Grilling and Smoking Chicken

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Grilling and Smoking Chicken
By Aaron Ralston

Chicken is one of my favorite meats to cook. It is low in fat, high in protein, and if
cooked correctly, it will definitely be a crowd pleaser. There are many different
recipes for grilling and smoking chicken, and I have included my two favorite
recipes below. I am known as The Smoker King, and I am the author and
Webmaster of “Outdoor Cooking: Barbeque, Sauces, Mops, Rubs,” so you can bet
that my favorite way to cook chicken is outdoors, on a grill or smoker.

The first recipe is one that I use when I cook chicken fajitas. The marinade gives a
tequila-lime twist to the chicken, which is great for Mexican-type dishes. The
second recipe is my take on the famous beer can chicken recipe. Through my
experience, I have found that placing the chicken on a beer can throne while it is
smoking produces a juicy, tender bird. Smoking chicken is one of my favorite ways
to cook chicken, and after you have tried this recipe, I believe that you will really like
smoking chicken too.

Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken

Ingredients:

4-Chicken Breasts

2-Cups of Margarita Mix (I prefer Mr. and Mrs. T’s)

1/2-Cup Vinegar

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

1-Tbsp Onion Powder

1-Tbsp Garlic Powder

1-Tbsp Cajun Seasoning

Lemon Pepper

Option for a kicked up version: Add one shot of Tequila

Recipe:

1. Trim chicken breasts to remove fat

2. Using the flat side of a meat tenderizer, pound the each chicken breast until they
are about 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick.

3. Mix all ingredients into a bowl just big enough to hold the chicken breasts while
they are completely covered in the marinade.

4. Add chicken breasts, and refrigerate for 1/2 to 1 hour. The longer they stay in
the marinade, the more Tequila lime taste they will have.

5. Season both sides of the chicken with Lemon Pepper before grilling.

6. Grill over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes per side. Times may vary
depending on heat, just make sure that the meat is white throughout the breast,
and the juices run clear.

This is a great recipe for chicken fajitas.

Here is my recipe for Cajun smoked, beer-can chicken.

Injection Ingredients:

1. A 3 or 4 pound chicken

2. 1/2 cup melted butter (room temperature)

3. 2 tablespoons of Tony Chachere’s seasoning (more for a spicier chicken)

4. 1-teaspoon garlic powder

5. 1/2 cup vinegar

Rub Ingredients:

1. Olive oil

2. Tony Chachere’s seasoning.

Mop Ingredients:

1. Apple Cider

2. A Spray Bottle

Other:

1. A beer of your choice (1/2 full)

2. 3 cloves of garlic

3. About 3 tablespoons of chopped garlic

Directions:

1. Whisk all injection ingredients together.

2. Using a kitchen syringe, inject the liquid into various spots on the chicken. Try to
be even as possible, injecting about 1/2 of the mixture into the breasts, and the
other 1/2 throughout the rest of the chicken.

3. Rub the chicken down with olive oil, and apply an even layer of Tony’s to the bird.

4. Drink half of the beer, widen the opening at the top of the can, then put the garlic
and onion in the can.

5. Place the bird on the can. It should sit up by itself.

6. Preheat your smoker to about 250 F degrees. I use hickory for chicken, charcoal
works well too.

7. Put the chicken on the smoker and spray the chicken with the apple cider about
every 30 minutes.

8. Smoke the chicken for 3-4 hours, or until the internal temperature of the thickest
meat reaches 180 F Degrees.

I hope you enjoy both recipes as much as I do. You can find many more at my
website listed below.

Aaron Ralston, also known as The Smoker King, is the owner of Outdoor
Cooking: Barbeque, Sauces, Mops, Rubs at
http://www.thesmokerking.com. Check out thesmokerking.com today to learn
many great barbeque and cooking recipes and techniques.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Aaron_Ralston
http://EzineArticles.com/?Grilling-and-Smoking-Chicken&id=123189

Popularity: 57% [?]

Low Fat Salmon Recipes

Low Fat Salmon Recipes
By Hans Dekker

Finding delicious low fat salmon recipes has just become easier since you found our website. There are many wonderful low fat salmon recipes that will please your palate plus the palates of your dinner guests or family.

This first low fat salmon recipe uses yummy ingredients such as low or non-fat sour cream and low or non-fat mayonnaise to create a delectable creamy salmon recipe that is perfect for any occasion.

