Summer Eatin'

It's Almost Too Simple to Post About

Leftover Summer Chicken Salad

I haven't posted in quite some time.  For myself, much like everyone else in New England, when summer comes, almost all my other responsibilities come to a screeching halt. I'm lucky enough to work a job that allows me afternoons to sit by the pool, or drop by the beach.  Sometimes I'm not sure how I make it day to day (total sarcasm).  

It's because of this that I rarely post, but it's also the fact that my meals seem to become extremely simplified in the summer.  I stop by the same Spring Brook Farm farm stand every ride home from my mother's pool, pick up my produce for the next few days, and head home to decide what I'm going to make.  Protein, vegetable, complex carb, and then most likely grill.  I'm not losing time in my kitchen, and everything tastes so simple and fresh.  I also get to use every little bit of produce in my fridge, and whatever protein I already have cooked.  I'm a simple girl in summer, no frills, just fresh food and grills.

Chicken Salad

4 oz. chicken, grilled or broiled, sliced

1/2 Cucumber, peeled and quartered

1/2 Tomato, diced

1/2 Yellow pepper, diced

2 C. lettuce or spinach or green of your choice

1 tsp. Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste 

Now, here's where it gets really complicated.  Put it on a plate.  

Yup, that's why most of the time it's just hard for me to blog about food in the summer.  Why go and mess a good thing up.  The most complicated this can get is marinating or boiling the chicken with some salt, pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and chicken stock.  Why not just enjoy the amazing food that is summer produce???

Grilled Arctic Char Tzatziki with Grilled Asparagus

This dish was inspired by a dinner that my husband and I had at Fishbones restaurant in Chelmsford a few weeks ago.  Although salmon is our main superfood, I was intrigued to try something different, and seeing as it is a cross in texture and flavor of salmon, and lake trout, I knew I would love it.  Here, I merely recreated what I saw on a plate, and the flavors that had come out of the sauce when I ate the dish.  

Tzatziki is sauce made with strained yogurt, lemon, garlic, and herbs.  It can contain several different types of herbs and here, I used dill in order to replicate the sauce that I had for dinner.  I love the combination of the sauce with the Arctic Char, particularly because the fish is a lot lighter in texture and flavor than salmon, and therefore, tastes so extravagant with a fancy sauce on top.

Ingredients:
1 lb. Arctic Char, grilled
Non-stick spray
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. of Fat-free Greek yogurt
2 tbsp. Lemon juice
1 tbsp. Lemon zest
1 tbsp. Dill, dried or fresh
1/2 Cucumber, peeled and diced
1 tbsp. Olive oil
1 lb. Asparagus, washed and stemmed and grilled


To prepare your Tzatziki sauce mix the yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, dill, cucumber, and salt and pepper to taste, in a bowl.  Allow flavors to marinate together for at least 20 minutes, refrigerated.  Make sure you taste the sauce, and season to your liking, because yogurt can be extremely tangy, especially mixed with lemon zest and juice.  You need to find the balance that works for your palate.

Preheat your grill to medium-high, and take the asparagus, tossed with some Olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste, and place it directly on the grill.  The asparagus needs to be watched closely, because it will not take longer than 5-7 minutes to grill directly on the grate, and needs to be turned continuously.  Take the stalks off as the appear to be done.

At the same time, place a large piece of aluminum foil on the grill, generously sprayed with non-stick spray.  Place the Arctic Char, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste, and place it skin down onto the aluminum foil.   Like salmon, Arctic Char will not take long to cook, and really doesn't need to be on each side for longer than 4-5 minutes.  I would suggest using a spatula to turn, as tongs will just break the fish apart.  When both sides have been cooked, remove the fish from the grill, and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.

Take your Tzatziki sauce out of the fridge, and place a generous amount over the fish, and plate with your asparagus.  You'll find that the flavors of the fish, with the sauce, are very complimentary, and light, especially paired with a nice light vegetable like asparagus.

A couple of notes on preparing the fish.  You could always place the fish directly on the grill, but I have found, that if the grate is at all sticky, the fish will just break apart.  So, with this approach, you get almost an indirect heat, but still retain the flavor of the charcoal.  If you're not able to grill, you can always pan-sear the fish, and oven roast the asparagus.  I personally don't eat the skin of the fish, but if you enjoy it, more power to you.  You can either leave it on and eat around it, or peel it off when you take it off of the grill.

Find your closest fish store with a variety of fish, and try something new today.  And, be inspired by the dishes you order when you go out.  Think about something you'd like to recreate when you get home, instead of something you can make at home, but are too lazy to create.