101 Fast Recipes for Grilling, New York Times

Vegetables and Fruits

1. A winter dish, summer style: Brush thick slices of fennel bulbs with olive oil and grill over not-too-high heat. Cut oranges in half and grill, cut-side down. Put fennel on a bed of arugula or watercress, squeeze grilled oranges over top. Garnish with fennel fronds.

2. Best grilled artichokes: Cut artichokes in half, scoop out the choke, parboil until tender. Grill, cut-side down, until lightly browned; grill a couple of halved lemons, too. Combine the juice from the grilled lemons with melted butter and spoon over the artichokes. Finish with parsley.

3. Tahini tofu steaks. Thin tahini with lots of lemon juice and some minced garlic. Cut a brick of firm tofu into four slabs and brush with sesame oil. Grill over a moderate fire, turning a few times, until marked and crisp outside and custardy inside. On the last turn, baste with the tahini sauce. Serve on thick tomato slices with a drizzle of soy sauce and chopped basil, Thai if possible.

4. Spice-rubbed carrots: Roll peeled carrots in cumin, salt, pepper and brown sugar. Char, then move them away from direct heat and cover the grill until carrots are tender.

5. Grill bread; grind in a food processor to make coarse bread crumbs. (You can add garlic and/or parsley and/or Parmesan, or not.) Grill asparagus until tender. Top with bread crumbs and olive oil.

6. Brush slices of beet with olive oil and grill slowly until tender and lightly browned. Top each slice with a little goat cheese and some salad greens.

7. For perfectly ripe tomatoes only: Grill tomatoes, any size, until hot and lightly charred but not bursting. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve with fresh mozzarella (or, even better, burrata) and grilled bread.

8. Halve and grill radicchio (or Belgian endives); drizzle cut sides with honey or plain vinaigrette, pesto or parsley pesto. Or just brush with oil and finish with a little grilled prosciutto.

9. Grilled guacamole: Halve and pit avocados; lightly char them, then scoop out the flesh. Grill halved red onion, too. Chop, combine, add tomatoes, lime, garlic and spices if you like.

10. Grill corn. Serve with mayo with minced garlic, pimentón and parsley.

11. Grill more corn. Serve with curry-powder-laced yogurt and minced onion.

12. Grill corn again. Serve with coconut milk, cilantro and mint.

13. Root vegetable of your choice: Slice celeriac — or jicama, big potatoes, daikon or yams — and grill slowly, until very tender and browned. Drizzle with olive oil or melted butter and sprinkle with chopped rosemary or sage and olive oil.

14. Choose another root. Slice it, but this time char lightly and leave it crunchy. Chop and toss with chopped cilantro, a pinch of cayenne and juice of grilled lime.

15. Rub thick zucchini slices with a mixture of fresh or dried dill, yogurt, olive oil and lemon. (Or use pesto or parsley pesto.) Grill slowly.

16. More shopping than cooking: Grill an array of radishes on little skewers, four to six each. Serve with butter, salt and bread.

17. Halve Belgian endives. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill over moderate-to-low heat, turning once or twice, until soft and browned. Finish cut-side up and sprinkle with grated Parmesan; close the grill to melt cheese.

18. Lightly char whole or halved heads of baby bok choy; drizzle with soy sauce and top with chopped scallions.

19. Peel and thickly slice a not overly ripe mango. Brush very lightly with neutral oil and grill just until softened; sprinkle with cilantro and/or mint and lime juice (you might as well grill the lime first, too).

20. Grill pineapple (or anything, really, from pork to tofu to eggplant). Make a sauce of half-cup peanut butter, a tablespoon (or more) soy sauce, a dash (or more) sriracha chili sauce, a handful of basil or mint and enough warm water to thin. (I’m tempted to say, “Throw away the pineapple and eat the sauce,” but the combination is sensational.)

21. Waldorf salad revisited, sort of: Grill cut apples until browned but not mushy; grill chunks of Napa or savoy cabbage, also left crisp; grill halved red onion. Chop or shred all together with blue cheese, walnuts and a little yogurt.

