This recipe is a perfect fusion of Latin chiles with American BBQ sauce. It delivers a variety of flavors and is absolutely a pleasure to eat! Beef ribs are a lot meatier than pork ones but can also be a lot tougher. You have to cook them very slowly and for a long time. Here is what you need for these:

2 beefy racks of ribs
2 pasilla chilies
2 California chilies
4 arbol chilies
3 TBS salt + 1 tsp. for the chilies
2 TBS cumin
1 TBS black pepper
4 garlic cloves
BBQ sauce of your choice

Place the dry chilies in a skillet and turn on the heat. Press the chilies on the hot skillet and allow them to char and blister a bit. Move them to a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Weigh them down with a small plate and allow the to re-hydrate for about 20 to 30 minutes. Once hydrated, stem and seed the chilies. Place them in a blender with 4 garlic cloves and 1 tsp. salt. Blend until you have a smooth paste, adding a little of the soaking water if necessary.

Remove the fascia from the back of your ribs by sliding a small knife under it to separate it from the bone and pulling on it to tear it away. Rinse the ribs and place them in a pan.

Mix together the remaining salt, pepper and cumin. Sprinkle the rub on both sides of the racks and rub it in with your fingers. Smear the ribs with your chili paste.

Heat your grill. If you have a gas grill, turn off half of the burners once it is hot. If you have a charcoal grill, pile the hot coals to one side – using a metal tool. Place the ribs, bone side down on the lit side and sear them. Once seared, move them to the unlit part of the grill. Cover the grill and cook the ribs in indirect heat for a good 2 hours.

Slather the ribs with BBQ sauce and allow them to cook for another 30 to 45 minutes. The longer they cook the more tender they will be. Remove the ribs from the grill and serve. Enjoy!

Print the Grill Beef Ribs Recipe Here

These chicken thighs have to be marinated for about 4 hours so make sure you allot that time. They are roasted in the oven but could also be grilled. Whatever you decide, these are absolutely delicious. Here is what you need to do for these:

Serves four

8 chicken thighs
1 large lime or lemon – juiced
2 cups plain yogurt
1 tsp. freshly grated ginger
2 large garlic clove sliced into thin slivers
1 tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. red chili flakes
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper

Rinse the chicken thighs and place them in a shallow dish. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt and cover with lime juice. Allow chicken to sit in lime juice – at room temperature – for 30 minutes. Remove chicken from lime juice after the 30 minutes and wash the dish.

While the chicken is in the lime, make your marinade. Mix together the yogurt, ginger, garlic, cumin, chili flakes, cinnamon, remaining salt and black pepper. Whisk the sauce.
Place the chicken in the cleaned shallow dish and cover with the marinade. Make sure to coat all the pieces. Cover the pan with some plastic and refrigerate for at least four hours.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the chicken from the marinade but don’t shake it all off. Place the thighs on a roasting rack – oil it if do not want the skins to stick to the rack. Place the chicken in the oven for about 10 minutes – until the skin crisps.

Lower the oven to 375 degrees and continue roasting the chicken for another 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 170 degrees. Remove from oven and serve. Enjoy!

2 thighs w/ skin – CALORIES 261.76; FAT 19.43 grs (sat 0.15; mono 0.07; poly 0.01); PROTEIN 20.17 grs ; FIBER 0.21 grs; CARBS 1.68 grs; CHOLESTEROL 0.91 mg; IRON 1.31 mg; SODIUM 651.34 mg; CALCIUM 40.48 mg

Print the Yogurt Marinated Roasted Chicken Thighs Recipe Here

Here’s a very healthy dish that can be made on the dinner table within 30 minutes. The fish steams in the pouches and ends up moist and flavorful. You can cook these pouches in the oven or directly on a grill. Here is what you are going to need for this:

