Cooking for Two (9 page)

1.
To make the dressing, mix the shallot, vinegar, lime juice, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil, whisking all the while; continue whisking until creamy and smooth. Stir in the Tabasco sauce, then set aside.

2.
Prepare a small bowl of ice water and set it aside. Bring a small saucepan of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the shrimp and
scallops to the simmering water and poach for about 2 minutes, just until the shrimp are firm and pink. Drain, then place the shellfish in the ice water. Let stand for 2 minutes, then drain and place the cooked shellfish in a serving bowl. Stir in the crabmeat.

3.
Cut ¼ inch off the top and bottom of the orange, so that it will sit flat. Stand it on a cutting board, then cut down the sides of the fruit with a paring knife, following the fruit’s natural curve, removing the rind and the white pith underneath. (You may also cut off a small amount of the flesh.) Hold the fruit in one hand over a small bowl. Use a paring knife to cut between the membranes, letting the orange supremes and any juice fall into the bowl. Take care not to squeeze the orange, thereby juicing it and rendering the supremes dry. Discard any remaining pith and add the supremes and any juice to the serving bowl with the seafood.

4.
Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, then peel each half. A large serving spoon can easily scoop half an avocado out of its peel. Cut the avocado into ½-inch pieces; add them to the seafood salad.

5.
Whisk the dressing once again to incorporate any oil that has fallen out of suspension. Pour the dressing over the seafood salad. Add the shredded lettuce and toss gently using tongs or two large spoons. Serve immediately.

T
ABBOULEH
with
S
HRIMP
, F
ETA
,
and
D
ILL
makes
2 servings

T
raditionally, tabbouleh is a Middle Eastern salad made with bulgur wheat, mint, and fresh tomatoes. Here’s a version shifted a little to Greece, with feta, dill, shrimp, and sundried tomatoes.

1.
Place the bulgur in a small bowl; stir in the boiling water. Set aside for 30 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the bulgur is tender.

2.
Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes, just until pink and firm. Drain and cool the shrimp, then roughly chop them and place them in a medium serving bowl.

3.
Fluff the bulgur with a fork, then add it to the shrimp. Stir in the feta, sundried tomatoes, scallion, dill, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Toss gently, then serve.

Q
UINOA
S
ALAD
WITH
R
ED
O
NION
, C
UCUMBER
,
and
W
ALNUTS
makes
2 servings

T
his savory salad is made with quinoa (KEEN-wah), an ancient grain from South America. A grain of quinoa is tiny—when cooked, it looks like a beige poppy seed with a small, translucent halo. The cooking technique for quinoa is similar to rice, although it’s simmered for a shorter time. If you don’t want to buy a box of quinoa at your market, it’s often sold in bulk at health food stores.

1.
Toast the walnuts in a small, dry skillet set over medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until lightly browned and quite fragrant. Transfer them to a cutting board and roughly chop them. Place in a medium serving bowl.

2.
Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan set over high heat. Stir in the quinoa, cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, until tender. Set aside to steep off the heat for 5 minutes, then transfer the cooked quinoa to a serving bowl. (All the water should
have been incorporated. If not—because of the quinoa’s density or the day’s humidity—drain the quinoa before adding it to the bowl.)

3.
Stir in the cucumber, onion, ginger, vinegar, olive oil, parsley, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Serve immediately; or store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If stored, stir thoroughly and allow to come back to room temperature before serving.

Casseroles, it seems, are designed to make us think in grand numbers: 9 × 13, 11 × 17. We picture a huge baking dish, family-sized portions, hot, bubbling, and very homey. So why do we need to throw out these childhood pleasures with the baking dish? Casseroles need hardly be the imperial things they’ve become. They’re simply one-baking-dish meals, sometimes baked in the oven, sometimes on the stovetop, the filling either set (with cheese or eggs, for example) or somehow thickened. In this chapter, we start with the family classics, some of them admittedly retro, such as Macaroni and Cheese or Turkey Tetrazzini; then we move on to the classics, such as Arroz con Pollo and Stuffed Baked Potatoes, perhaps the best casserole of all, the potato skins serving as the baking dish to hold a rich, creamy filling. So save the 11 × 17-inch baking dish for another day and make a warm, satisfying casserole tonight—but this time, without the waste or the leftovers.

M
ACARONI
and
C
HEESE
makes
a 1-quart casserole

W
hat could be more comforting than mac and cheese? Problem is, it loses some of its appeal by the third day. So here’s aversion of that family favorite for two—made with Cheddar, of course, for that classic velvety richness, but also with Parmigiano-Reggiano, for a little tangy finish with every bite. A simple tossed salad would be the best accompaniment for this all-American meal.