22. Cut a slit in as many ripe figs as you like; stuff with herbed goat cheese (or cream cheese mixed with chopped nuts) and grill slowly. Appetizer or dessert? Your call.

23. Grill red, orange and/or yellow peppers; toss with olives, capers, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

24. Quick grilled pickle: Rapidly char thick slices of cucumber; toss with salt, vinegar and sugar; let sit for 15 minutes, then drain.

25. Charred salsa verde. Toss whole husked tomatillos, scallions and jalapeños in olive oil and grill until charred. Remove the blackened skin from the chilies and chop or blend everything with diced avocado, lime juice and cilantro. Eat with chips or top grilled chicken with it.

Meat

26. Mideast lamb chops: Shoulder cuts are the best and the cheapest; just don’t burn them. Marinate them briefly in yogurt, lemon, cardamom and mint. Serve with lemon and parsley.

27. Midwest pork chops: Again, shoulder; again, don’t burn. Marinate briefly in spicy mustard, chopped garlic and apple cider.

28. Six-minute steak (or maybe four): Salt skirt steak and grill it, quickly. Top with queso fresco, thinly sliced red onion (you could grill it first, if you like) and the juice of grilled lime.

29. Six-minute steak, plus a little marinating time: Soak skirt steak in a mixture of soy, lime juice, garlic, ginger and sugar (or mirin) before grilling. (The time it takes to heat the grill is long enough.)

30. Smear chicken leg quarters (or thighs) with a paste of garlic, chopped rosemary (thyme, too, if you like), olive oil and the juice of grilled lemon. Grill away from heat, covered; crisp briefly over high heat.

31. Steak au poivre: Sirloin strip is ideal. Press lots of cracked black pepper into both sides, sprinkle with salt and grill over fairly high heat, about three to four minutes on each side. Slice quarter-inch thick before serving.

32. Crisp (and better) duck à l’orange: Score the skin of duck breasts and press rosemary leaves, salt and pepper into both sides. Grill skin-side down over low-ish heat until crackly, then turn and grill briefly. Serve with grilled orange halves.

33. Smear hanger, skirt, flatiron or other steak with mustard. Grill and serve with grilled shallots.

34. Brush chicken thighs — boned or not — with basil, parsley or cilantro pesto. Boneless and skinless thighs can be grilled over direct heat; thighs with skin should be started away from heat.

35. Fast lamb leg: Use steaks cut from the leg, and rub them with a mix of warm spices: cumin, coriander, cinnamon and turmeric. Grill quickly, serve hot.

36. Spread flank steak or butterflied lamb leg with garlic, parsley and lemon zest. Roll and tie, or fold. (Or grill without further fuss, adding more paste occasionally.)

37. Moist grilled chicken breast? Yes: Pound chicken breast thin, top with chopped tomato, basil and Parmesan; roll and skewer and grill over not-high heat until just done.

38. Call it grilled chicken Parm: Pound breast thin, top one side with sliced tomato, mozzarella and Parmesan; fold in half, seal with a toothpick or skewer and grill for a few minutes on each side.

39. Pork (or veal) saltimbocca: Pound pork or veal cutlets thin; top with ham (prosciutto preferably) and cheese (maybe Gruyère). Roll, cook on skewers and serve with pickles.

40. Slice pork shoulder thin. Fry lots of sesame seeds, minced garlic, fresh minced chili in sesame oil; off heat, stir in some soy sauce. Grill the pork fast over high heat, smearing with the sesame paste right after flipping. Serve with lettuce leaves and cilantro, basil and/or mint for wrapping.

41. Bacon-wrapped hot dog. You know you want one.

Fish and Shellfish

42. Grill thick onion slices; purée in a blender with olive oil and lemon juice. Grill scallops for about four minutes; serve with the vinaigrette.

43. Salmon tartare with grilled stuff: Lightly grill radishes, scallions, lime halves and, if you like, plantain disks. Serve the plantains under, and the other things next to, chopped raw salmon (preferably wild) seasoned with salt and pepper.

44. Grill sardines or mackerel; serve with a squeeze of grilled lemon, grapefruit or both.

45. Stuff whole gutted trout with slices of lemon and chopped marjoram or oregano. Wrapping in bacon is optional. One per person is best.

