Growing up, matzoh ball soup was my go-to metaphorical ethnic penicillin.  For some, chicken soup will always be the prescribed treatment for aches, pains and a sore throat.  However, there’s no reason that we can’t soothe ourselves with something a little more filling.  Next time you call in sick, email this 30-minute remedy to your significant other as a subtle dinner suggestion.  You’ll be back on your feet in no time.

Makes: 4 bowls
Total kitchen time: 30 minutes

Shopping list:

• 1 cup pancetta, finely diced (you can use bacon if you want, but make it good bacon)
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 1 small leek, diced
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups shitake mushrooms, sliced into 1/8” strips
• 1 package portobello mushroom ravioli (or any other ravioli that sounds good to you – lobster, pesto or spinach all work)
• finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
• 1/4 cup shaved parmesan, to garnish
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Heat a large stockpot over medium heat.  Add the pancetta and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the pancetta has started leaving brown bits on the bottom of the pot. 
2. Add the onion, garlic and leek and continue to cook over medium heat for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the white wine to deglaze the pot – the acid in the wine will let the brown bits on the bottom become unstuck.  Scrape them up with a wooden spoon or spatula.
3. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer.  Let simmer for at least 20 minutes, or up to 4 hours for maximum flavor.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
4. When you are about ready to serve, bring the soup to a boil and add the mushrooms.  Cook for 1 minute, then add the ravioli and cook according to the package directions, usually about 3 minutes.  Add the tomatoes.
5. To serve, ladle a generous serving of broth and a few ravioli into a bowl and top with a little parsley and parmesan cheese.

  A few weeks ago I ate at Crow, a fantastic little restaurant in my neighborhood.  They served a gnocchi with brown butter, roasted corn and morel mushrooms that blew my mind.  Honestly, it was so good that I would have kept eating until I developed a food hernia, had there not been a finite portion before me.  Here’s my version, topped with a Boursin- and wild mushroom-stuffed chicken breast. 

Makes: 2 finite portions
Total kitchen time: 45 minutes

Shopping list:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 6 oz. wild mushrooms (morels are best, but shitake or porcini work as well)
• 3 tbsp. Boursin cheese (it comes in a small box, available at most grocery stores)
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 2 cups gnocchi
• 1/2 cup corn kernels (roasted, if you can make/buy them this way)
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F and set the top rack in the middle position.  In a large stockpot, boil 1 gallon of water (or as much as you can fit).
2. If you’re using using dried mushrooms, let them soak for 20-30 minutes in a bowl of hot water to re-hydrate.  Drain and chop the mushrooms into 1/4” pieces.
3. Prepare the chicken breast by cutting a slit through the side of the breast, being careful not to cut all the way through the other side.  Expand the incision to make a pocket in the breast. 
4. Reserve half of the mushrooms.  Divide the remaining half and the Boursin cheese between the chicken breasts, stuffing it into the pocket you created.  Wipe away any excess Boursin that may be hanging outside the pocket – it will burn when the breast is cooked.  Salt and pepper the chicken breasts and lightly coat with olive oil.
5. Bake on an oiled, rimmed baking dish for 20 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F. 
6. Meanwhile, boil the gnocchi until just undercooked.  This will usually take 2-3 minutes.  The gnocchi will float when they are ready.  Drain the gnocchi and set aside.
7. In a large, not-nonstick skillet, heat the butter over medium-high heat.  Swirl the butter in the pan and cook until small brown spots begin to form.  This is one of the butter solids beginning to burn, and this is how we’ll make our brown butter.  Raise the heat to high and add the gnocchi.  Toss the gnocchi to coat in the butter and sear them, flipping occasionally, until they develop a very slight golden-brown crust.
8. Add the corn, remaining mushrooms cinnamon and cloves and sauteé 1 minute more, then remove from the heat. Salt and pepper the gnocchi to taste, then plate and serve.

Of course, you can always serve the gnocchi on its own as a main course.  Try pairing it with a brothy asparagus, mushroom and pancetta soup as a starter.  Or, kneel below a wheelbarrow of brown butter gnocchi with your mouth agape.  You know, whatever works for you.

 
In my ongoing quest of creating great dishes that use loose tea as a key ingredient, I’ve come up with some killer pork chops.  This recipe uses Apricot Peach Fruit Tea from the Portsmouth Tea Company to create an in-pan glaze that was born to love tender, juicy pork.  Too bad this tea is decaf – I’d sprinkle it over my bacon as a pick-me-up breakfast any day. 

