Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Grilled Swordfish with Lemon Mustard Dill Sauce

It was one of those weekends when you are glad you live in the northeast. How can anyone truly appreciate the warm Memorial Day weekend without first braving the cold New England winter for six months? This is the time of year when the humidity of summer hasn't layered her warm wet blanket on the coast yet, and you can still breathe the air with big giant lung inhalations. It is also grilling season.

We spent the weekend up in VT where it was green and lush and beautiful. We played tennis for hours everyday, sipped cocktails on the deck, and watched the wind play tag with the leaves of the big trees in the back yard. It was the perfect start to the summer season. When we got back to the City on Monday, it was a steamy ninety degrees, but as the sun when down and the mercury followed, it ended up being the most beautiful night to eat dinner on the deck.

These were frozen swordfish steaks that I picked up at Trader Joes for about $5. I also picked up a bottle of their lemon mustard dill sauce for $2.29, a box of couscous for $1 and a can of corn for $1.00. I already had the lemons, so this meal turned out to be about $10.00, and it fed both of us. It was a bargain.

If you don't happen to know this trick, it is one of the best things I have ever learned in the kitchen; if you have anything that is frozen, and you need to thaw it quickly, simply place it on a metal cookie sheet. Metal is a conductor of heat, and within a half an hour your once frozen solid meat will be thawed and ready to cook.
I marinated the steaks in the sauce for about half an hour, and then simply placed them on the grill. The cous cous I made to the directions on the box, but I also grated some lemon peel into it to give it a citrus flavor to go with the fish. I also simply heated the corn with a little butter. It really was a simple and very cheap way to do dinner for two.

We found a new path with waterfalls in VT this weekend. It is the perfect place to have a picnic. Look forward to my special Fourth of July post where I make a special picnic basket to bring here.





1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Great trick on the thawing! I'll have to try that.