46. Not so easy, but so impressive: Stuff squid bodies with chopped chorizo (optional), garlic-toasted bread crumbs, lemon zest and parsley. Close with toothpicks. Char quickly over a very hot fire.

47. Shrimp, Part 1: Rub with chili powder and salt, and grill quickly. Finish with cilantro and the juice of grilled lime halves.

48. Shrimp, Part 2: Rub with olive oil, salt and cumin. Finish with the juice of grilled lemon halves; garnish with chopped marjoram, if you have it, parsley if you don’t.

49. Shrimp, Part 3: Rub with curry powder. Drizzle with warm coconut milk and chopped mint, basil and/or cilantro.

50. Grilled tuna niçoise: Brush tuna with olive oil and grill; keep it rare. (You might grill some new potatoes while you’re at it.) Serve with more olive oil, lemon juice, cherry tomatoes, olives, grilled red onion and parsley. Green beans and hard-cooked eggs are optional.

51. Grilled clams on the half shell: Get them shucked (or cook in the microwave or on the grill until opened); top with bread crumbs, parsley, lemon, minced cooked bacon (optional). Grill until topping is hot.

52. You think you don’t like bluefish? Grill it, then drizzle with a mixture of chopped fennel fronds (or crushed fennel seeds), melted butter and the juice of grilled grapefruit or orange.

53. White fillets with spice: Mix salt, sugar, chili powder and paprika. Rub on sturdy white fish fillets (make sure the grill grates are clean and well oiled).

54. Buy shucked oysters. Top with juice of grilled lemon. Period. (You could grill shallots, mince and make a grilled mignonette, but this is better.)

55. Grill soft-shell crabs, brushing with melted butter and Tabasco. A little charring of the claw tips isn’t a bad thing.

56. Simmer octopus tentacles until tender (this may take a couple of hours); cool. Grill; cut into attractive little rounds and drizzle with lemon and olive oil.

57. Grill wild salmon (preferably king or sockeye) until not-well-done. Toss diced cucumbers with fresh dill, olive oil and lemon juice. Serve salmon hot, slaw cold.

Kebabs

58. Shrimp and chorizo. Serve with lemon or a little vinaigrette.

59. Lamb and carrots. In last few minutes, brush with miso thinned with a tiny bit of mirin (or sherry, wine or water).

60. Lamb and onions. Brush with a mixture of cumin and olive oil as they sizzle. You can add bell peppers, too, but somehow the stark minimalism of this is pleasing.

61. Odd, but good: Strawberries and cherry tomatoes, finished with basil-laced balsamic vinegar.

62. The New Yawk special: Italian sausage, peppers and onions.

63. The California special: Figs, with chunks of good bacon.

64. Kebab or hero? Your choice: Cut brussels sprouts in half; grill slowly on skewers, with chunks of sausage. Both slowly crisp as they cook.

65. Bread salad on a stick: Cubes of bread, black olives and cherry tomatoes. Don’t grill too long, and drizzle with basil or thyme or parsley vinaigrette.

66. Peaches, plums, strawberries and watermelon. Finish with a sprinkle of salt and perhaps a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

67. Cubes of mango and chunks of white fish; brush with a mixture of soy, fish sauce, sriracha chili sauce and chopped mint or cilantro. Serve with a mai tai.

68. Go Hawaiian or Italian: Wrap pineapple or melon in prosciutto. Grill briefly.

Salads

69. Grilled coleslaw: Lightly char wedges of green and red cabbage and carrots. Let cool, then shred and toss with a little mayo, vinegar, salt and sugar.

70. Grill halved new potatoes or fingerlings (microwave or parboil first for a few minutes to get a head start), red onions and scallions. Chop as necessary and toss with chopped celery, parsley, mustard and cider (or other) vinegar. I make this annually.

71. Toss grilled Lacinato kale leaves with a little Caesar salad dressing (or olive oil, lemon and Parmesan) and grilled croutons.

