Links to this week's
Menu and Recipes

   Menu
   Day 1
   Day 2
   Day 3
   Day 4
   Day 5
   Day 6
   Shopping List


swordfish
Grilled Swordfish with Olive Shallot Relish

lentils
Lentils with Chickpeas

couscous
Simple Couscous

Menu Plan for the week of August 23, 2013: Day 1 Recipes

Swordfish with Olive Shallot Relish
Simple Couscous
Lentils with Chickpeas

Cooking time:  40 minutes for menu          Cooking schedule: see below for instructions

     Fish steaks, like beef steaks, are rather thin here so ours cook very fast.  See recipe for substitutions. Use a medley of any olives you like.  The lentils will use the rest of the chickpeas from last week,

Grilled Swordfish with Olive Shallot Relish      Preparation and cooking time: 20 minutes
   
You can use any fish suitable for grilling - tuna, swordfish, halibut, snapper.  They would all pair well with the olive sauce.  If you get sushi-grade tuna or swordfish you will want them seared but rare to medium-rare in the center.  Any leftover Olive Sauce and be used with other grilled meats or simply eaten with savory biscuits.

2 swordfish or other fish steaks or filets, 6oz each (180gr each)
1 tbs olive oil
2 tsp Herbes de Provence
Warm Olive Relish:
2 medium shallots
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp Herbes de Provence
1 tsp fennel seeds
3 tbs chopped Kalamata or dry Greek olives
3 tbs chopped green olives
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs lemon juice
4 tbs white wine

Brush fish lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with herbs.  Put fish in a grill basket or cook on a grill pan, particularly if the fish is thinner filets.  Cook on barbecue grill for 2 - 6 minutes per side, depending on thickness and grade of fish.  Walleye or snapper will become opaque when done.  Good tuna or swordfish you just want to brown the outside quickly.  When done, put on a small platter, spoon some Olive Sauce on and serve, remaining sauce on the side. 
Note: Can also be cooked under broiler or sautéed in nonstick pan for roughly the same amount of time. 
Note 2:  I threw a few wood chips on the grill for a slightly smoky flavor - thus the darker surface color.

Olive and Shallot Relish: Mince shallots and garlic.  Heat oil in small nonstick skillet.  Add shallots, garlic and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add fennel seeds, herbs and sauté 1 minute longer.  Add olives, lemon and wine.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 minute.  Remove from heat, put into a small serving bowl.  Cover to keep warm until ready to use.

Simple Couscous                                             Preparation and cooking time:  15 minutes
    This is couscous at it's simplest:  just a bit of herbs and oil, the perfect dish to accompany a sauced fish or meat...

1/2 cup couscous
3/4 cup (6oz, 180ml) chicken broth
1 tbs fresh or dried chives
1 tbs fresh or dried parsley
2 tsp good olive oil

Heat chicken broth to a boil.  Put couscous and herbs in a medium bowl.  When broth is boiling pour over couscous, cover and let stand for 10 minutes... Do not stir it. 
Add oil to couscous, fluff gently with a fork to combine and serve.

Lentils with Chickpeas                                     Preparation and cooking time:  30 minutes
    I use the tiny, green lentils de Puy, but the larger brown or tan lentils will work as well.  This is a simple method and would work equally well with any legume - highlighting the flavor of the vegetable.

1/4 cup lentils
1 cup stock or water
1 bay (laurel) leaf
3/4 cup chickpeas (7oz,200gr)  
2 small shallots
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp paprika
2 tsp oil
1 medium tomato

Briefly inspect the lentils in case someone missed the odd stone.  Rinse and drain.  Cook the lentils in water and/or stock, with the bay leaf, 20 - 30 minutes, according to package directions, or until done.  When done, remove from heat and drain if needed. Remove the bay leaf.
Finely chop shallots and mince garlic.  Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat.  When hot add paprika, shallots and garlic, sauté until tender, about 8 minutes.
Peel tomato and roughly chop, add to shallots.  Sauté 5 minutes.  Add lentils and chickpeas, cover and heat through.  Serve.  

Note:  Peel tomatoes by blanching in boiling water for 30 seconds first.  The peels slip off easily.

Cooking Schedule: 40 minutes
Assemble all food, utensils and serving dishes
Utensils: measuring cups, spoons, knives,
scissors, medium bowl with lid, 2 small saucepans,
lids, small skillet, barbecue grill, basket or grill mat

Heat water for peeling tomato
Cook lentils
Chop all shallots, divide
Mince all garlic, divide
Blanch tomato - 30 seconds
Remove tomato, run under cold water, peel, chop
Chop olives
Sauté shallots, garlic for Relish
Snip all herbs, divide
Add fennel seeds, herbs to Relish
Add olives, lemon, wine, simmer

Remove olive relish from heat, cover to keep warm
Sauté shallot, garlic, paprika for lentils
Turn on/light barbecue grill
Heat stock for couscous
Add tomato to shallots for lentils
Add chickpeas, cover, low heat
Mind the lentils
Put couscous in bowl, pour stock over, cover
    Pause a minute while lentils, couscous finish
Start to cook fish
Drain lentils, remove bay leaf, add to chickpeas
Turn fish
Put olive relish in a pretty bowl
Finish couscous
Remove fish
Serve it all

Share this:

----------------------

Get 7 Dinner Menus, Recipes, Shopping List each Thursday by e-mail: