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I have the good fortune to have a chef for a brother. He came over and cooked dinner for us and some friends recently, and I was reminded yet again that really good food doesn’t need to be fancy. He grilled a bunch of vegetables, plus some shrimp and fish, and made a simple sauce for the seafood. It was all delicious, and the kids loved it, too.

Food that grill quickly, like vegetables and seafood, makes for an easy weeknight fix, especially if you have a gas grill. We have a charcoal grill, not big enough to fit everything at once, so here’s how he made it work: The first thing that went on the grill was a pineapple, peeled, cored and quartered. When it had some charred corners, it came off.

Next were the vegetables, which had all been marinating in Annie’s Naturals Organic Oil and Vinegar Dressing. (Note: It’s a separated dressing, not already emulsified and held with a binder. Do shake before pouring, though.) We had scallions, sweet potatoes (sliced in planks) and okra (threaded onto two skewers, like a ladder). A sprinkling of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper went on right before they hit the grill.

Last on the grill were the shrimp (also threaded onto two skewers) and mahi-mahi, all of which had been brushed with olive oil and seasoned with an Asian spice mix. When these came off the grill, the pineapple was lukewarm, the veggies were warm and the seafood was steaming hot, all just right for serving. The kids requested ketchup for their shrimp, and the adults had a Wasabi Beurre Blanc sauce over the seafood, plus some New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc to drink. Mmmmm, tastes like summer.

Blake’s Wasabi Beurre Blanc

2 cups Sauvignon Blanc wine

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 tube of wasabi paste

1 stick salted butter

Salt to taste

Pour wine into a saucepan bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add chicken stock and wasabi. When hot, whisk in chunks of butter until all is smooth. Salt to taste and serve immediately.

Posted by shannono on Thursday, July 23rd, 2009 at 9:24 am | 2 Comments » You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.