72. Char iceberg wedges and cherry tomatoes (skewer these first). Top with blue cheese dressing.

73. Lightly grill ripe figs; brush with balsamic. Chop and toss with arugula and blue cheese. Sprinkle with olive oil.

74. Steak salad with almost no steak: Halve endives or radicchio; brush with oil and grill. Sprinkle with bits of blue cheese and bits of charred steak.

75. Ratatouille: Grill chunks of zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, eggplant, onion and tomatoes (or use cherry tomatoes), all until lightly browned and perfectly tender. Toss with fresh marjoram or oregano, thyme, basil and olive oil.

Burgers

76. Greek salad burger: Ground lamb with grated feta, chopped calamatas and a little oregano. Top with tomato, red onion and cucumber.

77. The pickled onions make it: Soak sliced red onions in diluted vinegar and salt while you prepare everything else. Combine ground lamb with grated carrots and cumin; grill, then top with onions.

78. Asian burger: Grind pork, combine with grated daikon and a little soy sauce. Brush with hoisin or miso and top with sliced-and-salted cucumbers.

79. Grind beef, combine with crumbled blue cheese and chopped toasted walnuts. Top, if it doesn’t sound too effete, with sliced grilled pear.

80. A chicken or turkey burger worth eating: Cook and chop bacon; mix with ground chicken (or turkey) and grill.

81. Another: Grind turkey, combine with chopped basil, shove a cube of mozzarella into the center, grill until well done (the cheese will melt). Top with tomato and more basil.

82. Grind salmon (actually, it’s better if you grind half and chop half) and combine with chopped scallions and soy sauce. Grill medium-rare, top with mayo spiked with ginger, soy and/or lime.

83. Philly cheesesteak burger: Grind beef and grill with mushrooms and onions; top with aged provolone.

Sandwiches and Breads

84. Actual grilled cheese: Use good bread, good cheese, tomato slices and maybe a little mustard; brush with melted butter or olive oil and grill with a weight on top.

85. Glorified grilled cheese: Use grilled pineapple, grilled ham, cheese, pickles and mayo; grill with a weight on top.

86. Grill bell peppers until blackened and collapsed; cover, cool and peel. Grill eggplant planks, brushed with olive oil (or pesto if you have it), until very tender. Make a sandwich with balsamic vinegar, mozzarella and basil. This is also good with strip or skirt steak: grill meat until medium-rare, then slice and salt.

87. Grilled quesadilla (simple): Fill a flour tortilla with queso fresco, Monterey Jack or Cheddar; add chicken, shrimp and/or tomato. Fold and grill until cheese melts.

88. Grilled quesadilla (not as simple): Grill and strip corn from the cob; grill red-onion slices and chop them. Combine both with chili powder and bind with a tiny bit of mayo or yogurt. Put between two flour tortillas with cheese and grill. Serve with grilled lime wedges.

89. A different kind of Cuban sandwich: Grill pork steaks (best from the shoulder, about half-inch thick). Put on baguette spread with well-seasoned mashed black beans, queso fresco, chopped red onion (grilled or not), cilantro and lime juice.

90. Grill pork steaks as above; grill red onions. Slice the meat, chop the onions, toss with thinly sliced apples and roll in lavash bread or stuff in pita with yogurt-dill dressing. You can use the meat as an accent, or as the dominant ingredient.

91. Grill sweet Italian sausage and some figs. Combine on a toasted hot dog bun; mustard is optional.

92. Grill split kielbasa or chorizo (the Spanish type). Serve in buns, filled with chopped Manchego and mayo spiked with pimentón. Some chopped dried apricots would be good, too.

Desserts

93. An idea whose time has come: Halve and grill peaches, nectarines or apricots. Brush with barbecue sauce or, if you want to be sophisticated, a mixture of bourbon, sugar and mint, or simple syrup laced with basil.

94. An idea whose time will come in September: Halve and grill pears or apples. When they’re done, drizzle with yogurt, honey and a pinch of cardamom.

95. Grilled fruit salad, and why not? Toss grilled watermelon (really good), peaches, plums, pineapple and kiwi with honey, a little salt, lemon juice and tarragon (not much), chervil, basil or mint (or a combo).

96. Cut grapefruit in half. Sprinkle with brown sugar; grill, cut-side down. You might top this with chopped pistachios or a little honey.

