Grilled Oysters with Jalapeno Butter Sauce

There's not too much to grilling oysters, and thank God for that. I like to leave the high maintenance stuff to other people (!!!) Anyway, preheat the grill to medium/medium high. Basically, get the grill hot. Throw your oysters on and shut the lid, grill the oysters until they pop open. As the first ones open up, I put them on the top basket/bread area of the grill so they stay warm but don't stay on the direct heat.

Jalapeno Butter Sauce
1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup butter
6 cloves garlic
1-2minced jalapenos, depending on how heatness desired
sea salt/pepper

Suate the onions in the butter. Add the wine and simmer for 7-10 minutes, letting some of the liquid reduce down. Add the jalapenos and garlic, simmer a little longer...

Pour sauce on top of the opened oysters. Enjoy!!

Mediterranean Sammies

Well, it's that time of year folks! It's S-U-M-M-E-R and that means outdoor picnics, barbecues, camping and pool parties. If you have a boat, that means you're doing any of latter, except substitute saltwater for the pool.

This is a light yet SUPREMELY SATISFYING sandwich, while also being good for you and a nice alternative to your traditional ham and cheese (BORING!).

Ingredients:
Focaccia Bread, ciabatta or french bread/baquettes (enough for 4 sandwiches)
1 jar (13-15oz) of roasted red peppers
1 small container of goat cheese
1 jar olive tapenade
3+ cups of arugula (I LOVE THIS STUFF!)
handful fresh basil

Directions:
Slice the bread lengthwise in halves. Spread olive tapenade on both sides generously. Next, spread the goat cheese liberally on top of the bread, on top of the tapenade. Drain the jar of roasted red peppers and cut them lengthwise into manageable pieces to fit on the sandwich. Layer the peppers and then add fresh arugula, basil, and large amounts of freshly ground pepper.

Additions for the omnivore:
This sandwich is also great with the addition of Italian sausage, capicola or salami, or Aidells sausage (these are great added to anything! )

Grilled Rum Berry Cobbler

There is really nothing you can't make on the grill, even dessert. That is why grilling is not just for meat anymore! What is great about grilling is that you can literally make your appetizer, entree, sides and dessert all at the same time. You can use a variation of direct vs. indirect heat and accomplish the entire dinner in one step. This takes out the running back and forth from the grill back to the kitchen out of the equation. This also eliminates the probability of burning something while you make that dash back into the kitchen.

So eat, drink, and be merry by the grill and enjoy this easy cobbler recipe!! Plus, anything with RUM as an ingredient is always Mucho mejor!!

Ingredients:

2-3 cups fresh berries (blueberries, blackberries, - I used half cherries- yum!)
1-2 tblsp white rum
2 teaspoons rum
1-2 teaspoons vanilla
1-1.5 cups white sugar or splenda (depending on how sweet the fruit is and how sweet you like your cobbler)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar (balsamic helps draw out the juice and sugar of the fruit)
1 tsp cinnamon
2-3 tblsp butter
** mint or basil (optional)

Topping:
1 1/2 cups bisquick
1/2-3/4 c. cup milk
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix the berries, white sugar, rum and balsamic vinegar together (and mint or basil if adding) and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes or longer while you assemble the topping.

Mix the bisquick, milk, vanilla, brown sugar, and cinnamon together.

Now, pour the berry mixture into either a disposable aluminum baking pan (8"X8") or use a cast iron skillet that can go on the grill. Cut the butter into little pieces and spread on top. Pour the bisquick mixture on top, it will cover 75% of the berries.

Get the grill hot- around 300 degrees (usually, you have grilled something else at this point and the grill is already hot from that). Now, keep the grill at medium to medium low and put the cobbler on indirect heat. This means that you may have grilled something else, the grill is already heated up, and you leave one burner on and put the cobbler near the burner or hot charcoals, but not directly on top.

Cook uncovered for 30 minutes, give or take, until the fruit is bubbly and the topping is golden brown.

Service with vanilla ice cream of course! You will have seconds!!

Easy Black Bean Soup with Cilantro Sour Cream

This recipe is easy and makes enough to take to work for a few days or for a second night of leftovers. I pair this soup with a salad and bread for a full meal, or you can have this as an appetizer before a larger course. This recipe is vegetarian but the addition of sausage or chicken make this a heartier meal. I adapted this recipe from Real Simples recipe collection and added chili peppers, and spiced rum bay leaves (South Florida specialty). This recipe would also be great with the addition of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 tsp. olive oil
2 cups fresh salsa (usually in the produce or deli section of your grocery store)
2 15 oz. black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 16 oz. can refried black beans (sometimes you have to poke around in your grocery store a bit to find these- usually in the Ethnic food section)
* 1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
* 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (optional)
* 1 chopped small jalapeno

Heathe the oil in a saucepan or large pot over medium heat. Add the salsa and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Add the refried beans, black beans, and broth and bring to a simmer. Cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes.

After you ladle the soup into bowls, top it with any remaining salsa, sour cream and cilantro, and diced chilis.

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Conch Salad, Bahamian Ceviche

I was recently in Bimini, the Northernmost Island of the Bahamas, where it is a rite of passage, so to speak, to try the Conch Salad while there. You can find conch shells literally in every nook and cranny of this island that is only 50 miles from Fort Lauderdale, as conch salad is served at every watering hole on the island. The shells are a result of the island's main attraction, second only to the sport fishing and Kalik Beer.

In essence, Conch Salad is merely ceviche made with conch instead of shrimp or white fish. Ceviche is a Latin American favorite that consists of a white fish or shrimp salad that has been cooked by the acid of the lime and lemon juice it is marinted in. Conch salad consists of chopped up conch, plenty of lime juice, chopped onions, green and red peppers and garlic salt. Pretty simple really.

The Latins all have their own version of ceviche and there are two basic bases: white base (citrus) or red base (ketchup). The Ecuadorians tend to do the Ketchup version, and I have learned that more often than not they do parboil the fish or shrimp first, then use a ketchup and citrus base. In the Peruvian Style it is typical to find cooked sweet or white potatoes, corn or maize as an addition.

The Basic Ceviche Recipe consists of these staple ingredients:

Lime/Lemon/juice
chopped onion
chopped chili peppers
white fish
white vinegar (2-2 tblespoons)

** marinate the fish in the citrus mixture for at least 3 hours to let the fish cook in the juices. My Costa Rican friends add garlic, tomato and cilantro to their mixture. My friend Silvia adds chopped avocado as a garnish to her traditional Peruvian (BASIC) ceviche.

Ceviche is a healthy and lite dish for hot summers. Put your own spin on this recipe and please share your specialty recipes with me!!

** My friend Erin lived in Nicaragua for a while and reminded me that the white vinegar is good to add as it balances the citrus taste and also helps kill any bacteria that might get you sick.

Healthy Burger Alternative: Buffalo Burgers

Wild game is not something I would have ever considered eating until I dined at Ted's Montana Grill restaurant a while ago. This opened my eyes to a totally different burger experience!!

Buffalo meat is much leaner than beef and is also extremely high in iron and B vitamins! That's especially crucial for most ladies!

On a "healthy for the environment" note, you can buy organic, farm raised, cruelty and hormone free ground buffalo meat at most grocery stores in the "organic/green" meat section of your grocery store.

You should cook your buffalo burgers the same way you would cook your beef burgers. Make sure you get the grill at least to medium high for a bit to reach an internal temp of at least 160 degrees farenheit, and watch the color. Pink= rare, how I like it. :)

For extra piquant flavor, I added blue cheese and made the B-trifecta: Blue Buffalo Burgers. 

Enjoy!