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

Mango Slaw and Whole Wheat Tortillas

I had plenty of time to contemplate my dinner as I sat at the local emergency animal clinic for 10 hours NOT seeing patients. While I never would wish any harm on the puppies and kittens of the greater Phoenix area, it sure is boring when they don't come in to see me!

But take a look at this cutie, a stray kitten brought in by a Good Samaritan. She has a stump for a rear leg but is otherwise perfect, and I had plenty of time to play with her while I was not busy sewing things up.


Ack! The Cuteness!


Tonight's dinner was inspired by smitten kitchen and my need to use up some mango and more of that Whole Wheat Pastry Flour. Of course, in my effort to use up stuff in the refrigerator, I had to go to the store to buy a bunch of ancillary ingredients and equipment (including a new rolling pin), so I guess I failed at being frugal. I did, however, succeed in feeding myself quite well. I'll take what I can get.


Mango Slaw with Whole Wheat Tortillas, Chicken and Avocado



The slaw was terrific and made a ton. It's light and summery, and great eaten plain or with chicken and avocados as I've done here. I left the cashews out because I was using the slaw as a wrap filling, but were I to eat it plain, I would definitely add the cashews for some crunch.

I halved the slaw recipe and it made a good 6 cups.

The tortillas came from the Bob's Red Mill website, and I only made them so I could use some of my pastry flour. They were not difficult and the taste was good, but these were not tortillas. Once they cooked, they were crisp and almost like a cracker. I had intended to make pretty wraps from these, but ended up using them like a tostada or small pizza crust.

For the Slaw:
2 mangoes, peeled, pitted and julienned
1 to 1 1/4 pounds Napa cabbage, halved and sliced very thinly (I used Savoy)
1 red pepper, julienned
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (I used a regular white onion)
6 tablespoons of fresh lime juice, from about two limes
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons oil of your choice (I used half toasted sesame oil and half canola)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste (or omit this and whisk in a chile paste to taste)
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup toasted cashews, coarsely chopped (I omitted these)

1. Combine the mango, cabbage, red pepper, and onion in a large bowl.
2. Whisk together the lime juice, vinegar, oil, salt, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.
3. Toss the dressing, mint leaves, and cashews with the cabbage mixture and serve immediately.

For the Tortillas:
1 c whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/3 c water
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 T canola oil

1. Mix all the ingredients together until a soft dough forms. Let rest for 15 minutes.
2. Divide dough into 5 parts. Roll each part out into a very thin circle.



3. Heat a cast-iron skillet to medium and cook each tortilla (no grease) until browned on each side.




Assembly:
Place 1 cup slaw, 1/4 of a sliced avocado, and 1 oz grilled chicken breast on top of each tortilla. Serve imediately.

Gooseberries!

Tonight's featured ingredient was gooseberries. When we commenced with the Fruit-stravaganza here on Le Rue de Fleur a few weeks ago, gooseberries were included on the list of "willing to try" provided by Nate.

I've never had gooseberries; I've never even seen them. So when I stumbled across a gooseberry display at Whole Foods, I knew I had to buy them.



They are so cute! Raw, they taste like a sour grape. I think they are meant to be cooked or used with other sweet things to offset their tartness. Most of the recipes I found, though, either involved making them into dessert (pie, fool, cobbler...) or canning them with an ungodly amount of sugar to make a preserve. So I was on my own! I think I did pretty well by them, if I may say so myself.

The naming of the gooseberry recipe became an issue when I referred to it as various things like relish, salsa, chutney, and compote. I realized that all of those names were pretty much the same in my mind, so in the interest of educating myself and the general food-loving public, here are some definitions (from CDKitchen):

Relish:a cooked or pickled sauce usually made with vegetables or fruits and often used as a condiment; can be smooth or chunky, sweet or savory and hot or mild.

Salsa: 1. Spanish for sauce. 2. Traditionally, a Mexican cold sauce made from tomatoes flavored with cilantro, chiles and onions. 3. Generally, a cold chunky mixture of fresh herbs, spices, fruits and/or vegetables used as a sauce or dip.

Chutney: The name for a large range of sauces or relishes used in East Indian cooking. Fresh chutneys have a bright, clean flavor and are usually thin, smooth sauces. Cilantro, mint, and tamarind are common in fresh chutney. Cooked chutneys have a deeper, broader flavor.

Compote:Dried and fresh fruit cooked with sugar to a jam like consistency, brief enough to allow the fruit to retain their individual identity.

So, it's not a compote, that's clear. But I think what I made tonight could qualify as a Salchutlish. Whatever. It was good.

Menu:
Chile-Rubbed Chicken with Gooseberry-Mango Salsa
Mixed Greens with Basil
Grilled Corn
Grilled Pineapple


Chile-Rubbed Chicken with Gooseberry-Mango Salsa

Note: I forgot two key things when making the chicken.

1. I forgot to brine it. Cardinal sin, in my grilling book. It's easy: Dissolve 2T salt and 2T sugar in about 4c warm water and submerge chicken breast for about 30 minutes. Rinse before coating with rub.

2. I walked away to hang my laundry after putting the chicken on the grill. It *may* have burned just a teensy bit. OK, it burned a LOT. You're not getting any pictures of this ugly debacle. Suffice it to say, when you're grilling over high heat and your chicken is coated in anything that contains sugar, watch it carefully!!!

Note 2: If you don't have the ingredients for the rub or if you're just feeling lazy, a pre-mixed chili-powder rub will do just fine.



I am a big fan of Penzey's Spices, especially their Ancho Chile powder. You should buy stuff from them. They're cheap and high quality.

Serves 2-4

Chicken:
1 T ancho chile powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp brown sugar
pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp olive oil
2 skinless chicken breasts, bone-in

Salsa:
1 c gooseberries, de-stemmed, divided
2 T water
1 tsp lime zest (from about 1/2 of a lime)
1 T lime juice (from about 1/2 of a lime)
1 T packed brown sugar
1 tsp champagne vinegar
1 T grated ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 mango, cubed

2 c baby spinach
1 c baby arugula
1/2 c basil leaves, torn

1. If you brined the chicken, rinse it and pat dry.
2. Combine the chile powder through olive oil in a small bowl. Rub the mixture all over the chicken breasts and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour to overnight.
3. Heat the grill to medium-high.
4. Grill the chicken until done, being careful not to let the rub burn.
5. Meanwhile, make the salsa: Combine 1/2c gooseberries in a small saucepan with the water through cinnamon. Cook over medium heat, mashing the gooseberries with a spoon, until a thick syrup. Remove from heat and let cool.



5. Cut the remaining gooseberries in half and toss with the mango. Stir in the cooled gooseberry-ginger mixture. Taste for sweet-tartness; add more brown sugar or lime juice if needed.
5. Slice chicken and serve over greens topped with the salsa.



The leftover salsa made a very nice dressing on my salad the next day for lunch: I tossed together some baby spinach, baby arugula, torn basil leaves and torn mint leaves with some sliced strawberries, and mixed in about 1/2 c of the gooseberry salsa. Super easy and delicious.

The most important meal of the day!

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so they say. So important, we decided to eat it twice! Breakfast for dinner is one of my favorite meals, and this one did not disappoint.

Menu:
Whole-Grain Waffles with Mango and Almonds
Scrambled Egg Whites with Smoked Gouda and Sausage


Whole-Grain Waffles
from The Food Network

I've been meaning to try making yeast-based waffles for a while now, so when this recipe popped up with both yeast AND whole grains I knew it was fate. These were very good, but I don't know that I would go to the trouble of making them again. They definitely had yeasty undertones when eaten plain (in the interest of science, I did have an extra waffle after finishing my plate) but that flavor got lost once I topped them with fruit and maple syrup.

I loved the whole-grain aspect, though, and will happily replace my beloved Bisquick batter with a whole-wheat and oat version from now on. I will try just omitting the yeast to see if it still works as well.


I will have to make a lot of these waffles to
justify this enormous bag leftover...but it sure is pretty!

The recipe describes these as "light but also crispy on the outside from just a touch of oil and a yeasted batter with buttermilk." Mine definitely did not turn out crispy; maybe I didn't cook them long enough (5 minutes) or maybe halving the oil called for affected the crispiness, but in the end they had a creamy, almost steamed quality to them. I didn't feel this detracted from the flavor, but I had been looking forward to some crispy waffles.

Finally, the toasted almonds sprinkled on top really made this dish better than average. Next time I plan to mix the almonds into the batter so I'm not chasing every little almond crumb around my plate with my fork. (Rest assured, no almond went uneaten.)

serves 6, 2 waffles each

1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105 to 110 degrees)
2 cups buttermilk
3 tablespoons peanut oil (I used canola and cut it in half)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
4 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
Cooking spray for waffle iron
Maple syrup


1. Sprinkle the yeast over the water in a large mixing bowl; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.


The yeast will bloom, it's fun to watch.

Add the buttermilk, oil, sugar and flour and whisk until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.


Last night...


Yeasty bubbliness tonight.



2. Preheat a waffle iron. Whisk the oats, egg whites, baking soda, and salt into the waffle batter until smooth. Lightly mist the hot waffle iron with cooking spray. Add about 1/3 cup of batter to each section, using the back of a spoon to spread batter to the edges.



Cook until the waffles are crisp and golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve with maple syrup.



3. My additions: I toasted 2 tsp slivered almonds over medium heat until golden brown (um, this took two tries...) and sprinkled them over the waffles after topping them with diced mango and strawberries.


Don't try to multi-task while toasting nuts. Take two: much better.



Scrambled Egg Whites with Smoked Gouda and Sausage



serves 2

8 egg whites
2 oz smoked Gouda cheese, cubed
4 oz turkey kielbasa, cubed
1/4 c skim milk
2 T sun-dried tomatoes, diced
sprinkle to taste: crushed red pepper, dried oregano, dried parsley, dried basil


Get your filling ready before turning on the heat.

1. Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray.

2. Combine egg whites through milk in the skillet and scramble, stirring occasionally, until not quite done (eggs should still be very slightly runny; they will finish setting in the heat of the pan. They will dry out and become tough if cooked all the way in the pan).

3. Remove from heat and stir in sun-dried tomatoes. Sprinkle with spices.

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!