97. Grilled shortbread or poundcake (store-bought is totally fine) topped with grilled fruit sauce, strawberries in sugar, yogurt, ice cream, whatever.

98. Grilled angel food cake or poundcake (again, store-bought is fine) topped with Nutella, chocolate sauce, sorbet, etc.

99. Grilled s’mores: Put graham crackers (or other good quality flat cookie) on foil, top with marshmallows and chocolate and another cracker. Grill until the chocolate and marshmallow begin to melt.

100. Cut bananas into thick rounds (like scallops almost), char quickly and serve with caramel sauce, brown sugar, vanilla ice cream, Nutella ... whatever.

101. Actually, this is a drink: Skewer green olives, then char them a bit. These would be a good garnish for shrimp, chorizo or anything else. But instead, make yourself a fantastic dirty martini.

Sabich (Iraqi-Israeli Eggplant Sandwich)

Ingredients:

eggplant, sliced and roasted
hard-boiled egg, sliced
thick pita, warm
amba (Iraqi mango chutney)
tahini (with parsley and lemon juice)
hummus (optional)
salad / greenery / sliced onion

Directions: (or rather, description)

Sabich, served in a pita bread wrap, traditionally contains fried eggplant, hard boiled eggs, hummus, tahini, Israeli salad, potato, parsley and amba (a mango pickle). Traditionally it is made with eggs cooked for a long time until the white of the egg becomes brown. Sometimes it is doused with hot sauce and sprinkled with minced onion.

Soya Sauce Chicken

Ingredients:

* 3 to 3 1/2 pound chicken
* Sauce:
* 1 cup light soy sauce
* 1 cup dark soy sauce
* 1/2 cup Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
* 1/2 cup brown sugar or 1/3 cup Chinese rock sugar
* 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
* 3 whole star anise
* 1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorn, roasted (see recipe directions for link to roasting peppercorn)
* 1 thick slice fresh ginger, smashed
* 1 cinnamon stick
* 4 cups water

** Mom's variant: add fresh rosemary!

Preparation:
1. Rinse the chicken under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. In a pot large enough to hold the chicken (I use an 8-quart pot) combine the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, sugar, fennel seeds, star anise, roasted Szechuan peppercorn, ginger, cinnamon stick and the water. Bring to a boil.
3. Add the chicken, breast side down. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook the chicken for 45 minutes, turning over once or twice and making sure it cooks for an even amount of time on both sides. Baste the chicken for a minute or more each time you turn it over.
4. After 45 minutes, turn off the heat and the let chicken sit, covered, until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the breast reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit (about 77 degrees Celsius).
5. Remove the chicken from the pot, cool and cut into bite-sized pieces. Serves 6 – 8 (or 1/2 chicken will serve 4).

Fettuccine with Spicy Chicken Sausage and Pears

This recipe puts a spin on a traditional Italian dish with chicken sausage and crunchy sticks of fresh pear. Buon appetito!
Ingredients

* 12 ounces fettuccine pasta
* 1 pound spicy chicken sausage links, cut into ½-inch thick slices
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 ½ cups white wine
* 1 ½ cups red bell pepper, thinly sliced
* 1 Red Anjou USA Pear, cored and cut into matchstick slices
* ½ cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions

Prepare fettuccine according to package instructions. Meanwhile, in large sauté pan over medium heat, sauté sausage in olive oil until thoroughly cooked and browned. Remove sausage from pan and set aside.

Add peppers to pan and sauté until slightly tender. Add pears to pan and sauté until heated through but still crisp. Remove peppers and pears and set aside.

Add wine to the pan and bring to a boil, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue to boil until reduced by half. Add sausage, peppers, and pears to the wine sauce and toss to coat.

