Living in Florida has many benefits, sunny days, beautiful beaches, and it also comes with the benefits of AMAZING fresh fish.
I was lucky enough to grab some grouper fillets from my local fish market but you can also score some at your store’s frozen section. If you are unable to find grouper fillets, you can use snapper, cod, catfish or even chicken.
This sauce highlights the fish without taking over. In this recipe, I use a simple piccata sauce with lemon and capers to create an easy meal that everyone will love! Oh, and this is a one pan dish! Hello easy clean up! 🙂
I’m not usually a Chardonnay fan but since I received a bottle of Scout & Cellar Fiddleneck Chardonnay I thought I’d give it a try. I am now a Chardonnay fan! The Fiddleneck Chardonnay is the perfect pairing to this recipe! It’s not oaky like most Chardonnays I have tried in the past. It’s light and refreshing with notes of yellow apple, candied lemon peel, and ripe pineapple. It truly is delicious with the buttery lemon flavor of the grouper piccata!
INGREDIENTS
4 6-ounce grouper fillets
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
Sprinkle grouper fillets with salt and pepper.
Dredge fillets on all sides in flour.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter and olive oil in a large skillet.
Add fillets to skillet; cook until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove fish from skillet.
Add garlic, lemon juice and wine to the skillet, scraping browned bits from the pan. Add the chicken broth and stir to combine.
Cook for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Tip: if the sauce is too bitter, just add ¼ cup of chicken broth at a time.
Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter, capers and parsley.
Serve sauce over fish.
I served mine with a side of angel hair pasta and baby broccoli.
I love risotto! I much rather have a bowl of risotto than Mac and Cheese any day of the week.
I’m not going to lie to you. This creamy risotto is hands on. You do have to stand there and stir, and add liquid, and stir, and monitor. But I promise it is worth every minute! My friend Amy says risotto is a labor of love.
I have several risotto recipes, that’s how much I love it!
This recipe is buttery with hints of lemon! And the roasted garlic takes it up a notch!
Roast Garlic is absolutely delicious! It will fill your house with the most irresistible, and mouth-watering aromas imaginable. I’m talking about the whole head of garlic roasted with olive oil until each individual clove is completely golden and butter-soft. It will just squeeze out! Roasted garlic is perfect for spreading a piece of bread or mashing into dishes like this risotto.
This risotto recipe is a perfect side with baked cod or breaded chicken!
Looking for wine to compliment this dish?
Try the Scout & Cellar 2019 ADELANTE SAUVIGNON BLANC, bright and clean with lemongrass, lime zest and green apple balanced by a subtle minerality on a zesty, light-bodied frame with a refreshing finish.
Heat the oven to 400°F: Set a rack in the middle position.
Peel (most of) the paper off the garlic
Leave the head itself intact with all the cloves connected.
Trim about 1/4 inch off the top of the head of garlic to expose the tops of the garlic cloves.
Drizzle 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil over the exposed surface of the garlic, letting the oil sink down into the cloves.
Wrap the garlic in aluminum foil and roast in the oven for 40 minutes.
Risotto
In a medium saucepan, heat chicken broth stock to boiling; keep hot over low heat.
In a 2-1/2-quart saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. Cook until butter begins to foam and turns brown, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Add shallots, onions and cook, stirring until tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in rice until coated with butter. Make a well in the middle of the coated risotto and squeeze the roasted garlic into the pot. Stir until combined.
Add brandy and simmer, stirring, until almost evaporated, about 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup of broth and lemon juice and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 1 1/2 minutes.
Add lemon zest and stir until combined.
Continue adding broth, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each batch to absorb before pouring in the next. Cook until rice is tender but still firm to the bite, 15 to 20 minutes total.
Remove from heat; stir in 1 1/2 teaspoon of the chives; season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer risotto to two serving plates and garnish with remaining chives.
I love salmon! This is one of my go to salmon recipes. It’s garlic, sweet and sticky with simple ingredients.
This salmon recipe pairs great with Scout & Cellar’s 2018 LITTLE JANE PINOT NOIR. Little Jane Pinot Noir is elegant and complex with red plum, black cherry and fresh raspberry balanced by garrigue, Asian spice, and a hint of coffee bean with soft tannins and a lingering finish.
Take salmon out of the fridge, 20 minutes before cooking.
Pat dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
In a bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients.
In a skillet, drizzle olive oil and gear over medium high heat.
Place salmon in a hot pan and cook the first side for 3-4 minutes. Turn and cook on the other side for 2-3 minutes.
Pour sauce over salmon. Cook for 1 minute until the sauce starts to thicken. If the sauce thickens too much before the salmon has cooked to your temperature then just add 1 tablespoon of water to the pan and stir.
