Allergic to smoke from grilling foods? For picnic outings, bring a grill pan to avoid cooking over direct heat or fire. You may add a little oil to pan-sear those luscious fish fillets. It’s not pan-frying so health-conscious picnickers would have no worries about too much oil. Use non-sticky pans to make sure that foods will not stick while cooking.

Pan-grilling is also a good alternative when an electric grill is not available. This method is so simple, even a non-cook can produce a presentable and delectable fish dishes for the picnic meal.

The tricky part would be the making of different sauces that would enhance the taste of pan-grilled fish fillets and slices. Fortunately, you can buy lots of commercially-prepared sauces in jars and bottles. Although homemade concoctions would still taste best.

Like grilled fish, pan-grilled fish also goes well when served with vegetables: sauteed, parboiled, pan-grilled along with the fish, and just fresh. Cook green peas, corn kernels, and carrot bits in butter. Or just blanch baby carrots and baby corns along with strips of cabbage. White onion rings will look and taste great when cooked inside and around the whole fish. For something crunchy and crispy, serve pan-grilled fish with slices of cucumber and shreds of lettuce.

If you like it very, very simple, just drizzle you’re pan-grilled fish with creamy cheese and sprinkle finely ground white pepper or garlic powder. Don’t like cream or cheese? Dip your fish in apple cider or wine vinegar.

Tips on Pan-Grilled Cooking Method

Heat pan until smoke appears on the surface. Brush olive oil on the pan before placing the fish steaks on the center.
Do not move fish while cooking. Using a spatula, nudge the fish gently. If it moves easily, it is ready to flip over.
Frozen fish should be thawed properly. Pat dry before grilling to minimize release of excess juice.
Do not use butter when cooking because it tends to darken. Use olive oil or grape seed oil so that it will not burn at medium-high temperature.

If fillet has skin, start cooking with it on the pan. Lower heat to avoid burning.

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Guest Post By Alex Pearl

In these modern times where fast food establishments dominate the busy lives of the average working people, and where posh restaurants are impeccable approaches to special gatherings and occasions, one would wonder how he can possibly arrange the perfect picnic.
Planning picnics need not be so elaborate and grand. Picnics are about enjoying the great outdoors while eating good  home-cooked meals  with their rustic simplicity that fast foods and restaurants alike cannot provide.  The following are some great recipes that you can bring to any picnic, without the hassle in preparations.

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Most people consider May as the Barbeque Month and everyone is ready to enjoy the month-long season of outdoor cooking and dining. Who can resist the mouth-watering smell of grilling foods? Picnics will be everywhere: in the yard, in the woods, in the beach, and anywhere sunny. But who says that picnics are only for summer? Almost every home around the world owns a grill so that cooking outside will always be an option whenever family and friends gather on a sunny day or under a balmy night. Watching the stars while listening to sizzling of foods on the grill will surely stir the palate of everyone in the barbeque party.

Picnic grilled foods need side dishes to make these outdoor meals complete and satisfying. For picnic-goers who are not much fond of meat, serving rice and salads is fine. Throwing in some seafood dishes along with the barbequed cubes and chops will be like heaven to some who prefer to stay away from meat.

Here are some picnic seafood recipe ideas. They are easy to prepare and do not require much ingredients.

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Grill Fish Under the Picnic Sun

Fish tastes good when grilled and served hot over crunchy vegetable salad or tasty veggie side dish. Fish can be cooked in many ways but the secret to make it taste and look delectable will always be on the method of preparation.

If a whole fish is desired, the head and the tail must remain intact. Remove the scales and the extremities. Wash fish thoroughly. To remove the fishy smell, squeeze lemon juice over and inside the fish and set aside for about 5 minutes before final rinsing. When lemon is unavailable, rub the fish with salt and rinse in vinegar water.

The preparation for fish fillet and slices are basically the same. After cleaning the innards, the head and tail are cut off. Slicing or filleting the fish to desired thickness requires a steady hand, a very sharp knife, and a firm surface. Freshly caught fish is always at its best, especially if you’re the fisherman. Whenever you bring the fishing rod, do not forget to include a portable grill and a bag of coal.

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Design Your Sandwiches

Sandwiches are always the ‘star’ in picnic outings. Easy to make and delicious to look at, sandwiches are really perfect picnic foods They are also the most versatile because almost anything can be made into sandwiches. By just using a bit of creativity during preparation, any sandwich can look lip smacking and taste really delectable.

