How to cook low-fat delicious food by chargrilling
Food does not always have to be loaded in calories to be tasty.
I have said many times how chargrilling can bring out the best flavour in food. I can say with confidence that my griddle pan is my best friend.
In Northern Italy many people own a cast iron griddle pan to chargrill their polenta. My mother for instance has two: a small one for every day usage and a larger one for those times when there are lots people around, like for instance when all her 3 daughters with children in tow visit her (and she could do with at least 3 pans then!).
I have always said that I wanted one to chargrill my polenta to perfection and to cook super yummy juicy steaks on it, but I never came around to buy one.
My wishes turned into reality when I received a cast iron griddle pan from Morso to review. This Danish company produces timeless cast-iron stoves, chimneys and cookware which are traditional, efficient and so incredibly well built to last for generations.
Cast iron retains heat which means it stays hotter for longer and you can cook on your griddle pan with little or no fat at all. You need to heat up the pan really well before cooking anything on it and it will be just like having your own little indoors barbecue.. the food will taste marvellous!
I made a low calorie meal of swordfish with polenta and grilled vegetables. I cooked them with no fat and only added a drizzle of olive oil just before serving them.
Cook swordfish like you would cook a rare steak and you will see how delicious chargrilled polenta will be cooked in this way!
- Prep Time : 30 minutes
- Cook Time : 45 minutes
Ingredients
- swordfish steaks - 2
- cornmeal (polenta flour) - 250 g - slightly less than 2 cups
- water - 1 Liter - 1.05 qt
- zucchini - 2
- peppers - 2
- chopped parsley - 1 tbsp
- sea salt
- olive oil
- lemon juice
Instructions
For this recipe I have used wholemeal slow-cook polenta flour but if you cannot find it, you are short of time or if you simply prefer a quick-cook one just go for it.
Bring the water to the boil and just before it boils add 1/2 tbsp of salt. Add the cornmeal whilst mixing all the time to avoid the formation of lumps.
Turn down the heat and cook the polenta for about 40 to 50 minutes if it's wholemeal or for just 8 to 10 minutes for the quick-cook version (see packet instructions) and stir from time to time. You don't want your polenta to stick to the bottom.
When it is ready pour it on a small wet bowl, let it cool down then flip it on a round cutting board or on a large plate which should be slightly larger than the diameter of the pan. With a wet knife slice it about 1 cm or 0.4 inch thick.
Wash the peppers, remove the seeds and filaments and cut them into quarters then again into halves. Using a mandolin or a sharp knife finely slice the zucchini.
Heat up your griddle pan for about 5 minutes until very hot then cook the vegetables turning them onto both sides until they have that "chargrilled look" and they are soft.
Cook the slices of polenta in the same way
Polenta acquires a fabulous taste when it is chargrilled: crunchy on the outside and soft inside...mmm this is one of my favourites food ever!
Cook the fish for about 2 or 3 minutes on both sides. Ideally it should be cooked rare.
Serve the fish with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper, parsley and a little squeeze of lemon juice.
Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and serve them with the warm polenta.
What a healthy, light and delicious meal!
Would you like a pan for life? Morso is kindly offering a griddle pan worth £90 to a lucky My Little Italian Kitchen reader.
Enter the gleam form below for your chance to win it!
Terms and conditions:
- You can enter with the Gleam widget below via blog comment, twitter, instagram, facebook, google+ and pinterest.
- Please comment on this blogpost before proceeding with other entry options (this is mandatory).
- One winner will be randomly selected, announced in this blog post and contacted via their provided e-mail address. Please claim your prize within 4 days of being notified.
- Giveaway open to UK residents
- This giveaway closes on December 27th 2016
I was sent a Morso pan to review. All opinions are my own.
WINNER: PHIL D.
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I love steaks and polenta cooked on the griddle pan but my absolute favourite is chicken breast fillets, beaten thinly and marinated in lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and oregano then flash griddled.
a chicken stir fry
Thanks for the article.I had not been aware of the benfits of chargrilling.
Char-grilled courgette and sweetcorn with flatbreads.
it would have to be a steak
Steak! Griddle pans are the best for creating that tasty char taste
Halloumi cheese
A LOVELY FILLET STEAK
A juicy rib eye steak ! Mouth watering!!!
steak please with mushrooms – delicious
I would love to try polenta x
Some steak
id make my favourite, steak with onions !
Pancakes
Would have to be a lovely steak. Yum!
Steak and mushrooms with a very lightly toasted baguette.
grilled tuna steaks with mediterranean veg!
