Easy Grilling Recipes from Rachel Khanna

Rachel Khanna, the author of the healthy living cookbook, Live, Eat, Cook Healthy, understands the value of healthy eating and cooking light. As an accomplished chef and holistic health counselor, she has positively impacted the lives of many people through her cooking classes, workshops and individual and group coaching. She began focusing on nutrition after leaving a career in marketing and having four children.

Her cookbook features more than 130 recipes designed to make your everyday eating nutritious and delicious. Within the pages of her cookbook, you will find healthy grilling recipes, like the ones below.

Grilled Fish with Cilantro Sauce
Photo Credit: SeriousEats.com

Grilled Fish with Cilantro Sauce (Serves 6)

This is a very easy dish with Moroccan flavors. It goes well with Couscous and Moroccan Carrot Salad (recipes for these are on pages 187 and 236 of Live Eat Cook Healthy: Simple, fresh and delicious recipes for balanced living).

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups tightly packed cilantro leaves
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 lb. thick fish fillets, such as halibut, wild striped bass, or flounder

Directions:

1. To make the marinade, combine cilantro, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, coriander, cumin, cardamom, ginger, salt, and pepper in a blender and blend to a smooth paste.

2. Cover fish with marinade and refrigerate for 1-3 hours.

3. On a barbecue, grill fish 4-5 minutes per side.

4. Alternatively, roast the fish in an oven heated to 400 degrees (Fahrenheit) for 6-8 minutes.

Grilled Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
Photo Credit: epicureanorganic.com

Grilled Chicken Satay (Serves 6)

Candlenuts, which are a key to this recipe, grow in the tropics and are typically used in Malaysian and Indonesian cuisine. A good substitute is macadamia nuts. Serve the Satay with Peanut Sauce.

Ingredients:

4 stalks lemongrass, roughly sliced
2 red chiles, seeded
2 dried chiles, seeded
4 candlenuts or macadamia nuts
1 tsp. shrimp paste
15 shallots, peeled
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. palm sugar
4 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken breast cutlet, cut into 1-in. pieces
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. In a food processor, make the rempah, or spice paste, by combining lemongrass, chiles, candlenuts or macadamias, shrimp paste, and shallots and processing until smooth. Transfer to a bowl.

2. Add salt, pepper, palm sugar, coconut oil, and coconut milk and mix well. Pour over chicken and marinate for 1 hour.

3. Thread the chicken onto skewers through the center of each piece. Brush with sesame oil.

4. Grill or broil in an oven heated to 450 degrees (Fahrenheit), turning and brushing with marinade halfway through, until chicken is browned and fully cooked, 10-15 minutes.

5. Garnish chicken satay with cucumber and onion.

Peanut Sauce

You can substitute unsalted organic peanut butter for ground peanuts. Use 1/4 cup and instead of following step 1, just add peanut butter to spice paste at the end.

Ingredients:

1/4 lb. peanuts, roasted and ground
1 cup water
4 shallots, peeled
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 lemongrass stalk
4 dried red chiles
1 slice ginger or galangal
2 Tbsp. coconut or sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 Tbsp. palm sugar
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

Directions:

1. In a pan, combine peanuts and water and bring to a boil over low heat. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring frequently until thick.

2. To make a spice paste, combine shallots, garlic, lemongrass, chiles, and ginger or galangal in a food processor and process until smooth.

3. Heat coconut or sesame oil and fry spice paste for 3-5 minutes, until oil separates from spice mixture. Add paste to peanuts, along with salt, palm sugar and lime juice.

4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

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