Since most of us spend a good portion of summer holidays doing some type of cooking or grilling, I thought that this was a good time to give you some simple and fast recipes after all of the celebratory cooking. We will be making an antipasto Caesar salad, which is my favorite variation of the classic salad. Then we are cooking wild salmon with a wonderful Asian marinade and some really killer green beans. To finish, I’m going to show how to use a ready-made mix which makes a delicious dessert. The whole meal can be prepared in 45 minutes.

In This Menu:

• Antipasto Caesar Salad
• Sesame Crusted Wild Salmon with Szechuan Green Beans
• Calhoun’s Cherry Crumb Crunch

INGREDIENTS

• 1, 4 oz. log of creamy goat
  cheese

• 4 oz. hard salami, cut into thin
  strips

• 1 large Arkansas tomato, diced
• 1 head of romaine lettuce
• 1, 12 oz. can whole artichoke heart cut in half lengthwise
• 1, 7 oz. can of sliced black
  olives

• 1 cup of your favorite croutons
• ½ to 3/4 cup of your favorite Caesar dressing

PREPARATION

Place goat cheese in freezer before you begin to prepare salad. Cut romaine into 2-inch squares, wash (if necessary) in very cold water and spin dry. Place lettuce in a bowl and add the salami, tomatoes, black olives, and ½ of the croutons. Remove goat cheese from freezer and package. Cut cheese into ¼ inch dice and add to bowl. As you probably figured out, freezing the cheese makes it easier to cut and it will thaw in a matter of minutes. Add enough dressing to salad and toss to coat evenly. Divide onto four salad plates or bowl. Arrange artichoke hearts around salads and top with remaining croutons.

Serves 4

For the Salmon:

• 4 fillets wild salmon
• 4 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 cup San J Tamari Sesame Dressing

Place salmon fillets in a shallow pan with the dressing and toss to coat evenly. Let salmon marinade for at least two hours. Place salmon on baking sheet and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in a 450° oven for about 8 minutes for medium or cook to desired doneness.

For the Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

For the Beans:

• 1 cup peanut oil
• 1 lb. fresh green beans, stems removed
• Heat oil in a large saucepan until hot for frying, 350°

Place beans in hot oil and fry, turning frequently for 3 to 5 minutes or until cooked but not limp. Drain on paper towels. Place cooked beans in the bowl with the sauce and toss to coat with sauce. Serve warm with salmon.

You will find the Calhoun mixes in our baking aisle. These are exceptional products that will help when you are in a crunch for time and need a dessert! Follow the package directions and then serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

In This Menu:

• Cioppino
• James’ Crab Dip a la the “Temp”
• Raspberries with Cream and Sugar

I first heard of this dish (the French version is called Bouillabaisse) when I was managing an excellent restaurant in Tulsa called LaCuisine. Basically, this is a fish soup or stew depending on how thick you make it. At LaCuisine we used to serve it with a thick piece of toasted French bread covered with red pepper aioli (garlic mayonnaise) and floated the bread on top. I liked the addition of the bread because it thickened the sauce which then made me think about serving the dish over a bed of pasta. I’m sure the “true” Italians would skin me alive for doing so, but I really like the way the angel’s hair soaks up the broth and gives one a feeling of having had a meal rather than a bowl of soup.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon gremolata*
• Juice of one lemon
• 2 tablespoons basil pesto
• 3 tablespoons sun-dried tomato paste
• 1 (12-ounce) can whole tomatoes
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2 cups fish stock**
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ pound cherrystone clams, scrubbed
• ½ pound sea scallops
• ½ pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 pound tilapia or salmon, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 lb. angel hair pasta, cooked
• Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION

*Gremolata is simply a mixture of very finely minced lemon zest, parsley, and garlic. The Italians use it liberally boosting up the flavor of any dish they are making. Most Cioppino recipes call for garlic alone. I added the gremolata because the parsley and lemon zest give you a nice flavor “pop”. To make, remove the zest from one lemon using a zester, knife, or grater. Peel 3 garlic cloves. Pick 3 or 4 big sprigs of parsley from a bunch. Chop the three ingredients together on a cutting board until very fine.

**A light chicken broth can be substituted

Heat the oil in a very large pot over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, tomatoes, and salt and sautè until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in the gremolata, pesto and sun-dried tomato paste. Crush the tomatoes then add them with their juices, wine, fish stock and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the flavors blend, about 30 minutes.

Add the clams and mussels to the cooking liquid. Cover and cook until the clams and mussels begin to open, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and fish. Simmer gently until the fish and shrimp are just cooked through, and the clams are completely open, stirring gently, about 5 minutes longer (discard any clams and mussels that do not open). Season the soup, to taste, with more salt and pepper.

