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Menu Plan for Spring I: Week 12, Day 1
Lightly Smoked Cod
Potato and Onion Packets with Gruyère
Asparagus with Sesame Seeds
Cooking time: 45 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
The fish is not done in a smoker, but on the barbecue with a few wood chips to add flavor. Perfect summer cooking - easy, all done on the barbecue grill.
Lightly Smoked Cod
Total time: 30 minutes
This is a cross between smoker cooking and grilling, and it flavored the cod perfectly: a light smoke and dill combination. It needed nothing else.
Ingredients:
- 1 - 2 filets of cod, or other thick, firm white fish, 12oz (360gr) total weight
- 2 tsp dill weed
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- wood chips for smoking - apple is nice See Barbecue Grills for more info
- Weber-type kettle barbecue with charcoal or Gas Grill
Instructions:
- If you are using small, commercial wood chips, put them in water to soak.
- Mix the soy sauce and the olive oil.
- Brush on the fish.
- Sprinkle the dill weed on top.
- Charcoal grill: Put some charcoal in the barbecue, off to one side and light it.
- When the coals are glowing, add the fish - either in a basket or on a grill mat of some sort, to the other side - in other words, not over the coals.
- Throw some wood chips on the coals and cover.
- Check it halfway through and add more wood chips if it has stopped smoking. It's done when if flakes easily with a fork. We left ours on for about 30 minutes.
- To use a gas grill: Only light one side of the grill.
- Wrap the soaked wood chips loosely in foil. Poke a few holes in the foil and place on the grill.
- Keep the fish off of direct heat and the grill cover closed and vented or propped open an inch or so.
- To use oven: The fish could also be baked, 400F (200C) for 15 to 20 minutes. It won't have the smoke flavor, of course, but the dill and soy sauce add a lovely flavor on their own.
Potato and Onion Packets with Gruyère
Total time: 40 minutes
A summer version of Potatoes Savoyard. It's cooked on the barbecue grill, wrapped in foil. Use sweet onions if you can get them, otherwise regular yellow onions are fine. Dried herbs work best in this, use any you like.
Ingredients:
- 2 medium potatoes
- 1 medium sweet or regular onion
- 1 piece Gruyère cheese, about 4oz (120gr) or any flavor you like
- olive oil
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- aluminum foil - heavy duty (or use a double sheet)
Instructions:
- Thinly slice potatoes, onions (cut in half first) and cheese - about 1/16 inch.
- Lightly oil 2 square (as long as the package is wide) sheets of aluminum foil.
- Place 2 slices of potato side by side, place an onion slice halfway on the potatoes in the middle and 1 slice of cheese on the onion slice. Overlap 2 more potato slices, onion and cheese - repeating until you have used 1 potato and half the onion and cheese - or until you think you have enough. You should end up with 2 rows of vegetables - 2 potato slices wide and about 5 inches long.
- Sprinkle rosemary over the top.
- Fold foil over, the 2 long sides first then the short (don't worry about a tight wrap - we want steam to escape).
- Repeat with the other potato.
- Cook packets on barbecue grill for 25 - 30 minutes. Do NOT turn over.
- When done, potatoes and onions should be cooked through and the cheese will have melted and formed a golden crust under the potatoes.
- To serve carefully slip spatula under cheese - trying not to tear the foil and to maintain the shape of the potato/onion packet. Lay on plates and enjoy!
Note: Can be baked at 400F for 30 minutes - just put packets on rack in middle of oven... you won't get the nice, crispy cheese, though..
Asparagus with Sesame Seeds or Chinese Asparagus Salad
Total time: 30 minutes
Adapted from the book of '!,000 Chinese Recipes), this is wonderful as a vegetable, on a bit of lettuce as a first course salad, or as part of a Chinese meal. It's best served at room temperature.
Ingredients:
- 12oz (360gr) green asparagus
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
Instructions:
- Snap off ends of asparagus.
- Roll cut asparagus in 1 inch (2.5 cm) lengths.
- Fill large saucepan half full of water and bring to a boil over high heat.
- When boiling drop in asparagus and parboil for 2 minutes.
- Drain and immediately rinse with cold water.
- Spread them on paper towels and pat dry.
- In a bowl big enough to nicely hold the asparagus mix soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil.
- Add asparagus and toss lightly to coat.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve. Best if allowed to sit for 15 - 30 minutes.
Cooking Schedule: 45 minutes |
Put fish in basket or on mat |
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