Grilled Trout

Fish can be very difficult to grill: it can stick to the grill and often flakes or falls apart when you try to flip it. When Sam and I were looking at the seafood case in Whole Foods a couple weeks ago, Sam was eying the trout, but we weren’t sure if it would be tricky to grill. The fishmonger, though, cleared any doubts we had about grilling trout. He assured us that trout was in fact a really easy fish to grill, especially whole, butterflied trout.

Here’s what we did:

1. Heat the grill and clean the grill racks really well. Fish sticks to the grill because it touches food residue from previous cookings. If you clean the racks, the fish will not stick.

2. Drizzle the flesh side of the butterflied trout with olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Place trout on grill, flesh side down. Grill for 8-10 minutes until fish is done. Don’t open the grill or peek under the trout more than necessary or you will disturb its cooking.

4. Serve with a lemon wedge. Grilled asparagus and green salad make wonderful accompaniments.

Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Arugula, Capers & Olives

Spaghetti with tomato sauce is a classic go-to dish for busy weeknights. If you’re getting tired of jarred tomato sauce, consider using fresh tomatoes, peppery arugula and briney capers and Kalamata olives to switch things up a bit. This recipe doesn’t even require you to cook the sauce; simply mix together the sauce ingredients, let sit for 30 minutes and add hot spaghetti noodles.

While the dish was simple to make and very flavorful, I wish there was more cohesiveness between the tomatoes and the pasta. I saved out some of the pasta cooking water to try to meld the tomatoes and the noodles when I mixed them together, but it still was not as cohesive as I would have liked. Perhaps this is simply the nature of a pasta dish that uses raw rather than cooked tomatoes. Any thoughts or solutions?

Serves four.

Ingredients
6 plum tomatoes, halved, juiced, seeded, chopped
⅓ cup halved pitted Kalamata olives
⅓ cup (packed) chopped arugula
⅓ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons capers, drained
3 garlic cloves, pressed
¾ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
3 anchovies, chopped (optional)

1 pound spaghetti (I used capellini)

Mix first eight ingredients (tomatoes through anchovies) in a large bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature for flavors to develop.

Cook spaghetti in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Return pasta to pot; add tomato mixture and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to large bowl.

From The Bon Appetit Fast, Easy, Fresh Cookbook

Va de Vi

Whether it’s lunchtime or dinnertime, Walnut Creek’s Va de Vi Bistro and Wine Bar is always bustling like the downtown in which it is located. For Sam and me,  Va de Vi has come to signify a special occasion restaurant where we’ve celebrated Sam’s birthday, our engagement and, most recently, his return from a three-week trip to Pakistan.

Every time we dine at Va de Vi we are thrilled with the creativeness of the chef and outstanding quality of the food.The menu follows the small plates concept, so nibbling and sharing is the name of the game. I really like the small plates concept because the focus is on the taste of the food rather than shoveling down a plate of food that could serve two or three people.

When Sam and I last went to Va de Vi,  we ordered two entrees and a vegetable: beef carpaccio, rosemary lamb kebabs and sauteed summer squash with tomatoes.

As Va de Vi is also a wine bar, they have a diverse selection of wines from all over the world. Even if you know what wine you want to order, take a minute to read the humorous wine list. Sam and I enjoy a sparkling rose, whose  varietal, vintner and region I have unfortunately forgotten (I could point to it on the list though!).

When it comes to dessert, there is no need to pick just one item: the dessert tasting for two features four different sweet nibbles such as creme brulee, profiteroles, bread pudding and chocolate souffle. A cup of Va de Vi’s strong, piping hot coffee completes a fabulous meal.

Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Fresh Herbs and Lemon

If you are looking for a delicious dinner that takes little time to prepare and uses fresh ingredients, this recipe is for you. Unlike many white fishes, Chilean Sea Bass has a firm, meaty texture, which is very satisfying. Serve with grilled asparagus and red bell peppers, mashed potatoes and a crisp Sauvignon Blanc.

Ingredients

4 (6-ounce) pieces sea bass fillet with skin (1 inch thick)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
2/3 cup loosely packed mixed fresh herbs, such as parsley, dill and chives, chopped

Preparation

Using tweezers or needle-nose pliers, remove any bones from sea bass. Pat fillets dry. With a sharp knife, cut parallel slashes just through skin of each fillet in four places. Cut each fillet diagonally in half and season with salt and pepper.

Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides. Add fish skin side down and sear until skin is golden, about 3 minutes. Turn fish over and cook until just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to four plates.

Add wine to skillet and deglaze by boiling, stirring and scraping up brown bits with a wooden spoon, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add lemon juice, herbs, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and salt and pepper to taste, stirring until butter is incorporated. Spoon sauce over fish.

from The Gourmet Cookbook.

Grilled Shrimp Salad with Corn and Avocado

This is a perfect salad for a hot summer day when you don’t want to turn on the oven or stove — the shrimp, corn, onions and avocado are all grilled. Simply brush them with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and smoked paprika and grill. The avocados add a lovely creamy contrast to the smoky grilled shrimp, corn and onions, and the citrus-based dressing provides a fresh, clean zing to the salad. While peeling and skewering the shrimp and scraping the corn kernels off the cob is labor-intensive, the rest of the salad comes together in a snap.

Ingredients
For Dressing
6 tablespoons orange juice
3 ½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 ½ teaspoons finely grated orange peel
¼ cup olive oil
½  teaspoon truffle oil (optional)

For Salad
2 medium red onions, sliced into ½ -inch thick slices
2 pounds uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined
3 large ears of corn, husked
1 ciabatta bread or pain rustique, cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices
Olive oil
2 teaspoons hot smoked paprika (Pimentn de la Vera)**
12 cups mâche (about 7 ounces)
2 avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, cut into ¾ -inch cubes

Preparation
Make the dressing:
Whisk first 4 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Whisk in olive oil, then truffle oil, if desired. Season with salt and pepper.

Make the salad:
Prepare grill (medium heat). Thread onions onto skewers; thread shrimp onto separate skewers. Place onion skewers, shrimp skewers, corn, and bread slices on two large rimmed baking sheets. Brush onions, shrimp, corn, and bread with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle smoked paprika on both sides of the shrimp. Grill onions and corn until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side; grill bread slices until browned; and grill shrimp until cooked through, about 2 ½ minutes per side.

Transfer vegetables, shrimp, and bread to work surface. Cut corn kernels off cobs; place corn kernels in very large bowl. Remove shrimp and onions from skewers and add to bowl. Add mâche and avocados to bowl. Toss salad with enough dressing to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer salad to large rimmed platter and serve with bread.

From The Bon Appetit Cookbook: Fast Easy Fresh