Remove to plates & drizzle with sauce and serve.
Tip:
To determine the wellness of the salmon, check the side of the salmon to tell how cooked the salmon is- I like my salmon medium rare inside, if it’s coral inside (rare to medium rare). You can use a thermometer too. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the salmon- 120 F for medium rare and 130 degrees for medium
Remember the salmon will continue cooking for a minute after removing it from the skillet
Beer can chicken is the best, easiest way to cook a whole chicken on the grill without any special equipment. The beer from the can steams the chicken, resulting in a perfectly-cooked and moist whole chicken. The chicken literally sits on the can and as the beer heats up, it streams and flavours the inside of the chicken.
I start with marinating the chicken with Sazon seasoning, vinegar, and stuffing lemon, lime and orange wedges inside the chicken overnight.
Sazon is like the magic spice blend in many Latin dishes. It’s commonly found in the supermarket in small envelopes that you add to stews, beans, rice, etc. It gives yellow rice that yellow color and basically makes anything taste good! Goya is the most popular brand. If you can not find Sazon you can make your own, the recipe is at the bottom of this blog page.
Next comes choosing the beer!
Beer can chicken requires beer in a can. However, that doesn’t mean you have to buy canned beer. All you need is a can. I personally prefer to use an old soup can that I have cleaned and saved. Which opens up your beer possibilities immensely because many of the best beers are only sold in bottles. So it comes down to what type of flavor you want to add to your chicken. Does a sweeter bird sound good? How about something a little spicy, wheaty, or fruity?
The most popular choice is lager, but I also like to use sour beer. I love citrus flavors, and the sour citrus seems to make the flavors come alive. It’s all a matter of personal preference. Get creative!
Once you have marinated your chicken and chose the beer, you’re get the bird on the can and to get grilling!
INGREDIENTS
1 (12-ounce) can lager beer, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 tablespoon Sazon Seasoning
1 cup White distilled vinegar
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1 lime, cut into wedges
1 orange, cut into wedges
1 (4 to 4 1/2) pound whole chicken
Basting Sauce:
1/4 cup beer, reserved from above
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
Juice of ½ a Lemon
2 tablespoons Sazon seasoning
1 Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
INSTRUCTIONS
Marinate:
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
Place lemon, lime and orange wedges into the center of the chicken.
Stir the Sazon seasoning, garlic powder and red pepper flakes together in a small bowl.
Pour the seasoning mixture into a large Ziploc bag, slowly pour vinegar, and EVOO into the same bag. Combine.
Drop the chicken into the bag, zip the bag and shake until the chicken is well coated.
Marinate overnight.
Basting Sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
Grilling:
Heat grill by heating 2 out of 3 (or 3 out of 4) of the burners to high heat. Keep the remaining burners off.
Pour out or drink about half of the beer, reserving 1/4 cup for the basting sauce.
Place the beer can inside a metal 9×13-inch aluminum pan. Lower the chicken leg-side down onto the beer until it is securely propped upright. Be careful when picking the pan up, have a firm grip on the chicken with one hand while holding the foil pan with the other. Trust me, I’ve totally lost my chicken by not doing that.
Place the pan over indirect heat (over the turned-off burners) and grill for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, baste the chicken with the basting sauce. At this point, it will start to brown and look almost cooked through, even though it is not.
Baste the chicken with the sauce and continue to cook, covered, basting every 10 minutes, until the skin is deeply colored, crisp, and a probe thermometer in the deepest part of the thigh registers 165°F, about 25 to 35 minutes more depending the size of the chicken.
Rotate the pan as needed so that the chicken browns evenly.
Remove the chicken and the pan with its drippings from the grill. (If you use a foil pan, slide the pan onto a baking sheet before moving it around)
Discard the beer can. Cover the chicken with aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes before slicing.
Who knew that roasted radishes actually taste like roasted red potatoes! Seriously! I had a bag of radishes I was worried were going to go bad so I did a quick Google search and learned roasted radishes are a healthy alternative for roasted potatoes. So I grabbed the radishes, a bag of brussel sprouts, some of my favorite seasonings and bacon. I mean what doesn’t bacon go good with! I couldn’t believe how delicious this came out! I definitely will be roasting radishes again!
Here’s how I had prepared them.
Ingredients
4 slices Bacon, cooked
1 Tbsp EVOO
1 lb Brussels Sprouts quartered and outer layers peeled
1 bunch Radishes halved
4 strips bacon
½ tsp Garlic Powder
½ tsp Red Pepper Flakes
¼ tsp Italian Herb Seasoning
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Black Pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cook bacon and set aside.