For this recipe you will need:

2 pounds of salmon filets,

¾ cup of low or non-fat sour cream,

1/3 cup of low or non-fat mayonnaise,

2 tablespoons of all purpose flour,

2 tablespoons of lemon juice,

8 ounces of low or non-fat cream cheese,

1 minced clove of garlic,

1/3 cup of your favorite white wine,

salt, pepper, and paprika to taste.

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash the salmon and pat it dry with a paper towel.

Use a non-stick spray such as Pam and spray your 9×13 inch baking dish. Place the salmon filets in the baking dish with the skin down in a single layer. In a medium size bowl, blend together the sour cream, mayonnaise, flour, lemon juice, cream cheese, garlic, and wine until smooth and well blended.

Now, with the back of a spoon spread the mixture over the salmon. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper and paprika to your liking. Do not cover and bake for around 20. You can use a meat thermometer to ensure your salmon is done and not overcooked. The internal temperature should be 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The salmon will still cook once you remove it from the heat source. Do not go by color alone.

You can also prepare low fat salmon recipes on your grill or barbeque and create some wonderful low fat sauces to enhance the flavor of your salmon.

A great sauce to serve along side grilled salmon is a low fat lemon dill sauce.

For this sauce you will need:

2 tablespoons of non-fat mayonnaise,

2 tablespoons of lemon juice,

1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard,

¾ teaspoon of dill weed,

salt and pepper to taste.

Blend together all ingredients with a wire whisk and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Hans loves seafood and is author of
Seafood
Recipes at http://www.steaks-guide.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hans_Dekker
http://EzineArticles.com/?Low-Fat-Salmon-Recipes&id=53637

Popularity: 57% [?]

Heart Healthy Salmon: Make it a Weekly Treat

Heart Healthy Salmon: Make it a Weekly Treat
By Harriet Hodgson

New medical studies say fish with Omega-3 fatty acids, including mackerel, herring, and salmon, have many health benefits. Mayo Clinic cites these benefits in an article, “How Eating Fish Helps Your Heart.” The benefits: brain development in children, decreasing triglycerides, lowering blood pressure, enhancing the immune system, and reducing the risk of sudden heart attack. Wow.

The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute lists additional benefits on its Web site. “The Omega-3 oils found in certain types of seafood, including Alaska salmon, have been linked to improvements in or prevention of certain kinds of cancer, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, arthritis, asthma, certain kinds of mental illness, depression and lupis,” the site notes.

You are lucky if you live in an area that has an abundance of fresh fish. I live in Minnesota and, while our grocery stores carry farm-raised fresh salmon, I do not buy it because of a sign that reads, “Color added.” Eating artificially colored salmon does not appeal to me, so I buy wild salmon or canned. We had salmon for dinner last night and it was delicious.

Since I did not have a recipe, I made a basic white sauce, seasoned it a bit, and added some leftover asparagus I had already steamed. I added a fresh spinach and carrot salad and tiny fingers of Parmesan toast. We had white wine with dinner and felt like we were in a fancy restaurant. Stumped on dinner? Try my Creamed Salmon with Fresh Asparagus.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons margarine

2 tablespoons Wondra flour

1 cup skim milk

2 tablespoons light cream cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt free lemon pepper seasoning

Dash of paprika

6 asparagus spears, cooked and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 6-ounce can Wild Alaskan Salmon, drained and separated into chunks

1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs

1 tablespoon light olive oil

METHOD

Melt the margarine in a small saucepan. Whisk in Wondra flour, making sure all lumps are gone, and then the milk. Add cream cheese, lemon pepper seasoning, and paprika. Cook over medium heat until the sauce is thick. Fold in asparagus and salmon.

Pour mixture into two small, oven-proof dishes that have been coated with cooking spray. Mix the bread crumbs and olive oil together until they clump a bit. Sprinkle crumbs over salmon. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the sauce starts to bubble.

Copyright 2007 by Harriet Hodgson

http://www.harriethodgson.com

Harriet Hodgson has been a freelance nonfiction writer for 28 years and is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists. Before she became a health writer she was a food writer for the first “Rochester Magazine.” Hodgson’s 24th book, “Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief,” written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from http://www.amazon.com. A five-star review of the book is posted on Amazon. You will find another review on the American Hospice Foundaiton Web site under the “School Corner” heading.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Harriet_Hodgson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Heart-Healthy-Salmon:-Make-it-a-Weekly-Treat&id=447299

Popularity: 55% [?]