In a large serving bowl, toss the freshly prepared pasta with the sausage mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

preparation time: 30 minutes
yield: Serves 6

Chicken Mushroom Fried Rice

Ingredients:


1/4 cup long grain white Rice (Chawal)
2 tblsp Vegetable oil (Vanaspati)
1 small chopped finely Onion (Pyaj)
2 chopped finely Garlic Cloves (Lasun)
2 seeded and cut into slivers Red chili (Lal Mirchi)
225 gms chopped finely Chicken breast meat
85 gms chopped or cut into matchstick strips Bamboo Shoots
8 dried, soaked for 30 minutes, drained and chopped Chinese Black Mushrooms (Goochi)
2 tblsp dried Shrimps
1 tblsp Fish Sauce
25 Thai Holy Basil Leaves (Tulsi)
Thai Holy Basil Sprig to garnish
As required Salt (Namak)

How to make chicken mushroom rice top:

* Cook rice.
* Heat oil in a wok.
* Combine onion and garlic.
* Cook till golden.
* Stir occasionally.
* Combine chilies and chicken.
* Fry stirring for 2 minutes.
* Stir in bamboo shoots, mushrooms, dried shrimps, fish sauce and salt.
* Stir continously 2 minutes.
* Combine in the rice and basil.
* Stir well.
* Garnish with basil sprig.
* Serve hot.

Four Seasons Beans

INGREDIENTS:
* 20 oz. Yard-long beans or string beans
* 2-3 cloves garlic, very finely minced
* 1/2” x 1” pc ginger, very finely minced
* 1 green onion, very finely minced
* 1 Heaping Tab of dried shrimp
* 2 Tab pickled mustard cabbage or Tianjin pickled vegetable
* 1 Tab soy
* 1/2 tsp coarse salt
* 1-1/2 tsp sugar
* 2-1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar

* sesame oil to garnish

* 2-3 Quarts of Frying oil in large pot.

INSTRUCTIONS:
Wash, trim and cut beans to 2-3” lengths; make sure they are thoroughly dry. In a large pot, slowly heat deep fry oil to 350º (editor’s note: see “deep frying” in the Techniques section.) The beans can also be shallow fried or stir fried, though the cooking time may have to be increased. In the meantime, prepare the other ingredients. (Note that the garlic, ginger, green onion and shrimp should be finely minced, allowing the flavoring ingredients to cling to the beans when the dish is plated). In a bowl, pour 1 cup of very hot water over the dried shrimp and cover. Set aside for 30 minutes. Wash and drain the preserved vegetable, then press out any remaining moisture, chop roughly and set aside. Drain shrimp and mince finely.

When oil has reached 350º add the beans in two or three portions to keep foaming to a minimum, and deep fry until skin begins to blister and beans have slightly softened—about 2 minutes. It is crucial that the beans not be overcooked, as the loss of their texture ruins the dish. To be certain, after frying for about a minute, retrieve a bean section, quickly submerge in cold water and taste for doneness. The bean should be crisp; keep in mind the beans will continue to cook after they are taken out of the oil. When the beans are done, drain thoroughly and set aside. This step can be done ahead, but it is best to continue and complete the dish as soon as possible.
Heat the wok and add 2-3 Tab of peanut oil; on med high, but before wok begins to smoke, add ginger, garlic and onions. Toss once or twice and add dried shrimp and preserved vegetable. Immediately add beans, toss, then add vinegar, soy, sugar and salt. Be sure to check for saltiness: Gan bian si ji dou is a savoury dish, with just a hint of sweetness. Plate the beans, making sure you scrape the wok of the flavoring ingredients and scatter them on top of the dish. Garnish with a small amount of sesame oil.

Arab Levant / Syrian Spiced Fish [Samaka Harra]

Yield: Makes 6 servings
Preparation Time: 1:20 hours

6 large garlic cloves, peeled

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 fresh red or green long chili peppers, cored and seeded

1 small onion, cut into pieces

1 large, ripe tomato (about 9 to 10 ounces), peeled and seeded

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin seeds

1 whole sea bass or red snapper (about 6 pounds), scaled, gutted, and cleaned but left whole with head and tail on

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh coriander leaves

1. In a mortar, pound the garlic and salt together until mushy. Put the chili peppers and onion in a food processor and chop finely. Add the tomato and process in bursts until it is chopped. Remove to a medium-size bowl and stir in the pounded garlic, tomato paste, and cumin.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Rinse the fish and pat dry with paper towels. Score the fish in 3 places on each side. Lay the fish in a baking pan and coat with the olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then cover with the chili pepper sauce. Bake the fish until the dorsal fin feels as if it will come off with a tug, about 1 hour, basting with the accumulated olive oil in the baking pan. Sprinkle with the coriander and serve.

