One Pan, Two Plates (11 page)

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¾ cup/85 g panko bread crumbs

¼ cup/30 g all-purpose flour

1 large egg

1 green tomato, cut into 4 big slices

½ in/12 mm thick

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 slices bacon

1 tbsp vegetable oil, or as needed (optional)

⅓ cup/100 g Major Grey’s chutney

4 English muffins, split and toasted

½ ripe avocado, peeled and thinly sliced (see “It’s that easy”)

4 or 8 iceberg lettuce leaves

1.
Put the panko and flour in two separate shallow bowls. Put the egg in a third shallow bowl and beat until well blended. Sprinkle the tomato slices on both sides with salt and pepper and dredge them in the flour, shaking off the excess. Dip the slices in the egg and then dredge them in the panko to coat completely. Set aside on a plate.

2.
Heat a 12-in/30.5-cm skillet over medium-high heat and add half the bacon slices. Cook, turning as needed, until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes total. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Cook the remaining bacon in the same way.

3.
There should be lots of bacon fat in the pan for frying the tomatoes, but add the vegetable oil if it ever seems to be too dry. Add the breaded tomato slices to the hot pan and fry until browned on the first side, about 2 minutes. Flip them over carefully with a wide spatula and cook to brown the second side, another 2 minutes or so. Transfer the tomatoes as they are finished to the plate with the bacon.

4.
Spread some of the chutney on each toasted muffin bottom and top each with a tomato slice, one-fourth of the avocado, 2 slices of bacon, and a lettuce leaf or two. Close up each sandwich with a muffin top. You will have four small sandwiches. (You’ll wish you had a dozen!) Serve immediately.

variation:
If you can’t find green tomatoes, make this sandwich with zucchini instead. Just slice a zucchini thinly (about ¼ in/6 mm thick) and fry up 3 slices to pile on each sandwich (or more, depending on the size of your zucchini). You might need more panko for coating and oil for frying.

it’s that easy:
Hmmmm. What to do with half an avocado? There are a couple of recipes in this book that use only half an avocado, and try as I might to use it all up in any given recipe, it usually seems like a large, meaty avocado is just too much for two people to eat. Here’s what I do with the remaining half. First, leave the peel and the pit intact. Put it in a container with a lid and add a piece of cut onion. Cover and refrigerate. It won’t oxidize so quickly and will stay green and fresh in the fridge for a few days.

extra hungry?
A little cup of soup would round this meal out on extra-hungry nights. Heat up a few mugs of canned black bean soup in the microwave and top with a squirt of lime and some of the extra chopped avocado.

in the glass:
I look for something light and refreshing to go with this summery sandwich, such as an Oregon Pinot Gris from Elk Cove or an inexpensive Pinot Grigio from Italy.

Tuna Burgers

with
WASABI MAYO
and
QUICK CUCUMBER PICKLE

How many ways can I love this tuna burger? So far, at least five or six (see the variations). Oh, but did I mention how tasty the master recipe for this crispy burger is, with colorful flecks of celery and red bell pepper, the aroma and tang of lemon and cilantro, a spicy mayo, the velvety avocado layer, all topped with fresh, fresh homemade cucumber pickle? Aside from tasting delicious, what I really love about this meal is the protein punch that it packs, preventing me from nibbling on crackers or chips throughout the evening.

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START TO FINISH
45 minutes

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HANDS-ON TIME
45 minutes

...

serves 2

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1 English cucumber, peeled

¼ cup/60 ml cider vinegar

¼ cup/50 g sugar

¾ tsp salt

10 oz/280 g ahi tuna steak (see “It’s that easy”), finely diced

3 tbsp finely diced celery

3 tbsp finely diced red bell pepper

2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro

1 garlic clove, minced

1 large egg, beaten

1 cup/110 g panko bread crumbs

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper

2 hamburger buns, split

1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

¼ cup/60 ml mayonnaise

2 tsp wasabi powder, or to taste

2 tbsp vegetable oil

½ small ripe avocado, peeled and sliced (see “It’s that easy,” facing page)

6 large arugula leaves

1.
Slice the cucumber on a mandoline or use a sharp chef’s knife to cut into paper-thin slices. Set aside.

2.
Stir together the vinegar, sugar, ¼ tsp of the salt, and 2 tbsp water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Remove the bowl
from the microwave, stir to dissolve the sugar, and immediately add the cucumber, pushing it down so that all the slices are completely submerged in the liquid. Let the cucumber pickle for at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes, then drain and set aside to cool.

3.
In a large bowl, combine the tuna, celery, bell pepper, cilantro, garlic, egg, ½ cup/55 g of the panko, the lemon juice, the remaining ½ tsp salt, a few grinds of black pepper, and the cayenne. Toss the mixture gently with your hands until thoroughly combined. Shape the tuna mixture into two burgers no more than 1 in/2.5 cm thick. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to firm up.

4.
Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Brush the cut sides of the buns with the melted butter. Slip the buns under the broiler and toast until golden, about 1 minute.

5.
Stir together the mayonnaise and wasabi powder in a small bowl until well blended. Taste. The spread may be hot enough for you at this point. If you want more heat, continue to add wasabi powder in small amounts until you get it right. If the powder is lumpy, press it through a small strainer before adding it to the mayo.

6.
Pour the remaining ½ cup/55 g panko onto a plate. Remove the tuna burgers from the fridge and coat with the panko on each side, pressing to adhere.

7.
Heat a 12-in/30.5-cm skillet over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil. When it shimmers, add the burgers to the pan and fry until crispy and brown on the first side, about 4 minutes. Turn the burgers and cook until browned on the second side and firm to the touch when pressed lightly with your finger, about 3 minutes longer. If you want your tuna burger a bit more on the rare side, cook it for 3 minutes on the first side and 2 minutes on the second.

8.
Serve the burgers on the toasted buns, spread with the wasabi mayonnaise, and topped with the cucumber pickle, avocado slices, and arugula.

variations:
In place of the pickle and wasabi mayo, try other things atop these burgers, such as Asian slaw, mango salsa, pico de gallo, Major Grey’s chutney, bread and butter pickles, chimichurri, cilantro chutney, onion marmalade, et cetera. Many of these additions are available on the grocery store shelf, so all you have to do is open a jar.

it’s that easy:
This dish is a good use for the packaged frozen tuna steaks found in your grocery store. No need to buy the fresh stuff, since you’re adding many flavor enhancers and maybe even cooking it up beyond medium-rare.

extra hungry?
Serve this tuna burger with your favorite chips. Mine are the kettle-fried salt-and-vinegar variety.

in the glass:
Gewürztraminer—there are so many styles inherent in this palate-pleasing German wine, from spicy and lively to dry to soft. This varietal goes well with spicy foods and is a favorite to pair with Chinese, Thai, or Indian fare.

HUNGRY FOR MORE

CHAPTER 2

meat dinners

Quick Choucroute Garni