While the fish is frying, in a bowl, stir together the Tartar Sauce and onions, add the lettuce, and toss until evenly coated. Toast the rolls and slice the tomato.
To make the sandwiches, place a fish fillet on the bottom half of each roll. Spoon on some topping, add tomato slices, and cap with the top half of the roll.
serving & menu ideas
Serve with plenty of napkins and a cold drink—and then Peach Brown Betty or Banana Cupcakes.
newport sardine sandwich
An open-faced sandwich that cries out for a glass of cold lemonade or beer.
SERVES 2
TIME: 15 MINUTES
3 slices of whole wheat or rye bread
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon mustard
1 small mild onion, such as Bermuda or Vidalia, thinly sliced
1 3.75-ounce can of sardines packed in oil
2 small tomatoes, sliced
Toast the bread until quite crisp. Mix the mayonnaise and mustard and spread on the toast. Top with onion slices. With a fork, lift sardines from the can and put them on the onions. Then use the fork to lightly mash the sardines to cover the onions.
With a sharp knife, cut each sandwich on the diagonal into fourths. Top each piece with a tomato slice.
variations
Try topping the sandwiches with sliced or grated Swiss, Monterey Jack, or Cheddar cheese and pop them under the broiler to melt the cheese.
serving & menu ideas
A bowl of Tomato Tortilla Soup would be perfect with this sandwich.
From top: Yellow Rice, Green Rice, Lemongrass Rice, Coconut Rice
We love the variety of grains available to us—rice of all kinds, quinoa, bulghur, couscous, grits, kasha, and polenta. Grains are nutritious and filling and make wonderful beds for stews, curries, and bean, tofu, fish, and vegetable dishes. We suggest that you cook extra; leftover grains are invaluable on busy weekday nights. Top a green salad with them to make it more substantial. Add vegetables and/or dried fruit and nuts for a pilaf. Mix with herbs and cheese to stuff peppers or tomatoes. Add an egg and chopped vegetables and sprinkle with soy sauce for fried rice. Stir into a brothy soup. The possibilities go on and on—leftovers rarely languish in the refrigerator. Here are directions for cooking some of our favorite grains for simple suppers:
BULGHUR is made from wheat berries that have been steamed or parboiled, dried, and cracked. It is a quick-cooking, nutty-flavored grain. Medium and light bulghurs cook faster than coarser varieties. See Saucy Hungarian Eggplant for cooking directions.
COUSCOUS is precooked semolina milled from durum wheat. It looks like tiny yellow irregularly shaped pearls. Whole wheat couscous is the same size and shape but with a light brown color and nuttier flavor. Couscous cooks quickly; put equal amounts of couscous and boiling water in a bowl with a little salt and olive oil, cover, and let sit until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir to fluff the grains.
GRITS are made from dried corn with the germ removed. Yellow and white grits have similar sweetness, flavor, and nutritional value. We recommend quick-cooking or regular grits but not instant grits, which contain additives and have an insipid flavor. Stone-ground grits are dried whole kernels of white or yellow corn crushed between millstones; they’re delicious but take longer to cook than regular or quick-cooking. See Louisiana Catfish with Grits & Greens for cooking directions.
KASHA is the common name for roasted buckwheat groats. It has a distinct earthy flavor and texture and looks like dark brown seeds. Kasha pairs well with mushrooms, onions, and root vegetables. See Kasha & Orzo with Portabellas for a delectable example of how to enjoy kasha.
POLENTA is the Italian word for corn. Polenta can be made with any grind of cornmeal; the amount of water needed, the cooking time, and the texture of the finished polenta varies. Fast-cooking polenta cornmeal is finely ground, often cooks in just 5 minutes, generally does well with a 4:1 water to cornmeal ratio, and is smooth and creamy. Regular cornmeal does better with a 3:1 water to cornmeal ratio and needs to simmer for about 15 minutes. See for cooking and serving suggestions.
QUINOA (KEEN-wah) is an easily digested grain, first cultivated by the Incas and now widely available in this country. It has a mild, nutty flavor. Before cooking, thoroughly rinse it to remove the slightly bitter coating on the grains. It expands four to five times when cooked, so a little goes a long way. See Quinoa & Vegetable Pilaf for a delicious recipe that uses this ancient grain.
Rice
ARBORIO RICE is an Italian short-grain, highly absorbent, starchy white rice used in risottos. Look for arborio rice, often called riso or risotto rice, in the ethnic section of the supermarket or in Italian specialty shops. We like brands imported from Italy and Rice Select brand Risotto: Italian-style Rice, which is grown in the United States. See for some great risotto recipes.
BASMATI RICE is a fragrant rice, originally grown in the foothills of the Himalayas and now grown in the United States as well (domestic basmati is sometimes called Texmati or Calmati). Cook brown basmati like brown rice but with a little more water. To cook white basmati, rinse the rice and drain. Bring water (1¾ cups water to 1 cup rice) to a boil. Add salt and a little oil or butter, stir in the rice, lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Or, follow the instructions for white rice.