Toss the quartered brussels and halved radishes in a bowl with oil, seasonings, salt, and pepper and set aside.
Drizzle EVOO over a baking sheet.
Spread the brussels and radishes out in an even layer on the baking sheet.
Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the veggies are tender on the inside and crispy on the outside.
Chop the bacon and sprinkle on top of the veggies.
Do you have over ripe tomatoes? Don’t throw them out, turn them into Slow Roasted Tomatoes! Save for later and add to other dishes, or even for snacking. Not only are these delicious but your house will smell AMAZING!
Halve tomatoes then place along with garlic cloves on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.
Drizzle a little olive oil on the tomatoes and add herbs and seasonings if you’d like.
Bake for about three hours in a 225 degree oven.
Allow them to cool then put into a jar, cover with olive oil.
Store in the fridge then use them as you need them. YUM!
Today’s recipe is all about a vibrant Chimichurri sauce and creamy garlic yogurt that perfectly complement these flavored meatballs. You can serve this as an appetizer for Easter or as a light dinner. Trust me you are going to love this recipe!
I love making meatballs, it always brings me back to being a little girl, watching my mom and grandma, Meme in the kitchen. I loved helping roll the meatballs and watching them sizzle when they were added to the pan with hot olive oil.
First, you want to make the yogurt sauce and the Chimichurri sauce. The longer these two sauces have to marinate the better.
The garlic yogurt sauce is super easy. In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, garlic and some salt and pepper. That’s it!
For the Chimichurri sauce, you are going to want to use your food processor, no worries if you don’t have one, a blender will get the job done too. If you do not have either of those, a sharp knife and some muscle will work too.
To the food processor or blender, add the cilantro, basil, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and a pinch of salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper. Pulse until combined but still slightly chunky, adding more olive oil as needed to loosen.
I absolutely love this sauce, I have a small jar of it in the refrigerator at all times. It compliments just about anything from these meatballs to an omelette or as a dip with some chips.
Now for the meatballs!
Chop ½ of a yellow onion,4 cloves of garlic and one cup baby spinach. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and slowly add the onion and cook until translucent and just starting to brown, about 7 minutes. Add the spinach, garlic and some salt, cook until the spinach is wilted. Next sprinkle in the fennel seeds and cook for another minute, then transfer to a large bowl. Add the chicken, breadcrumbs, basil, cayenne, onion powder, dried parsley, paprika, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and some black pepper and mix with a rubber spatula. Make well in the middle of the chicken mixture and crack one egg into the middle of the well. Here’s the fun part, using your hands mix the egg and chicken mixture until well combined. Using your hands, roll into golf ball-sized balls.
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
In the same skillet, heat up a ½ inch of olive oil. Add the meatballs to the hot olive oil but make sure not to overcrowd the skillet, and brown the meatballs on each side about 6 to 10 minutes total. The meatballs should be a nice golden brown. Remember you are not cooking them all the way through, we will finish them off in the oven.
Place the skillet into the oven and bake for 6 minutes, take the skillet out of the oven and slowly pour ¼ cup white wine into the skillet. Place back into the oven and continue cooking, 5 to 7 minutes.
You can serve these meatballs as an appetizer or the main dish with a side of jasmine rice or even on a salad with Garlic Yogurt Sauce and Chimichurri.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for cooking meatballs
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 cup baby spinach, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 cup Italian Panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 large egg
¼ cup white wine
Yogurt Sauce:
1 cup yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chimichurri:
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
3 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crushed red pepper
DIRECTIONS
Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the onion and cook until translucent and just starting to brown, about 7 minutes. Add the spinach, garlic and some salt and cook until the spinach is wilted. Add the fennel seeds and cook for another minute, then transfer to a large bowl. Add the chicken, breadcrumbs, basil, cayenne, onion powder, dried parsley, paprika, thyme, egg, 1 teaspoon salt and some black pepper and mix. Roll into golf ball-sized balls.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with about 1/2 inch of oil. Brown the meatballs on all sides in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the skillet, 6 to 10 minutes total.
Place the meatballs in the oven, and set a timer for 6 minutes, take the pan out of the oven and slowly pour ¼ cup white wine into the pan.
Place back into the oven and continue cooking, 5 to 7 minutes.
Serve with Yogurt Sauce and Chimichurri.
Yogurt Sauce
Add the yogurt, garlic and some salt and pepper to a small bowl. Mix to combine.
Chimichurri
To the food processor or blender , add the cilantro, basil, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and some salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper. Pulse until combined but still slightly chunky, adding more olive oil as needed to loosen. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
My friend, Amy travels for work so when she texted me that she just ate one of the best meals of her life and wanted me to learn how to recreate it, I felt like I had to accept the challenge.
