Grilled Fish with Potato, Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad

The beauty of grilling fish is that the simpler the better (and easier). Here's my routine:  I check out the fish counter for the freshest looking fish that will hold up to grilling.  The choices are practically endless these days.  The most basic markets have salmon, sea bass, swordfish and halibut.  Add to that opah, mahi mahi, tuna, sturgeon, cod, etc. Tonight I've picked a nice piece of sturgeon which I will spritz with olive oil and drizzle with lemon juice then sprinkle with salt and pepper right before grilling.  Approximately 4 minutes a side and voila! Because I've got them on hand, a nice salad of potatoes, beans and tomatoes to accompany.  Feel free to add another side if you like, but this dish covers all bases.  There are lots of recipes out there that combine green beans and tomatoes and that was what I was initially looking for, however last week I was forced to buy a whole bag of fingerlings when all I needed was 5, so unless I want to throw them out, I need to use them.  This recipe came from Epicurious and all I have done is to tweak the proportions and substitute rice vinegar for the orange juice (didn't have any juice!)

Potato, Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad, serves 2, Total time:  30 minutes

1/3 pound French green beans, trimmed
2/3 pound small new potatoes (fingerlings, red, white, purple, whatever), quartered
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar (divided)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar (divided)
1/2 cup cherry or teardrop tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp drained capers

Cook beans in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain.  Transfer to medium bowl and refresh in ice water, Drain well.

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until just tender, about 8 minutes. Drain.  Transfer to large bowl. Add 1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar and 1/2 tbsp vinegar; toss to coat.  Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, gently.

Add green beans, tomatoes, and parsley to potatoes. Whisk remaining vinegars, oil and capers in small bowl to blend.  Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.  Add dressing to salad and toss to combine. (Can be made 2 hours ahead.  Let stand at room temperature.)

Bottom Line:  Loved this salad!  The sweetness of the rice wine vinegar and the saltiness of the capers was a great balance.  I would never have thought of adding the capers, but without them, you're missing something.  The sturgeon was spectacular, very mild and melt in your mouth GOOD.

Grilled Chicken with Roasted Cauliflower

Back in the kitchen after a week away....meetings, meetings, meetings:   no exercise, lousy food, too many snacks, wine, wine, and more wine.  Time to get back to healthy eating and more exercise!  Tonight's dinner, grilled chicken (see past recipes), roasted cauliflower, arugula salad topped with figs.



Roasted Cauliflower, serves 2, Total time:  1 hour

1 head cauliflower, separated into florets
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/3 cup currants
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Put cauliflower in roasting pan, drizzle with 2 tbsp. olive oil and salt and pepper; toss.  Roast, turning once or twice for 15 minutes or so, until cauliflower just starts to soften.

Meanwhile, make vinaigrette by combining remaining olive oil with vinegar.  Remove pan, sprinkle shallots over cauliflower and drizzle with 2 tbsp of vinaigrette.  Roast, turning once until tender, about 15 minutes longer.

Cover currants with boiling water and let sit until plump, about 10 minutes.  Drain.

Transfer cauliflower to bowl, add currants, parsley and vinaigrette to taste.  Adjust seasonings.

Bottom Line:  Okay, so it serves about 3 people....but you can't buy 1/2 or 2/3 of a head of cauliflower.  It was yummy!  Love it and I could make this an entire dinner......might just do that next time Dave's out of town.

Warm Wheat Berries with Tuna, Fennel and Olives

It's still summer in most parts of the country (Santa Monica beach excluded) and this recipe in the October issue of Food and Wine looked like the perfect light dinner.  I love the combination of fennel, tuna and arugula  (I have a recipe that calls for those three plus chickpeas for a very tasty salad) so I thought I'd try it.  The wheat berries are an excellent source of protein and fiber so all in all it's a healthy entree.

Warm Wheat Berries with Tuna, Fennel and Olives, serves 2, Total time:  1 hour, 15 minutes

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 thinly sliced carrot
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup wheat berries
1 3/4 cups water
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
5 oz. jar imported tuna in olive oil, drained and flaked
1/4 cup green olives, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup baby arugula
1/2 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced

In a saucepan, combine the wheat berries, water and 1/4 tsp. salt.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 1 hour until tender.  Drain.

