Salad. The word "green" comes to mind. But, a salad can be more than that – whole grains, legumes,
Rich tuna over crisp, brightly seasoned, yet earthy lentils make for an awesome combination. When lentils such as these Belugas, which resemble Beluga caviar in appearance, are not overcooked, they provide a clean, delicate and highly nutritious counterpart to the luscious fish. Crunchy vegetables, fresh herbs and a “kick” from some quality German “pretzel” mustard make this dish a joy to eat in every bite!
Ingredients:
Directions:
This simply dressed vegetable salad is extraordinary for just that reason – there is nothing to cover the spectacular flavors of each individual variety of vegetable as they play together! A splash of lemon and regular olive oil plus a dash of salt and pepper bring it all together while allowing the flavors of the various vegetables to shine. The edible flowers add a tasty twist of color.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Take a healthier version of sushi rice – brown short-grain – and pair it with a chilled mix of poached shellfish and a ginger-infused watercress vinaigrette, and you have a refreshingly different salad.
Ingredients:
Directions:
fresh fruit and vegetables can add plenty of filling, fiber-rich and nutrient-dense sustenance, while also
de-emphasizing the need for much in the way of animal-based proteins.
Photography by Alison Miksch • Written and Styled by Bill Scepansky • Prop Styling by Barb Fritz
Serves 6
1 lb. Beluga Lentils, cooked in salted water until just crisp-tender; follow per package instructions
1/4 cup Carrots, small dice
1/4 cup Celery, small dice, from the lighter, center stalks
1 Shallot, minced
2 Tbsp. Celery Leaves
1 Tbsp. Chives, fresh, minced
1 tsp. Thyme, fresh, leaves of
1 Tbsp. German Deli or Pretzel Mustard
1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar
1/2 cup Olive Oil
To Taste: Kosher or Sea Salt and Black Pepper, freshly ground
As Needed: Smoke Chips (alder, apple or maple), soaked
6 Tuna Loin Steaks, center cut, 4 oz. each, as free of sinew as possible
As Needed: Olive Oil, to just barely coat the fish
To Taste: Smoked Sea Salt
1. Prepare the Beluga lentils according to the packaging, being careful to not overcook them. Drain and spread the lentils out flat on a cookie sheet/pan to cool. Once cool, place the Beluga lentils in a mixing bowl and add the carrots, celery, shallots, celery leaves, chives and thyme leaves.
2. Mix together the mustard, white-wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper to make the vinaigrette. Add enough to lightly dress the lentil-veggie-herb mixture and reserve additional vinaigrette for serving. Cover the salad and set aside if serving within the next hour; if not, refrigerate the salad until you are ready to cook the tuna, allowing the salad to come closer to room temperature.
3. Before you are ready to serve the tuna, preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Add soaked woodchips to the coals or wrap them in a foil pouch (poking holes in the pouch) and place on one of the grill burners. If you’re using a charcoal grill, do this just before cooking the tuna, as it will sear fairly quickly; if using a gas grill, pace the pouch of soaked chips onto the burner 10 minutes prior to allow for the chips to begin to smolder and smoke.
4. When you are ready to eat, season the tuna with a touch of salt and pepper and brush with a small amount of olive oil. Immediately place the tuna onto the well-cleaned, now-hot, smoking and oiled grill, over direct heat. Sear the tuna briefly and turn 90 degrees. Once marked, flip the tuna and cook until the steaks are again marked. Rotate 90 degrees and mark a final time to create the cross-hatch marks on both sides of the fish. The fish should still be very rare (actually raw) on the inside. The whole process may take only 1 minute!
5. Remove the tuna to a plate and hold warm. Spoon the salad onto individual serving plates. Using a very sharp knife, slice the tuna steaks and shingle the tuna over each salad. Drizzle the reserved vinaigrette around the plate and sprinkle the tuna with smoked sea salt.