Serves four – two pouches of two fish each

1 large white onion – sliced
4 tomatoes – thickly sliced
20 parsley sprigs – washed
4 TBS olive oil
4 fish fillets – I used Basa
1 TBS mayonnaise
1 lime or lemon – juiced
Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spread out a large piece of aluminum foil on the kitchen counter. Layer ¼ of the onion slices on the bottom, top with ¼ of the tomato slices and ¼ of the parsley sprigs. Add some salt and pepper and drizzle 2 TBS olive oil on vegetables. Place 2 fish fillets on the vegetables and add ½ of the lime juice. Season with salt and pepper again and spread ¼ TBS mayonnaise on each one. Top the fish with ¼ of the onion slices, ¼ of the tomato slices and ¼ of the parsley sprigs. Grab the edges of the foil and seal them at the top – forming a tent. Seal the sides as well. Repeat the process with the second pouch.
Place the fish in the oven and cook between 25 to 30 minutes. Carefully remove the pouch – do not burn yourself – and let it cool down a bit. Open the top – very careful not to burn with the steam – and check if the fish is done. If it is not, seal it again and return it to the oven for a few more minutes.
Serve the fish with onion and tomato. Enjoy!

CALORIES 261.69; FAT 9.96 grs (sat 1.78; mono 5.65; poly 1.67); PROTEIN 25.73 grs ; FIBER 3.64 grs; CARBS 19.88 grs; CHOLESTEROL 57.66 mg; IRON 2.55 mg; SODIUM 1270 mg; CALCIUM 81.94 mg

Print the Oven Steamed Fish Recipe Here

Kabobs are cubed pieces of marinated beef or chicken that are skewered with vegetables. They are fun and great way to stretch a piece of meat. Ideally you would grill these but pan frying them will render you a beautiful result as well. You can skewer the beef with any vegetable you like. The most common ones are red onion and bell peppers. Other good veggies would include mushrooms, zucchini, tomatoes and boiled baby potatoes.

A good technique for these is to cut the beef when it is still a little frozen. That will make things easier for you. This is an old family recipe and it is amazing. We make these with beef or chicken. We do not marinate the meat but, instead, baste it with a spicy tomato sauce. Here is what you need for these:

Serves four

8 skewers – if you are using bamboo ones make sure to soak them for at least 30 minutes
1 pound Flank steak or London broil, trimmed and cubed into 1-inch cubes
2 tomatoes – seeded and cubed
1 large red bell pepper, cubed into large pieces
1 large red onion, cubed into large pieces
Crushed dried oregano
Salt & Pepper

FOR THE BASTING SAUCE:
1 large tomato
1 green chili pepper – seeded
3 mint leaves
1 tsp. olive oil
Salt

Place all of the ingredients in a blender. Taste for salt and adjust as necessary.

Use the sauce for basting the skewers. Any left-over sauce can be served with the finished meal as a salsa.

FOR THE SKEWERS:
Place the cubed beef in a bowl and season with salt, pepper and crushed oregano.

String the meat, alternating with a tomato cube, onion cube and pepper cube on your skewers. Start with and finish with meat cubes.

If using a grill – heat the grill and reduce to medium heat. Clean the grids and oil with olive oil. Place the skewers on the grill. Brush the skewers generously with the tomato sauce. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until meat has a brown crust. Flip and baste the other side. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat this process one more time.

If using a griddle or skillet – heat the pan until hot. Brush it with some olive oil. Place the skewers on the pan and brush generously with the tomato sauce. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until meat has a brown crust. Flip and baste the other side. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat this process one more time.

Serve with the remaining tomato sauce and enjoy!

2 skewers – CALORIES 265.55; FAT 13.72 grs (sat 4.48; mono 7.7; poly 0.96); PROTEIN 26.02 grs ; FIBER 2.36 grs; CARBS 8.74 grs; CHOLESTEROL 52.89 mg; IRON 2.66 mg; SODIUM 951.09 mg; CALCIUM 27.29 mg

Print the Beef Kabobs Recipe Here

These little patties are so amazingly delicious you will want to make a large batch. Make sure you plan ahead as you will have to marinade the meat. These are a fantastically economical way to entertain! Here is what you are going to need for these:

3 pounds ground beef – preferably 80%
3 garlic cloves – minced
4 TBS chopped Italian parsley
2 medium Roma tomatoes – halved
½ a large white onion
Red chili flakes
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
2 tomatoes – peeled and chopped
1 small red onion – finely chopped
Olive oil
½ lemon juiced
Plain yogurt
Pita pockets – cut in half
Salt & Pepper

Place the meat in a large bowl. Using a grating box, grate the tomato halves into the meat. Use the larger grating holes for the tomato. Turn the grating box around and grate the onion on the smaller grating holes. Add the garlic and parsley. Season generously with salt, pepper and red chili flakes.

