The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (66 page)

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped

1 celery stalk, roughly chopped

2 tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1½ teaspoons coarse salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste

6 5-ounce salmon steaks or fillets

Spiced Pilaf (recipe follows)

1.
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery. Cook the vegetables until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes; cook the vegetables until very tender, about 10 minutes more. Add the tomato paste, molasses, honey, sugar, mustard, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, cayenne pepper, and 2 cups water; stir to combine. Simmer gently until thickened, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a food processor or blender; puree until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

2.
Heat a grill or grill pan. Season the fish with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Brush generously with sauce. Grill until the fish is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. When the fish is done, remove and discard the skin. Serve over pilaf drizzled with sauce.

FIT TO EAT RECIPE
PER SERVING: 300 CALORIES, 11 G FAT, 78 MG CHOLESTEROL, 21 G CARBOHYDRATE, 363 MG SODIUM, 29 G PROTEIN, 2 G FIBER

spiced pilaf

SERVES 6

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 red onion, cut into ¼-inch dice

2 small carrots, peeled, cut into ¼-inch dice

1 stalk celery, cut into ¼-inch slices

¼ cup dry white wine

1½ cups brown rice

1 teaspoon coarse salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

½ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1.
Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine, and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, and set aside to cool.

2.
Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Stir in the rice, and cook until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain, and add to the bowl of vegetables. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, turmeric, and cumin. Serve with grilled salmon.

FIT TO EAT RECIPE
PER SERVING: 213 CALORIES, 3 G FAT, 0 MG CHOLESTEROL, 40 G CARBOHYDRATE, 203 MG SODIUM, 6 G PROTEIN, 3 G FIBER

baked flounder with onion and lemon

SERVES 4

Be careful when transferring the fish from the baking dish to the plate—flounder is a fragile fish that falls apart easily.

2 lemons, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds

2 medium onions, peeled and sliced into very thin rounds (8 ounces each)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme, plus several sprigs more

Salt and freshly ground pepper

4 6-ounce flounder fillets

1.
Heat the oven to 400°F. Arrange the lemons and onions in a 9 × 13-inch Pyrex baking dish. Dot with the butter; add the wine and ¼ cup cold water. Sprinkle with the chopped thyme; season with salt and pepper. Bake until the onions are soft and translucent, about 40 minutes.

2.
Remove the baking dish from the oven. Arrange the fish fillets over the lemons and onions. Season the fillets with salt and pepper. Scatter the fresh thyme sprigs over the fish. Baste the fish with a little cooking liquid. Bake until the fish is just opaque and cooked through, 16 to 18 minutes. Do not overcook. Serve with the cooked onions and lemons.

shrimp kabobs with lemon wedges and cilantro

MAKES 8

½ cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, chopped

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 pounds large shrimp (about 32)

4 lemons, each cut into 8 wedges

1 teaspoon coarse salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1.
Combine the cilantro and olive oil in a large bowl. Set aside. Peel the shrimp to the first knuckle; devein. Rinse; pat dry. Place in the bowl with the cilantro-oil mixture, and coat.

2.
Thread 4 shrimp, alternating with lemon wedges, on 8 skewers. Gently brush with a little olive oil remaining in the bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

3.
Arrange the skewers, off direct heat, on a medium-hot grill. Grill, rotating the skewers and brushing with olive oil as necessary to prevent sticking, until cooked through, about 6 minutes, depending on the heat of the grill. Lemons should be soft and slightly charred.

To keep bamboo skewers from burning, soak them in warm water for at least 30 minutes before using. Cooking times may be a bit shorter for metal skewers, which conduct heat.

tuna kabobs with marinated baby artichokes

MAKES 8

The baby artichokes are cooked in advance, so they only need to be grilled for a short time.

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1½ pounds tuna loin, cut into 1½-inch cubes

Marinated Baby Artichokes (recipe follows)

1 tablespoon coarse salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1.
Whisk together the mustard, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, 6 tablespoons olive oil, and garlic in a large bowl. Add the tuna, and toss to coat.