Sirloin steak with mushrooms
Sausages and courgettes ~
We often have chicken for dinner, so a good Chicken meal or stir fry would be my choice of meal.
It would be a nice juicy sirloin steak!
Rump steak & mushrooms &peppers
Glazed pork chops x
tuna steaks 🙂
A nice steak! Yum
Aubergine and courgettes as they taste amazing
Honey and mustard Chicken
steak , steak and more steak 🙂
Oooh we’d do steaks on the pan for sure!
Chicken coated in fajita spices with peppers
Easy. Sirloin steak and courgette slices.
Halloumi and pepper skewers.
I bet a nice steak would be fab!
A lovely fresh Sockeye Salmon fillet, thanks.x
Steak
It would be homemade burgers for me – I make mine with pork mince and stuff them with mozzarella and sun dried tomatoes!
Lots of chicken dishes, plus steaks and halloumi
I’d have to start with a couple of steaks.
Chicken breast
Has to be a tasty steak – mushrooms on the side
Steak!
Fresh tuna
Salmon steaks!
Salmon steaks
Fresh tuna steaks
Two ribeye steaks with asparagus and saute potatoes
smoked streaky bacon
Peppered steak
a beef stir fry
I would look chicken breasts xx
I would cook a piece of steak
My husband loves haloumi cheese so I would do a nibble for him first
A Tuna Steak
Steak & onions
A big juicy steak with field mushrooms – yum!
Would have to be some tender steaks x
Would be steak
a nice Steak!
Keep it simple with a Rib eye steak and onions
Steak and mushrooms
Steak, Chicken, Peppers, Carrots and of course harder Cheeses.
A couple of steaks for hubby and me first.
Lemon chicken
Swordfish and peppers
A lovely juicy steak
I would cook vegetables on it along with a salmon steak
a steak!
I love the idea of chargrilled veggies like peppers and courgettes.
A lovely steak
Tuna Steaks – would cook really nicely!
rare steak
A lovely piece of fish
Bacon and eggs in the morning, and a nice bit of steak and mushrooms in the evening
I would cook a steak in the pan
Steak! 😀
I would cook a lovely steak. Thank you for the chance
This would awesome for cooking a nice sirloin steak. But I really liked the idea of grilling vegetables on it — your photo of peppers cooking on it was mouth watering.
I’d cook marinated tofu
Lambs Liver with onion and red peppers.
Salmon Steaks
I’d do chargrilled chicken, served with rice and steamed vegetables
Toasties.
Has to be a nice juicy steak!
Definitely a steak
chicken breast with garlic and rosemary xx
Aubergines
I would make cornbread!
Blackened tuna steak
Salmon steaks for me – delicious with a Chilli and ginger sauce
I would try salmon steak with chilli marinade, and some lovely chargrilled vegetables x
A Sirloin Steak with that nice diamond pattern that you can get from cooking in a griddle pan
Steak
Well those peppers look delicious! Maybe chicken fajitas?
Some steak burgers xx
A pork loin steak
Steak,fish,chicken the list is endless
As many veggies as it could handle
Sticky Thai garlic-chilli prawns
Everything! I love griddle lines and they work especially well on aubergine slices that I then cool and marinade in a lemon/ginger/mint dressing and lap up with some toasted ciabatta.
Fresh wild salmon fillets with a teryaki marinade, serving it with rocket salad and tomato and avocado 🙂
I would like to char grill courgettes, aubergine and halloumi
Gammon steak
Che meraviglia, adoro le grigliate!!!
rump steak and cream sauce….hint of brandy. and chips
Peppered Steaks
A nice peppered steak
I would really like to try polenta, looks delicious. Maybe with some grilled garlic chicken and mushrooms.
Ribeye steak 🙂
A lovely chicken stir fry!
A tuna steak 🙂 Mmmmmm
Some chicken breasts.
it has to be a nice bit of fish
Sirloin Steak!
Some steaks, vegetables and tomatoes to go with it
a lovely juicy sirloin steak
A nice juicy steak
Cheese stuffed chicken wrapped in bacon with asparagus
It’d have to be steak!
Chicken & halloumi kebabs 🙂
A sirloin steak
i would cook some lovely steak first x
A lovely steak with garlic and mushrooms
steak
I’d cook potato cakes, bacon and sausages.
Ribeye steak with sweet red peppers – Nom!
I’d cook rump steaks and peppers
Halloumi and Peppers marinated in Garlic and Lemon
a nice bit of juicy steak!
steak, peppers,red onions, corgette & tomatos
Aberdeen Angus Steaks
Lovely pan, and that does sound a tasty way to cook polenta. My partner fancies tuna steaks, and I think griddled aubergine would be good.