Serves 6
1 bunch Asparagus, small to standard-sized, trimmed of any white/woody bottoms, quickly blanched and shocked, sliced on the bias into 2-inch lengths
3 Carrots, small, peeled, roll cut into 2-inch lengths
2 bunches Celery Hearts, inner-most stalks only
3 Radishes, halved, thinly sliced
1/2 Vidalia Onion, thinly julienne
1/2 cup Shiitake Mushrooms, de-stemmed, thinly sliced
1 Lemon, fresh, juice of
2 Tbsp. White Wine Vinegar
1 tsp. Shallots, minced
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
1/4 cup Grapeseed Oil
To Taste: Kosher or Sea Salt and lots of Black Pepper, freshly ground
2 tsp. Dill, fresh, chopped
1 tsp. Chives, fresh, minced
1/4 cup Dill Sprigs
1 cup assorted Edible Flowers, small
2 cups Spring Mix Baby Lettuce Leaves
1. Prepare the asparagus, carrots, celery hearts, radishes, Vidalia onions and shiitake mushrooms.
2. To make the dressing, whisk together lemon juice, white-wine vinegar, shallots, Dijon mustard, grapeseed oil, kosher or sea salt and black pepper, the chopped dill and chives in a small bowl.
3. In a large bowl, combine the vegetables and toss with just enough of the vinaigrette to lightly coat. Plate the vegetables into individual servings and garnish with the dill sprigs, flowers and baby lettuces. Drizzle with some of the remaining dressing and serve.
Serves 6
50 Littleneck Clams, cooking liquid reserved
3 Ginger, fresh, 3/8" coins of
24 Shrimp, peeled and deveined, 36/40 size
1 pt. Bay Scallops, abductor muscles removed
1 box New Zealand Green Lip Mussels, frozen
1 lb. Short-Grain Brown Rice
1 bunch Watercress
1/4 cup Cilantro, fresh, leaves of
1/4 cup Rice Wine Vinegar
2 tsp. Pickled Ginger, chopped
1/4 cup Grapeseed Oil
1/4 cup Carrots, peeled, fine dice
1/4 cup Red Bell Pepper, fine dice
1 Lemon, cut into 6 wedges
1 cup Parsley Sprigs, fresh
To taste: Kosher or Sea Salt and Black Pepper, freshly ground
1. To prepare the shellfish: Take a large, shallow frying pan with a tight-fitting lid and add approximately 1/2-inch of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, and add the clams and ginger. Cover and steam on high. Have a bowl and a pair of tongs handy for removing the clams just as they open, so as to not overcook. As the clams cook, use the tongs to transfer those that open to the bowl and re-cover the pan. At the point where they do start opening, give it 5 minutes. Those that do not open after that amount of time should be discarded. Add the shrimp and simmer for 30 seconds. Add the bay scallops, cover and remove from the heat. Allow to sit for one minute. Add the mussels and mix well. Remove the lid and allow the seafood to cool. Once cool, remove from the liquid to a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
2. To prepare the rice: Use a coffee filter or a fine-meshed sieve to carefully filter the clam liquid into a medium-size sauce pan, removing any grit that may have accumulated. Following the directions on the packaging of the rice and add water to the reserved liquid to make up the required volume needed to cook the rice. When the rice is finished, spread it out flat on a cookie sheet and allow it to cool completely. Cover and refrigerate.
3. To prepare the dressing: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the watercress and cook for 15 seconds. Quickly remove to a bowl of ice in order to “shock” it and remove when thoroughly chilled. Drain watercress and squeeze out any remaining water. Place the watercress, cilantro, rice-wine vinegar, pickled ginger and grapeseed oil in a blender and liquefy.
4. To assemble the salad: In a large mixing bowl, add enough of the dressing to the cooked rice to nicely coat. Remove all but 18 of the clams from their shells, as well as all but 12 of the mussels, and add to the rice, reserving the whole clams and mussels separately. Add the shrimp, scallops, carrots and red peppers to the rice and mix well. Divide the rice and seafood mixture among 6 chilled plates. Garnish each plate with reserved clams and mussels, as well as the lemon wedges, parsley sprigs, and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the remaining dressing over and around the whole shellfish and serve.
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