Rania's Recipes: Grilled Grouper & Hearts Of Palm Salad

Looking for some new and easy dishes to make for your family and friends? Be sure to try out these two fantastic recipes from Rania Harris in your home today!

Grilled Grouper and Fregula Stew

½ pound Fregula (Sardinian Couscous)
Extra virgin olive oil
1 Vidalia onion – chopped
½ cup thinly sliced leeks
2 cloves of garlic – minced
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons anchovy paste
½ cup chopped Italian parsley
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 cup white wine
1 jar purchased marinara sauce
6 – 6 ounce grouper filets
Olive oil for searing the grouper
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cup currants
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
¼ cup sliced caper berries
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Garnish: Additional caper berries

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water with 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil over high heat. Add the fregula and cook for 7 to 9 minutes or until al dente. Drain well and reserve 2 cups of the pasta water for the stew. Set aside.

Heat a little bit of olive oil in a medium wide bottomed pot and add the onion and leeks. Sauté until they are almost golden in color and then add in the garlic, oregano, anchovy paste, parsley and red pepper flakes. Add in the white wine and cook until the wine is reduced by one third. Add in the marinara sauce with the reserved pasta water and bring the sauce to a simmer. Increase the heat to high and cook the stew for 10 minutes. Add the cooked fregula, currants, pine nuts and caper berries. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Hold the stew over a low heat while searing the grouper.

To sear the grouper:

In a large nonstick skillet, add a few turns of olive oil and heat to almost smoking. Add in the grouper filets and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sear the grouper on one side and flip over. Continue to pan sear just until the grouper is cooked through. Do not overcook, as it will dry out.

To serve:

Ladle the stew into 6 individual large shallow bowls and top each bowl with a grouper filet. Garnish the bowls with additional caper berries.

Serves: 6

Hearts of Palm Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Salad ingredients:

1 – 15 ounce can hearts of palm – drained and cut into thick slices
1 – 15 ounce can artichokes – drained and cut into halves
1 pint grape tomatoes – halved
Capers (to your taste)
1 bunch chopped green onions
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives
Bib lettuce to line the salad plates

Lemon Vinaigrette:

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
½ cup good olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese
Fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:

Combine the salad in ingredients in a salad bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour enough dressing on the salad to moisten. Toss well.

Line six salad plates with Bib lettuce and top with the dressed salad.

Finish the salad with crumbled Gorgonzola cheese to taste. Season with fresh cracked black pepper.

Serves: 6