Variation: Preheat a gas grill on low for 20 minutes or prepare a charcoal fire. Place the fish on a rack inside a large aluminum baking pan, for example, the kind you use to roast a whole turkey. Place the aluminum pan on the grilling grate, draw down the hood or cover, and grill until done, 45 minutes to 1 hour, making sure some smoke can escape through vent holes. The fish is done when one of the dorsal fins almost comes off when you pull on it.

Arabic Spiced Fish

(Yield: 2 servings)

2 (4-6 oz) fillets of white fish (I used haddock)

2 TB canola oil

1 TB all-purpose flour

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp each allspice, cinnamon, and curry powder
[** OR the ready-made fish spices from Jerusalem!]

Salt and pepper

Prepared couscous or rice, for serving (I used whole wheat couscous)

Preheat the oven to 350F. In a shallow bowl mix together the flour, cumin, allspice, cinnamon, curry, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pat the fish dry, dredge it in the flour/spice mixture, and gently shake off the excess.

In a medium frying pan, add the oil and sauté over medium to medium-high heat; add the fish when the oil is hot (when it starts to ripple). Sear the fish until golden brown on the first side (about 3-5 minutes), then flip the fish and sear it until browned on the second side (about 3 minutes). Transfer the fish to the oven to finish cooking (about 3-5 minutes). The fish is fully cooked when it’s opaque in color and flakes easily with a fork.

Serve the fish on top of couscous or rice, alongside Tahini Salad.

Stir Fried Rice Cakes 炒年糕

Ingredients: (All are my rough estimation)

-half pack of dried nian gao - soak overnight
-a few tbsp of dried shrimps - soaked and chopped fine
-200g lean pork or belly - slice, marinade with some pepper, cooking wine and light soy sauce
-2 leaves of Chinese cabbage - sliced
-a few Chinese mushrooms - soaked and sliced

Variation on Basic sauce:
- dark soy sauce
-1 tbsp oyster sauce
-1/2tsp chicken seasoning powder
-a few tablespoons of water
- sesame oil
- salt and sugar and white pepper

+ Chinese dark vinegar as dipping sauce on the side

Method:

Stir fry dried shrimps till fragrant, add in mince pork, stir and break up the pork into smaller pieces and fully cooked. Add in mushroom, nian gao, stir for a while. Add the vegetables and continue to stir fry. Add basic sauce, stir till well combined, simmer a while (covered) till nian gao is soft.

Lion’s Head Casserole 獅子頭

3 lb./ 1 head napa cabbage
1 lb. chopped pork
1 1/2 Teaspoon of salt
1/2 Tablespoon of sesame oil
1/2 Teaspoon of rice wine
1/4 Teaspoon of black pepper
1/4 cup water chestnuts
1 Teaspoon of chopped green onion
1 Teaspoon of chopped ginger root
1 Tablespoon of cornstarch
1 1/2 Tablespoon of soy sauce
1/2 Tablespoon of water

Rinse cabbage lightly and remove 4 outer leaves; tear rest of cabbage into small squares; drain. Heat pan and 6 tablespoon of oil; stir fry cabbage sections until soft and add 2 cups of water; cook for 5 minutes over medium heat; remove and place in the bottom of a heatproof casserole.

Chop pork finely and mix with 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon of rice wine, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, 1 teaspoon of chopped green onion, 1 teaspoon of chopped ginger root, 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch, 1/4 cup water chestnuts.

Lightly throw mixture against inside of mixing bowl to combine ingredients; separate into 4 portions and shape into balls. Coat each ball with pre-mixed 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch, 1/2 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of water.

Heat pan and 6 tablespoon of oil; fry pork balls on all sides until golden brown; remove and place on cabbage in casserole; cover pork balls with 4 outer cabbage leaves and add1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce; cover and simmer 1 hour over low heat; serve.

Tip: Try experimenting with bread to include in the meatball mixture. It adds a nice texture!