Grilled Herb-Glazed Salmon Fillets

My husband and myself have both been trying to eat healthier and exercise more. One commitment that we have made is to eat more fish. We quickly discovered that in order to eat more fish on a regular basis we had to spice up our basic bland cooking recipes for the different fish we were eating.

Salmon has become one of our favorite fish to have a couple of times a week and this recipe for salmon a family favorite. We usually have these fish fillets with a wild rice or rice pilaf and a fresh vegetable such as broccoli or asparagus. It also goes very well with a fresh salad and a hard crunchy bread like a baguette or something similar.

One of the best thing about having fish is the cooking time involved. Fish cooks very quickly which is a very big plus for the two of us. This meal can easily be prepared and on the table in less than 30 minutes. This recipe serves four adults but can easily be modified to fit any size family. Our grandson's usually split a fillet between the two of them and have given us the thumbs up for this particular recipe.

What you will need:

4 (4 to 5 oz.) salmon fillets with or without skin

1/2 cup apricot preserves

3 tbsp. chopped fresh basil

2 tbsp. butter

The first thing to do is to preheat your grill to a medium - high temperature (350 - 400 degrees).

Next for the glaze, in a microwave-safe bowl combine the apricot preserves, basil and the butter. Microwave just until the butter melts; mix well. The melting time will vary between microwaves depending on the type and power of your microwave. My microwave will melt the butter in about 15 seconds, my sister's microwave however takes more like 45 to 55 seconds.

Spread the glaze on one side of the salmon fillets. If you have fillets with the skin then spread the glaze on the flesh side first. Season the fillets with salt and pepper to taste. If you are trying to cut back on your salt intake you can skip the salt all together, it tastes great.

Grill the salmon fillets, flesh side down, 3 minute or until the fish begins to turn opaque. Brush the other side of the fillets with the glaze; turn and grill for another 3 minutes more or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. That's it! Fillets should be served immediately.

The total preparation time for the fillets and glaze is about 5 minutes and the total cooking time is approximately 6 minutes. This very quick and easy recipe for grilled salmon is a crowd favorite, hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Exciting International Grilled Vegetable Recipes

A lot of people fall into a cooking comfort zone and perhaps you are one of them. If you have four or five staple meals you like to rotate and you make the same side dishes to accompany them, perhaps your cooking style is a habit rather than an adventure.

There is nothing wrong with making the same set of recipes for your family if they enjoy them but sometimes it can be nice to try something different to surprise them. International grilled vegetable recipes are one way to try out an unusual flavor while giving your family the nutritious vegetables you love them to have.

If you usually boil or microwave your vegetables you will be really amazed when you taste grilled vegetables and discover how juicy and full of flavor they can be. Using international herbs, spices or sauces adds another dimension to the flavor when you grill vegetables.

How to Grill Vegetables for a Side Dish

There are different ways to make grilled vegetables. You can grill whole vegetables with or without a marinade or spice rub. You can enclose chopped vegetables in an aluminum foil packet with butter, garlic and herbs or you can make vegetable kabobs which are often very colorful.

Any of these cooking methods is great for making either side dishes or entrees and if you are feeding vegetarians you might like to make extra portions of grilled vegetables to serve them.

Recipe for Chilled Japanese Style Grilled Eggplant

Grilled vegetable recipes are usually served hot but in Japan they are often known as "yakinasu" and served chilled. Your vegetables take on all the great things about being grilled, such as the enhanced flavor and the attractive grill marks if they are sliced, but chilling the vegetables after cooking them makes them a refreshing side dish for a hot day.

You can serve this grilled eggplant recipe as a side dish with any kind of meal. You do not necessarily have to serve them with an Asian meal.

Since they are chilled, you can also make them in advance and keep them in the refrigerator to serve a few hours after grilling them. The following recipes makes two servings, so feel free to double it. It is a very simple recipe but really tasty.

You can get dried bonito flakes from an Asian grocery store. Japanese eggplants are actually from China originally. They are small and round, as opposed to the Indian eggplants which can weigh up to two pounds. Use the smaller ones in this recipe.

What you will need:

4 Japanese eggplants
2 tablespoons dried bonito flakes
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
Soy sauce, as needed

How to make it:

Preheat the grill to medium hot and grill the eggplants until they are soft and the skins are very charred. Let them cool in water and remove the skins. Dry them with paper towels and take off the stems. Chill them in the refrigerator and serve them with the grated ginger and bonito flakes on top. Add a few drops of soy sauce to taste and serve.