Seafood Recipe: Grilled Tuna Steaks

Today we're sharing a great, simple tuna steak recipe fresh from the grill. We wanted to keep the flavors light and delicious. The natural flavors of the steak should shine through with the added benefit of the flavors absorbed from the grill. For our tuna, we coated the outside with garlic and lime to keep a light acidity to the dish, while adding japaleno gave the tuna a delightful little kick. Keep reading below for our favorite grilled tuna recipe...

Grilled Tuna Steaks

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1 jalapeno pepper seeded, de-veined, and minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tuna steaks (about 8oz each) 3/4" thick

Directions

1. Whisk together olive oil, lime juice, jalapeno pepper, garlic, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper in a gallon zipper-lock bag. Add the tuna steaks, then seal and refrigerate until the fish has marinated fully (at least 1 and up to 24 hours).
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil the grill grate.
3. Remove the tuna from the bag. Grill over direct heat until well seared and grill marks appear (about 1 1/2 minutes). Flip the steaks over and grill on the second side until the fish is cooked to about medium (opaque throughout, but translucent at the very center when checked with the point of a searing knife) or about another 1 to 1 1/2 minutes longer. Serve immediately.
4. Enjoy!

Simple Seafood Recipe: Grilled Salmon

There's just something about the grill and seafood that go so well together! This salmon recipe is pretty basic but delivers lots of flavor. The trickiest part is getting the grilling temperature right. 

The proper temperature ended up being medium-high to. We were able to brown the salmon perfectly without over-cooking for drying the cut out. One of the best ways to detect doneness for the salmon is to pull the salmon from the grill and squeeze the sides of the fillet gently between your fingertips. The fillet should be firm but not hard. Under cooked salmon will feel squishy by comparison. We waited until after we cooked the salmon to properly flavor it. Adding too much of a marinade would hurt the grilling process. Instead, after cooking, we melted just a little a basil lemon compound butter right on the still-hot fillets. This made the fish perfectly light and mixed wonderfully with the flavor from the grill. Keep reading below for this great recipe...

Simple Grilled Galmon

(makes 2 servings)

Ingredients

• 4 salmon fillets (center cut) each about 1/2lb and 1 1/2" thick
• canola oil for the grill
• 8oz unsalted butter, softened
• 8 leaves fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 whole cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. To make the butter, place the butter in a mixing bowl. Layer the basil leaves one on top of another and roll tightly, like a cigar. Thinly slice, creating slivers of basil. Place the basil in the bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and garlic and mix the ingredients to incorporate. Add the salt to taste.
2. Place the compound butter on one end of a 10" square piece of parchment. Roll the butter in the paper, creating a cylinder, about 5" long. Twist the ends and freeze for about an hour before using.
3. Heat the grill over medium-high heat. Rub the grill grate with an oil-dipped paper towel wad. Brush the salmon on both sides with oil. Sear skin-side down for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip gently with long-handled tongs or a spatula, and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes longer.
4. Remove the salmon from the grill and pull the butter from the freezer. Thinly slice one or two small pieces of butter and place right on top of the hot salmon. Garnish with basil or lemon on the plate.
5. Enjoy!

Simple Seafood Recipe: Shrimp Scampi

We were in the mood for this fantastic shellfish, and we wanted to keep it nice and simple.

To make the scampi fast, we cooked it in a skillet right on the stove. This let us heat everything up nice and fast and keep the dish confined to one pot. We quickly cooked the shrimp in the pan, set the shrimp to the side, then made a simple butter and vermouth sauce in the pan with some lemon juice and parsley before adding the shrimp once more to the pan. We tossed to coat and that was it. The entire recipe took only a few minutes, and we ended up with a great, light meal perfect for the warm weather. Keep reading below for this simple scampi recipe...

Simple Shrimp Scampi

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon dry vermouth
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red chile flakes
• 2 shallots, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, minced

Directions

1. Heat a skillet over high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add half the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally until just opaque (about 1 minute). Transfer to a medium bowl. Return the pan to the heat and repeat with the remaining oil and shrimp.
2. Return the empty skillet to medium-low heat. Melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add the garlic and shallots and cook, stirring constantly until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Off heat, add the lemon juice, vermouth, and red pepper flakes. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, add parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Return the shrimp and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Toss to combine. Serve immediately.
3. Enjoy!

Seafood Recipe: Cedar Plank Salmon

Sometimes when grilling we are looking for a classic, wooden, smoky flavor. This flavor can really help make a dish sing, and one protein that is particularly enhanced through a good, wooden flavor is salmon. What's the best way to get that perfect wood-grilled flavor without requiring a smoker? For our recipe, all you need is a little wood and a standard charcoal or gas grill.

The answer is to use wooden planks you can obtain from specialty cookware stores, grilling supply stores, or even hardware stores (though the first two are preferable since they are less likely to have any bad chemicals in them). You can actually cook with a large variety of wood types. Alder adds a mild, mellow flavor, while cherry is more rich or bright. Hickory is smoky and is fantastic for red meats and pork. For salmon, however, we absolutely love using cedar. Cedar adds a lush, smoky, aromatic flavor that pairs perfectly with some lemon, dill, and rosemary. Keep reading below for this excellent recipe...

