lemon bruschetta

This was adapted from our favorite appetizer at our favorite local restaurant, Ella's. It's amazing how a little lemon juice changes the whole taste!

makes 8 pieces

8 thin slices baguette
2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 scallions, thinly sliced
4 oz mozzarella, diced small
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for toasting baguette
salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients (except baguette) together and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Preheat oven to low broil (375 degrees). Lay baguette slices out on a cookie sheet and brush with a little oil. Place under broiler for a few minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool slightly, then divide topping evenly among slices. Serve at room temperature.

grilled corn with parmesan

A little mayo, some parmesan, and 15 minutes on the grill is all it takes to turn plain corn on the cob into something spectacular. You won't taste the mayo, it just helps to bind the cheese to the corn, then melts away!

serves 2

2 whole ears fresh corn, shucked
3 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp grated parmesan
1 tbsp garlic salt
1 tsp pepper

Heat the grill to medium high heat (350 degrees). Mix all ingredients (except corn) together. Spread evenly over corn, and wrap corn tightly in aluminum foil. Grill for 15-20 minutes on indirect heat. Allow to cool slightly, then remove from foil and serve.

tilapia with lemon caper sauce

this sauce works equally well with other types of fish and with chicken. Don't add the butter until the very end, after you've turned off the heat.

serves 2

2 tilapia fillets
1 cup all purpose flour
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsps capers
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup white wine
1 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsps olive oil
salt and pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. While oil heats, mix flour, 1 tbsp salt and 1/2 tbsp pepper and spread onto a plate. Place one tilapia fillet in the flour and press so that flour adheres. Flip over and repeat with other side. Shake off excess flour and repeat with other fillet. Add fish to pan and allow to cook for 2 minutes on first side, then flip (fish should be golden brown). Cook for another minute on other side and remove from pan onto paper towels. Keep warm. Whisk cornstarch with 1/4 cup water to make a slurry.

Add garlic and capers to pan. Cook for a minute to soften garlic. Add wine and lemon juice and cook for 5 minutes or until reduced by half. Stir in slurry. Cook for another 3 minutes, then remove from heat. Add butter and stir to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper. Serve fish with sauce spooned over top.

mediterranean tuna steaks

this can be made with many different kinds of fish, from tilapia to salmon. The only adjustment you need to make is to the cooking time of the fish, depending the thickness of the fillets. Adjust the ingredients according to what you have on hand.

serves 2

2 tuna steaks
1/2 can diced tomatoes
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp capers and/or 2 tbsp chopped green olives
1 tsp dried oregano
1 cup white wine, water, or chicken broth
small pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tbsps olive oil
salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season steaks on both sides with salt and pepper and place in pan. Cook for 1 minutes on one side, flip, and cook for another minute on the other side (tuna will not be cooked through). Remove from pan. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions and garlic to pan and cook until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. As soon as mixture boils, reduce heat to medium low, so it is just barely simmering. Cook for 5 minutes, then add tuna back to pan and allow to cook for 3-4 minutes. Serve tuna warm with sauce spooned over it.

smoked salmon potato cups

You could peel, shred, and drain the potatoes yourself, but why? I can always find pre-packaged shredded hash browns (Simply Potatoes is the brand my grocery store stocks) when I need them. You'll need a mini muffin pan to make these, but it's worth the investment if you don't already have one, as there are tons of appetizers you can make with it.

makes 2 dozen potato cups

3 1/2 cups shredded hash browns
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 oz nova style, thin-sliced smoked salmon, sliced into 24 pieces
1 bunch fresh chives, finely chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp pepper
non-stick cooking spray (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Liberally grease the inside of a (24 cup) mini muffin pan with cooking spray or olive oil. Toss hash browns with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spoon approximately 2 tablespoons of hash browns into each muffin cup and use your fingers to press into pan to create a cup (some hash browns will stick out over the top of the pan). Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool before removing from pan. Place potato cups onto serving dish.

Just before serving, spoon 1 tablespoon of sour cream into each potato cup, top with 1 slice salmon and a pinch of chives. Serve at room temperature.

modern bbq ribs

There are many different ways to make ribs, and we've tried them all. The method I use results in ribs that taste like they've been smoking all day, but really take only 3 1/2 hours start to finish. Slow-roasting the ribs first makes them fall off the bone, and finishing them on the grill gives them a great smoky flavor and that crisp, sauce coated exterior we love.

serves 8

2 full racks babyback ribs, rinsed and patted dry
1 cup modern grill rub
2 cups modern bbq sauce

Pre-heat oven to 275 degrees. Liberally season both sides of ribs with grill rub and wrap in 2 layers of heavy duty aluminum foil. Place foil-wrapped ribs on cookie sheets (so juices don't leak out into oven) and bake for 2 1/2 hours. 30 minutes before you take ribs out of the oven, light the grill. When coals are ready, spread them out to create a low, even heat throughout the grill. Remove ribs from oven, open foil, and allow to cool slightly so you can handle them. Carefully place ribs onto grill and coat each side with bbq sauce. Grill for 1 hour, basting with additional sauce and turning occassionally so both sides receive several coats of sauce. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

modern bbq sauce

I like my barbecue sauce nice and tangy, and more salty than sweet. It's easy to tweak to make it just the way you want it, though, so add a little more sugar, hot sauce, or whatever, until you find your perfect recipe. The best part about this sauce is its lack of special ingredients - you likely have everything you need in your pantry already!

makes 2 cups

1 1/2 cups ketchup
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 medium red onion, cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar
1/4 cup hot sauce
canola oil
salt to taste
splash of liquid smoke (optional)

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large saucepan over medium heat (the taller the better to prevent splatter). Process onion and garlic together in the food processor until finely chopped. Add to pan and cook until translucent but not browned, about 8-10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cover sauce with a lid and bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium or medium-low immediately (you want only occasional bubbles to surface). Cook, stirring every 10 minutes or so, for 45 minutes. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning to your liking. If sauce is too thick, add water, 2 tbsp at a time, until desired consistency is reached.