In a saucepan, heat 1 tbsp of the oil.  Add the carrot, onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until slightly softened, 5 mins.  Add the wheat berries, remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and the lemon juice.  Fold in the tuna, olives, arugula and fennel.  Season with salt and pepper and serve warm or at room temperature.

Note:  the recipe actually calls for soaking the wheat berries overnight and then cooking with the vegetables in chicken broth for 30 minutes.  I opted not to do this as I didn't get organized in time.


Bottom Line:  This was good, but next time I would leave off the olives.  I would also use less onion and more lemon juice.  Dave wasn't as fond of it, his favorite tuna dinner is Nicoise salad, and that is hard to beat.

Chicken with Fresh Herbs served with Roasted Tomato, Brie and Arugula Salad

It is officially football season starting tonight with a special Thursday night football game.....WOW what luck!  Guess I won't ask Dave to grill......there might not be 100% concentration on the grill.  I saw this yummy recipe for the roasted tomato salad (on Tasting Table.com) and decided to pair it with a simple broiled chicken recipe that is easy to prepare and quite tasty.  Unfortunately the roasting of the tomatoes takes an hour, so this isn't a quick dinner, but you could easily serve the chicken with sauteed vegetables and a green salad and it would be quite quick.

Chicken with Fresh Herbs, serves 2, Total time:  25 mins

1/4 cup chopped assorted fresh herbs (i.e. Italian parsley, oregano, tarragon)
3 tbsp olive oil
2 1/2 tbsp Sherry wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
2 boneless chicken breast halves with skin (I used skinless)

Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl.  Add chicken; turn to coat.

Preheat broiler.  Arrange chicken, skin side down, on large rimmed baking sheet.  Pour marinade over; broil 4 minutes.  Turn chicken.  Broil until cooked through and skin is browned, about 6 minutes (note, my chicken took more like 20 mins to cook, therefore I have adjusted the total time from 15 to 25 mins).

Roasted Tomato, Brie and Arugula Salad, serves 2, Total time:  1 hour 5 mins

3/4 # Roma tomatoes, cored, seeded and quartered
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tbsp chopped tarragon leaves, divided
2 1/2 oz. baby arugula
2 oz. Brie cheese, rind removed and cheese cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tbsp Sherry vinegar

Preheat the oven to 375.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes with the olive oil, salt, pepper and 1/2 tbsp of the tarragon.  Stir until the tomato quarters are coated with the oil and arrange on a rimmed baking sheet.  Roast the tomatoes for 1 hour, until they're shriveled and the pan juices have caramelized.

Arrange the arugula in a large serving bowl and top with the Brie. Spoon the roasted tomatoes (and any accumulated juices) over the top of the greens, then drizzle with vinegar and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 tbsp tarragon.  Toss gently and serve.

Bottom Line:  Loved this salad!  Nice combination with the chicken, but would also do well with fish or beef. I wasn't sure if the tomatoes should be hot and mine were more like room temperature by the time the chicken finished cooking.  I think this is the perfect temperature as you don't really want to wilt the arugula and melt the cheese.

Grilled Swordfish with Crispy Cauliflower

I saw this recipe for cauliflower in a Tasting Table email.  The recipe comes from chef Bruce Binn of Thermidor, San Francisco.  Bad habit of mine....I forgot to really read the recipe before I went to the store, so where he adds mint, I'm adding shallots and raisins. Picked up a beautiful piece of swordfish which Dave will grill (4 mins a side).  Just a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper to prepare it for the grill.  I think a small arugula and fig salad will be a nice accompaniment.

Crispy Cauliflower, serves 2, Total time:  40 mins

1/2 head of cauliflower, separated into small to medium florets
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 shallot, minced
2 tbsp raisins or currants
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400.  Toss cauliflower florets with 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil.  Spread on a rimmed baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast, rotating the baking sheet and stirring about halfway through for a total of 15-20 mins, until the edges of the cauliflower are golden brown.  Remove and cool completely. (I'm not sure you need to cool the cauliflower before the next step.  I did, but not sure what you gain.)

In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil.  Add the shallots and saute over medium heat.  When shallots are beginning to soften, add the cauliflower and the raisins and cook over medium high heat, stirring often until crispy and warmed through, about 4 mins.