More often than not, most ingredients for simple but tasty picnic sandwich recipes are found inside the kitchen. Or outside the house, if there’s a herbal and vegetable garden in the backyard. Simple recipes for sandwiches may need just a dollop of mayonnaise (together with some cheese and ham and tomatoes and cucumber and onions) spread in between two slices of loaf bread, or buns, or pita, or panini. With some imagination, lettuce can be substituted by arugula or fresh basil leaves. Sandwiches can also go singles and open-topped just like pizzas.

Easy Tips on Sandwich-Making

Do you always have soggy and sad-looking picnic sandwiches? No more worries now because your next sandwiches will remain fresh and firm from the moment they were packed in picnic baskets until they were served on picnic tables. The secret is on the method of preparation of sandwich ingredients.

Tip #1: After thoroughly washing leafy vegetables (like lettuce and sprouts), put them in a strainer and drain well. Arrange these vegetables on two layers of absorbent paper towels to dry. When slicing juicy vegetables (such as tomatoes and cucumbers), pat both sides of each slice on a paper towel to remove dampness.

Tip #2: Remove excess oil, meat juice, or wetness from the meat fillings. Cold cuts like ham or salami would get shiny with their own fat when warmed in the oven. Hotdogs and burger patties have more fat content because they are fried in oil. Arrange the cooked meat on screen wires to drain and pat dry on paper towels before putting on bread.

Tip #3: Do not wrap or pack sandwiches that are still hot. Moisture that would build up inside a closed container will make your sandwiches wet and mushy.

Picnic Ham and Cheese Bite-Sized Sandwiches

This is the most common sandwich that almost anyone could prepare with his eyes closed. But your ham-and-cheese picnic sandwich need not look and taste boring. Don’t just slap two slices of ham and cheese in between breads. Why not cut the bread into four and create cute sandwiches that fit a single bite?

Ingredients:

6 pairs of sliced whole wheat loaf bread, cut into quartets
3 cups thinly sliced ham, cut into same size with bread
1 cup sliced cheese, cut into same size with bread
3 medium ripe tomatoes, sliced to form ringlets
2 cups lettuce, shredded
½ cup cherry tomatoes or grapes or berries, as garnishing

How to: On top of bread, arrange several slices of ham and cheese; then add a ring of tomato and a shred of lettuce; and garnish a single cherry tomato or grape or berry at the center of the bread. To avoid toppling the mini-tower sandwich, push a short stick right through the decorative garnishing on top. Serve with hot or cold drinks.

Open-Topped Picnic Sandwiches for Kids

Here’s another mini-sized sandwich recipe. Let your kids call them small pizzas because they have similar ingredients minus the sauce. Bake or no bake, these picnic munchies taste good and give energy to everybody. There’s a lot of cutting to do but it will be worth the effort when you hear the appreciative oh’s and ah’s while they are being eaten.

Ingredients:

2 pieces long bread, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
4 cups hotdogs or sausages, cut into cubes
½ cup white onion , cut into cubes
2 cups cheese cubes
1 tsp olive oil or butter
1 Tbsp parsley, minced

How to: On a non-stick pan, stir-fry hotdogs or sausages with oil or butter over medium heat until slightly toasted. Stir in onions and cheese. Sprinkle minced parsley. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Scoop one tablespoon of mixture and arrange on top of each bread slice. Serve with cold drinks.

Smoked Salmon and Caviar Sandwich Recipe for Picnic

Both smoked salmon and caviar are expensive. But this classy sandwich recipe calls for a special occasion that does not want to make a fuss about it. Most couples seek silence and solitude during bonding time. Picnic outings are one of the simplest ways of communing with Mother Nature. Sharing each other’s secret thoughts becomes more natural when surrounded with fresh country air or when looking far out to the sea. Feel more recharged while savoring the exotic taste of the smoked salmon and caviar sandwich with your loved one.

Ingredients:

1 piece long and round white bread, cut into thin slices
½ cup smoked salmon flakes
¼ cup caviar
½ cup whipped cream

How to: Spread whipped cream on bread. Arrange a half teaspoon of smoked salmon flaked on top. Garnish with ¼ teaspoon of caviar. Create sandwiches with only caviar or salmon on top. On a flat-surfaced plate, arrange the canapés along each other according to their toppings. Serve with a glass of white wine.

Bring Your Family to a Picnic Everyday

Do not just make sandwiches for snacks. Always add some color or some zest in your sandwich creations to turn every snack to picnic time.

You are welcome to read :

Picnic Food Recipes To Grill

Picnic Desserts : Classic Pies