Makes: 2 sweet chops
Total kitchen time: 15 minutes

Shopping List:

• 2 boneless pork chops, trimmed
• 2 tbsp. Apricot Peach Fruit Tea
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Pat the pork chops dry on both sides.  Salt and pepper the chops on all sides.
2. Coat the pork chops on both sides with the loose tea.  Press the tea into the skin of the chops until it sticks. 
3. Place the pork chops on a room-temperature skillet (not nonstick) with at least 1” of space between them.  Cover the skillet with a  lid and place it over medium heat. 
4. After 6-7 minutes or so, the fist side should be nicely browned.  Flip the chops and cook, covered, another 5 minutes or so or until cooked through. 
5. By this time, a thick, sweet glaze has developed in your skillet.  Plate the pork chops and top with a heaping spoonful of the pan glaze.

I’m not much of a coffee drinker (strange for a Seattleite), but I do enjoy a good cup of tea.  Actually, I enjoy a frozen bowl of tea even more – get it, iced tea!  I’ve recently discovered the Portsmouth Tea Company, an excellent supplier of high-end tea blends.  Their "Mmmmango” tea is perfectly sweet and just slightly herbal – a great fit for tea-based sorbet. 

Makes: 2 quarts
Total kitchen time: 30 minutes, plus churning time

Shopping list:

• 1.5 quarts purified water
• 4 tbsp. Mmmmango tea
• 3 tbsp. honey

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil.  Remove from heat.
2. Distribute the loose tea among 4 tea bags or 2 tea infusers and place in the pot of water.  Let the tea steep for 25-30 minutes for maximum flavor.
3. Once the tea has steeped, remove the tea bags and stir in the honey.  Adjust to taste with more honey, if needed, until the mixture is just slightly sweet.
4. Refrigerate the tea mixture until cold, then churn using your ice cream maker’s instructions.
5. Top with a drizzle of honey before serving.

I’m a big fan of sneaking loose tea into recipes, especially deserts.  Do you have any favorite tea recipes?  Are there any tea creations you’d like to see?  If so, leave a comment below!

Perhaps you saw the Cedar Plank Grilled Salmon with Orange-Muscat Beurre Blanc recipe I posted last week.  Man, that was good eating.  “Wow, Scott!” I said to myself.  “How can you possibly make this dish any better?”  I think I’ve found a solution: a delicate halo of piped blue cheese mashed potatoes, gently caressing the salmon fillet as it develops just the slightest smoky crust. 

The potato recipe is quite simple.  Bake (or microwave) whole russet potatoes, about 1 potato for every 2 servings.  When they are fork tender, run them through your potato ricer.  This step is optional, but it’s the only way to guarantee lightness and fluffiness.  Mix in some butter, heavy cream, salt, white pepper and blue cheese.  Then, load the whole mixture into a pastry bag with an extra-large tip and pipe the potatoes around the salmon, directly on individual cedar planks.  Grill until the salmon is done, then serve directly on the planks.  Your guests will love it!

Don’t let Orville Reddenbacher fool you – corn was meant to be grilled.   This spicy yet cool corn is the perfect accompaniment for grilled meat or fish.  However, just because corn is a side dish doesn’t mean it needs to take the back-seat in flavor. 

Makes: 5 ears
Total kitchen time: 20 mins

Shopping List:

• 5 ears white corn, shucked
• 8 tbsp. salted butter, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. lime juice
• 1/2 tsp. red cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. Jamaican jerk seasoning (or your favorite spicy seasoning blend)

1. Preheat your grill over medium heat.  Place the corn directly on the grill and close the lid.  Grill, turning occasionally, 15-20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and mash together using the back of a fork.  If you’re making this recipe in a larger quantity, you may want to prepare the butter using a food processor.
3. When the corn is almost done (check for tenderness with a fork) brush it on all sides with the cilantro butter and grill for another 1-2 minutes. 
   

This cilantro butter also makes great grilled toast, and can be added to shellfish, chicken, or white fish for a wonderful, simple seasoning. 

After grilling fresh Coho salmon fillets over cedar planks, its hard to enjoy salmon prepared any other way.  My building’s facilities manager, Bruce, generously shared his catch from a recent trip to Alaska.  This recipe combines the rustic, smoky flavor of the cedar planks with the subtle, sweet butteryness of the beurre blanc.  Its a great combo, as I hope you will soon discover.