Divide pasta into 4 bowls and ladle the soup over the pasta into bowls. Top with Parmesan and a sprinkle of gremolata and serve.

My wife’s parents own a condo in Southwest Florida on a beautiful and quaint island. There is a restaurant that has been there since the 1930s called the Temptation or the “Temp” as the locals call it. The first time I went to the Temp, I ordered the hot crab dip, which in turn started a tradition of visiting the Temp every time we go to Florida and it always includes an order of their famous crab dip! I have tried to recreate the dip, and mine is good, but it seems like I’m still missing something. I think it is the salty air and the view of the sandy beaches!

INGREDIENTS

• 12 oz. crab meat from King Crab legs
• ½ cup minced onion
• ½ cup Hellman’s Mayonnaise
• ½ cup Daisy sour cream
• Juice of one lemon
• 3 tablespoons chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown mustard
• 1 heaping tablespoon horseradish
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan cheese
• Bread crumbs

PREPARATION

Mix the first 8 ingredients together in a large bowl. Stir in the 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Pour dip into an oven proof, shallow, baking dish. Lightly sprinkle top with some bread crumbs and remaining Parmesan. Bake at 375° for 15 to 20 minutes until lightly brown on top and bubbling. Serve with toast points.

My grandmother had a house on Fremont Avenue in the middle of Springfield and I used to love to go there for the weekend. One thing I could count on in the summer was fresh raspberries. She had a big vine in her backyard and we would pick them in the morning, then she would wash them and serve in china bowls with sugar and cream. This maybe kind of old school, but heavenly!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pint of fresh raspberries
• ¼ cup of half-and-half
• 2 tablespoons sugar

PREPARATION

Split raspberries between two small bowls or glasses and pour some cream and sugar on top of each one. If desired, garnish with fresh mint.

I first learned about lemon dice from my cousin Jimmy Fiala who owns the Crossing and three other great restaurants in St. Louis. He was a young chef working at Spiaggia in Chicago, one of the best Italian restaurants in the country. Jimmy came to work with me for a summer doing an internship. He showed me a fish dish using lemon dice and I was hooked! (pun intended) It is not hard to do, but does take some time. Buy the bigger lemons as they are easier to work with.

Another interesting item in this week’s repertoire is the basil chiffonade. To accomplish this, roll the basil leaves up into a tight cylinder, then slice them thinly. This will create long, thin strips of basil, called a chiffonade (shiff-oh-nod).

I served the fish with fresh green beans and a boxed pasta. For the green beans, cut the ends off (stem-end only). Bring some water to boil and cook until tender. This is a personal preference. I like to cook them about 4 minutes. Some like to cook them more and some less. After cooking, immediately plunge into ice water. When ready to serve, sauté the beans in a little butter mixed with some olive oil, a little salt, and a little pepper. Money in the bank!

The Pasta a Roni angel hair pasta has been a staple in our house for years. My kids absolutely love it, as do I. It is easy to do and is a really tasty side dish for fish or chicken.

In This Menu:

• Tilapia with Lemon Dice
• Cucumber Feta Salad
• Fresh Green Beans
• Pasta a Roni Angel Hair Pasta
• Blueberry Crepes with Edy’s Vanilla Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS

• 4 fillets of tilapia
• ½ cup seasoned flour
• Olive oil

For Sauce:

• 1 T. butter
• 1 T. olive oil
• 2 teaspoons minced shallot or white onion
• 1 T. fresh oregano or sage
• 1 T. lemon dice
• Salt and pepper

PREPARATION

Grill fish to desired temperature.

Cut the ends on the lemon and set the lemon vertically on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, remove the zest and white part of the lemon peel, exposing the meat of the lemon. Cut between each segment and remove the meat from the lemon. Remove the seeds and dice lemon segments. This is called lemon dice oddly enough.

For the sauce:

In sauté pan, heat butter and olive oil, add shallots, sage, and lemon dice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over fish. Serve with green beans and pasta.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. vine ripe tomatoes
• 1 lb. red onion, cut into 1/4″ crescent shaped pieces
• 2 medium cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced
• 1 avocado, peeled, seeded, thinly sliced
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 4 to 6 large, fresh basil leaves cut in “chiffonade” (see above)
• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ cup feta
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

Combine the tomatoes, onion, and cucumbers in a large bowl. In a small bowl, coat avocado slices with lemon juice to keep them from turning brown. Add avocados to salad along with remaining ingredients. Gently toss and serve or refrigerate.

INGREDIENTS

For the Crepes:

• ¾ cup flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 T. sugar
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 T. butter
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs

PREPARATION

Place flour and salt in food processor and pulse to mix. Melt butter in milk in small saucepan over low heat. After butter is melted, let the milk mixture cool until you can touch the surface without it being uncomfortable. Add milk mixture to flour, running processor constantly to blend well. Add eggs one at a time and blend well. Let batter sit for at least 30 minutes before using.

