Broiled Salmon with Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

I always adhered to the school of thought that teriyaki sauce is a bit too sweet to be of much use anywhere--I figured that anything with teriyaki probably would've been better off without it (i.e. beef teriyaki, chicken teriyaki, et al). And having no concept whatsoever of what went into the sauce, I never considered making my own, until one night when I was in the mood for fish and looking for a different way to prepare it.

This recipe is really good. The sauce is the perfect combination of sweet and salty, and it's light--nothing like the sticky, saccharine stuff I hate at most sushi restaurants. Serve it with a few scoops of white Japanese rice and a fun pair of bright, candy-colored chopsticks. Chic. xo

Broiled Salmon with Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
From My Father's Daughter, by Gwyneth Paltrow
Ingredients:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
3 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon peeled and finely grated ginger
2 sprigs fresh cilantro
4 6-ounce salmon fillets, skin discarded
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh chives, for serving

Directions:
Combine the soy sauce, mirin, honey, water, ginger, and cilantro in a small saucepan over high heat. Once it boils, turn the heat to low and let it simmer for 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the sauce cool down. Once it's cool, pour into a large bowl or plastic freezer bag and add the salmon. Marinate in the fridge for at least an hour, up to overnight.

When you're ready to eat, preheat the broiler. Put the salmon on a heavy baking sheet with whatever sauce adheres to it and broil until cooked to your liking, 7-8 minutes. While it's cooking, strain the extra sauce into a clean saucepan, bring to a boil, and let it reduce.

To serve, drizzle the cooked salmon with some of the extra sauce and a sprinkle of chives.

Arugula and Tomato Pasta

My goodness, it's been a long week. I'm looking forward to some serious relaxation this weekend; I'll be baking some blueberry muffins, making the cover pasta recipe from the June issue of Bon Appetit (it's spaghetti with roasted tomatoes and anchovy oreganata--YUM), cleaning, doing loads of laundry, getting my swimsuits out of storage (!!) to figure out what to toss and what to keep, and venturing out to Brooklyn for a Saturday night dinner date/road trip. Also, I'm dying to see Woody Allen's new flick, Midnight in Paris--I worship the man.

If you're looking to cook up some pasta of your own this weekend, this dish combines two of my very favorite things: arugula and spaghetti. How could it go wrong? It's a simple, light, summery recipe that incorporates lots of healthy bitter greens and a good helping of nutty Parmesan. Try it out and let me know how it goes. xo

Arugula and Tomato Pasta
Adapted from My Father's Daughter, by Gwyneth Paltrow
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed with a mallet or mortar and pestle
3 14-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes with their juice
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound (3/4 box) spaghetti or tagliatelle
3 ounces arugula (3 large handfuls)
Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving 

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, chile flakes, and fennel, and cook, stirring for 3 minutes, or until very fragrant. Add the tomatoes and their juice, season with salt and pepper, turn the heat to high, and bring the sauce to a boil. Turn the heat to medium low and let the sauce cook on a low boil for 1 hour.

About 10 minutes before you're ready to eat, boil the spaghetti in salted boiling water. A minute before it's al dente, add the arugula to the pasta pot. Drain the pasta and arugula and toss them with the tomato sauce.

Serve each portion with plenty of grated Parmesan.

Fried Flounder with Tartar Sauce

When summertime rolls around, one of the main staples of my diet suddenly becomes fried fish. There's just something about a hot, crispy, perfectly breaded piece of fresh fish with liberal squeezes of bright lemon that is just so quintessentially representative of summer to me. One of my absolute favorite meals on the planet are the fried fish tacos at a tucked-away little Mexican shack called The Hideaway in Montauk--they are seriously divine. And who could pass up the fish and chips at A Salt & Battery in Greenwich Village?

This weekend, with it's grey skies and constant drizzle, inspired me to try frying up some fish of my own, hoping to bring a little bit of summertime into what is promising to be 10 straight days of rain. And so, I tried out this flounder recipe with results that were downright delicious. The fish cooks quickly and easily, and the homemade tartar sauce gave me a new appreciation for Vegenaise (the vegan's solution to mayonnaise)--the stuff is fantastic and loads healthier for you than regular mayo. Try it--as far as recipes go, this one is pretty perfect. xo

Fried Flounder with Tartar Sauce
From My Father's Daughter, by Gwyneth Paltrow
Ingredients:
4 large flounder or any flat white fish fillets
1/2 cup milk
2 cups fine plain bread crumbs
Safflower or peanut oil, for frying
Fine salt
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
Tartar Sauce (recipe follows), for serving

Directions:
Dip the fish in the milk and then lightly dredge in the bread crumbs. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and fill with 1/4 inch of safflower oil (about 3/4 cup). When a small pinch of bread crumbs sizzles immediately, gently lay the fish in the skillet (do this in batches if necessary). Fry for about 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with a pinch of slat. Serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce.

