Spinach (I could be convinced to try)...

...wrote Nate in an email the other day outlining which fruits and vegetables he
a)likes
b)dislikes
c)hates
d)hasn't tried but would be willing to taste in the interest of expanding his food repertoire

And lo, this wife's heart went pitter pat at this concession from her veggie-wary husband.

Aaaand about 2 seconds later, I threatened to print out the email, get it notarized and framed, and use it against him for all future time.

SO: we are all spinach all the time here on Flower St. I am going to cook every yummy spinach dish known to man in the hope that I find one he likes.

Pray for me.


Menu:
Grilled Shrimp over Garlicky Lemon Spinach
Mixed Greens and Mango with Lemon Vinaigrette
Grilled Medjool Dates Stuffed with Goat Cheese
Grilled Corn


Grilled Shrimp Over Garlicky Lemon Spinach

I love grilled shrimp. It takes no time at all and you can serve it with greens, salad, rice, pasta, you name it. Perfect for summer evenings.




serves 2

Shrimp:
1 lb peeled, deveined shrimp, tails removed
2 c warm water
1 T kosher salt
1 T sugar

Spinach:
4 c baby spinach
1 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 T water or chicken broth
juice of half a lemon (about 2 T)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Light the grill. While the grill is heating, mix the salt and sugar in the water and add the shrimp to brine (about 15-30 minutes, or however long it takes to get it to the grill).
2. Grill the shrimp in a grill pan over medium heat, about 2 minutes per side. They will be done quickly; don't walk away!
3. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper, cook for 1 minute. Add the spinach and broth and bring to a boil. Cook the spinach until just wilted. Remove from heat and toss with the lemon juice.
4. Arrange the shrimp on top of the spinach and serve.



Mixed Greens and Mango with Lemon Vinaigrette

This was a terrific, light, easy summer salad. I had planned to make it with beets and balsamic dressing, but my beets were bad and the mango was ripe, so I changed the dressing to lemon and came up with this. It would probably also be very good with peaches or nectarines or maybe even strawberries. Slices of grilled or poached chicken would make it into a very easy, more substantial lunch.



serves 2

1/2 tsp lemon zest
3 T fresh lemon juice
1 tsp honey
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and cubed
1 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled
2 c baby spinach
2 c baby arugula

1. Whisk together the lemon zest, juice, honey, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
2. Toss the dressing with the mango, goat cheese, and greens.

Grilled Medjool Dates Stuffed With Goat Cheese

These were inspired by a dish at one of my favorite Phoenix restaurants, Tuck Shop. They serve dates stuffed with chorizo and cheese and drizzled with some sort of dressing, and I have to really hold back from licking the plate right there in the middle of the resturant. I saw dates at the store today and thought I could make a stab at my own lightened version.

UM. OH MY GOODNESS. CAN ANYONE SAY "CANDY FOR DINNER?"
Holy Bites Of Sin, Batman.



serves 2, if you can bear to share.

4 large Medjool dates, pitted
1/2 oz soft goat cheese, divided
cooking spray
salt and pepper to taste

1. Stuff each pit cavity with goat cheese.
2. Thread the dates onto two parallel metal skewers. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Grill over hot coals, slit-side up, for about 2 minutes, or until lightly charred.
4. Devour.


Ha! In my excitement over the spinach, I almost forgot about the Fruit-stravaganza that is taking place in our house. Nate has put me in charge of finding fruits that he will like. So I buy lots of different fruits and we eat them together, with me being the judge of whether a particular piece is a good representative (i.e., mealy pears are bad reps of their kind and we wouldn't want to write them off completely based on one bad seed).

So far, the list of approved fruits includes:
cherries
nectarines (but not peaches)
pineapple
grapes
apricots
apples
strawberries
plums
lemons/limes (although I think these were approved as drink garnishes...)

Let the record show that Nate can no longer be called a veggie-hating, fruit-avoiding, pizza-and-hamburger-subsisting beige-food-only eater. I support this endeavor and am proud of his eagerness to try new stuff!

