ONLINE EXTRA — HEALTHY COMBOS: Thai-Steamed Halibut . . . Whole-Wheat Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce . . . Grilled Salmon Salad, etc.

Thai-Steamed Halibut

1 cup low-fat coconut milk

Grated peel of 1 large lemon

2 medium green onions, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons grated fresh gingerroot

2 teaspoons chopped cilantro, divided

1 medium clove garlic, peeled and minced

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon turmeric

1 1/3 pounds halibut fillet

Parchment paper

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon fish sauce or 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 lime, cut into wedge

Combine milk with lemon peel, green onions, ginger, 1 teaspoon cilantro, garlic, red pepper flakes and turmeric. Cut halibut into serving pieces and place in an 8- or-9-inch glass pan; pour coconut milk marinade over fish. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours; do not marinate longer as the fish will become too soft.

Line a bamboo steamer with parchment paper and poke holes in paper. Combine lime juice and fish sauce. Remove halibut from marinade and place in steamer set over boiling water. (Discard marinade.) Or set a rack over the water, place fish on a plate and set on rack not touching the water. Spoon half of lime juice mixture over fish and sprinkle with salt. Baste fish with remaining lime juice mixture during cooking time.

Cover the steamer and steam 12 minutes per inch of thickness. Check for doneness. Keep water at a high boil during cooking time.

Remove halibut from steamer and sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Yield: Serves 4.

Whole-Wheat Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce

1 16-ounce package whole-wheat spaghetti

¼ cup reduced-fat peanut butter

2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons light soy sauce

2 limes, juiced (about 4 tablespoons)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon hot chili sauce or hot pepper sauce

¼ cup hot water

2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

1 cup packed fresh spinach, thinly sliced

½ cup grated carrots

3 green onions, chopped (green and white parts)

2 cups broccoli slaw

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons dry roasted peanuts, chopped

Prepare spaghetti according to package directions, omitting salt and cooking al dente. Drain and place in a large mixing bowl.

Combine peanut butter, honey, soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, chili sauce and hot water; stir to blend well. Add oil in a steady stream, whisking to combine.

Pour dressing over pasta and toss to blend. (If there is liquid in the bottom of the bowl, it will absorb into the pasta after all the additions.)

Add spinach, carrots, green onions, broccoli slaw and cilantro to noodles. Toss well. Sprinkle with dry roasted peanuts before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 649 calories, 22 percent of calories from fat, 17 grams fat (2 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 109 grams carbohydrates, 25 grams protein, 625 milligrams sodium, 12 grams dietary fiber.

Grilled Salmon Salad

2 salmon fillets, about 8 ounces each

8 asparagus spears

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar

1½ cups fresh snow pea pods, trimmed

6 cups torn salad greens

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

2 Roma tomatoes, sliced

Place salmon fillets in zip-top bag. Trim asparagus spears and place in another zip-top bag. Combine lime juice, brown sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic and ginger; stir well to combine. Drizzle 2 tablespoons lime juice mixture over salmon; seal bag. Drizzle 1 tablespoon lime juice mixture over asparagus; seal bag. Turn bags to coat evenly, then refrigerate about 30 minutes. Stir vinegar into remaining lime juice mixture; cover and refrigerate.

Preheat grill or allow coals to burn down to white ash. Spray grate with nonstick spray coating or lightly oil it.

Remove salmon from bag; drain and discard marinade. Grill salmon 4 to 5 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Remove asparagus from bag; drain and discard marinade. Grill asparagus until just fork tender, 5 to 7 minutes, turning to cook evenly.

Meanwhile, heat a small amount of water to a boil in a covered saucepan. Once water boils, add pea pods, cover and cook about 2 minutes or until hot but still crisp. Drain pea pods and plunge into ice water.

Arrange salad greens on 4 individual plates. Top each salad with ½ of a hot, cooked salmon fillet. (If salmon fillets have skin, remove before serving.) Sprinkle sesame seeds evenly over salmon. Arrange asparagus spears, pea pods and sliced tomatoes on each salad. Drizzle with reserved lime juice mixture.

