Grilled Shrimp and Rice Noodle Salad

It would be nice to marinate the shrimp a little before grilling but it's not essential. Lime juice and olive oil and herbs?
The rice noodle salad will be thin rice noodles with julienne of carrots, red pepper, scallions, radish. Dressed with a dressing made of fish sauce, soy, lime juice, olive oil and a hint of sesame oil, S&P.
Served at room temperature.

Steak and Salad

Very simple but very good. Salt the steak early in the day and stash it in the fridge.
Let it come to room temperature.
Grill it the way you like it (medium rare, right?)
Let it rest for 10 minutes.
Slice it and serve warm slices on top of lightly dressed salad. A robust salad like escarole and watercress you know?

Scallops and Leeks Vinaigrette

The scallops should be seared quickly and attentively in hot butter. Nothing more than S&P and a squeeze of lemon.

The leeks should be braised in water and butter and salt, or blanched until tender. Oh and cut in half lengthwise an washed well first. Cool them completely. Drizzle a good vinaigrette on them once on the plate, preferably one made with a good white vinegar or a sherry vinegar better yet. Do you want to push a hard boiled egg through a sieve and top the leeks with a garnish of that as well? Do you think it will be too much with the scallops? I don't think so.

Serve the scallops right along side the leeks. Maybe with some good bread.

Pasta w Spring Vegetables

While the pasta is cooking, preferably spaghetti, saute in butter and olive oil some spring vegetables. Peas, fiddlehead ferns, fava beans, small green beans, a chiffonade of baby spinach or chard, very thinly sliced tiny new onions. Add a splash of chicken stock (no harm in using a bouillion cube. Andre Soltner does it at home.) or water and lemon zest.

Toss it all together. I like to garnish each bowl with a dollop of ricotta too.