Total kitchen time: 1 hr
Makes: 4 1lb fillets

Shopping list:

• 4 1lb. salmon fillets (with skin is fine, without is fine also)
• 2 large (or 4 small) cedar planks for grilling
• 2 tsp. fennel seeds, lightly crushed
• olive oil, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 2 tbsp. orange-muscat vinegar (honestly, any white wine vinegar will work, this one just adds a little flavor and a lot of adjectives.  Available at Trader Joe’s.)
• 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into teaspoons
• fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

1. Soak the cedar planks, completely submerged, in cold water for at least 1 hour.  Preheat your grill over medium-high heat before grilling.
2. For the beurre blanc, heat a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add the diced shallot and about 1 tsp. of olive oil and cook until the shallot smells great, about 3 minutes.  If it looks like the shallot is starting to brown, reduce the heat.
3. Add the white wine vinegar (in this case, orange muscat vinegar) and stir to deglaze the pan.  Continue to cook until the vinegar has reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and 2 teaspoons of butter.  Continually whisk the butter until it is completely melted.  If the butter starts to foam, place the bottom of the pan on a cold surface (like a stone countertop) to cool it.  Add the remaining butter, 2 teaspoons at a time, whisking continually.  If the butter refuses to melt, hold the pan over very low heat for a few seconds and then remove. 
5. Once all the butter is incorporated, taste the sauce and adjust with a fine-grain salt and freshly ground white pepper.  You can use black pepper if you want, but white pepper will make the sauce look prettier.
6. Prepare the salmon fillets by patting them dry and coating with salt, pepper and fennel seeds on the flesh side.  Rub the fillets on all sides with olive oil. 
   
7. Make sure your grill has been preheated over medium-high heat.  Arrange the cedar planks on your grill and place the fillets, skin side down (if they have skin) on the cedar planks.  Close the lid and grill for 15-20 minutes, or until the fish is fully cooked.  The planks will give off a lot of smoke which adds to the excellent flavor.  However, if your planks should catch fire, simply spray them with a small amount of water (I recommend San Pellegrino :-)) until the flames dissipate. 
8. When the salmon is cooked to your preferred doneness (let’s face it, either it’s undercooked, done, or overcooked), use a long spatula or a chef’s knife to remove them from the planks.  Top with a spoonfull of the beurre blanc and serve!

Look for more cedar plank recipes this summer.  I’m now a big fan of this cooking method and it deserves some further exploration.  Do you have any favorite wood cooking recipes?  Leave ‘em in the comments below.

If you’re planning on making ribs this summer, I applaud you.  However, if your rib recipe involves a bottle of Hunt’s BBQ sauce, you are denying yourself a transcendent epicurean experience: garlic-curry short ribs. 

Total kitchen time: 30 minutes prep, 4 hours, plus 15 minutes cooking time
Makes: 3 racks

Shopping list:

• 3 racks baby back ribs (short ribs)
• 8 tbsp. + 2 tsp. crushed garlic
• 4 cups prepared Turmeric-Curry Dry Rub
• 1 cup ketchup
• 3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 2 tsp. Tabasco sauce
• 1/4 tsp. liquid smoke (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. lime juice
• a lot of heavy-duty aluminum foil

1. Can be done 1 day ahead, refrigerate until ready to cook.  Work one slab of ribs at a time.  Lay out two large pieces of foil, on top of one another, big enough to cover the slab.  Pat the slab dry on both sides with paper towels, and lay bone-side up in the middle of the foil.
2. Spread 1 tbsp. of crushed garlic across the surface of the ribs (bone side up).  Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the prepared dry rub over the bone side of the ribs and push the rub into the skin.  Flip the ribs over (skin side up) and repeat – 1 tbsp. of garlic, then 1/2 cup dry rub pressed into the skin.  You should have 1 cup of dry rub remaining, for the barbecue sauce.
3. Lay the ribs bone-side down and seal tightly with the aluminum foil. Working with the long side first, bring the opposite edges together and fold over to form a crease.  Fold over a second time to double the crease, being sure to keep the foil tight to the meat.  fold the short ends up towards the skin side and seal tightly. 
4. Preheat your oven to 200°F and set the top rack in the middle position.  Place a rimmed baking sheet or a large piece of foil in the bottom of your oven to catch any juice that drips off during cooking. 
5. Arrange the ribs, bone side down, on the rack of your oven, being sure to leave plenty of space between the slabs.  Use two oven racks if necessary, and swap the upper and lower racks halfway into baking. 
6. Bake for 4 hours.  Remove from the oven and let rest at least 30 minutes.  The resting is critical.  Your foil packages will be full of sweet, delicious pork juice (yumm) and if you unwrap the ribs and start cutting into them, you’ll end up with a tough, dry waste of your time.
7. After the ribs have rested, unwrap them, brush the meaty sides with barbecue sauce (recipe follows) and place meat-side down on a hot grill for 10 minutes, or until nicely charred.  Cut and serve!

