Tag: grill

Grilled yellowtail – fresh from the sea

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Fish is one of those things that is best kept simple. Forget complicated sauces – your best bet is freshly squeezed lemon juice and perhaps a bit of butter. Add some salt & pepper and you’re done.
While visiting Mom-in-law at the coast, I decided a nice fresh fish will be in order for dinner. That, some crisp white wine, fresh sea air and a salad – yum!

We bought 2 freshly caught yellowtails from a local fishmonger and decided to braai them.

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The fish were scaled and gutted – all I had to do was prep them for the braai:
Sprinkle generously with salt {on the inside}, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, some black pepper and melted butter. I also placed a few slices of lemon inside while the fish ‘rested’ and waited for the braai.

They went onto the grill closed {with lemons inside} until the outside was nicely cooked and golden brown, slightly charred. We then opened them up and removed the lemon slices, placed the whole fish open and inside down on the grill for a few minutes, just allowing the inside to cook. Be careful not to overcook, fish is very delicate and must be just cooked, never overcooked!

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Perfect meal for a {VERY} hot summer’s eve! Enjoy! X

Beef steak, crème fraîche with a kick & roasted tomato salsa

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I’ve been craving a good beef steak for a while now – it’s been mostly lamb lately! Not that I can complain – lamb is a real treat and I do love it – but a change is also good.
I adapted the recipe from The Real Meal Revolution, my current favourite cookbook. Not only are the recipes great, they’re also healthy and so yum you will think it must be bad…
I must also say that the recipes are very simple and just focus on delicious ingredients – my way of cooking for sure! I often just tweak them here and there to suit what I have on hand, or based on what I feel like.

This dish was fab – loads of flavour, loads of tummy-filling-goodness and didn’t take that long to make:
{Beef steak, crème fraîche with a kick & roasted tomato salsa}

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{not the best photo I’ve ever taken – but hey…}

For the steak:
2 beef steaks {preferably rump, I used sirloin, about 500g total}
1 tsp coriander seeds {roasted and then ground}
Freshly ground sea salt
Black pepper
Olive oil

Rub the steaks with all the above ingredients and let it sit for about half an hour before cooking.
Cook on a hot grill for about 2 minutes on each side to seal the meat and then finish off in an oven of 180C until medium-to-rare {or however you like your steaks}.
Of course, we used our Big Green Egg for the entire cooking process!

For the crème fraîche:
Half a cup of crème fraîche
2 tsp hot English mustard

Mix these together and keep in the fridge until you are ready to dish up.

For the salsa:
A cup of small rosa tomatoes
1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped
Olive oil
Salt
Black pepper
Juice of half a lemon
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
Sweet basil, torn
1 Chorizo sausage, chopped and fried

Place the tomatoes under a hot grill and let them roast until slightly charred. Chop the tomatoes and mix with the chorizo.
Let it cool slightly, then add the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper. Let that marinade for a bit.
Add the vinegar and sprinkle with basil.

Now honestly, what is better than a big chunk of beef steak topped with a meaty salsa?! And yet, it is still refreshing and ‘light’ to eat and doesn’t feel like you’re in some greasy diner in Louisiana somewhere… {No offense to anyone in Louisiana, but I know what goes down there… Shrimp stuffed with cheese, wrapped in bacon and deep-fried, served with a side of green beans and mince! Yep, that really happened! I suppose it can be called Banting…}

Anyhoo, back to the steak – another great one from Real Meal Revolution cookbook and a definite must-cook!

Serve the salsa over the steak and top with the crème fraîche.

Enjoy! X

Crispy Grilled Chicken Livers with Seasonal Veggies

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I do love chicken livers, but hate cooking them! The way they pop and splatter everywhere… My dad taught me a nifty little trick; putting a weight on top of the livers while they fry will prevent them from popping and also make them nice and crisp. Using a lid will just make them boil… So gross!

Tonight’s dish consists of 5 components – wilted spinach, buttery grilled sweet potatoes, grilled aubergines, tomato relish and crispy grilled chicken livers. This is such a great dish – perfectly filling, bursting with flavour, yet light and delicate. {This would make a perfect meal-in-a-jar too!}

Crispy Grilled Chicken Lives

Wilted Spinach:

Roughly chop 2 handfuls of spinach and sauté in butter. Add a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Sweet Potatoes:

Peel and thinly slice 3 sweet potatoes. Place in a baking dish, add a few dollops of butter and a sprinkle with a bit of nutmeg. Bake at 180C for about 45minutes.

Grilled Aubergines:

Slice one aubergine into 1/2cm slices, brush with olive oil and grill in a hot pan until golden and cooked.

Tomato Relish:

Slice one small onion and sauté in olive oil. Add 2tsp tomato paste and let it caramelise. Add a handful of small Roma tomatoes, cut in half. Flash fry for a few minutes, but don’t let it cook until mushy.

Crispy Grilled Chicken Livers:

I used 500g of chicken livers. Heat about 100g of butter and a splash of olive oil in a non-stick pan along with 2 red chillies and a clove of garlic, chopped. Add livers, season with salt and place a heavy pot on top. Fry until you can hear the livers starting to pop, then turn them over. Fry until both sides are crisp and brown. You might need to do them in two batches.

Assemble and enjoy! X