Seared Sesame Encrusted Ahi Tuna Steak Recipe

Tuna is truly an amazing food with a number of benefits that contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Tuna is rich in Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and has been known to reduce the risk of heart disease. It is also low in fat and cholesterol making it a great alternative to beef.

Not only is tuna a powerhouse of nutrition, it is also one of the most delicious sources of lean protein that you will ever sink your teeth into.

Tuna is also easy to cook. Its a hardy fish and holds together well on the grill, in the oven, or on the stove top. The following ahi tuna recipe is one of my favorites and is fairly easy to prepare.

I made this particular dish the other day and it was absolutely wonderful. My wife, who normally does not eat big portions, cleaned off her plate and wanted more, so that is a very good sign.

The thickness of the tuna steak you use really depends on how rare you like your tuna. Because you are only searing the outside of your tuna steak, it will not be in the pan for very long. So the thicker the steak, the more rare the center will be.

I personally do not like my tuna too rare, so I usually make this recipe with thinner cuts of tuna. This is just a preference, not a requirement. Many people, including chefs say the only way to eat tuna is rare. I guess you will have to be the judge.

Let us move on to the recipe shall we?

Seared Sesame Encrusted Ahi Tuna with a Cilantro, Garlic and Lime sauce..

I should mention one thing before we begin this recipe . I do not follow exact measurements in recipes. I measure everything by eye, so the following measurements are only to be used as a guide. So don’t get too mad at me!

This is optional, but I like to toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan first before I put them on the tuna. The seeds become nutty and aromatic when you toast them. This is highly recommended if you have the time and is quite easy to do. Simply heat a dry pan over medium heat, then add the seeds shaking the pan occasionally. You may have to do this in batches, depending on how many seeds you are toasting.

You do not want to overcrowd the pan. Keep an eye on the seeds and make sure they do not burn. Toast them until they darken a bit and start to become fragrant. Remove and let them cool before adding them to the tuna.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 Cup Black Sesame Seeds
1/4 Cup White Sesame Seeds
1 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil
2 - 6 ounce Ahi (Yellow Fin) Tuna Steaks
Salt and Pepper to Taste

MARINADE/ DIPPING SAUCE

1/ 2 Cup of Low Sodium Soy Sauce (Who needs the extra sodium, right?)
1 Lime (Juice and Zest - If you want more lime flavor, add another)�
1- 2 Cloves of Garlic Minced
2 Tablespoons of Honey
1 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil
2 Tablespoons of Freshly Chopped Cilantro Leaves

1) Prepare the marinade. Add all marinade ingredients to a small bowl and mix well. Reserve half of this marinade in a separate container to use as a dipping sauce.

2) Get a glass baking dish or other non-reactive container to marinade the tuna in. You want the tuna steaks to fit snuggly in the dish so that they are surrounded nicely with the marinade. Pour the marinade into the dish and put the tuna steaks in and kind of swirl the marinade around so that you coat the fish well. Cover with some plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Another option is to pour the marinade in a large zip lock bag, add the tuna, and then squeeze out the air. Marinade for 30 minutes to an hour, turning the tuna about half way through.

3) Remove tuna from fridge and let stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes or so.

4) Remove tuna from marinade, shaking off any excess marinade and dry on paper towels.

5) Heat a saute pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. The oil should be hot but not smoking.

6) While the pan is heating, arrange your sesame seeds on a flat dish. Roll the tuna around in the seeds pressing down as you roll ensuring the seeds are packed into the tuna nicely.

7) Add the tuna to the hot saute pan and shake it a bit to make sure the tuna does not stick. Sear for 30 to 40 seconds on both sides.

Remove and serve with the reserved dipping sauce.

For side dishes with this recipe I usually keep things pretty bland as I don’t want anything to compete with the flavors in the tuna. So I usually prepare a side of steamed green beans with a bit of butter, salt and pepper or other vegetable along with some lightly seasoned jasmine or basmati rice.

There you have it. I do hope you enjoy this Seared Sesame Encrusted Ahi Tuna recipe. I am not a big wine drinker, but for those of you who like a glass or two with dinner, I heard a nice Pinot Grigio goes quite well with Tuna. Buon Appetito!

Popularity: 100% [?]