Favorite 1-2 Easy Grill Combos

We had the BEST salmon steaks tonight. I gobbled up my 4 oz. portion and wanted at least three more. So freaking good. And to think, I didn't like salmon ... at all ... three years ago.

All we did was rub on some Weber Grill brand BBQ spice and, voila! Delicousness. It got me thinking about other easy grill meat and spice combos that never fail. Here's my list ... but if you have suggestions, add them! I'm always up for for something new.

Grill Combos
1. Salmon and Weber Grill brand BBQ rub: For supper in a hurry, I like the Roundy's brand frozen salmon. The white and blue bag contains eight individually wrapped, 4-oz. portions that thaw in no time.
2. Chicken breast or thighs and Tajin: You know how I love Tajin. It's lime and spice and yum. The chicken leans Mexican, but can also go Asian, if you're so inclined.
3. Ground turkey breast and an envelope of taco or fajita seasoning. Sometimes I put this right in with the meat as it's browning vs. waiting for it to get done, mixing the packet with water and letting it bubble together.
4. Haddock or cod fillet and lemon pepper seasoning. Easy. Classic. Not revolutionary. But still good.
5. And, all of these spices work on your grilled veg, too! I like the lemon pepper with asparagus, especially! But zucchini, summer squash, onions and peppers will take anything mentioned up above.

Great Grillin'!

How I love the grill!

You can make ANYTHING taste fabulous with olive oil, sea salt and pepper. On last night's menu was smoked pork chops (from Rocky's favorite meat market in Fennimore), zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms, red pepper and red onion. Tossed a little chopped garlic in for good measure.

So simple. So delicious. And ... enough leftovers for a kick butt skillet scramble now on the Monday night menu!

Pizzeria Grilled Chicken

OK, this isn't really pizza at all. But when it hits the grill, it SMELLS like a pizzeria. It's a perfect summer supper with corn on the cob or moz/tomato/basil salad. Or both!

Pizzeria Grilled Chicken

Chicken breasts or skinless, boneless thighs
Olive oil
Garlic salt
Dried basil
Dried oregano
Dried minced onion
Salt and pepper
Chopped garlic (I usually have a jar in the fridge, and don't chop my own)

A few hours before you plan on grilling, smear enough olive oil on the chicken to allow the herbs to stick. I cover the chicken ... it's all green ... in whatever proportions you want. (Mo' garlic, mo' betta!) I don't think this can turn out badly, no matter what you do. Put the chicken in a Ziploc or in a glass dish in the fridge until it's time to grill. I like to let the chicken warm up on the counter 30 minutes or so before it goes on the heat.

Grill. Sniff. Enjoy!

Rico Southwest Turkey Burgers

In light of the ground turkey recall, I thought I'd throw this in there.

(But seriously, check your local news and your freezer ... I think it was Cargill brand that was bad.)

Rico Southwest Turkey Burgers
1 pkg. ground turkey (1.25 lbs.)
1-2 tablespoons minced onion
1-2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon (or more if you like!) finely chopped jalapeno or Serrano
1 tablespoon Tajin Classico Seasoning (a mixture of chili pepper, salt, lime and sold in the produce department of my WalMart ... though I bet the lime flavor of Mrs. Dash or those other herb mixes would work just the same. But if you use a salt-free version, add some salt and pepper in here, too.)
1 avocado, cut in slices
Garden salsa cheese slices or pepperjack cheese slices
Raw onion slices
Tomato slices
Iceberg lettuce leaves
Taco sauce

Mix the ground turkey with minced onion, peppers, cilantro, and Tajin. Make patties and grill. Melt cheese. Serve on wheat buns or Sandwich Thins, topped with avocado, raw onion, tomato and lettuce. Dress with taco sauce ... or salsa if you have it!

Blackened Salmon

I made salmon for the first time in my life tonight. (I don't really LIKE salmon. But I'm trying to eat it a little more because I know it's good for me.) It's too spicy for Jim. He's not home yet, but won't love it. And because it's actually very spicy, I've adjusted the seasoning below. Original recipe found on AllRecipes.com.

Note: You'll have more spice mix than fish. I'm going to save it and use it to roast cauliflower with later this week.

Blackened Salmon
Two 6 oz portions of salmon, skin removed
2 Tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp each thyme, oregano, basil
Olive oil

Sprinkle both sides of fish with seasoning mix. Put a little olive oil in a hot pan. (Make sure your exhaust fan is on!) Drop fish in and let it sear. I flipped it when it started to smoke "too much." Sear second side. Depending on how thick the fillet is, the fish may not be done all the way through. I like my salmon DONE. So I put it in a 375 degree oven until it was very firm and opaque all the way through.