael.

Only pick the male blossoms (the ones without the fruit attached). Cut a bit of the stem as well so you have something to hold. Once you pick them they need to be used pretty quickly -- you will want to rinse them well to make sure there are no bugs, and remove the stamen from the centers. The flowers are quite fragile so be careful handling them. Lightly dry them, then dust with some flour. They then go into a batter made with the following ingredients:

4 eggs
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. finely grated parmesan or romano cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Beat the eggs well with a whisk; whisk in the flour and the cheese, the salt and pepper and mix well so that there are very few lumps. Drop the squash flowers into the batter and coat well. Heat about 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat, and drop the squash flowers in; fry until golden brown and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and ENJOY!

This makes a great lunch, along with a green salad (of course with fresh ingredients from your garden!)

If you want to get really adventurous, try stuffing the blossoms with some cheese, or try some of the recipes in the following link. Mangia, y'all!

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• Five Ways to Eat Squash Blossoms (thekitchn.com)

More Garden Bounty

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The garden is in full swing these days. We picked our first squash and zucchini this weekend, the herbs are very plentiful, the chard and kale are continuing to come up (as is the lettuce), the tomatoes and cucumbers are on the vines. Soon we will have a refrigerator full of fresh vegetables.

Since I now have fresh onions, zucchini and yellow squash, I will fire up the grill this week to make my grilled vegetables. My peppers aren't ready yet and I don't have mushrooms, so I'll have to take a trip to the local produce stand to pick those up. Grilled vegetables are probably one of my favorite dishes -- lots of fresh chunks of fresh veggies, simply garnished with olive oil, salt & pepper and a little garlic powder. I always make sure to cut my vegetables up in nice-sized chunks so they don't fall apart on the grill. I use a grill pan so nothing falls into the fire. Here's my recipe:

• Fresh vegetables such as zucchini, yellow squash, onions, green and red peppers, mushrooms, asparagus, fennel
• Olive oil (just enough to coat all the vegetables)
• Salt, pepper and garlic powder

Wash and cut up the vegetables into good-sized chunks. Put the vegetable chunks into a large bowl and add olive oil to coat -- don't add so much that the veggies are dripping with oil. Transfer the vegetables to the grill pan and sprinkle with the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook over a hot grill, turning frequently to avoid burning the vegetables. Don't crowd the vegetables on the grill pan - they will come out much better if they are cooked in batches.

This recipe can also be done in the oven; again, make sure the vegetables are not crowded in the pan, and roast in a 425-degree oven. Turn after about 10 minutes and then cook about 10-15 minutes more until done.

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• Recipes for Health: Kale: The Winter Green (nytimes.com)
• How to grow: summer vegetables (telegraph.co.uk)
• Zucchini Pesto (rawlivingfoods.typepad.com)

The First New Potatoes!

Michael harvested the first potatoes from the garden last night. I thought I would make some for dinner this evening, with lots of herbs from the garden.


Ingredients:

2 lbs fresh new potatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley and dill
2 T butter or margarine
Salt and pepper to taste

Clean and scrub the potatoes, removing all dirt; cut in half or quarters depending on size. Place in a large pot and cover with water. Boil for 10-15 minutes until just tender; drain but leave about 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Put back on a low burner and add the butter to melt. Remove from the burner and add the herbs; season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.

"Fruitful" Coleslaw

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We picked our first head of cabbage in the garden yesterday, so of course coleslaw was on the menu today along with beans and cornbread -- a Poor Man's Supper. After tasting the cabbage and noting how sweet it tasted, I decided to add some fruit to the coleslaw. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

- 1 small head of cabbage, or 1/2 head large cabbage (if you grow your own pick them before they get too big -- they are definitely sweeter), shredded or chopped fine.
- 1 peach, peeled and diced in 1/2" pieces
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced in 1/2" pieces
- 1/2 cup light mayonnaise (I like Duke's)
- 2 T apple cider vinegar
- 1 T sugar, or 3 packages of Splenda

Mix the mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar together in the bottom of a large bowl. Taste and adjust the vinegar and sugar to your preference. (The mixture should be smooth but not runny.) Add the cabbage and fruit and toss; season with a few sprinkles of salt. Cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Note: I have been making this type of coleslaw for many years. If fresh fruit is not available, you can add some canned diced peaches or canned diced pineapple, drained well.

Swiss Chard, Potato & Bean Ragout

Image via Wikipedia

I found this recipe on the New York Times website (Recipes for Health) and decided to try it last night; I had picked some swiss chard and spinach in the garden and wanted to put it to good use. I modified this recipe a bit (I used canned beans instead of dried) but it turned out great and we had plenty left over for another meal. This dish reminded me of a dish my mother used to make, Beans & Greens (she used escarole instead of chard). Serve with a garden-fresh salad and a loaf of crusty Italian or French bread. Mangia!

Ingredients:
1 can Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained

A bouquet garni made with 1 bay leaf, a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme, and a Parmesan rind, tied together with kitchen string

Salt

1 generous bunch swiss chard (3/4 to 1 pound), or a combination of swiss chard and spinach

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 to 4 garlic cloves (to taste), sliced

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Freshly ground pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

1. Add the beans to 3 cups of water in a casserole or Dutch oven. Bring to a simmer. Skim off any foam, then add the bouquet garni. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt.

2. Meanwhile, stem and clean the greens in 2 changes of water. Rinse the chard stems and dice. Set aside. Cut the leaves in ribbons, or coarsely chop, and set aside.

3. Heat the olive oil in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the onion and chard stems. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the potatoes and stir together, then transfer to the pot with the beans. Bring back to a simmer, cover and simmer 30 minutes, or until the potatoes and beans are tender. Salt to taste.

4. Add the chard and thyme leaves to the pot, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. The chard should be very tender. Stir in freshly ground pepper to taste and the parsley. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve, passing the Parmesan to sprinkle on the top. Don't forget to remove the bouquet garni!

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

"Herbalicious" Turkey Burgers

With an abundance of herbs growing in the garden these days, I thought I would add some to my turkey burgers. They came out so flavorful, I wish I would have made more to put in the freezer! Here's my recipe:

Ingredients:

1 lb ground white meat turkey, very lean
1/4 c. seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg
1/4 c. chopped fresh herbs (I used parsley, rosemary, dill and basil -- I didn't have any fresh thyme but I would have used it if I had it).
Salt & pepper
1 T. olive oil

Mix all ingredients together and form into four patties. Spray the patties with some cooking spray and place on a very hot charcoal or gas grill. Try not to flip them until the bottom has firmed up and browned. DO NOT OVERCOOK -- take off the grill while they are still juicy.

Note: Since the burgers are very lean, add cooking spray as needed or brush with a little olive oil so that they will not stick and will brown nicely. Since some of my family members aren't turkey burger fans (namely Jeremiah, my stepson), I usually cook up some beef burgers over the fire first, which gets the fire very hot with all the fat dripping off them.