Tartar Sauce:
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups Vegenaise
3 tablespoons salt-packed capers, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup cornichons, very finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Stir everything together.

Artichoke and Parmesan Frittata

Frittatas are the perfect thing to whip up when you're entertaining a group for breakfast or brunch. They come together easily and quickly, you can really use whatever ingredients you have hanging around in your kitchen, and I don't think there's a soul on this planet who doesn't appreciate a good frittata. I made this version last Sunday for an early lunch and proceeded to nibble on it all day until it was time to start thinking about dinner. That's the other beauty of frittatas--they taste just as good a couple of hours later at room temperature as they do when they're piping hot and fresh out of the oven.

Just the thing for this weekend, no? Try it out and let me know what you think come Monday. xo


Artichoke and Parmesan Frittata
Adapted very slightly from My Father's Daughter, by Gwyneth Paltrow
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup cooked artichoke hearts, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 teaspoon fresh tarragon leaves, thinly sliced
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 organic large eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/3 cup)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Saute the shallots until soft and just barely browned, about 6 minutes. Add the artichokes and tarragon and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs and milk to combine in a mixing bowl. Pour over the shallots and artichokes. Let it cook for about 5 minutes, or until just set on the edges (it will still be very runny in the middle). Sprinkle the top with cheese and stick it in the oven for 8-10 minutes; it should be just set throughout.

Green Rice

 

I've never been a big proponent of brown rice. It's kind of like bread. Why eat whole wheat when white tastes so much better? I especially could not wrap my head around how brown rice could possibly work in a fried rice dish. To me, it just didn't have that sticky starchiness that seems so essential to a good fried rice. Well, once again, good old Gwyneth Paltrow proves me wrong. She places this recipe under the Side Dishes section of her cookbook, but I've made it for a dinner several times over the last couple of weeks, and it works really well when you're only cooking for one. It's incredibly healthy, and most importantly, it's absolutely delicious. The nuttiness of the brown rice is perfect here--I can't even imagine it with white. Paltrow says even her kids gobble it up, calling it "green rice." So cute. 

Make sure you buy an excellent soy sauce for this--it'll make a difference. xo

Fried Rice with Kale & Scallions

From My Father's Daughter, by Gwyneth Paltrow

Ingredients:

1/2 pound kale, stems discarded

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and very finely minced

3 large scallions, cut into 1/8-inch diagonal slices

2 1/2 cups cooked brown rice

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce

Directions:

Cut the kale leaves in half lengthwise and then cut crosswise into very thin ribbons (chiffonade). Steam the kale for 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, being careful not to brown the garlic. Raise the heat to medium and add the steamed kale and scallions. Cook for 2 minutes and then add the rice and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring. Add the soy sauce and cook for 30 seconds more. Serve hot.

Sauteed Greens with Onions and Soy Sauce

One of my favorite meals in the city comes from downtown cult favorite restaurant Lovely Day, and isn't really so much a meal as it is a couple of sides. Namely, their sauteed Chinese broccoli with ginger, garlic, and soy eaten with some plain white rice. Simple as can be, but somehow deeply satisfying and healthy to boot. I've tried to replicate the recipe a few times using various dark leafy greens like chard and broccoli rabe, but was never able to get it quite right. Until I saw this recipe in Gwyneth's cookbook last weekend. (Of course, Gwyneth would be the one to nail this one.)

I chose to make this side dish with a beautiful bunch of dark kale I found at the market and did exactly as the recipe said, sauteing it up with good olive oil, some sweet caramelized onions and a splash of soy sauce. That's it. Easy. And, dare I say, even better than the original from Lovely Day. (Nothing quite beats homemade.) Try making it yourself and eat it for dinner with a scoop of nutritious brown rice. That's what I'll be doing. I mean, let's face it, with bikini weather just about a month away, we could all use a little more of these healthy greens in our lives. xo

Sauteed Greens with Onions and Soy Sauce
From My Father's Daughter, by Gwyneth Paltrow
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 pound seasonal greens (kale, Swiss chard, etc.), stems removed and discarded, leaves washed and roughly torn
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally for 5-7 minutes, or until just softened and a little crisp on the edges. Add about half the greens and the water--these will wilt significantly after a minute or two. Add the remaining greens and stir for another 3 minutes or until the greens are wilted but still maintain a little bite. Add the soy sauce, cook for one more minute, and serve.