Transfer to a bowl, squeeze lemon juice over and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bottom Line:  Didn't love the cauliflower.  I normally roast it until it's pretty brown (about 30 mins) and then dress it with browned butter (sometimes with shallots and raisins) and it's very tasty.  I don't think I'll make this recipe again.  The swordfish and the salad were yummy, tho!

White Bean Chili

Believe it or not, it feels like fall in Santa Monica today.  It's overcast with temps hovering around 65.....really rather dreary.  Out came the J Crew cashmere and the soup pot.  Thought I'd cook up a batch of white bean chili.....one of Dave's favs.  Aside from the disaster I had from adding a can of chopped jalapenos (don't do this unless you know they are mild!) this is an easy soup to make.  It freezes well and I usually use a roasted chicken from my favorite grocer so I don't have to cook the chicken, a real time saver...BONUS!  After fishing out the little bits of jalapeno, draining the broth and adding new, I think this is going to be fantastic.  It obviously took me more than the hour fifteen noted here, but if you use mild chilies you shouldn't have a problem.  Feel free to kick it up a notch if you like hot with some cayenne or dried chili peppers or that can of jalapenos you've been saving for a special occasion.

White Bean Chili, serves 4, Total time:  1 hour 15 mins

1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 4-oz. can chopped green chilies (mild)
2 cups diced cooked chicken
3-4 cups chicken broth
2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste
grated Monterey Jack cheese

Heat the oil in a soup pot or dutch oven.  Add onion and garlic and saute until soft.  Add cumin, oregano, cloves and green chilies.  Stir in the chicken and add the broth.  Bring to a boil, turn heat to low and add beans.  Adjust seasonings, adding salt and pepper as necessary.  Simmer the soup for an hour.  Served topped with cheese.  You can offer additional condiments on the side:  chopped tomatoes, salsa, chopped parsley or cilantro, chopped scallions, sour cream (useful if the chilies are too hot!)

Bottom Line:  Yum!  It had just the right amount of heat for us and there are now 2 servings in the freezer for dinner emergencies.

Grilled Salmon and Summer-Vegetable Casserole

WOW, September already.  I was traveling this week so Dave had to fend for himself the last three nights and he's ready for more satisfying fare than tuna, eggs, tuna, so it's time to get back to cooking!  I thought he might frequent the local Whole Foods prepared foods section, but he couldn't be bothered.  Unfortunately the fridge and the freezer were uncharacteristically bare, so there was little to choose from.....I will do better before my next absence....Another Food and Wine email led me to this mouthwatering vegetable casserole and I thought it would pair nicely with a piece of simply grilled salmon.

Summer-Vegetable Casserole, serves 2, Total time:  1 hour, 25 mins (can be prepared in advance)

1 medium-large Yukon Gold potato, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
3 plum tomatoes, sliced 1/4" thick
1 small zucchini, sliced on the diagonal 1/4" thick
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 tbsp freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a small casserole with olive oil.  Spread potatoes in the casserole in a single layer; drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.  In a bowl, combine the bell pepper, onion, garlic and thyme and season with salt and pepper.  Arrange two-thirds of the bell pepper mixture over the potatoes and drizzle with oil.  Top with the tomatoes and the zucchini; drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.  Cover with the remaining bell pepper mixture and sprinkle with the cheese.

Cover the casserole with foil and bake for 40 mins.  Increase the oven temperature to 425.  Uncover and bake for about 20 mins longer, until the vegetables are tender and glazed on top.  Let stand for 10 mins.  Serve warm.


Grilled Salmon, serves 2, Total time:  20 mins

2/3 # Salmon fillet
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Lemon
1 tsp dill

Prepare grill, medium high.  Brush salmon with oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill skin side up for 4 mins, flip and grill 4 mins.  Season lightly with dill, serve with lemon slices.

Bottom line:  You only get a picture of the vegetables as the salmon came off the grill looking NOT ready for it's close-up!  Sometimes food tastes so much better than it looks.  That said, the veggies looked and tasted great.  This might be my new favorite dish....the sweetness of the onions and the creaminess of the potatoes, the tartness of the tomatoes, it all worked beautifully together.  A winner!!