Barbecue Sauce

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook the garlic until it is fragrant, about 3 minutes.  Add the ketchup, dry rub and remaining ingredients and stir to combine.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 10 minutes.  Adjust to taste with balsamic vinegar or honey.

This recipe produces great ribs, but you can use the same technique for chicken just as well.  Be aware, though, that the high sugar content of the dry rub means that food will burn quickly over direct heat.  This is great for char marks on the grill, but would be bad news for, say, a strip steak in a skillet.

What’s a dry rub, you ask?  A dry rub is mixture of spices (and sometimes dried herbs) applied to meat before cooking to add flavor.  Dry rubs are most typically used for barbeque, but there’s no reason you can’t sprinkle some over your scrambled eggs in the morning.  The picture above (which I will be sending to my neighborhood palm reader) shows the proportions you’re going for – its mostly brown sugar and salt. 

Total kitchen time: 5 minutes
Makes: enough for 4 racks of ribs

Shopping list:

• 4 cups light brown sugar
• 2 tsp. yellow curry powder
• 2 tsp. turmeric
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp. kosher salt
• 2 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. red cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  That’s it, you’re done.  Taste a spoonful and adjust to your personal preference. 

This dry rub, or a variation thereof, is also the base for my homemade barbeque sauce.  In a medium saucepan, add 1 cup of dry rub, 1 cup of ketchup, some Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco,  honey, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and whatever else your heart desires.  If you start bottling it and selling it to friends, just email me for my address (so you can start sending me checks).  Enjoy!

 
Over the past year we’ve developed a collection of great grilling recipes here at Scott’s Food Blog.  Here are a handful of my favorites.  Try them out this 4th, or any summer day when you feel like sharing great food with friends.

• Mango, Lime and Mace Shrimp Skewers
• Grilled Pizza with Sweet Veggies and Sausage
• Proscuitto-Wrapped Shrimp with Blackberry Mint Sauce
• Onion and Pancetta-Stuffed Fennel Bulbs
• Burgers So Big that the Cow Couldn’t Jump Over Them
• Scott’s Red Stripe Ribs
• Lamb Salad: Man Edition!
• Herb-Smothered Flank Steak with Stuffed Eggplant Wedges

Be sure to check back later this week and next for a whole new batch of recipes for your outdoor kitchen!

 
Although your guests may argue that this is not a “real” potato salad (of course, there is no mayonnaise) a single bite should settle the score.  This bright, vinegary side dish has been known to take center stage at my barbeques, so be sure to serve it alongside hearty entrees that will stand on their own.

Total kitchen time: 1 hour
Makes: 8 servings

Shopping list:

• 2 lbs. red potatoes, cut into 1” pieces
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 clove garlic, smashed and finely diced
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
• 2 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1 tbsp. capers
• 2 tsp. herbs de provençe
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F and set the top rack in the middle position.
2. Spread the potatoes in an even layer in a microwave-safe dish filled with enough water to cover the potatoes.  Microwave 8-12 minutes (this will vary a lot) or until the potatoes are fork tender, but not fully cooked.  Drain and pat dry.
3. Meanwhile, spread the diced onion and pepper in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until they have softened, about 15 minutes. 
4. Add the par-cooked potatoes and toss with a little olive oil to coat.  Bake another 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown. 
5. Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining ingredients in a large bowl.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  The dijon vinaigrette is a balancing act between bitter, sweet, salty and spicy.  Adjust each of the ingredients until the vinaigrette stings your tongue, but finishes in your mouth with a slightly sweet, rounded flavor. 
6. Toss the potatoes and vinaigrette together on a serving bowl and serve warm or room temperature.