Cedar Plank Salmon

(makes 6 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 cup white wine for soaking the wood planks
• 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
• 2 tablespoons mild honey
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 3 teaspoons sesame seeds (optional)
• 1 2lb salmon fillet with skin

Directions

1. Rinse the plank(s) with water to remove any dust. Fill a large container with water. Submerge the plank in the water. Add the white wine. Soak the cedar planks for two hours before grilling.
2. Heat the grill to about 350F or medium heat.
3. Stir together the mustard, honey, rosemary, dill, zest, sesame seeds, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Spread the mixture on the flesh side of the salmon and let the salmon stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.
4. Place the salmon on the plank, skin side down, and grill, covered with lid, until the salmon is just cooked through and the edges are browned (13 to 15 minutes). Let the salmon stand on the plank 5 minutes before serving.
5. Enjoy!

Seafood Recipe: Grilled Lobster Tails

Ready to try grilling the king of seafood? Then get ready for this delicious recipe for grilled lobster tails! The trick is learning how to grill up these delicate shellfish and do justice to the dish without completely drying it out.

The best way to cook them is right in the shells, that way they retain plenty of moisture. To keep the tails straight, stick a skewer in each one. This also makes flipping the tails that much easier. To season, we mixed together some butter with garlic and herbs to form a compound butter that we added to the hot lobster right off the grill. Keep reading below for this excellent recipe...

Grilled Lobster Tails

(makes 4-6 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 stick salted butter at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh chopped parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• a dash of hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
•  freshly ground black pepper
• 4 7oz lobster tails
• oliveo il
• kosher salt
• lemon wedges for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
2. In a small bowl, blend butter, chives, tarragon, minced garlic, hot sauce, lemon juice, and black pepper with a rubber spatula. Blend thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and reserve.
3. Using kitchen shears, butterfly the lobster tails down the middle of the underside of the shell. Cut the meat down the center without cutting all the way through. Insert a metal skewer down the lobster tail to keep it straight, and brush the tails with olive oil while seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Grill the lobsters cut side down for 5 minutes, or until the shells are bright in color. Turn the tails over and spoon a generous tablespoon of the herbed butter into the meat. Grill for another 4 minutes, or until the lobster meat is opaque and white.
5. Remove the tails from the grill and serve with herb butter and lemon wedges.
6. Enjoy!

Simple Seafood Recipe: Grilled Halibut with Mustard Sauce

Today we're sharing a fantastic recipe for grilled halibut steaks with a delicious sauce. to make this recipe, we very lightly seasoned the halibut steak itself with salt, pepper, and a little onion. We simply cooked the halibut right on the grill, then served the sauce on the side so guests could decide how much they wanted on the halibut for themselves. Keep reading below for this delicious recipe...

Grilled Halibut with Mustard Sauce

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

• zest of 1 lime (about 2 teaspoons)
• juice of 2 limes (about 4 tablespoons)
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives or green onion
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• coarsely ground black pepper
• 4 1"-thick halibut steaks (about 3/4lb each)
• 1 large red onion, sliced into 1/2" thick rings

Directions

1. Whisk together the lime zest, lime juice, Dijon mustard, extra-virgin olive oil, tarragon, chives, salt, and pepper to taste. Set aside.
2. Rub both sides of the halibut with the red onion, then season with salt and pepper. Oil the grill rack.  Grill the halibut and onion, covered, for 4-6 minutes on each side or until the fish is nice and flaky and the onion is tender. Serve with sauce on the side.
3. Enjoy!

Sweet & Savory Balsamic-Glazed Salmon

Who doesn’t love a little bit of sweet and savory? The sweetness of honey and brown sugar makes this glazed salmon stand out, and it’s a perfect and simple recipe for any dinner table. 

Depending on the market price of salmon and your proximity to the fresh variety, salmon might be a bit of a splurge – but you could also use this glaze for chicken and have similarly tasty results. 

If you don’t have honey on hand, you could also use maple syrup for the same sweetness factor. If you don’t have brown sugar, simply use an extra tablespoon of honey. Then, in just 15 minutes, it’s time to dig in! 

Balsamic-Glazed Salmon

(makes 6 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 salmon fillet (2 pounds) cut into 6 serving pieces, or six pre-cut salmon fillets
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the salmon, skin-side down, on the sheet. Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper.
2. Whisk together the honey, vinegar, brown sugar, sesame seeds, and garlic in a small bowl. (If it seems too thick, whisk in a splash of water.) Then, brush half the glaze over the salmon.
3. Bake the salmon for 10 minutes, then brush the salmon with the remaining glaze. Bake the salmon for 5 more minutes, or until it flakes easily.
4. Serve with rice, veggies, or another side.
5. Enjoy!

Seafood Recipe: Grilled Pesto Shrimp

Fresh shrimp? Check. Homemade pesto? Check. Combine the two and throw ‘em on the grill, and you’ve got a main course that pairs perfectly with rice pilaf, salad, or grilled veggies. (Hint: Also great to toss with pasta.) Though you can definitely use pre-made pesto, we can’t recommend the homemade version enough – especially if you have some fresh basil growing in the garden!

Grilled Pesto Shrimp

(makes about 4 servings)

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds extra large or jumbo shrimp, peeled (tails left on), and deveined
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup basil leaves
• 2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts (omit for nut allergies)
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for garnish
• Wooden or metal skewers, for grilling

Directions:

1. Thread the shrimp onto the skewers.
2. Combine the olive oil, basil, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, Parmesan cheese, and pine nuts in a food processor or blender. Pulse until well-blended, and reserve 2-3 tablespoons of the pesto in a small bowl (for extra dipping later).
3. Pour the rest of the pesto onto the shrimp and let it marinate at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and lightly grease the grill. Place the shrimp on the grill and cook for a few minutes on each side – the shrimp should look slightly charred and plump.
5. Serve the shrimp skewers with a lemon wedge for garnish and a little extra pesto on the side.
6. Enjoy!