BROWN RICE has a chewy texture and excellent flavor. Only the hull is removed; the bran and germ are retained. It is available in long-, medium-, and short-grain varieties—the shorter the grain, the more plump and moist the cooked kernels are. Use long-grain when a fluffy rice is preferred. To cook brown rice, rinse and drain the rice, put it in a pot, stir it with a little oil and salt, add cool water (2 cups water to 1 cup rice, but less water for larger amounts: 4½ cups water to 3 cups rice), cover, and bring to a boil. As soon as the water boils, lower the heat and simmer until the water is absorbed, about 40 minutes.
JASMINE RICE is a fragrant, creamy, long-grain Thai rice. See the cooking directions for white rice.
WHITE RICE is also known as polished rice because it is processed to remove both its hull and bran. Enriched white rice has thiamine, niacin, and iron added. It comes in long-grain, medium-grain, and short-grain varieties. Cook white rice like brown rice but with less water (1¾ cups water to 1 cup rice) and significantly less simmering time (12 to 15 minutes).
yellow rice
SERVES 4
TIME: 25 MINUTES
SIMMERING TIME: 15 MINUTES
1½ cups white rice
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon turmeric or a generous pinch of saffron
2¼ cups water
½ teaspoon salt
Rinse and drain the rice. Heat the oil in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the rice and turmeric or saffron and stir on high heat for a minute or two. Add the water and salt, cover, and bring to a boil on high heat. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook covered for 12 to 15 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed. Fluff the rice with a fork, cover, and let sit until ready to serve.
INGREDIENT NOTE Brown rice is fine in this recipe; it just takes longer to cook, about 40 minutes of simmering.
serving & menu ideas
Yellow Rice is the perfect bed for Black Beans with Pickled Red Onions, West Indian Red Beans, Shrimp Curry with Snow Peas, Roasted Vegetable Curry, and Flounder with Herbed Lemon Butter.
green rice
SERVES 4
TIME: 25 MINUTES
SIMMERING TIME: 15 MINUTES
1½ cups white rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or olive oil
2¼ cups water
½ teaspoon salt
3 scallions
4 cups loosely packed spinach (about 3 ounces)
pinch of black pepper
Rinse and drain the rice. In a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, on high heat briefly sauté the rice in 1 teaspoon of the oil, stirring to coat each grain. Add the water and salt, bring to a boil, cover, and
reduce the heat to very low. Cook until the water is absorbed, about 12 to 15 minutes.
While the rice cooks, coarsely chop the scallions and rinse the spinach. In a large skillet, sauté the scallions in 2 teaspoons of the oil for a minute or two. Add the spinach and pepper, cover, and cook until just wilted and still bright green, about 2 minutes. In a blender, purée the spinach and scallions until smooth, adding a little water, if necessary.
When the rice is done, fluff it with a fork, stir in the spinach purée, and serve.
INGREDIENT NOTES This recipe is just fine with brown rice, but it will take a bit longer to cook and the green color will be muted.
Add fresh herbs to the blender: about 2 tablespoons of dill, basil, or tarragon.
serving & menu ideas
Green Rice is pretty served under Scrambled Tofu with Greens & Raspberry Chipotle Sauce, Baked Stuffed Tomatoes, or Shrimp Curry with Snow Peas. Or top it with Easy Baked Tofu or sautéed shrimp. Leftovers can become tomorrow’s Green Fried Rice.
lemongrass rice
SERVES 4
TIME: 30 MINUTES
SIMMERING TIME: 15 MINUTES
1 stalk fresh lemongrass
1½ cups jasmine or white basmati rice
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2½ cups water
1 Keiffer lime leaf (optional)
½ teaspoon salt
Remove any dried outer leaves from the lemongrass stalk, cut it in half lengthwise, and mash the halves a bit with a mallet or the flat side of a large knife blade cut into lengths that fit in your pan and set aside.
Rinse and drain the rice. In a heavy saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, sauté the rice in the oil for a minute, stirring to coat the grains. Add the water, lime leaf, mashed lemongrass, and salt and bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce the heat to very low, cover, and simmer until the water is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove and discard the lemongrass and lime leaf. Fluff the rice with a fork.
serving & menu ideas
Great with curries, sautés, and fish or tofu dishes, or as the base for fried rice. Serve this fragrant rice under Curried Tofu with Tomatoes, or Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Easy Baked Tofu. Turn leftovers into Pineapple Fried Rice with Tofu.
coconut rice
SERVES 4 TO 6
TIME: 25 MINUTES
SIMMERING TIME: 15 TO 20 MINUTES
1½ cups white rice
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1½ cups water
¾ cup coconut milk
Rinse and drain the rice. In a saucepan on medium-high heat, sauté the rice, turmeric, and salt in the oil for a minute or two, stirring constantly. Add the water and coconut milk, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.
serving & menu ideas
This sweet rice perfectly complements West Indian Red Beans, Sesame Tofu with Spinach, or Spicy Potatoes & Spinach with Cranberry Chutney on the side.
cranberry bulghur pilaf
SERVES 4 TO 6
TIME: 30 MINUTES
2 tablespoons olive oil
1½ cups chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
dash of salt
1 orange
½ teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary (1½ teaspoons chopped fresh)
1½ cups medium to light bulghur
1½ cups water or vegetable broth
½ cup dried cranberries (or currants or raisins)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
⅔ cup chopped toasted pecans, walnuts, or almonds (optional)
In a saucepan on medium heat, warm the oil, add the onions and garlic, sprinkle with salt, and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. While the onions cook, grate the orange peel and juice the orange.