To cook crepes, heat a 6-inch non-stick pan until sizzling. Spray pan with pan release. Pour 1 oz. of batter in pan and swirl until batter coats bottom of pan (very thin!). Cook for about one minute or until you can see the edges of the crepe turning brown. Remove crepe and place on parchment paper to cool. Contrary to many beliefs and recipes, it is not necessary to turn and cook crepe on both sides.

For the Berries:

• 2 T. butter
• 1 pint blueberries
• ½ cup sugar

PREPARATION

Heat a small saucepan over medium high heat and add butter. Cook blueberries in butter until they begin to burst. Add sugar and continue to cook until sauce thickens. Pour warm over crepes and garnish with whipped cream and powdered sugar.

I think you will enjoy this menu. The salad is one of the best I’ve had in a long time. The citrus dressing works perfectly for the Anjou pears and blue cheese. The tilapia is truly outstanding and the New York Cheesecake with Dark Chocolate Ganache is very simple to do.

Inspiration for the tilapia dish came from a great restaurant called The Dunes, owned by one of my favorite chefs, Jean George. I had the good fortune to eat there several years ago and had a great dish similar to this. This is my version. It sounds a bit strange to pour a broth around the mashed potatoes, but the blending of the potatoes with the broth is truly incredible. Enjoy!

(Chef’s hat denotes weekly sale item)

In This Menu:

• Tilapia with Wasabi Potatoes and Miso Broth
• Anjou Pear Salad
• Cheesecake with Dark Chocolate Ganache

Wasabi Whipped Potatoes

• 1½ pounds of Deli mashed potatoes
• 1 small bag of fresh spinach
• 1 tablespoon Wasabi powder mixed with 2 teaspoons orange juice (water is fine, juice is better)

Bring 1 quart of water in a medium saucepan to boil. Add spinach. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, drain, and run spinach in cold water immediately to cool and set the color. Place cooked spinach and wasabi in food processor and pulse, scraping sides frequently until spinach is fairly smooth.

Heat potatoes in microwave, loosely covered, for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally until potatoes are ready to serve. Place potatoes in a large bowl and add spinach-wasabi mixture. Stir the spinach into the potatoes until you have a consistent color. Keep warm.

For the asparagus:

• ½ bunch asparagus, washed and trimmed
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• Coarse kosher or sea salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil (in Asian section of our store)

Blanch the asparagus in lightly salted boiling water for about 3 minutes or until crisp-tender; do not overcook. Remove from heat and refresh under cold water; drain well. In a small saucepan, toss asparagus with remaining ingredients until evenly coated and warmed through.

For the fish:

• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
• ¼ cup black sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 4 fillets of tilapia
• ½ cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 400°. Mix sesame seeds with bread crumbs, salt, and pepper in small bowl. Lay fish on a cookie sheet or baking tray with an edge. Brush each fillet with half of the olive oil. Set remaining olive oil aside. Sprinkle Panko mixture liberally over each fillet. Lightly dab the remaining olive oil on top of bread crumbs to help it brown.

Bake fillets for 12 minutes. Remove from oven.

To plate:

Put about a 3/4 cup scoop of the potatoes in the center of a shallow bowl. Carefully place fish on potatoes. Pour ½ cup Miso broth around potatoes. Top fish with 4 asparagus spears. Serve immediately.

For the dressing:

• 2 teaspoons minced, fresh ginger
• Juice of one navel orange
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Put ginger in a small bowl with the orange juice. Add sugar, salt, and black pepper. Slowly drizzle oil into juice while beating with a wire whip continuously until all of the oil is gone.

For the salad:

• 2 cups ice water
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 Anjou pears
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ½ cup blue cheese
• 4 small handfuls of your favorite lettuce blend

Mix ice water with lemon juice in a small bowl. Cut pears into quarters and remove core. Slice each quarter into three slices. Place slices in the acidulated water (fancy chef term for water with lemon!). The lemon will keep the pears from turning brown. In another bowl toss the lettuce with about 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Have four plates ready and place equal amounts of the dressed lettuce in center of each plate. Remove pears from water, drain, then place in same bowl you tossed the lettuce in. Add the walnuts and blue cheese to pears. Add dressing and toss to coat pears completely. Stack pears on top of lettuce and serve. Serve immediately.

1 New York Cheesecake from our Bakery

For Ganache:

• 1 cup good quality, dark chocolate
• ½ cup heavy cream

In a double boiler, melt chocolate. Add cream and mix well with a wire whip. Remove from heat and ladle over center of cheesecake. Serve immediately.