Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times (8 page)

1.
Preheat the broiler and put the rack as close to the heat source as possible. Put a large ovenproof skillet or heavy-bottomed roasting pan on the stove over low heat.

2.
Combine the shrimp with the garlic, salt, cayenne, paprika, half the olive oil, and the 2 teaspoons lemon juice; stir to blend. Turn the heat under the skillet to high.

3.
When the skillet smokes, toss in the shrimp. Shake the pan once or twice to distribute them evenly, then immediately put the skillet under the broiler.

4.
Mince about one-third of the mint. Tear the remaining leaves and toss them with the arugula. Stir the remaining olive oil and lemon juice together in a bowl.

5.
The shrimp are done when opaque; this will take only 3 or 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp to a plate; it’s fine if they cool for a moment. Add the shrimp juices to the olive oil-lemon juice mixture and stir. Dress the greens with this mixture and toss (if the greens seem dry, add a little more olive oil, lemon juice, or both). Put the greens on a platter and arrange the shrimp on top of or around them; garnish the shrimp with the minced mint.

VARIATIONS

Spicy Chicken Salad

This is better with skinless, boneless chicken thighs than breasts. Marinate and cook 1-inch chunks as you would the shrimp; they will take about the same amount of time. Remove the chicken, then put the pan over a burner; turn the heat to high and add ½ cup of water. Stir and scrape to release any of the flavorful bits remaining in the pan (the chicken will not release as much liquid as the shrimp, which is why this step is necessary). When the liquid is reduced to a couple of tablespoons, combine it with the olive oil-lemon mixture and proceed as directed.

Spanish-Style Broiled Shrimp Salad

Substitute sherry vinegar for lemon juice and add a teaspoon of ground cumin along with the paprika. Use chopped parsley or tarragon in place of mint.

Southeast Asian-Style Broiled Shrimp Salad

Use peanut oil in place of olive oil, lime juice in place of lemon juice, and cilantro in place of mint. Add a tablespoon or two of soy sauce or fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam) to the salad before tossing it.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: ABOUT 1 HOUR (SOMEWHAT UNATTENDED)

SOMETIMES A SIMPLE
salad features such powerful flavors that by adding a couple of straightforward ingredients a whole meal appears as if by magic. Here the starting place is a Southeast Asian-style cucumber salad, with a dressing made from lime juice, lemongrass, fish sauce (called
nam pla
in Thailand and
nuoc mam
in Vietnam), and a few other strong seasonings.

This dressing commingles perfectly with the natural juices of the cucumbers to moisten the greens. Top all with grilled scallops—or other fish or meat—and you create an easy one-dish meal whose flavor really jumps off the plate. It looks lovely, too, especially if your cucumbers are good enough to leave unpeeled. And (although not by design, I assure you), this salad is extremely low in fat.

1.
Peel the cucumbers if they have been waxed, then trim their ends and cut them in half the long way. Scoop out the seeds with an ordinary teaspoon. Sprinkle each half with about ¼ teaspoon salt, then put them all in a colander. Let drain in the sink for about 30 minutes. Rinse lightly and drain again. Cut into ⅛- to ¼-inch-thick slices and put in a bowl.

2.
Mix together the fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, hot pepper to taste, lemongrass, and sugar. Thin with a tablespoon of water. Taste and add more of any flavoring you wish. Toss the dressing with the cucumbers and set aside.

3.
Put the greens on a large platter. Put a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Toss the scallops with the oil, then sprinkle them with salt and the cayenne. When the skillet begins to smoke, add the scallops, one at a time and without crowding, until they are all in the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes on the first side, turning as they brown; depending on their size, cook for 1 to 3 minutes on the second side. (Scallops are best when their interior is slightly underdone; cut into one to check it.)

4.
Toss the cucumbers with most of the herbs and spoon them and all of their juices over the greens. Top with the scallops. Drizzle with the sesame oil and top with the remaining herbs. Serve immediately.

VARIATIONS

A few simple and foolproof additions to the salad:

• Toss a cup of roughly chopped watercress, arugula, or spinach into the cucumbers before dressing.

• Add a cup of peeled and minced apple, jícama, or minced bell pepper—preferably red, yellow, or a combination—to the cucumbers.

• Thinly slice a medium onion and separate it into rings. Salt the rings along with the cucumbers; their flavor will mellow considerably.

• Increase the amount of fresh herbs to 1 cup.

• Toss a cup of bean sprouts into the salad.

Cucumber Salad with Chicken

Marinate 1 to 1½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts in a mixture of 2 tablespoons nam pla or soy sauce and 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice while the cucumbers drain. Grill or broil the chicken until it is done, about 3 minutes per side. Cut into strips and serve as you would the scallops.

