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Fish

There’s only one rule when it comes to cooking fish: however you cook it, don’t cook it too long. So nothing beats fish for a quick, healthy dinner. What’s more, fish is very forgiving: it takes to both simple and complex dishes with just a pinch of some pantry staples for good measure. So here is a set of simple stir-fries and sautés, a few hearty baked dishes, and a couple of ideas fit for more leisurely meals, all served up for two.

SHRIMP WITH PEPPERS AND GARLIC makes 2 servings

This quick shrimp sauté is served up with quite a bit of garlic. For best results, add the oil and the garlic to the skillet at the same time, so the garlic is coated in the oil before it starts to cook, then watch it carefully so that it doesn’t brown, blacken, or burn—the point is simply to infuse the oil with garlic. Red bell peppers, albeit more costly, are slightly sweeter than the common green ones, and so balance the flavors better; but feel free to substitute any color bell pepper. Serve this sauté hot from the pan, over rice, cooked noodles, or wilted greens.

pound medium shrimp (about 20 shrimp at 30 perpound), peeled and deveined

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 or 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

3 medium scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, cored, and thinly sliced

¼ cup dry vermouth or white wine

1. Place the shrimp in a medium bowl and sprinkle with the flour, salt, and pepper. Toss gently to coat, then set aside.

2. Heat a medium skillet or sauté pan over very low heat. Add the oil and garlic all at once; cook and stir for about 3 minutes, or until the garlic becomes very aromatic. Raise the heat to medium, add the scallions and pepper, and cook for 2 more minutes, just until the scallions wilt, stirring constantly.

3. Pour the coated shrimp into the pan and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the shrimp are firm and pink, stirring occasionally. Raise the heat to high, pour the vermouth into the pan, and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for just 20 seconds, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thickened and reduced. Serve immediately.

Other Oils

Change the taste of this dish by changing the oil used to sauté the garlic. For a deeper, spicier taste, substitute an equivalent amount of mustard seed oil. For a brighter taste, use grapeseed oil. Or use an infused oil, like basil oil or sundried tomato oil.

ORANGE SCALLOP STIR-FRY makes 2 servings

This stir-fry is a light, fresh take on that Chinese take-out favorite, orange beef. As with any stir-fry, the cooking goes quickly, so have all the ingredients prepared before you begin. Serve over rice, or for a more authentic taste, over steamed mustard greens or spinach.

1 large orange

2 tablespoons black Chinese vinegar, or 1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon Shao Shing (see page 13)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon arrowroot or cornstarch

2 teaspoons water

2 tablespoons peanut oil

4 dried Chinese red chiles, or ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 large garlic cloves, slivered

pound sea scallops

½ pound pencil-thin asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch sections (see Note)

1. Use a vegetable peeler to peel wide strips of the zest from the orange. You should have about 8 strips when done, each about 2 inches long; set them aside. Cut the orange in half and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice into a small bowl. Whisk the vinegar, soy sauce, Shao Shing, and sugar into the orange juice; set aside. Whisk the arrowroot or cornstarch and water in a second small bowl or a teacup until smooth; set this aside as well.

2. Heat a wok or medium saucepan over very low heat. Add the oil, chiles, garlic, and orange zest all at once, then stir-fry for about 3 minutes to infuse the oil, until the mixture is very aromatic. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the scallops, and stir-fry for 2 minutes, or until firm and opaque. Add the asparagus and saut