During the summer, you can't keep me away from the barbecue grill! Even though I live in the city, I'm always grilling for family and friends. But don't just cook fish, poultry, beef and vegetables on the grill; try some of your favorite fruits. You won't believe how great grilled fruit tastes and how it enhances a meal. Just remember to clean your grill, spray with oil and heat up to maximum before placing fruits over top. The key to getting those lovely crisscross grill marks is to grill the fruit for about 1 minute, then give the fruit a quarter turn and grill another minutes. The time depends upon the firmness of the fruit; the firmer the fruit, the longer time. Turn over and repeat. Grill just until the fruit becomes slightly tender, but do not overcook. Here are a couple of my favorites.
Fennel, Orange and Coriander Salad
I like eating fennel raw since it brings out the real licorice flavor. Combining this with grilled orange segments and a light soy sauce is so refreshing for salads. Only use the white bulb of the fennel.
SALAD
2 cups diced fennel
1 navel orange, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/2 cup diced sweet red pepper
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh coriander
DRESSING
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon liquid honey
1 teaspoon minced garlic
GARNISH
3 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds
Preheat barbecue and grill oranges about 2 minutes per side. Cut into chunks.
In a large bowl, combine fennel, oranges, red pepeprs, red onions, green onions and coriander.
In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, soy sauce, honey and garlic. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Serve garnished with toasted almonds.
Makes 4 servings
Pork Tenderloin with Orange Balsamic Glaze
Pork tenderloins are usually sold in packages of two small tenderloins averaging about 1-1/2 pounds. If you purchase from your butcher the tenderloins may be larger. Then you will have to increase the cooking time. Use the rule of 12 to 15 minutes per pound for medium. Pork today is acceptable to eat at medium due to the improved agricultural methods.
1-1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, 2 small loins
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate
1/4 cup apricot jam
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
1 teaspooon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper
GARNISH
3 tablespoons chopped parsley or coriander
4 fresh apricots sliced in half, pit removed
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Prheat barbecue grill and grill apricots 2 minutes per side. Cut each half into quarters and set aside.
In a nonstick grill pan or skillet sprayed with vegetable spray, sear tenderlon for about 2 minutes per side or just until browned. Place in baking dish.
Combine remaining ingredients until smooth. Spoon 1/4 cup of sauce over tenderloins and bake approximately 15 minutes.
Serve sliced with remaining sauce, chopped parsley and apricots.
Makes 6 servings
Shrimp with Pineapple Salsa
Forget heavy butter and cream sauces - salsas are the greatest way to liven up a main meal. Pineapple is outstanding when in season. Feel free to use any other fruit in season, such as Asian pears, mangoes, or kiwis, but do not used canned pineapple since it is watery and doesn't have the intense flavor of fresh pineapple.
SALSA
2 slices fresh pineapple, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/2 cup finely diced sweet red peppers
1/3 cup finely diced sweet onions
1/3 cup chopped coriander or parsley
2 tablespoons apricot or peach jam
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
GARNISH
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
Preheat barbecue and grill pineapple slices 2 minutes per side and dice.
TO MAKE SALSA - In a bowl, stir salsa ingredients together including grilled pineapple.
In a nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray, cook shrimp on medium-high heat just until cooked, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Serve shrimp with salsa alongside, garnished with coriander.
Makes 6 servings
Turkey Scallopini with Black Bean Corn Mango Salsa
Try these turkey cutlets with the southwesten tasting salsa. Try to buy ripe mangos to bring out the natural sweetness. You can always substitute ripe peaches, nectarines or even pears. You can use boneless chicken breasts as well.
1 mango, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/2 cup drained canned corn
1/4 cup canned black beans
1/4 cup diced sweet red peppers
1/4 cup diced onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander or parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste
1 pound turkey scallopini (boneless, skinless turkey breast)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Preheat barbecue and grill mango slices 2 minutes per side. Cut into chunks.
In a nonstick skillet sprayed with vegetable spray, sauté corn for 5 minutes or just until browned. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients, including barbecued mangos.
Dust turkey with flour and in a nonstick skillet sprayed with vegetable spray, add oil and sauté turkey for 5 minutes or just until no longer pink.
Serve salsa at room temperature over top turkey.
Makes 4 servings
Papaya Beef Stir-Fry
The aroma of fish sauce is much stronger than its flavor once it's cooked. If you can't find fish sauce, use either soy sauce or oyster sauce. Select ripe papayas. You can always substitute mangoes or pears.
1 medium papaya sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices
SAUCE
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce
1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
1 tablespoon water
1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
12-ounces boneless grilling steak
STIR-FRY
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups sliced onions
2 cups sliced sweet red peppers
GARNISH
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander
3 tablespoons chopped green onions
Preheat barbecue and grill papaya slices 2 minutes per side. Cut into chunks and set aside.
TO MAKE SAUCE - In a bowl, mix sauce ingredients together until smooth. Set aside.
TO MAKE STIR-FRY - On a barbecue or in a nonstick grill pan sprayed with cooking spray, grill beef on high heat until medium-rare, about 5 to 8 minutes. Slice steak thinly and keep covered.
In a nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray, heat oil over medium heat; stir-fry onions for 5 minutes or until softened. Add peppers; stir-fry for 3 minutes.
Add sauce and beef; stir-fry for 2 minutes or until sauce thickens, being careful not to overcook the beef. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with garnishes and papaya.
Makes 4 servings