Grilled Cod Sandwiches, Saltspring Island Style.

And she's back!

Yes, I've been silent, but for a good reason: Vacation!!! We have lived in the desert for lo, these three years now, and have watched virtually every other citizen on this oven we call home get out of town during the summer while we sat at home like chumps. Steamy, sweaty, smelly (from the sweat) chumps.

But not this year...

We found ourselves needing to be in Denver for two weekends in a row in July, so we made a big trip out of it and spent the week in between in the Pacific Northwest. All told, we took 10 days and traveled to Denver, Seattle, Vancouver, Saltspring Island, and back to Denver (Boulder).

It. Was. Awesome. Of course, we could have been sitting in a cardboard box on the side of the road the whole time, and if it had just been cooler than 100 degrees, we still would have thought it was awesome.

I won't bore you with all the details, but suffice it to say that Canada (Vancouver environs in particular) seems like a pretty perfect place and I might defect. Don't say I didn't warn you. You can get all the utopian details on Nate's blog.

I will offer up one detail, though: the reason we were in Denver/Boulder for the second weekend of vacation was because there was an Ultimate Frisbee tournament there. Nate, who co-captains the Phoenix men's club team--Sprawl-- led the team to an undefeated weekend during which they rolled over all of the competition in the men's open division to take the title of the Colorado Cup!!! Very exciting!!! And no one got hurt!!!! Even more exciting!!!

But all good things must end, so here we are back in the inferno. On to the food.

Menu:
Grilled Cod Sandwiches with Mango Chutney
Charred Garlic and Mango over Greens with Chinese Dressing
Grilled Pineapple
Grilled Corn
Ice Cream

Grilled Cod Sandwiches with Mango Chutney




This was inspired by a great meal we had at a harborside restaurant called Moby's on Saltspring Island, which is off of Vancouver Island. This sandwich needs a superb bread, so I visited the trusty bakery down the street, Simply Bread, and scored some plump, beautiful challah rolls. Ciabatta would also work well here.

Serves 2

12 oz cod filet
cooking spray

2 challah rolls, split

2 T prepared mango chutney, divided
handful of mixed greens
salt and pepper to taste

1. Prepare the grill to medium. Secure the fish in a fish basket or place in a grill pan coated with cooking spray. Grill over medium heat until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
2. Place the split rolls over the coals and toast for about 30 seconds, or until lightly browned (or almost burned, as was the case at our house tonight...)
3. Divide the cooked filet into two equal portions and place each one on the bottom of a toasted roll. Season with salt and pepper. Top with greens, 1 T chutney, and the top of the roll and serve while hot.


Charred Garlic and Mango over Greens with Chinese Dressing



The base for this dressing is from a 7/30/2010 New York Times recipe for a delicious-looking celery and tofu stir-fry that I intend to try someday. I made the oil a few days ago, and the house smelled so good I wanted to eat the air. It also gave me an excuse to visit Penzey's for such pretty things as star anise, crushed red pepper, cinnamon sticks, Sichuan peppercorns, and whole coriander. Num.

Dressing
2 T spiced peanut oil (see below)
3 T seasoned rice vinegar

Salad
1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled
1 mango, peeled and julienned
1 c broccoli, lightly steamed
8 c mixed salad greens

1. Whisk the oil and vinegar together until emulsified.
2. Thread the garlic cloves onto skewers or place them in one layer in a grill pan. Spray with cooking spray.



3. Char the garlic over a medium heat grill, about 2-3 minutes per side. They should be near-blackened and soft.
4. Divide the garlic, mango, broccoli, and greens over 4 plates. Drizzled the dressing over and serve.

Spiced Peanut Oil
1 c peanut oil
2 inches of ginger, peeled and cut into 3-4 pieces
1 stick cinnamon
3 whole cloves
1 tsp whole coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 whole star anise
1 T Sichuan peppercorns
1/4 c red pepper flakes

1. Heat oil over medium heat until just simmering. Add ginger and spices and remove from heat. Allow to sit for 2-3 hours.
2. Strain oil into a jar and discard the solids.





I have to put in a plug here for one of my favorite Phoenix foodie spots, Sweet Republic. This amazingly amazing ice cream shop used to be within licking distance of our condo (actually, SR is still there, and so is the condo; we're the ones who moved. Foolishly. Now we live near a McDonald's.), and I have been known to occasionally drive the 30 minutes out of my way home from work to pick up some ice cream.

And I don't even really LIKE ice cream.

If you're ever in the vicinity of 90th St. and Shea in N. Scottsdale, go to Sweet Republic. It is your gastronomic duty.

Today's flavor picks:
Peanut Butter Chip
Honey Lavender
Cardamom