2.
Thread 4 cubes of tuna, alternating with artichokes, on each of 8 skewers. Gently brush with some of the remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

3.
Arrange the skewers, off direct heat, on a medium-hot grill. Grill, rotating the skewers and brushing with olive oil as necessary to prevent sticking, until the tuna is brown and charred on the outside and warm but still rare in the middle, about 5 minutes, depending on the heat of the grill. The artichokes should be tender and slightly charred.

marinated baby artichokes

MAKES 2 CUPS

These make a wonderful addition to any summer salad or antipasto. They can also be served as a side dish for roasted or grilled lamb.

2 lemons

1½ pounds baby artichokes

1 head garlic, cut in half

2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns

2 tablespoons coarse salt

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 small bunch fresh thyme

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

1.
Fill a large bowl with cold water; juice 2 lemons into the water. Set aside. Trim the spiky tops, tough stems, and outer leaves from the artichokes; halve lengthwise. Scrape any pink choke out from the center, leaving the artichoke half intact. Transfer cut artichokes to acidulated water immediately.

2.
Drain the artichokes. Fill a large saucepan with water. Add the artichokes, garlic halves, peppercorns, 1½ tablespoons salt, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and thyme to saucepan. Set over high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, using a few layers of cheesecloth or a plate to keep the artichokes submerged, until tender when pierced with a sharp knife, about 5 minutes.

3.
Remove from the heat, and drain. Reserve the artichoke halves, some of the garlic, and a few sprigs of thyme. Place in a bowl, and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with the remaining 1½ teaspoons salt and pepper. Keep refrigerated, up to 5 days, until needed.

scallop kabobs with beets and prosciutto

MAKES 8

If baby beets are not available, use large beets cut into 1-inch chunks.

1½ pounds baby beets, scrubbed, tops trimmed

2 pounds sea scallops, muscle removed

¼ pound prosciutto, thinly sliced

4 sprigs fresh mint

2 lemons

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon coarse salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1.
Fill a large saucepan with cold water. Add the beets; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; cook until the beets are fork tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool slightly; rub away the skins with a paper towel. Cut the beets in half, and set aside.

2.
Rinse the scallops; pat dry. Wrap the scallops in prosciutto, tucking a leaf or two of mint between prosciutto and scallop. Thread 4 scallops, alternating with beets, on each of 8 skewers. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the skewers. Brush gently with some olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

3.
Arrange the skewers, off direct heat, on a medium-hot grill. Grill, rotating the skewers and brushing with oil as needed to prevent sticking, until cooked through, about 5 minutes, depending on the heat of the grill. The beets should be soft and slightly charred. Remove from the grill; squeeze the remaining lemon over the skewers.

indian-spiced halibut with yogurt

SERVES 6

If you cannot find fenugreek seed, this curry is equally satisfying when ground fenugreek is substituted; add with the other ground spices.

2 tomatoes

Curry Powder (recipe follows)

1 teaspoon whole fenugreek seed

2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 teaspoons ground mustard

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

Pinch of ground cloves

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1 tablespoon dark-brown sugar

1 tablespoon water

4 teaspoons unsalted butter

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 14½-ounce can low-sodium vegetable stock

1 green chile, finely chopped

1½ pounds halibut fillets (or other firm-fleshed white-fish fillets, such as cod), cut into 6 pieces

1 cup plain nonfat yogurt

1.
Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice and water. Cut an X in bottom of each tomato; plunge into the boiling water. Cook until the skin starts to peel back, about 30 seconds. Plunge into the ice bath to stop the cooking. When cool, peel off and discard the skins. Cut the tomatoes in half; squeeze out the seeds. Chop; set aside.

2.
In a food processor, pulse to combine the curry powder, fenugreek, salt, mustard, cardamom, and cloves. Add the garlic, ginger, brown sugar, and water. Puree until a smooth paste forms; set aside.

3.
Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the curry paste; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the onion and half the stock; cook until the onion starts to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the chile and remaining stock. Bring to boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer, add the fish and tomatoes, and cook until the fish is opaque in the center, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in the yogurt just before serving.

FIT TO EAT RECIPE
PER SERVING: 234 CALORIES, 6 G FAT, 44 MG CHOLESTEROL, 16 G CARBOHYDRATE, 595 MG SODIUM, 27 G PROTEIN, 2 G FIBER

curry powder

MAKES ABOUT 2 TABLESPOONS