Lemon and Rosemary Grilled Whole Branzino

The thing I initially loved so much about NFT’z was the challenge.

I loooooooovvvvvvvveeeeeee a good challenge.

Sometimes I think the only reason I’m successful is because I love to win so much. I refuse to lose.

All the travel has taken its toll on my writing and cooking motivation. But when I saw these gorgeous whole Branzino (a European sea bass) my deep inner desire for a challenge was ignited.

A whole fish may seem completely intimidating. That’s natural. I was intimidated. That’s probably why it’s taken me almost five years to attempt it.

But in reality, it was a whole lot of hoopla for something that was really simple and stunningly fresh and delicious.

Now I don’t want you to be scared to try this at home. Your fish guy (or in my case gal) will gut the fish for you so it will be as simples as stuffing, grilling and serving. The only difficult part is the filleting of the fish, but if I can handle it you can handle it.

I even found a video to help get you through it.

Now you have no reason not to get after it.

You will need…

Whole branzino (I recommend ½ to a whole fish per person depending on how much they eat)

3 sprigs of rosemary per fish

4 lemon slices per fish

1 tablespoon olive oil per fish plus extra to brush the grill

Lots of salt and pepper to taste

Start by oiling the grates of your grill with olive oil. It is very important that your fish and your grill are well oiled so you don’t lose skin while grilling.

Turn your grill to a medium-high heat.

While your grill is heating, season the cavity of your fish well with salt and pepper. Stuff the fish with lemon wedges and rosemary and close the fish up tight.

Rub down each fish with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil per fish and then season the skin well with salt and pepper.

When your grill is nice and hot, place the fish on a pretty hot part of the grill. 

Cook the fish about twelve minutes a side filliping it gently once with a large spatula.

Once your fish has great grill marks and is cooked through, remove it to a warm platter to filet.

Chop off the head and tail of the fish and gently remove the fin bone and center bone. 

The flesh of the cheekbones is really tasty so you may want to get a bit of that action before tossing the heads.

Serve your filets hot on a platter topped with some of the grilled lemon and rosemary.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Lemon and Rosemary Grilled Whole Branzino

Whole branzino (I recommend ½ to a whole fish per person depending on how much they eat)

3 sprigs of rosemary per fish

4 lemon slices per fish

1 tablespoon olive oil per fish plus extra to brush the grill

Lots of salt and pepper to taste

Start by oiling the grates of your grill with olive oil. It is very important that your fish and your grill are well oiled so you don’t lose skin while grilling.

Turn your grill to a medium-high heat.

While your grill is heating, season the cavity of your fish well with salt and pepper. Stuff the fish with lemon wedges and rosemary and close the fish up tight.

Rub down each fish with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil per fish and then season the skin well with salt and pepper.

When your grill is nice and hot, place the fish on a pretty hot part of the grill. Cook the fish about twelve minutes a side filliping it gently once with a large spatula.

 Once your fish has great grill marks and is cooked through, remove it to a warm platter to filet.

Chop off the head and tail of the fish and gently remove the fin bone and center bone. The flesh of the cheekbones is really tasty so you may want to get a bit of that action before tossing the heads.

Serve your filets hot on a platter topped with some of the grilled lemon and rosemary. 

Grilled Rosemary Lamb Chops

It’s official. I’m a cat lady.

How the hell did this happen? I’m allergic. I get wheezy and sneezy and a bunch of other things that sound like Disney dwarfs.

But something told me I had to adopt this orange little fluffball with no home and no history of human contact.

So I did. And then she went in a chimney and we bathed her and forced her to let us pet her and just loved her. She hissed until hissing has lost meaning and she bit me. But now she does things like this.

And this.

And my heart melts. Every little step she takes is such a big deal because she was sooooo damaged when we got her. She didn’t blink for three days. Now she sleeps with the most peaceful expressions.

There were days I felt like we were doing more harm than good. But now I know we saved her.

So yeah. Now I’m a cat lady. I’ve said it. Now I’ll try and keep it to myself and not bombard you with cat photos. And by that I mean I promise not to post cute things she does EVERY time I post.

While I may now be an admitted cat lady, I’m still bringing the A game in the kitchen. She likes to watch me cook.

This dish is the kind of delicious that is like my love for Junior. Simple and from the heart.