Steak 🙂
stir fry
Steak
I would try your swordfish recipe.
peanut chicken satay
Salmon
lots of veg, love griddled veg
I would love to try Steak and Seabass in a griddle pan
A fillet of cod with some vine tomatoes!
Oooh a Tuna Steak! Mmmm
Sirloin steak
I’d cook some steak 🙂
I’d cook haloumi cheese.
Steak
I’d cook chicken and mushrooms
I love all meats cooked on a griddle. But Sirloin is my favourite
pork chops!
Rib-Eye steak!
I’d cook griddled halloumi and courgettes
I’d cook a nice juicy steak
love doing roast veg…
I,d cook some lovely trout. my mouth is watering already x
Halloumi and veggies for a deliciously warming wrap
I absolutely LOVE griddled pineapple! For breakfast on pancakes! For lunch in a salad with avocado! For dinner made in to a salsa side! And for dessert with ice cream. I’m salivating! This would be a dream gift for me.
halloumi and some fresh veg
I would cook steaks.
A YUMMY RIB EYE STEAK
some delicious bacon
Some marinated steak!
Steak! I love steak!
a full irish fry 🙂 can not wait!
a yummy steak!
Cajun spiced steak.
I would cook some lovely steak
Chicken is my favourite
I love the look of pale chicken against dark cooking stripes – so breast with a nice marinade on
Quesadillas
hallumi
I’d love to create something similar to the ‘Tuscan Grilled Fish’ recipe I tasted in Italy last summer. x
I’d like to say something fancy, but I’d probably make a lot of toast on it.
I would make a lovely steak.x
a peri peri chickin dish xxx
A steak for hubby 🙂
CHICKEN!!!
Steak and onions
some nice steak, I’ve cooked steak on a griddle before and it comes up lovely
sausages and mushrooms
Delicious crispy bacon!
Chicken with peppers and mushrooms
I’d love to try Polenta or Halloumi first!
a steak 😀
We like salmon, so I think we’d be cooking salmon and tuna steaks .
Steak fillet and lots and lots of delicious vegetables.
id love a pork chop griddled asparagus
I griddle chicken in lemon and oil
I would do steak for my partner
Sweet chilli grilled halloumi
A would cook a lovely gammon steak and hope it tastes amazing!!
chicken stir fry!! yum yum
defo a steak
I’d cook some haloumi and vegetables! nothing better than a nice mediterranean dish!
would love to try tuna steaks cooked on a griddle pan.
A nice juicy steak and charred veg
Sirloin steaks with mushrooms & onions
Steak and roasted veg
sausages!
Chicken
I ould love to cook some nice rib eye steak…
Some lovely lamb chops.
A juicy fillet steak.
mushrooms, courgettes and onions to be served with pitta bread and garlic dip
A delicious sirloin steak x
A nice juicy Steak!
a nice lamb steak
I’d love to try the griddled polenta, it actually sounds tasty cooked this way!!
I’d treat us to rib eye steak with mushrooms in butter.
A steak with some large mushrooms
Halloumi and fish fillets – yum!
Honey glazed salmon
Chicken halloumi and vegetable stack
Bacon eggs & fried bread 🙂 x
Char grilled wild salmon…delicious
Probably a lovely tuna steak yummy
stirfry vegetables
steak and mushroom
Steak
Very traditional, but I’d cook steaks with griddled veggies
firstly l’d cook fillet steak oh yes oh yum
Steak 🙂
Steak and asparagus…yummy!!
Salmon (with creamy caper sauce).
Salmon or steak
chicken and halloumi with peppers
steak and veg
I like polenta, so I’d definitely give it a go.
A nice streak!
I would cook a tasty Fillet steak!
Tuna steak – feel very hungry right now!
A juicy piece of steak
I’d love a thin steak.
I’d make chicken fajitas first! They’re a favourite in this house!
A selection of vegetables! I think I’d start with peppers, courgette and corn. Would be delicious 🙂
fillet steak
bacon bacon and bacon
Chicken In a honey glaze
Got to be a lovely steak
steak with halloumi and asparagus.
Halloumi cheese with lots of nice veg like peppers, courgette, sweet potato etc and some quorn chickenot style pieces!