This steak recipe will have you licking your plate and asking for more!
The coffee rub is quick and easy to whip up. You may be thinking, “Really? Coffee on steak??” YES! It gives the steak such a rich, bold flavor. After trying this coffee crusted steak rub you will likely want to keep a jar of it in your cabinet at all times.
First, you’ll need to choose the coffee, I personally love to use Kona Vanilla Macadamia Nut. It gives the steak a slightly sweet but savory flavor. But you can choose any coffee!
Whisk in a bowl: the coffee, granulated garlic, ground black pepper, grated parmesan cheese, salt and dry mustard powder.
Here’s a tip I learned, it is best to take the steaks out of the fridge about half an hour before you plan to cook them. Why? In the words of Food Network’s Bobby Flay “freezing-cold steak won’t cook evenly!”
Remove the wrapping from the steak, roll the steak in the coffee rub pressing to create a crust. Place on a plate and let the steak come up to room temperature on the kitchen counter while you make the Shallot butter.
I love making different types of butter so when I saw this recipe called for a Shallot butter, I was super excited. You will need to allow 2 sticks of butter to soften to room temperature. While the 2 sticks are getting to room temperature, take 2 additional tablespoons of butter and melt, I usually use a coffee mug in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Warm a sauté pan over high heat, slowly pour in the melted butter, and heat for about two minutes, this is called the smoke point. Add the sliced shallots and caramelize for two minutes, seasoning with salt. Continue to caramelize as shallots start to brown, add the garlic and sauté for one minute. As the shallots and garlic start to brown deglaze with white wine and lemon juice. Once the mixture starts to boil, take off the heat and let cook for one minute. Place the two softened butter sticks into a bowl, pour the shallot mixture on top and whip together.
I fell in love with this butter and keep a small amount in my fridge at all times. I use it for almost anything from scrambled eggs, sauteing vegetables to pasta dishes.
Preheat the grill.
Place the steak at the hottest part of the grate, and let it sear for two to three minutes, then flip the steak and sear the other side for two to three minutes. If you try to lift the meat before it’s ready, it’ll stick to the grates.
After the steak is seared on both sides, use tongs and move it to the warm side of the grate (not directly over the coals), brush with Shallot butter. Close the lid and continue to cook the steak until it’s at your desired temperature. Here’s another tip, do not stab them with a fork, or press down on them with a spatula, this will release their flavorful juices into the flames below. Just let them cook until your desired temperature. I like to use a digital instant-read meat thermometer to check the temperature of the steak while it’s still on the grill.
130°F for rare, 135°F medium-rare, 145°F medium, 150°F medium well and 160°F for well done.
Keep in mind that the steak will continue to cook a few degrees more when it’s removed from the grill.
Using the tongs, remove the steak from the grill, place on a cutting board, and brush with the Shallot butter, loosely cover it with aluminum foil, and allow it to “rest” for five minutes (the temperature will continue to rise a few degrees).
After 5 minutes, brush Shallot butter onto a plate, place the steak on top and serve.
I served my steak with a twice baked potato and garlic wilted spinach. Yum! It was the perfect steak night meal! I included the garlic wilted spinach recipe below.
INGREDIENTS
2 6 oz filet mignon steaks, trimmed of fat
Coffee Rub:
1 tablespoon coffee, grounded
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
½ tablespoon seasoning salt
½ tablespoon dry mustard powder
Caramelized Shallot Butter:
2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 cup shallot, sliced 1/8 inch thick
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons white wine
Warm a saute pan over high heat. Add the melted butter, heat to the smoke point, and add the shallots.
Caramelize the shallots for two minutes and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Continue to caramelize the shallots, add the garlic and deglaze with 2 tablespoons of white wine and ½ teaspoon of lemon juice. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat for one minute.
Combine shallot garlic mixture and softened butter in a mixing bowl and whip to combine.
Roll the sirloin in the coffee rub pressing upon rub to create a “crust”.
Grill the steak to the desired temperature being careful not to burn the crust. Brush the sirloin with the butter and allow the sirloin to “rest” for 5 minutes.
Brush Shallot butter onto a plate, place the steak on top and serve.
Inspired by Capital Grille Recipe.
Garlic Wilted Spinach
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra virginolive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb baby spinach
Salt & pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add oil and garlic. Saute garlic in oil for 2 or 3 minutes. Add spinach to the pan in stages. Fill the pan with leaves and turn leaves in warm oil until they wilt. Add more spinach to the skillet and repeat the process until all of the spinach is incorporated. Season the wilted spinach with salt and pepper, then serve.
Whisk Away Kitchen 