Chill and Grill – August 2016
August. It’s the month for heat and vacation before the school year starts. Easy, simple and light meals are the way to go. So the theme of August dining for Wilmette at the Lake is chill or grill. Here are recipes for both. Chilling and Grilling. Enjoy!
– Chef Vahé, Menu for Your Personal Chef Service
Chill – Spinach-Basil-Lemon Avocado Stuffed Heirloom Tomato
Yield: 2 servings
1- Extra Large Ripe Heirloom, Beefsteak or Brandywine Tomato
1-Large Ripe Avocado
4-6 large Stemmed Basil Leaves (Chiffonade) or sliced thin
1 ounce Baby Spinach Stemmed (Chiffonade) and sliced thin
1- lemon (use a zester to remove the zest; save strands of zest for the tuna)
Juice of half a lemon to taste
Serrano Chili (thin slices for garnish) Depending on your heat tolerance you may want to add more.
Remove the top of the tomato. Scoop out the insides and set aside. Salt and pepper the insides and enjoy as a snack. In a bowl, lightly mash the avocado with a fork and add the spinach and basil. Drizzle with lemon juice to taste (about a half a lemon), add salt and pepper. Stuff the avocado mixture into the hollowed tomato. Garnish with 2 slices of Serrano chili. Serve.
Can be made ahead and chilled 1-3 hours in advance carefully covered or placed in an air-tight container, being careful not to smash the tomato.
Granny Smith Apple and Radish Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
Yield: 2 servings
1 Granny Smith Apple Sliced thin
6 Radishes, cut into eighths
Juice of half a lemon
Juice of a clementine or 3 tablespoons of Orange Juice
¼ Cup Grapeseed or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Whisk together the clementine, lemon juice and oil in a bowl. Add the radishes and apples slices and toss well. Transfer to a serving bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Grill –Grilled Hawaiian Ahi with Spinach Basil Lemon Gremolata
Yield: 2 servings
1# Ahi Tuna Steak about 1” thick or so
1 ounce Baby Spinach Stemmed, Chiffonade or sliced thin
4-6 large Stemmed Basil Leaves, Chiffonade or sliced thin
Saved Strands of Lemon Zest (noted above)
Grapeseed Oil
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
Season the Tuna with salt and pepper. Combine the spinach, basil and lemon zest strands in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Add a few drops of olive oil to moisten the gremolata. Set aside gremolata.
Heat grill. Lightly oil the Tuna Steak. When the Grill is nice and hot, grill the Tuna steak for 2 minutes per side or until desired doneness. Remove the tuna. Spoon some of the gremolata over the Tuna. Slice the Tuna fairly thick, roughly 8 slices or so. Split the Tuna steak onto two plates. Serve with additional gremolata.
Plate alongside the Apple Radish Salad.
by Chef Vahé August 2016
