Spice Rubbing my Favorite Fish

Category: seafood, veggies | Difficulty: easy

Well, it's been awhile since my last post...sorry for that everyone... but I've been very tired lately. Not the kind of tired you get after a long day at work either. But more so of a listlessness, unmotivated, uninterested kind of fatigue and I think it's directly related to my menopause. I'll have to do more research into this but ever since I realized my body was changing I've had to do a lot more to keep my energy up as well as my motivation. I'm certainly not complaining, because I used to be very sick every month for years and doctors couldn't help me with prescription medicines so entering this time of my life is a welcomed blessing. I realize now I'll have to do more to keep from being so tired... well enough of that, I'm supposed to be talking about food so in essence I said all that to make a point and that is lately I haven't felt much like cooking long meals. Sooo...when I want something quick but also good, I reach for the familiar - my favorite fish: Salmon.

I love salmon's buttery, flaky texture and I love that it can handle high heat but also be baked, fried, grilled, you name it! And when I need it fast I opt for the grill. And, to make it really good - I was thinking of a spice rub. I started making my own spice rubs I think a couple of years ago and it was fun mixing my favorite blends together and jarring them. I can't get exactly buy what I want when I buy dry herbs so why not make my own? I like spicy stuff so that's the first rub I ever made. I also made an Italian blend that I use for pizzas and pastas. But getting back to my spicy rub, that's what I use for this recipe. And, it's so wonderful to make and jar because when you need it you can use it without trying to remember how to recreate it. So, here's what's in it:

Kim's "Spicy" Spice Rub

Ingredients:
1/3 c. kosher salt
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 tbsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients, blending thoroughly. If reserving for later use, store in tightly capped jar. Sprinkle heavily on all sides of the fish and rub in well with your fingers. Let fish stand at room temperature for 2 hours or lightly covered in refrigerator overnight if you want to grill it later. And, I use this rub on chicken as well.

After the salmon fillets have sat for about 2 hours, I'm ready to grill them up on my panini press! Yes, my electric panini press! I love it! I plug it in to preheat it and then I sprinkle some EVOO on it to coat as well as a tiny bit on the fish to prevent it from sticking.

Then I grill them for about 6 to 7 minutes and then turn and grill the same time on the other side (I do not close the panini press!) HINT: Don't turn too quickly either, wait until the fish begins to pull away from the grill and then it's safe to turn over. When the fish is done I remove them and set aside. So yummy!!! I love to have a bit of Caesar salad dressing on the side along with some steamed broccoli.

Oh yes, must have a veggie and steaming in a wok or deep skillet is also a fast cook!

Steamed Broccoli

Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh broccoli
2 tbsp. vegetable or peanut oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 c. water

Preparation:
Wash broccoli and break small upper branches from main stalk. Peel main stalk to remove tough areas. Cut remaining stem into 1/4 inch crosswise slices. Pour oil in wok and preheat, uncovered, at medium, about 2 minutes. Add broccoli and stir-fry 1 minute. Add salt, sugar and water. Cover and steam for 3 minutes. Stir every minute for 5 minutes and keep covered between stirrings. Reduce heat to low for serving. Makes 3-4 servings.

This whole meal probably took me just under an hour and I'm ready to chow down! So much for being too tired to cook something huh????