Knead the meat for a good 20 minutes. Cover it and refrigerate it. Let the kneaded meat rest for a minimum of 4 hours or up to 24. Form small patties, small enough to fit 3 in a half pita pocket. Grill patties in indirect heat on your grill.

While the patties are grilling mix the lettuce, tomato and red onion. Season with lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Set aside.

Place 3 cooked patties in half a pita pocket. Top with lettuce salad, a dab of yogurt and extra red chili flakes. Enjoy!

Print the Turkish Koftas Recipe Here

Salmon is one of my favorite kinds of fish. I absolutely love it, specially when it is grilled. I love the smoky flavor the grill gives the fish. I also like the fact that the fish cooks so fast and dinner can be on the table in less than 30 minutes – 20 for marinating, 10 for cooking.

Salmon can be expensive so when I find a deal, I jump on it. This week I found a large fillet at Costco and paid $12 for it. Not bad considering it fed 5 of us.

I marinated this fish in:
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 sprigs Rosemary, leaves removed from twig

I whisked the syrup and the soy sauce and then added the garlic and the Rosemary. The fish marinated for a total of 20 minutes, 10 minutes per side, in the refrigerator.

We cooked the salmon on a medium heat grill for 5 minutes per side. Half of it went directly on the grill – we oiled the grids well with a paper towel wad soaked in olive oil. The other half we placed on a log – a simple wood fire log – that Peter placed in his grill. The smoky flavor the log added was intensely delicious! This piece took a few extra minutes to be cooked. We cooked the fish with the grill cover down.

Dinner was great tonight!

I love grilling shrimp because it intensified the flavor and is ready really fast! Shrimp kabobs are very easy to make. This particular recipe calls for shelled, deveined shrimp. You will need to either buy it like that or get a special deveiner tool which slides under the shell and removes the vein.

Place the shrimp into a bowl of ice cold water while you are getting them onto the skewers. This will prevent them from going bad. If you are using wooden skewers go ahead and place them in the same bowl as the shrimp and they will acquire some of the shrimp’s taste. Make sure you always soak wooden skewers in water before putting them on the grill otherwise they will burn.

In this recipes you will prepare a marinade and then brush it onto the shrimp, making sure to fill in the crevice. You are going to need about 3 pounds of extra large shrimp for the following amount of marinade. If you are making less shrimp adjust the amounts accordingly.

In a bowl whisk together 1 cup extra virgin olive oil with 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 3 tablespoons minced parsley, 2 teaspoons coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.

You will need a couple bunches scallions which you will trim and cut into 2 inch pieces – cut the whole thing whites, light greens and greens. We will use these on our skewers just for flavor. You can also use large dices of red onion.

So, remove the shrimp from the bowl, one by one, and start skewering them. Skewer shrimp, onion, shrimp, onion and so on and so forth. Go ahead and get creative. If you want to you can add large dices of bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, pineapple or any other thing that makes your creative juices flow.

Place all the skewered shrimp into a large sided dish. Brush the marinade on each shrimp making sure you fill in the crevice. Let the shrimp marinade for 30 minutes.

Turn the grill on and heat it for about 30 minutes. Reduce the heat and place the shrimp on the grill and cook until the shrimp turns pink, flip the skewers and cook the other side. You should be done in about 10 minutes or less. If you are using a charcoal grill pile up the hot coals on one side and place the skewers on the other so they cook with indirect heat.

Remove the shrimp from the grill and remove from the skewer – or not, you can go ahead and serve everyone one or two skewers on their plates.

Other Recipes with Shrimp & Crab:
Seafood Salad Stuffed Avocado
Seafood Salad Sandwiches
Crab Rangoon
Pasta, Shrimp & Alfredo Sauce
Shrimp Ceviche
Garlic Shrimp Pasta
Baked Shrimp w/ Feta Cheese
Shrimp Scampi
Coconut Shrimp
Chicken & Shrimp Kabobs
Crab Cakes
Grilled Shrimp & Sausage Kabobs
Chopped Crab Salad
Chicken & Shrimp Stir-Fry
Turmeric Rice & Shrimp
Corn & Shrimp Chowder
Paella Mixta
Shrimp & Crab Salad
Grilled Pineapple Shrimp Kabobs
Cilantro Marinated Shrimp Kabobs
Bowtie Pasta & Shrimp
Garden Salad w/ Garlic Shrimp
Shrimp & Orzo
Fettuccine, Shrimp, Corn & Spinach
Green Curry Shrimp
Shrimp Linguine

