Dog Days Dining - Beat the Heat

August can be a very hot and steamy month. That's why some people pack up and head for Maine or Canada, hoping for a cool breeze.
     If you're stuck here, like I am, and you still have to cook, here are some easy meals that everyone in the family will enjoy.
1) Something on a bun.
There are so many tasty seafood items that you can serve on a bun - salmon burgers, crab cakes, a rare piece of grilled tuna, a piece of grilled mahi mahi, a piece of sauteed tilapia - there are many choices. Fire up the grill, get some nice soft buns (we like the pretzel buns we get from a local bakery, really tasty) and then top your fish with something yummy. Our stone Ground Mustard Sauce goes wonderfully with salmon burgers and crab cakes, tuna is great with Stonewall Wasabi Grill Sauce, mahi and tilapia are tasty with some of our Creamy Coleslaw on top, or make it really healthy with a heaping spoon of our Pico de Gallo or Tropical Salsa.
2) Tuna Salad & Melon or Tomato.
Pick up some nice ripe melons from the market, get about 1/2 pound of tuna salad per person (we have two, Crazy Cranberry and Nutty Tuna, both delicious with melon). If they're small melons, just cut in half and fill the center with salad. Bigger melons, cut a large wedge, or for kids, use a sharp knife to remove the melon from the rind and cut into smaller pieces. Set it on some mixed greens, maybe add a toasted English muffin or crusty bread, and dinner is served. You can also use a large tomato the same way - cut the tomato into 4 wedges, not going all the way through, and heap the center with tuna salad. Yummy, easy, healthy.
3) Kebabs.
We always have salmon and shrimp kebabs, but if you call and place an order, we'll make tuna, swordfish, scallops, just about any meaty fish, into a fresh kebab. They look tasty, they cook in a few minutes on the grill, all you need to add is perhaps a little marinade and some rice or roasted new potatoes. Or make your own -- 1 lb. of most fish will make 3 kebabs - cut into chunks and stack on a skewer with some fresh pepper and onion slices - colorful and tasty. Swordfish kebabs marinated in our Tahitian Marinade are amazing, and oh so easy.
These are just a few ideas - come on in and we'll suggest more!