One Pan, Two Plates (31 page)

We’re all trying to get those healthy omega-3s into our diets, and if you haven’t tried it yet, arctic char should be a healthful-oil-filled and delicious new addition to your seafood repertoire. Similar to salmon, with its brightly colored flesh, char’s clean, rich flavor plays very nicely with Indian spices. Here, garlic, ginger, and the spice blend garam masala flavor the fish and leggy broccolini while a tangy, minty yogurt sauce and green pistachios add color, crunch, and the illusion of richness—but with far fewer calories.

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START TO FINISH
30 minutes

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HANDS-ON TIME
25 minutes

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serves 2

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Two 6-oz/170-g skin-on arctic char or salmon fillets

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp garam masala (see “It’s that easy”)

2 tbsp chopped pistachios or pine nuts

2 tbsp olive oil

2 bunches broccolini, about 6 oz/170 g total weight, tough ends trimmed

1 garlic clove, roughly chopped

1 tsp peeled and minced fresh ginger

¼ cup/60 ml dry white wine

⅓ cup/75 g Greek or other thick yogurt

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp minced fresh mint

1.
Pat the fillets dry and cut each piece crosswise into three equal pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and ¼ tsp of the garam masala. Set aside.

2.
Put the pistachios in a microwave-safe bowl. Toast them on high in the microwave for 30 seconds, give them a stir, and microwave another 30 seconds. They won’t be browned, but they’ll smell toasty. Set aside.

3.
Heat a 12-in/30.5-cm skillet with a lid over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp of the olive oil to the pan. Add the broccolini and ¼ tsp salt and cook for about 2 minutes, moving the broccolini spears around so that they don’t overbrown in spots. Add the garlic, ginger, remaining ¼ tsp garam masala, and a sprinkle of pepper. Cook until the garlic and ginger are fragrant, about 1 minute. Move the
vegetables to one side of the pan to make room for the fish.

4.
Add the fish to the pan, skin-side down, and cook the fish without moving it for 3 minutes. Flip the fish over with a thin-edged spatula, add the wine, and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the fish and vegetables for 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let sit for 2 minutes, covered, to allow it to finish cooking gently in the steam and residual heat. You don’t want the broccolini to be limp. It should still have some al dente “bite” to it.

5.
While the fish and broccolini sit, stir together the yogurt, lemon juice, and mint and season with salt and pepper.

6.
Arrange the fish and broccolini on two warmed plates, drizzle with the yogurt sauce, sprinkle with the pistachios, and serve hot.

it’s that easy:
Garam masala is a blend of Indian spices, and a terrific shortcut to authentic Indian flavor. I’ve found that one jar of garam masala is a good means for introducing the flavors of India without the expense of buying individual jars of spices like coriander, cardamom, and turmeric. Look for it in the spice section of your grocery or online.

extra hungry?
Add a mound of microwave steam-in-the-bag brown rice.

in the glass:
Nothing goes with arctic char like a medium-bodied Pinot Noir. Look for a bottle from the Willamette Valley in Oregon from a producer like Erath. Or if you’re feeling flush, the Etude bottling from California will knock your socks off.

Flash-Roasted Tilapia

with
NEW POTATOES, PEAS,
and
PESTO MAYONNAISE

One of the reasons I choose tilapia for dinner is that its mild flavor is so versatile. I’ve kept it simple here, but you know what they say: simple is often best. In this recipe, new potatoes cook up crispy-brown on the outside and fluffy-tender on the inside, while the fish is brushed with a pesto mayonnaise and flash-roasted in a hot oven. The mayo keeps the fish moist and also acts as a dipping sauce for the potatoes. Versatility never tasted so good.

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START TO FINISH
40 minutes

...

HANDS-ON TIME
20 minutes

...

serves 2

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¼ cup/35 g pine nuts

2 tbsp olive oil

¾ lb/340 g new potatoes, scrubbed and each cut lengthwise into 6 or 8 wedges

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

½ cup/120 ml mayonnaise

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

⅓ cup/10 g minced fresh basil

¼ cup/30 g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Two 6-oz/170-g tilapia fillets

½ cup/70 g frozen peas

1.
Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C/gas 7.

2.
Put the pine nuts in a dry 12-in/30.5-cm ovenproof skillet over medium heat and toast, tossing the nuts constantly so they don’t burn, for about 3 minutes. As soon as they are lightly browned, turn them out onto a plate to cool.

3.
Put the skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the potatoes and ½ tsp salt and season with pepper. Don’t stir the potatoes for the first 3 minutes, then scrape up the browned pieces with a thin-edged spatula and flip them over and brown the other sides, about 2 minutes longer. Sprinkle in the garlic, transfer the pan to the oven, and roast the potatoes until they’re almost tender, about 15 minutes.

4.
In a bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, basil, and Parmesan. The sauce won’t need any salt (because the Parmesan is salty), but add more pepper, if you like.

5.
Pat the fillets dry and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Spread the pesto mayonnaise over the top of the fish, reserving 2 or 3 tbsp. Remove the potatoes from the oven and sprinkle in the frozen peas. Top the potatoes with the fish, return the pan to the oven, and bake until the fish is cooked and flakes easily with a fork and the potatoes and peas are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

6.
Divide the fish and potatoes between two warmed plates and sprinkle the toasted pine nuts over the top. Put a dollop of extra pesto mayonnaise on each plate for dipping and serve hot.

variation:
Tilapia is pretty easy to find, but if there are some beautiful redfish or haddock fillets in the case, go for it. Always choose the freshest, most appealing fish.

it’s that easy:
Mincing basil is generally a no-no, as all that chopping breaks the tender leaves down to mush. But in this recipe, the basil is minced and added like a pesto to the mayonnaise. I avoid using a food processor on weekdays (because I’d have to wash it), so just combine the hand-chopped basil, lemon, and Parmesan with the mayo and voilà . . . deconstructed pesto mayonnaise.

extra hungry?
A salad of leaf lettuce and sun-dried tomatoes with a splash of white wine vinegar, a glug of olive oil, and a few shavings of Parmesan sounds like a nice addition to this meal.

in the glass:
Sauvignon Blanc would be my drink of choice here. There are some interesting bottles at great prices from South America. Look for a bottle of Chilean Santa Rita Sauvignon Blanc for a “best buy” value.

Miso-Glazed Cod

with
WILTED ASIAN RED CABBAGE SLAW

We all have times when we want a simple, light meal with clean, fresh flavors, and this is a meal for those times. Blending up the miso glaze is a snap, and it flavors the flaky cod almost effortlessly with just the right mix of savory and salt. The crunchy slaw is really the star of this show, featuring colorful red cabbage, carrot, tart apple, and peanuts, tossed with rice vinegar, brown sugar, and salt. You asked for it, here it is: light, healthful, and delicious, all in 30 minutes.

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START TO FINISH
30 minutes

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HANDS-ON TIME
25 minutes

...

serves 2

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2 cups/225 g very thinly sliced red cabbage

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1 Granny Smith apple, scrubbed, cored, and cut into matchsticks

2 green onions, white and tender green parts, thinly sliced

½ cup/15 g chopped fresh cilantro

1 seeded and minced serrano chile, seeds reserved

½ cup/70 g peanuts

1 tbsp dry white wine