Steak
a nice steak x
I think I’d do some nice fresh tuna steaks on it and have it with a potato and egg salad
Definitely steak
probably a steak
A beef steak
Mackerel
Halloumi Cheese and vegetables to go into a pitta bread
Steak and mushrooms
A nice steak and some portobello mushrooms
I would cook smoked salmon fillets. I have heard fab reviews about griddle pans so I’d love to try cooking with one xx
halluomi
Steak
Steak and stripped corgette
First of all, that polenta looks great, I would never have thought of hat, so would definitely try it if I won. I think the first thing I would like to try though is aubergine! I think it tastes better stir fried than baked, so it stands to reason that char grilling it would be even better….
I have not tried cooking on a griddle pan before but would love to experiment ! My daughter loves Halloumi and the rest of us adore steak and chicken so I guess that would be the first items I would cook if I was lucky enough to win !
Aubergines and steak!
tuna steaks
Spicy chicken steak for sure!
Like griddled peppers and chicken
Chicken to go in Fajitas. 😀
I would do a steak and some mushrooms
veggie burgers
Probably the Sunday Fry Up
Steak
I reckon a gammon steak
has to be a nice piece of steak yum!
It would have to be a succulent ribeye steak
Salmon fillets and veg
Steak and prawns! As soon as I give birth that’s going to be my first meal
A steak would be fabulous in this!
Griddled halloumi 🙂
Steak or Pork loin chops – My husband would be a very happy man if I were lucky enough to win this 🙂 Fingers, toes and everything else crossed! x
Pork loin steaks in a apple cider sauce
Minute steaks
i would gift it to my husband he loves to cook. from fish to steak to chicken he loves to try it all x
I would cook chicken breast fillets with mediterranean vegetables
I would cook up a gorgeous fillet steak! 🙂
halloumi – I think the griddle marks on the cheese looks lovely!
steak
Chicken Satay
I would try to make my husband a perfect steak first
Halloumi!
Bacon
Steak and peppercorn sauce
a yummy steak
Steak, mushrooms and tomatoes
seabass
a lovely steak
definitely I would cook tuna steaks
Grilled Mediterranean vegetables
I would cook tuna steaks
Tuna Steak
I’d hope to achieve the holy grail of cooking..The perfect fillet steak!
Sausages!
Steak, chicken fillets, vegetables, polenta, loads of stuff!
chicken with veg
Chicken fajitas 🙂
a nice juicy steak
steak with a barbecue rub
a nice welsh fillet steak
Steaks and tomatoes.
I would cook some lovely sirloin steak
I would cook a stake on it
I would cook steak on the pan
probably start with salmon then steaks
A yummy steak medium rare
I would cook a lovely rump steak – medium rare. But I do like the sound of your polenta slices! In Zimbabwe they make sudza which is maize meal cooked to a thick consistency like mash potato, served with a lovely gravy relish.
Lovely!
Steak
my mums good auld irish soda bread
Chicken I love it grilled
Chicken fajitas
Steak with fried onions
STEAK
It would have to be a classic steak 🙂
tuna steaks
a lovely teak with large flat mushrooms!
Salmon with italian vegetables.
Lots of things… halloumi, steak, butterfly chicken
Steak!
Tuna or chicken
I would cook a very rare rib eye steak
Sausage and bacon for my breakfast
A delicious steak
Some juicy steak
Fillet steak, mushrooms and tomatoes
Chicken yummy!
A yummy fillet steak
I think I would chargrill fish. In the summer it would be my husband’s line caught mackerel. In winter, tuna steak that I buy in from the fishmonger.
Smoked bacon and potato cakes
Juicy steaks here I come
I love steak, with griddles vegetables, so I’d cook that first.
steaks and burgers
We love steak so it would have to be that with mushrooms
Steak and mushrooms
Definitely steak!
A mixed grill of meat
Anything and everything
Prawn stir fry
Steak sounds pretty good right now. Especially after all the turkey of the season 🙂
Rib Eye steak
chicken fahitas
A nice steak
A ribeye steak with vegetable kebabs
Asparagus
It would be the best Aberdeen Angus steak i could get cooked rare with a red wine Jus
It would have to be a steak for me
Garlic Bread
Steak for me 🙂
It would be a meal containing Chicken breast as it’s one of my favorite things, though I would have to do a bit of experimenting with different dishes first to find what works best x
got to be a steak
I’d have a go at polenta, since I’ve never really known what to do with it.
Yes would be a yummy steak 🙂
It would have to be a big fat steak
I do love a nice bit of steak. It would be so easy to cook it perfectly with this!
