Spicy-Sweet Grilled Salmon

So this was another recipe I tried that to me did not fit it's original description. Awesome - yes; spicy/sweet -  not so much. It was full of flavor and I might even go to say, the best salmon I've ever had. It wasn't dried out and a great balance of tang and sweet from vinegar/soy sauce/lemon juice/cilantro to brown sugar. Maybe if I added more red pepper flakes it would have qualified for spicy, but definitely not fixing the recipe as is. This recipe was originally made for broiling, but with the weather so nice outside, it was impossible for me to deny the grill this pleasure. Grilled salmon to me always has such a wonderful flavor. It has been a very long while since I have grilled salmon, so I was excited to break out my grilling skillet - it really is worth the purchase. The original title described this as "glazed". I'm sure since the heat source is on the bottom of the fish for grilling vs the top for broiling, that would contribute to it not really turning out "glazed". My feelings were not hurt that it didn't turn out that way because it was so delicious anyways!
 
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds fresh salmon fillet with skin removed 
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 
• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce 
• 1/4 cup water 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice 
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste 
• 1 teaspoon onion powder 
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder 
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro 
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed 
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place salmon in a gallon sized Ziploc bag. 
2. Combine the vinegar, olive oil, soy sauce, water, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, cilantro, and brown sugar in a blender (I used my stick blender). 
3. Blend until brown sugar dissolves. 
4. Pour the marinade over the salmon to cover evenly. 
5. Seal the bag and refrigerate at least 2 hours (laying the salmon flat).
6. To grill: If you have one of those grilling skillets, this makes grilling fish a lot easier. Lightly grease skillet (and grill) with cooking spray or canola oil (it makes removing the fish and cleaning the grill a lot easier if it doesn't stick). 
7. Place fish in skillet. Keep the marinade to baste with in a few minutes.
8. Salt and pepper to taste. 
9. Grill for 15-25 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fish). No flipping required! Baste every 3-5 minutes with marinade to keep fish moist.Grill until salmon is done - when fish is no longer bright red and can be flaked with a fork. 

Broiling Directions:

• Broiling is also an option. Here are the directions from the original recipe for broiling and making the sauce from the remaining marinade. I decided to forgo the sauce. The fish was plenty moist and flavorful by itself.  

1. Line a broiling pan with foil. 
2. Remove salmon from marinade, and place on prepared broiling pan; season to taste with salt and pepper. 
3. Transfer remaining marinade to a saucepan. 
4. Turn on broiler to low. 
5. Broil salmon about 6 inches from the heat for 5 minutes; brush with remaining marinade. Broil an additional 5 to 10 minutes, brushing 2 or 3 more times with additional marinade. 
6. Meanwhile, cook the remaining marinade over low heat until it thickens and reduces by one-third, 5 to 10 minutes. Use cooked marinade as a dipping sauce or drizzle over salmon just before serving.

Adapted from: Spicy-Sweet Glazed Salmon

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Mint Honey Lamb Skewers - Grilled!

These tasty lamb skewers were my first experience "Kabob-ing" anything. It was fun and a little time consuming prepping and skewering all of the ingredients, but in the end it was definitely worth it. The original recipe called for a reduction made with apricot preserves, the marinade and white wine. I tried to make it as instructed but turned into a nasty smelling I-don't-know-what that never made it onto the skewers. They were wonderful without it so I didn't even include it in what I made below. Happy Kabobing!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped fresh mint
• ¾ cup dry white wine
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 3 lb. cubed lamb stew meat
• 1 lb pearl onions, peeled (or I used a regular sweet onion quartered)
• 1 Red Bell Pepper - rinsed, de-seeded and cut into 1 square inch pieces
• 1 Orange Bell Pepper - rinsed, de-seeded and cut into 1 square inch pieces
• 1 small container Cherry Tomatoes,  rinsed 
• 8 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

Directions:

1. In small bowl combine mint, wine, lemon juice and honey. Stir to combine.
2. In large bowl toss together lamb, onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers  Add wine mixture and toss until evenly combined. Cover, and refrigerate 4 hours to overnight.
3. Place lamb, onions  onto bamboo skewers, alternating lamb and onions until ingredients are used. Reserve remaining marinade and set aside.
4. Grill skewers until lamb is cooked through, about 8 minutes on each side. 

Inspired from: Mint Honey Lamb Skewers

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