If you want to cheat a little (I won’t tell) you may be able to get away with frozen roasted potatoes.  If you’re lucky enough to live near a Trader Joe’s, they sell a package of frozen potatoes with roasted veggies that works great for this recipe.  It can be our little secret.

Sometimes I feel like getting a little fancy, and a whole roasted duck fits the bill.  Don’t let it intimidate you, though.  Roasting a duck is just like roasting a chicken, and no, it’s not absolutely necessary to crack open an actual coconut to make this recipe.  If you’re feeling a little adventurous, give this one a try.  I think you’ll be pleased with the results.

Total kitchen time: 2 hours
Makes: foul for four

Shopping list:

• 1 whole duck (or 4 duck breasts, if you prefer)
• zest of 1 orange
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 24 oz. (4 small cans) pineapple juice
• 1.5 cups basmati or jasmine rice
• 1/4 cup cream of coconut (from the drink mixers aisle of your supermarket)
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 2 tsp. yellow curry powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. red cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 425° F and set the top rack in the middle position.  Rinse and thoroughly dry the duck, inside and out.  Salt and pepper the skin and inner cavity.
2. Blend together the orange zest and butter using a small food processor (or with the back of a fork if you’re Amish, in which case I don’t know how you’re viewing my blog right now).  Stuff half of the orange butter under the skin of the duck and rub the remaining half on the outside of the skin.
3. Truss the duck (it yields better results, but it isn’t absolutely necessary) and place it on a rack in a roasting pan, breast side up.  You can also place the duck directly onto a preheated heavy-bottom skillet, but a roasting pan will help the duck cook more evenly.  Whatever you’ve got around will work, so don’t fret.
4. Roast the duck for 45 minutes, then flip carefully and roast another 45 minutes with the breast side down.  Be sure to pour out any fat drippings from the body cavity when you flip the bird.  Let the duck rest at least 15 minutes before carving.
5. Meanwhile, boil the pineapple juice in a small saucepan over high heat until it has reduce to about 1/4 the quantity.  It should be shiny and a little syrupy.  Set aside.
6. Prepare the rice using your rice maker or stovetop, according to the directions on the package. 
7. In a small saucepan, combine the cream of coconut, coconut milk, curry powder, cinnamon, red cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.  Bring to a boil, and adjust to taste by adding more curry powder or red pepper flakes.  Fold the coconut mixture into the rice.
8. Plate the duck atop the coconut curry rice and spoon over some of the pineapple glaze.

If you’ve never cooked duck before, you’ll be surprised at the amount of fat that melts off the bird as it cooks.  Ducks have fatty skin because ducks need to float.  Wood also floats, and burns.  Witches burn because they are made of wood.  Therefore, if a woman ways the same as a duck, she is a witch.  Wow, a recipe and lesson in illogical justice?  What doesn’t this blog have!

If you asked me my favorite thing about summer, you could be sure that my answer would involve the words “grilling” and “pizza”.  Grilled pizza is an excellent easy supper, especially when you’re cooking with friends.  Go get some pre-made, uncooked dough and a few of your favorite ingredients and dive head-first into your relationship with the grill.  In the pizza above, a simple red sauce, some prosciutto, porcini mushrooms and fresh mozzarella make a great dinner.  Or, if you’re feeling less traditional, try out my other grilled pizza suggestions. 

 
P.F. Chang’s ain’t got nothin on this.  Taking the lettuce wrap to the logical next level, these salmon cups are a delicious main course.  The blend of fresh, bright aromatics offset the saltiness of the salmon, and the mild crunch of the cabbage leaf cools off the spice of red chiles. 

Makes: 4 entree-sized delights of joy
Total kitchen time: 30 minutes

Shopping list:

• 1 lb. skinless salmon fillet
• 2 tbsp. low soduim soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. teriyaki marinade
• 1/2 tsp. red chili oil
• 1/4 cup green onion, finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
• 1 tsp. fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1/4 cup water chestnuts, finely chopped (find them in a can in the Asian isle of your grocery store)
• zest of 1 lime
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds
• 1 tsp. peanut oil (olive oil will work if you can’t find peanut oil)
• 1 tsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1 head green cabbage, separated into whole leaves
• 2 tbsp. Chinese barbeque sauce