I would more than likely to a steak for my hubby and so
steak fajitas
steak
steak
It has to be STEAK – it seems to be more tasty with griddle lines! Fantastic prize, thank you so much x
i will be trying polenta in it usually have polenta just made in a pan with a bolenase sauce but this sounds lovely. usually i cook fish in a griddle pan , tuna steaks are currently my favourite.
I would cook hallumi fajitas, absolutely gorgeous 🙂
strips of steak with mushrooms and peppers!
steak 🙂
Chicken stir-fry xx
steak! yummy
a nice piece f rump steak with onions
steak or chicken
Rump Steak would be the first thing I would cook!
I would make my favourite Griddled Glazed Vegetable Kebabs, with courgettes, peppers, red onions and cherry tomatoes with a glaze made from honey and mustard.
I am into chargrilled vegetables so sweetcorn, peppers and artichokes would be at the top of my list.
a great fry up.
Steak would be great
Steaks or burgers for sure!
Cajun chicken
A nice slab of steak!
Steak
HalloumI cheese, asparagus, chicken, steak. The list is endless
Probably minted lamb chops as I love them .x
would have to be steak
Bacon and eggs
A nice piece of juicy steak
fried potaoes
beef steak and mushrooms
Good old American style maple bacon! YUM 🙂
A nice jucey stake
I would like to try salmon
steak and onions
Gammon Steak!
Chicken Fajitas Mmmmm
spaghetti bolognase
Haloumi
i would treat my husband to a steak
a juicy fillet of beef
Definitely steak.
A nice chicken stir’fry with red peppers, mushrooms, spring onion, garlic onion and ginger.
Tuna steak, something so lovely about a good sear on the outside of a piece of tuna, delicious
Best quality steak
A good T bone steak but they are hard to find with the bone in!
Halloumi cheese and vegetable skewers
I would cook steaks and vegetables
A steak 🙂
I love grilled vegetables and I would cook slices of aubergines and courgettes (zucchini) in this griddle pan
Steak
Griddled chicken breast.
I would love to try chargrilling polenta too
Steak
I would grill some halloumi 🙂
a delicious steak! x
1st thing i would cook on a griddle pan would have to be good old Irish soda bread
Grilled Shrimp Tostadas
Bacon comes real nice when cooked on a griddle pan, also throw in a few slices of halloumi and yum!
A Nice piece of Rib eye steak
Steak
Pork chops or loin
i’d griddle some halloumi and flatbreads with it
Steak
steak
I would definitely start with seasoned chicken breast.
Steak
Steak
Rare steak
It can only be steak
Steak with onions and mushrooms
Would have to be steak & mushrooms
Medium rare steak
T bone Steaks
It would have to be the sword fish steaks first
Halloumi cheese is amazing done on a griddle pan! It’s my favourite cheese so my choice would definitely be that :p E x
Lemon,honey and mustard chicken x
Peppercorn steak yummy
Hallumi
A lovely salmon fillet
Salmon steak with asparagus spears
A big juicy steak 🙂 thanks for the chance
Chicken al fredo. yummy 🙂
A proper fillet steak!
Defo a steak!
Would love to try the swordfish and Polenta recipe. Sounds yummy and different from what I would normally cook.
Grilled sandwiches every morning and grilled peppers for sandwiches. I recently broke my griddle pan!
Tuna steak and asparagus
Sirloin steak with asparagus onions and mushrooms! Perfect! x
Steak, mushrooms, egg and homemade chips
I would use it to cook yummy tuna steaks.
Definitely a juicy sirloin steak!
I nice veg stir fry
a nice tuna steak
I love Steak cooked on a griddle pan
Steak and also salmon which is a firm favourite in our house.
Tuna steak. Yummy
I’d cook a rib-eye steak
I’d griddle fish, my favourite is Sea Bass with rock salt
A lovely salmon steak with garlic dressing, and seared veg <3 x
Salmon with chilli and garlic
a nice piece of steak
STEAK!
Would most likely be a Steak
I’d cook loads of things! Peppers, corn on the cob, avocado, pineapple, prawns, tofu, salmon, steak!
Hi Alida, I came across this the other day and thought I’d give it a go as I have never eaten or cooked polenta. It was easy and delicious. I used tuna instead of swordfish with lime juice and coriander which went well with the chargrilled vegetables. I so love my griddle pan and use it all the time, one of my best investments. I enjoyed seeing your photos of the annual pig festival – such a lovely tradition to bring folk together. Hope you are all well? Much love, Sue xxx
I cherish my griddle pan too. I love how you use different spices in food. I need to use lime juice more. All well with us here hope the same with you both xx