If a python bites you in the forest...

Dinner plans for the last two nights were usurped by various other functions like Biology/Philosophy grad department parties and veterinary continuing education events. I know, you thought we were nerds down here on Rue de Fleur; but now you know just what kind of jet-setting socialites we really are.

Topics discussed this weekend at the events in question (and extra points for whomever can match the topic with the event):
1) Are pythons conscious; i.e., do they make a conscious decision to bite you, or is it just instinct?
2) Bacterial infections contracted via the transitive property while having improper relations with a mortician in a strip club...
3)The travesty that is the current movement toward NOT killing a bunch of animals for the purpose of learning how to do surgery...
4)Space travel
5)Futurama quotes
6)Antibiotic resistance (terrifying)

Good food was had by all each night, but none of it was cooked by me or Nate. So we're back on track tonight (drum roll.....)!

Nate requested salmon burgers and corn. Far be it from me to discourage this recent interest in exotic foods, so I pieced together a few different recipes and came up with my own version. I hope it was everything he hoped for and more. This was a bit more involved than a typical weeknight dinner, but these burgers could be made ahead and frozen and thrown straight on the grill. Also, I think these could be made with canned salmon instead of raw, which would be a lot faster.

The Menu:
Salmon Burgers with Lemon-Dill Aioli
Arugula and Potato Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Grilled Corn!
Steamed Broccoli


Salmon Burgers with Lemon-Dill Aioli




I cobbled this recipe together after reading about ten different recipes for salmon burgers. The technique was borrowed from a New York Times article by Mark Bittman; Bittman's recipe did not call for egg, but every other recipe did, so I used two egg whites. Boy, that mixture got awfully goopy...I should have listened to Mark. The guy knows what he's doing. Next time I'll either cut the eggs out altogether or just use one white. I put the burgers in the freezer for about two hours before grilling, otherwise I think they would have fallen apart.

Burgers
makes 3 4-inch patties

8 oz salmon fillet, skinned
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika, half-sharp (or 1/4 tsp cayenne)
2 scallions, sliced, white part only
1 T grated ginger root
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 T dried breadcrumbs
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
salt and pepper

Aioli
2 T mayonnaise (I used light, olive-oil mayo)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp dried dill (this would probably be nicer with fresh)

1. Cut the salmon into chunks.

2. Put about 1/4 of the salmon into the food processor with the garlic powder, ginger, and paprika and blend until pasty. (I know, gross. Pasty fish. Just go with it.)

3. Add the rest of the salmon, the scallions, and the lemon zest and pulse a few times until combined and the salmon has been cut into 1/4" pieces. Do not over-process.

4. Fold in the egg whites and the breadcrumbs.

5. Form into 3 patties, wrap with plastic wrap, and place in the freezer to firm up.

6. Oil or spray a grill pan and place patties over medium heat. Grill about 3-5 minutes per side, depending on how frozen they were to begin with.




6. Blend the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and lemon zest with the dill in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to eat.



Arugula Potato Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

This salad was inspired by a recent post on the lovely Zen Kitchen blog. I had a bunch of arugula to use up, and this was perfect. I decreased the potatoes, added grilled corn, and used the salad as a base for the salmon burger. This salad could easily carry grilled shrimp, chicken breast, or just stand alone.

Serves 2

1/4 pound small red creamer potatoes
1/2 c grilled or steamed corn kernels (about 1 ear)
1 small shallot
1 tsp plus 1 T olive oil, divided
2 T wine vinegar (I used a citrus champagne vinegar, but use whatever you like)
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp stone-ground mustard
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste




1. Peel a strip around each potato. Steam for 15 minutes, then thread onto a skewer, baste with olive oil or cooking spray, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.




2. Grill over medium heat until crisped, about 3 minutes per side. Let cool and place potatoes in a salad bowl. Stir in corn.

3. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a small pan and saute sliced shallot for about 1 minute. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the vinegar, mustard, lemon juice and zest, salt, and pepper. Stir in shallots. Whisk in 1 T olive oil until smooth. Taste for seasoning; add a pinch of sugar if too tart. Toss the potatoes and corn with the dressing.

4. Toss arugula with potato mixture and serve.

I can has salmon burger?

113F, 3% humidity

That's right, 3%. That's why they call it a Dry Heat. Perfect grilling weather! We don't even have to light the grill! We just throw slabs of meat out on the pavement for a few minutes.


No, just kidding, I actually lit the grill. I like having grill marks on my chops, and that's really hard to do on concrete.


Tonight's dinner for Elaine is brought to you by Mark Bittman. Both the main dish and the salad were adapted from his leaden tome, How To Cook Everything.

The salad was lovely, and I far prefer almonds to peanuts, so I would repeat that. Baby arugula is peppery and holds up really well to the spicy dressing. This was a perfect foil to the slightly sweet honeyed pork.


I'm rediscovering pork tenderloin lately. It's super-lean, fast-cooking, doesn't need much prep, and stores easily (it's tube-shaped and slides neatly into the freezer). It also makes great leftovers. Pretty much any recipe that calls for chicken can be made with pork, and vice versa.

Menu:
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Honey and Cumin
Tender Greens with Peanuts and Tomatoes
Grilled corn on the cob
Steamed broccoli
Grilled pineapple slices

Tender Greens with Peanuts and Tomatoes
How To Cook Everything

2 servings

2 c coarsely chopped young, tender arugula, dandelion, mizuna, romaine lettuce, or other greens (trimmed, washed, and dried) (I used baby arugula and did not chop it)
1 1/2 tsp peanut oil (I used 1 tsp dark sesame oil)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 c roasted peanuts, with or without salt (I used 2 T roasted, unsalted slivered almonds and a few grinds of the salt shaker)
1/2 cup cored, peeled, seeded, and chopped ripe tomatoes (Feh! Who does all that to a tomato? Just chop it up and throw it in.)
juice of half a lime

1. Place the chopped greens in a bowl.
2. Place the peanut oil in a small saucepan and turn the heat to medium. Add the chili powder and cook, stirring, until the chili powder darkens, 30-60 seconds. Add the peanuts, toss, and cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute. Add salt if necessary.
3. Toss together the greens, peanuts, and tomatoes. Taste for salt and add more if necessary. Sprinkle the lime juice over all and serve.


Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Honey and Cumin
adapted from How to Cook Everything

1 lb pork tenderloin
juice of half an orange
2 T honey
1 T orange juice
1 T ground cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder

1. Prepare the grill.
2. Squeeze the juice from half an orange over the tenderloin and let marinate while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
3. In a small bowl, combine the honey, 1 T orange juice, cumin, and garlic powder and mix well. Set aside.
4. Sprinkle the tenderloin with salt and pepper and sear over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes per side. Baste the tenderloin with the honey mixture and cook about 3-5 additional minutes per side or until cooked through to your liking. Watch carefully to avoid burning the rub, as honey will char easily.
5. Remove from grill and rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve immediately.
(This recipe originally called for chicken breasts rubbed with olive oil. I did not find that the tenderloin needed oil at all, nor do I think chicken would. I bet this would be really tasty on chicken thighs, too. Also, you can substitute sherry, white wine, or water for the orange juice in the basting mixture.)

Grilled corn and pineapple have become summer staples around here lately. They're both very tasty, very easy, and not too bad for you.

Corn: After the meat is grilled (or while it's on the grill), arrange the husked corn over the coals and grill, turning about every 3 minutes, until the kernels start to brown.

Pineapple: Place sliced pineapple over the hot coals and cook about 5 minutes per side until char marks appear to your liking. This caramelizes the sugars deliciously. Alternatively, eat it raw. It's great either way.

For an easy dessert, serve grilled pineapple over vanilla ice cream. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or minced fresh basil macerated with sugar. This also works well with grilled peaches.

Sparkle sez: I can has tenderloin? Or corn, I'm not picky...