1. Pat the salmon dry.  Combine the soy sauce, teriyaki marinade and red chili oil in large ziplock bag.  Add the salmon and marinate, 5 minutes up to 4 hours.  I usually don’t have the patience for long marinating times, so I can attest that 5 minutes will still yield great results.
2. Meanwhile, combine the green onion, garlic, ginger, water chestnuts, lime zest and sesame seeds in a small bowl and set aside.  If you want, you can coarsely chop all the fresh ingredients and pulse a few times in a food processor.  Just don’t overdo it - we still want the texture and crunch of the garlic and water chestnuts.
3. Preheat a grill pan or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium high heat.  Add the salmon and cook 2-3 minutes, covered.  Flip the salmon cook another 2 minutes or until done.  The sugars in the marinade will start to brown and caramelize immediately.  Don’t freak out if you see [what looks like] burning.  Everything will be OK.  When the salmon is done, set it aside to rest.
4. In the same pan (if it is clean enough), heat the peanut oil until smoking.  Add the chopped fresh ingredients and the rice wine vinegar.  Stir fry until you can start to smell the aromatics.  You want to keep everything fresh and crunchy, so don’t cook past 1 minute.  Remove the fresh ingredients into a large bowl.
5. Break the salmon unto small pieces using your fingers and add to the fresh aromatics.  Mix everything together.
6. Divide the salmon mixture into four servings and spoon each serving into a cabbage cup.  Top with a drizzle of Chinese barbeque sauce and roll the cabbage leaf into a burrito shape.  Chow down!

This recipe also works great as an appetizer.  Substitute endive leaves for the cabbage, or even serve the salmon mixture in spring roll wrappers.  You’ll think twice before picking up the phone to order take out again.

 
At my home, grilling doesn’t get more perfect than a medium-rare charred piece of meat and tender, flavorfull roasted veggies.  This meal is a great way to feed a hungry crowd on the cheap (and the quick!)  Remember your flank steak science, though: never cook past medium rare, let the meat rest at least 15 minutes, and always slice on a steep bias. 

Makes: 4 people long for margaritas
Total kitchen time: 1 hr, plus marinating time

Shopping list:

• 1 2-2.5 lb. flank steak
• 1 large eggplant
• 8 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
• 2/3 cup mint, coarsely chopped
• 2 small red or yellow peppers, coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. ancho chile powder (or fajita seasoning)
• 1/4 cup coarse breadcrumbs (diced day-old bread is best)
• 1 tbsp. grated lemon zest
• 1/4 cup shredded jack cheese
• olive oil
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine half the smashed garlic, half the cilantro, half the mint and all the peppers in a small food processor and pulse until the mixture is pretty fine, but not a paste.  If necessary, add a tbsp. of olive oil to help things out.
2. Liberally salt and pepper both sides of the flank steak, and season with cayenne pepper and chile powder.  Rub with olive oil and 2/3 of the garlic mixture you just made.  Reserve the rest for after the meat has cooked.  Let the meat marinate in the fridge for up to 12 hours.  Let the meat rest at room temperature for 45 minutes before cooking.
3. Preheat your grill on high heat and make sure your grates are nice and clean.
4. Cut off the top and bottom of the eggplant.  Slice the eggplant into 4 wedges, lengthwise.  Then, score the flesh of the eggplant deeply (but not going through) with your knife at 1/4” spacing.  Turn the eggplant 90° and score it again to form a crosshatch.  Toss the eggplant with olive oil until lightly coated, then salt and pepper.
5. In your mini food processor, pulse together the remaining garlic, cilantro, and mint along with the bread crumbs, lemon zest and 1 tsp. of olive oil.  Rub the mixture into the scored flesh of the eggplant, pushing it down into the cracks. 
6. Grill the eggplant, flesh side down, just long enough to develop char marks, about 1 minute per side.  Set the eggplant on a rack above the grilling surface, or on a cooler side of the grill.
7. Grill the flank steak until medium rare, about 6 minutes per side.  Let the meat rest at least 15 minutes before slicing.  Slice the flank steak on a steep bias with a sharp knife.
8. Arrange the sliced meat, eggplant, and whatever other good stuff you’ve got going on a large platter.  Sprinkle the shredded jack cheese over the eggplant and serve to adoring fans.

If you can get comfortable grilling flank steak, you will always have a date for dinner.  Throw in a cool red wine or a pitcher of sangria and it’s a party!