Cucumber Salad with Shrimp

Treat the shrimp exactly as you do the scallops: Cook about 1½ pounds shrimp (unpeeled are fine if you’re willing to let your family or guests use their fingers at the table) the same way until pink all over. Or peel the shrimp and marinate them for about 30 minutes in a mixture of 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon coarse salt, ½ teaspoon cayenne, 1 teaspoon paprika, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice. Then cook and serve the shrimp as you would the scallops.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 20 MINUTES

THE PERFECT WHOLE-MEAL
salad features as much flavor, texture, and bulk as any other well-prepared meal, and the fact that the base is a pile of greens makes me feel like I’m getting away with something. This one takes about ten minutes longer than a plain green salad and by changing the topping can be made in different ways every time, always with a minimum of effort.

Use a blender for the dressing; it makes quick work of dispersing the sesame paste or peanut butter throughout the liquid ingredients—something that can be a real hassle with a fork or a whisk—creating a perfect emulsion. And because the blender purees the garlic and ginger, there’s no need to mince them; just peel, chop roughly, and drop them into the blender with the other ingredients.

My first choice for topping this salad is grilled scallops—they’re almost ludicrously fast and easy, and their texture and flavor complement both greens and dressing—though shrimp, steak, or chicken thighs all could be substituted.

1.
Start a grill. Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, tahini, sesame oil, hot pepper, honey, garlic, and ginger in a blender and whiz until smooth. When the grill is hot, sprinkle the scallops with salt and grill them for about 2 minutes per side; they should remain tender and under-cooked in the middle.

2.
Combine the greens and basil if you’re using it and divide among 4 plates. When the scallops are done, top the greens with them, then drizzle with the dressing; sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 45 MINUTES

FOR POTATO SALADS,
my dressing of choice is usually a simple vinaigrette—here no more than oil and vinegar—augmented by a handful each of chopped shallots for crunch and flavor and parsley for color and freshness. The result is a great summer dish, good-looking and good-tasting.
As it stands, this is a potato salad with mussels; if you like, you can increase the amount of mussels, by as much as double, giving each component equal weight.

1.
Combine the mussels, potatoes, and wine or water in a broad, steep-sided skillet or casserole. Cover and turn the heat to high. When steam arises from the top, shake the pan once or twice and turn the heat to medium. Continue to cook until all the mussels open, checking after 5 minutes or so and then every couple of minutes. When the mussels are done, use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer them to a plate; leave the potatoes in the skillet and re-cover.

2.
Cook until the potatoes are almost tender, then remove the cover and turn the heat to high, cooking until most of the liquid evaporates and the potatoes are done. By this time, the mussels will be cool enough to remove from their shells; do so, putting them in a large bowl.

3.
When the potatoes are done, add them to the bowl with the mussels and the shallot, oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Serve immediately, an hour or two later, or cold, stirring in the herb(s) at the last moment.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

TIME: ABOUT 30 MINUTES

YOU CAN USE
any short- or medium-grain rice you like for this dish, which is most easily made with leftover rice.

1.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil; salt it. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; salt it. Cook the peas in the small pot for about 2 minutes, or until they lose their raw flavor. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.

2.
When the large pot of water comes to a boil, add the rice and cook, stirring, until it is completely tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the rice and rinse it quickly under cold water to stop the cooking, but don’t chill it entirely.

3.
Stir the shallot into the rice and mix well. Add the lime juice, oil, and soy and mix well again. Add the cilantro, peas, and pepper and mix. Taste and add more lime juice, soy sauce, or pepper as needed. Serve immediately or refrigerate, well covered, for up to a day. Bring back to room temperature before serving.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 45 TO 60 MINUTES (SOMEWHAT UNATTENDED)

EVERYONE LOVES BREAD
salad, which—traditionally at least—was most often made with stale bread. You can wait around for bread to get stale, but really the best way to ready bread for salad is to use the grill or broiler to quickly dry the bread while charring the edges slightly, adding another dimension of flavor to the salad. But watch the bread carefully as you grill or broil it; a slight char is good, but it’s a short step from toast to burned bread. The time you allow the bread to soften after tossing it with the seasonings varies; keep tasting until the texture pleases you. If your tomatoes are on the dry side, you might add a little extra liquid in the form of more olive oil and lemon juice or a light sprinkling of water.

Because it’s juicy, almost saucy, and pleasantly acidic, this salad makes a nice accompaniment to simple grilled meat or poultry and has a special affinity for dark fish such as tuna and swordfish.