Add the rosemary, orange zest, and bulghur to the onions and cook for a minute, stirring. Add the orange juice, water or vegetable broth, and dried cranberries, cover, and cook on low heat until all the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. If the bulghur is still crunchy, add ¼ cup of hot water and cook for a few minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir in the soy sauce and lemon juice. Add nuts if you like, and more soy sauce and/or lemon juice to taste.
INGREDIENT NOTE If you don’t have a fresh orange, you could use ½ cup of prepared orange juice.
serving & menu ideas
Serve with Easy Baked Tofu or Seared Scallops.
polenta
Polenta can be made with any grind of cornmeal. We call for polenta cornmeal because it makes a particularly smooth and creamy polenta that also cooks quickly.
SERVES 4 TO 6
TIME: 10 MINUTES
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup polenta cornmeal
1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
Bring the water and salt to a rapid boil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Slowly pour in the cornmeal, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring often, until the polenta thickens and tastes done, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the oil or butter.
variations
The mild corn flavor of polenta makes it a good vehicle for other flavors. Add any of these to the boiling water: 4 or 5 chopped sun-dried tomatoes, a teaspoon of ground fennel seeds or dried thyme or rosemary, ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons of ground cumin, or a tablespoon of chopped garlic. At the end, whisk in grated cheese and/or chopped fresh herbs.
POLENTA CUTLETS Polenta thickens as it cools, making it great for baked breaded “cutlets” that are crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside, good topped with tomato sauce. To make cutlets, pour hot polenta into an oiled baking dish to a depth of about an inch. Refrigerate until cold. Cut into squares, rectangles, or triangles. Dip each piece into beaten eggs, milk, or water and then coat with plain or seasoned fine bread crumbs. Bake at 400° for 10 or 15 minutes on each side.
serving & menu ideas
Polenta is perfect for many dishes—chunky stews, beans, sautéed greens, and roasted vegetables. We like it with White Bean & Mushroom Ragout, Roasted Ratatouille, Mushroom Sherry Sauce, and Simple Tomato Sauce.
brilliant yellow noodles
Always a kid-friendly choice.
SERVES 4
TIME: 15 TO 25 MINUTES
3 quarts water
1½ teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
12 ounces pasta, any shape
Bring the water to a boil. Stir in the turmeric and salt and then add the pasta. Cook until the pasta is al dente, stirring occasionally. Drain and serve.
INGREDIENT NOTE For this recipe, we’ve used Italian pasta, spelt pasta, rice noodles, and egg noodles.
serving & menu ideas
These bright yellow noodles are fun simply topped with your favorite pasta sauce or vegetable sauté. Use leftovers in a pasta salad. Serve under Tofu & Mushrooms Marsala, Spring Vegetable Sauté, or instead of bulghur with Saucy Hungarian Eggplant.
Peppercorn Citrus Marinated Feta
corn on the cob
Nothing beats fresh corn on the cob at the height of summer. When local corn is harvested, we want to eat it almost every day—seizing the moment, celebrating the season, getting it while we can. Flavorful toppings can keep this seasonal treat interesting. And when fresh corn on the cob is out of season, any of the toppings are good stirred into heated and drained frozen or canned corn kernels.
Cooking Corn on the Cob
BOILING In a large pot of boiling water, cook very tender young ears of shucked corn just until hot, a minute or less, and more mature ears no more than 3 to 5 minutes.
STEAMING Remove the coarse outer husks, leaving the silk and more tender inner husks in place. (The husks help steam the kernels.) In a steamer on the stovetop, place the ears uncrowded in a single layer or standing upright. Depending on the size of the steamer and how closely the corn is packed, ste
am for 5 to 10 minutes, until the corn is hot and tender. In a microwave oven, you can steam one or two ears of corn at a time. Cook unshucked ears at the highest setting for about 2 minutes per ear. After steaming, most of the silk will come off when you peel back the husks.
GRILLING Choose large ears of corn with plump kernels. Grill right on the rack about 4 inches above glowing coals. Turn several times during cooking. Grill bare ears for 3 to 5 minutes and unshucked ears for 8 to 10 minutes.
Corn on the Cob Toppings
Boil, steam, or grill the corn and then slather on a topping:
FLAVORED BUTTER
CHIPOTLE MAYONNAISE
RED PEPPER BUTTER SAUCE
TEX-MEX STYLE
Spread mayonnaise on the hot corn and then dribble on (or drench with) Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce, and lime juice and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
CHESAPEAKE BAY STYLE
Stir Old Bay Seasoning and lemon juice into melted butter or oil.
SPICY TOPPINGS
• Stir lime or lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne into melted butter or olive oil.
Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers Page 12