You will need…

8 lamb chops (I got two rib chops)

3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, roughly shopped

1 garlic clove, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating your grill to a high heat.

In a small bowl, whisk together the rosemary, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, mustard and season well with salt and pepper.

Dry the lamb well and season with salt and pepper.

Brush the lamb with the rosemary olive oil.

Seer the lamb on a hot part of the grill until it has nice grill marks. About 3 minutes a side. Brush the lamb with any excess olive oil after you flip.

When both sides have a nice seer, move the lamb to a more moderate heat and cooked until medium rare. About 15 minutes.

Remove the lamb from the heat and cover with aluminum foil while it rests. After the lamb has rested for 5 to 8 minutes, serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Grilled Rosemary Lamb Chops

8 lamb chops (I got two rib chops)

3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, roughly shopped

1 garlic clove, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating your grill to a high heat.

In a small bowl, whisk together the rosemary, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, mustard and season well with salt and pepper.

Dry the lamb well and season with salt and pepper.

Brush the lamb with the rosemary olive oil.

Seer the lamb on a hot part of the grill until it has nice grill marks. About 3 minutes a side. Brush the lamb with any excess olive oil after you flip.

When both sides have a nice seer, move the lamb to a more moderate heat and cooked until medium rare. About 15 minutes.

Remove the lamb from the heat and cover with aluminum foil while it rests. After the lamb has rested for 5 to 8 minutes, serve hot. 

Grilled Chinese Chicken Salad

I know I boast about it all the time, but my family is pretty freaking great.

Seriously, I don’t like to toot my own horn.

But TOOT TOOT!

Every member of the family has things about them that make them particularly wonderful, but today I am EXTRA proud of my youngest brother Joshua.

Josh stands out for reasons. Whether you know him for his big personality, his red hair or his water polo prowess, you know he is a stand out. And yesterday he made the decision to head to Europe to play professionally. How awesome to do something you love and get paid for it. In another country. What a wonderful life experience.

He is headed east in a few weeks and in the mean time, he’s been spending some extra time at the house.

Which means I get a new and excited mouth to feed. He is one of the only people who ever really gives me requests anymore. And this was a great one.

I don’t know why I never thought to make this, but I’m so glad he did. You will be too.

You will need…

2 chicken breasts

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons palm sugar

1 lime, juiced

1 head romaine lettuce, cut into bit sized pieces

1 can mandarin oranges

2 cups shredded carrots

3 green onions, thinly sliced

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

20 wanton wrappers, cut into strips

4 tablespoons peanut oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette

Start by preheating your grill to a medium high heat.

Whisk together the sesame oil, sugar and lime juice. Brush the oil mixture onto the chicken breasts.

Grill the chicken until it has good grill marks and are cooked through. About 5 minutes a side.

When the chicken is cooked, set aside and allow it to cool to handle.

While the chicken is cooling, combine the carrots, celery, green onions, lettuce and manderin oranges.

When the chicken has cooled, shred it by pulling it apart with two forks.

Add it to the salad and toss well.

Heat the peanut oil in a small pan.

When the oil is hot, working in batches, add in the wanton strips and fry until brown and crisped on both sides. Season well with salt and pepper and remove to a paper towel to remove the excess oil.

Drizzle the salad with the dressing, toss, top with wanton strips and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Grilled Chinese Chicken Salad 

2 chicken breasts

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons palm sugar

1 lime, juiced

1 head romaine lettuce, cut into bit sized pieces

1 can mandarin oranges

2 cups shredded carrots

3 green onions, thinly sliced

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

20 wanton wrappers, cut into strips

4 tablespoons peanut oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette

Start by preheating your grill to a medium high heat.

Whisk together the sesame oil, sugar and lime juice. Brush the oil mixture onto the chicken breasts.

Grill the chicken until it has good grill marks and are cooked through. About 5 minutes a side. 

When the chicken is cooked, set aside and allow it to cool to handle.

While the chicken is cooling, combine the carrots, celery, green onions, lettuce and manderin oranges. 

When the chicken has cooled, shred it by pulling it apart with two forks.

Add it to the salad and toss well.

Heat the peanut oil in a small pan. 

When the oil is hot, working in batches, add in the wanton strips and fry until brown and crisped on both sides. Season well with salt and pepper and remove to a paper towel to remove the excess oil.