Tostadas are always a fun meal. Simply place all the ingredients on the table and let everyone assemble their own. I like to smear mine with beans, add meat and then all the toppings. However you decide to make yours, you will be pleased with the final result. Here is what you need for these:

8 store bought tostadas or 8 deep fried corn tortillas
11/2 pounds flank steak
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 medium tomato, diced
1/2 cup finely sliced iceberg lettuce
1- 12 oz. can refried beans, heated
1 avocado, diced (if you dice them in advance cover them with a little lime juice or leave the seeds in with the avocado to prevent it from turning brown)
1/2 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese (or cheddar or Monterrey)
Sour cream
Finely chopped cilantro for garnish
Lime wedges for garnish
Salsa – optional

Rinse and pat dry the meat. Mix the chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper in a bowl. Rub the meat on all sides.

Heat a large skillet until hot. Add some oil. Place the beef in the pan and cook until a brown crust forms at the bottom – about 4 minutes. Flip the meat and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes for medium rare beef. Go ahead and cook it longer if you like your meat to be well done. Remove from heat and cut into strips, against the grain.

Place the lettuce, tomatoes, acovados, sour cream, beans, cheese, salsa and beef into separate bowls. Serve everyone 2 tostadas and let them assemble their own. Enjoy!

Print the Steak Tostadas Recipe Here

This recipe is great for entertaining or simply feeding the family! Cornish hens are inexpensive and they are so much fun to eat. Kids love them! Here, I butterflied them, rubbed them and cooked them on the grill. The final result was absolutely delightful! This is what you will need for this:

6 Cornish hens
2 TBS coarse salt
1 TBS black pepper
1 TBS smoked paprika
½ TBS thyme
½ TBS garlic powder

Rinse and pat dry your hens. Butterfly them by running some sharp kitchen shears along the backbone and removing it. Crack the breast bone and flatten them.

Mix all of the spices in a bowl. Rub the hens well and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Light your grill. If using a gas grill, turn half of it off. If using a charcoal grill, scoop the hot coals to one side. Place the hens on the unlit – or side with no coals – belly side down. Sear them for about 10 minutes and flip them. Finish cooking them for another 10 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!

Note: If you want to make less hens go ahead and adjust the seasoning. Or make it all and keep it in a sealed bag in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months. Calculate 1 hen for 2 people.

Print the Grilled Cornish Hens Recipe Here

Grilled fish tacos are healthy, delicious and not hard to make. You can use any mild white fish for this recipe. You can also cook these in a skillet if you prefer. Here is what you are going to need for this wonderful, fresh meal:

32 corn tortillas
8 Tilapia fillets
3 large limes
1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
¾ cup mayonnaise
½ tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ cup +1 TBS chopped cilantro
2 cups shredded cabbage
4 ripe tomatoes
Salt & Oil
Optional – Spicy Tomato Chipotle Salsa

MARINATE THE FISH:
Place the fish in a glass or ceramic bowl. Grate about ½ a lime of zest on to the fish. Squeeze 2 limes on it, salt and drizzle with some oil to prevent fish from sticking to grill. Coat all fillets with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

MAKE THE SAUCE:
Place yogurt, mayonnaise, garlic powder, cumin and cilantro in a bowl. Add 1 TBS lime juice. Season with salt to taste. Mix well and set aside.

MAKE THE SLAW:
Mix the cabbage, tomatoes and cilantro in a bowl. Squeeze the remaining lime. Salt to taste. Mix and set aside.
Heat the grill on high. Once it is hot, reduce the heat to medium. Soak a paper towel wad in olive oil and clean your grill grid so the fish will not stick. Place the fish on the grill. Cook for about 6 to 7 minutes and flip. Cook for an extra 6 to 7 minutes. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of your fish.
Once you flip the fish, place the tortillas on the side of your grill and heat them. Place 2 tortillas on a plate. Smear with yogurt sauce. Add fish and salsa if desired. Top with slaw. Enjoy!

Print the Grilled Fish Tacos Recipe Here

Print the Spicy Tomato Chipotle Salsa Recipe Here