Drizzle the salad with the dressing, toss, top with wanton strips and serve.

Tangy Thai Grilled Chicken

There are few better things in this world for the soul than spending a great weekend away with your best friends.

Whenever I manage to get away with my friends for a couple days, I always feel energized no matter how crazy or adventurous our time together is.

No matter how bad my hips hurt from surfing, or how bad I’m bruised from a late night hike fall, the weekend has energized me to face this week!

But thank goodness this is only a four day work week. Because a system and warehouse switch at work is wearing down that friend buzz I have.

To celebrate our nation’s birth this week, I’m firing up the barbeque with some good friends to reenergize. And so should you!

You will need…

2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed and diced

4 cloves garlic cloves minced

½ cup lightly packed cilantro, plus 1 tablespoon roughly chopped

2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 ½ tablespoons water

Salt to taste

In a food processor, puree the jalapenos, half the garlic, ½ cup cilantro leaves and stems, the fish sauce, olive oil sesame oil and season well with salt.

Pour the marinade over the chicken in a shallow dish. Let it marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Fire up your grill.

While your grill is warming, bring the vinegar, sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt to a simmer in a small saucepan. Simmer for 2 minutes.

Add in the garlic, remaining cilantro, and red pepper flakes and simmer for an additional 30 seconds.

Pour the sauce into a small bowl and set aside.

Grill the chicken until it has good grill marks and is cooked through. About 5 minutes a side.

Serve the chicken hot, drizzled with the vinegar sauce.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

  

Tangy Thai Grilled Chicken

2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed and diced

4 cloves garlic cloves minced

½ cup lightly packed cilantro, plus 1 tablespoon roughly chopped

2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 ½ tablespoons water

Salt to taste

In a food processor, puree the jalapenos, half the garlic, ½ cup cilantro leaves and stems, the fish sauce, olive oil sesame oil and season well with salt.

Pour the marinade over the chicken in a shallow dish. Let it marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Fire up your grill.

While your grill is warming, bring the vinegar, sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt to a simmer in a small saucepan. Simmer for 2 minutes.

Add in the garlic, remaining cilantro, and red pepper flakes and simmer for an additional 30 seconds.

Pour the sauce into a small bowl and set aside.

Grill the chicken until it has good grill marks and is cooked through. About 5 minutes a side.

Serve the chicken hot, drizzled with the vinegar sauce. 

Grilled Chicken with Cucumber and Peach Salsa

I want to take a second to give a little love to the unsung hero of this here blog.

For a long time, all the magic happened because I made it happen. Of course I’d get help from visiting dinner guests or family members, but for the most part I was running around the kitchens I’ve cooked in like a chicken with my head cut off.

But these days things are easier and down right prettier because Wes does everything he can to help me.

From dicing things to perfection, to hitting the grill when I have too much going on to snagging the camera when I need seven hands. He does it all.

He does it all AFTER working his butt off for ten hours a day.

Finally, all his hard work and selflessness has paid off. He got a great promotion at work after years of dedication and hard work.

Congrats my love! You deserve it!

In your honor, I will call you and demand that you tell me what to make for dinner and then freak out and have you help me chop things.

Thanks for working so hard and keeping all together!

You will need…

4 chicken breasts, pounded thin

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons peach preserves

½ cup cucumber, peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon fresh mint, finely chopped

3 tablespoons red onion, diced

2 large ripe peaches, peeled and chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by combining the preserves, cucumber, mint and onion in a medium bowl.

Season with salt and pepper and let the flavors combine for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Preheat the grill to a high heat.

Gently brush the chicken with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.

Grill the chicken until it has good grill marks and is cooked through. About 4 minutes a side.

When the chicken is cooked through, top with 2 tablespoons salsa and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Grilled Chicken with Cucumber and Peach Salsa

4 chicken breasts, pounded thin

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons peach preserves

½ cup cucumber, peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon fresh mint, finely chopped

3 tablespoons red onion, diced

2 large ripe peaches, peeled and chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by combining the preserves, cucumber, mint and onion in a medium bowl.

Season with salt and pepper and let the flavors combine for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Preheat the grill to a high heat.

Gently brush the chicken with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.

Grill the chicken until it has good grill marks and is cooked through. About 4 minutes a side.

When the chicken is cooked through, top with 2 tablespoons salsa and serve hot.