Yield: Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 257 calories, 30 percent of calories from fat, 9 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 59 milligrams cholesterol, 19 grams carbohydrates, 28 grams protein, 357 milligrams sodium, 5 grams dietary fiber.

Peanut Butter and Apple Butter

2 slices raisin bread

2 to 3 tablespoons peanut butter

1 to 2 tablespoons apple butter

2 to 3 tablespoons granola (optional)

Spread one slice of raisin bread with peanut butter, another with apple butter. If desired, sprinkle some granola on the apple butter, then close the sandwich.

Yield: Serves 1.

Yellow Tomato Gazpacho with Spicy Avocado Relish

FOR GAZPACHO:

1½ pounds yellow tomatoes, peeled, seeded, finely chopped; see cook’s notes

½ pound cucumbers, peeled, finely chopped

½ cup finely chopped onion

¼ cup seeded and finely chopped green bell pepper

½ teaspoon chopped garlic

2 teaspoons chopped cilantro

1 cup tomato juice

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

6 tablespoons olive oil

Salt, to taste

Ground white pepper, to taste

Dash of hot sauce, such as Tabasco

Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste

FOR GARNISH:

¼ cup finely diced onion

¼ cup finely diced peeled cucumber

¼ cup seeded and finely diced red bell pepper

1 ripe avocado, finely diced

¼ teaspoon seeded, minced jalapeno chili; see cook’s notes

Dash cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon sour cream

Prepare gazpacho: In 2 batches, whirl tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, green pepper, garlic, cilantro, tomato juice and vinegar in blender until liquefied. Place in nonreactive bowl, such as ceramic or glass.

Whisk in olive oil, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Taste and add fresh lemon juice as desired. Cover and chill thoroughly.

Prepare garnish: In small bowl, mix all garnish ingredients except sour cream.

Presentation: Ladle chilled gazpacho into 6 shallow soup bowls.

To garnish, spoon equal portions of relish mixture into center, or for a more formal presentation, place a ¾-inch ring or biscuit cutter in center of bowl, fill with relish; pat down relish gently and swiftly remove ring, leaving relish in soup so that mixture remains in a column in center. Garnish each serving with 2 to 3 tiny spoonfuls of sour cream. Serve immediately.

Cook’s notes: To peel tomatoes, place in simmering water about 20 to 30 seconds. Drain and refresh with cold water. Grab tomato skin with paring knife and pull off; it should slide off easily. If tomatoes aren’t very ripe, they may require more simmering before removing peel. To seed, cut tomatoes in half and gently squeeze out seeds. Use caution when working with fresh chilies; wash hands and work surface thoroughly upon completion and do not touch your face or eyes.

Yield: Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 227 calories, 2.6 grams protein, 14.2 grams carbohydrates, 19.6 grams fat, 78 percent calories from fat, 1 milligram cholesterol, 163 milligrams sodium.

Penne with Broccoli, Sun-Fried Tomatoes and Dijon Cream

1 large clove garlic, peeled, minced

¼ cup Dijon mustard

1 cup fat-free or regular half-and-half

8 ounces penne pasta or favorite short pasta

1 ½ cups broccoli florets

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup shredded or shaved Parmesan cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, place the garlic in a large, heatproof serving bowl that will fit partially in the pot. Add the mustard to the bowl and whisk in the half-and-half. Set aside or place over the pasta pot to warm while the water is heating. Once the water begins to boil, remove the bowl.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until it is al dente, according to package directions. About 2 minutes before the pasta is done, add the broccoli florets and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook 2 more minutes. Remove 2 cups of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and broccoli and tomatoes. Place the cooking water back in the pot and leave on low heat.

Set the heatproof bowl with the mustard sauce over the pot with the remaining pasta water. Add the pasta mixture and toss to coat and heat through. Drizzle with the olive oil and add the cheese. Toss again to coat and heat through.

Garnish with a grinding of black pepper and a sprinkling of parsley before serving.

Yield: Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 320 calories, 20 percent of calories from fat, 7 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 51 grams carbohydrates, 12 grams protein, 437 milligrams sodium, 6 milligrams cholesterol, 2 grams fiber.

Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Roasted Beets and Potatoes

1½ to 2 pounds mahi-mahi filets

5 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon tamari

2 tablespoons Goma shio Furiake

2 pounds (about 8) small beets, red or gold

2 pounds (about 8) small Yukon Gold or new potatoes

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ pound washed arugula or spinach

Before the trip: Wash and dry the fish and place it in a Ziploc bag in a cold part of the cooler. Combine 4 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon juice, the tamari and the Goma shio Furiake, and store in a leak-proof plastic container or jar. Wash and dry the beets and potatoes, and drizzle them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle the beets and potatoes with salt and wrap them in heavy-duty aluminum foil in packets of three or four.

In the campsite: Start a fire in the pit or barbecue. Pour the marinade over the fish in the Ziploc bag, and marinate it while you wait for the fire to burn down to nice hot coals (30 to 45 minutes).

At least 45 minutes (longer if your beets are big) before you are ready to eat, and as soon as you have a section of fire with coals, place the foil-wrapped packets of beets and potatoes in the coals. Turn them with tongs every 10 minutes or so. You can open them to check for tenderness by pricking them with a fork after about 30 minutes. They should take about 45 minutes to cook, (they are usually just about done when you begin to smell them). It is helpful to keep moving coals over to the side of the fire where the vegetables are and to keep the fire burning for the fish on another side of the pit. Once the beets and potatoes are tender, remove them from the coals and open the foil packets part way to allow them to cool.

Place the fish on the grill over hot coals, (not flames) or use a fish basket. Grill the fish for 7 to 8 minutes per side, flipping once, until firm and opaque inside, but still juicy (about 12 to 15 minutes total).

While the fish is grilling, peel the beets with a small paring knife. Just before serving, cut the beets and potatoes into quarters.

To serve: Divide the washed greens among the plates. Top the greens with the fish. Scatter the beets and potatoes around the plate, and shake a little Goma shio Furiake over the plates as desired.

Yield: Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 707 calories, 58 grams protein, 66 grams carbohydrates, 24 grams fat, 73 milligrams cholesterol, 800 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber, 31 percent of calories from fat.

September Sandwich

1 small loaf multi-grain bread, unsliced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 vine-ripened tomatoes, cored, sliced in ¼-inch slices

2 very ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, sliced in ¼-inch slices

Heat broiler. Slice bread in half lengthwise; remove some of the spongy insides (save them for bread crumbs) to make room for the filling. Place on baking sheet. Brush slices with olive oil; broil until slightly golden, about 30 seconds.

Remove from oven; place tomatoes and avocado in bottom half; press top half over bottom. Cut into fourths.

Yield: Serves 2.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 646 calories, 62 percent of calories from fat, 47 grams fat (7 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 53 grams carbohydrates, 12 grams protein, 376 milligrams sodium, 16 grams fiber.

Favorite Things Summer Salad

VINAIGRETTE:

1 tablespoon sherry wine vinegar

1 shallot, peeled, chopped

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons olive oil

SALAD:

2 boneless chicken breast halves

¼ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

4 cups mixed baby greens

¼ ounce Manchego cheese, very thinly sliced

6 pitted black olives, halved

2 anchovy fillets, chopped

1 avocado, halved, pitted

2 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled, quartered or sliced

6 cherry tomatoes, halved

¼ cup marcona or roasted almonds, coarsely chopped

Heat grill or grill pan to high. For vinaigrette, whisk together vinegar, shallot and mustard in a medium bowl; whisk in oil. Set aside.

Season chicken breast with salt and pepper to taste. Grill, turning once, until golden and cooked through, about 18 minutes. Remove from grill; cool.

Meanwhile, toss together lettuce, cheese, olives and anchovies in a large bowl. Divide lettuce mixture between two plates. Remove avocado flesh from shell by sliding a spoon around shell; slice thinly. Slice chicken breasts into strips.

Garnish salads evenly with avocado, egg, tomatoes and almonds; top with chicken slices. Whisk dressing to blend together; drizzle dressing evenly over both salads.

Yield: Serves 2.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 741 calories, 67 percent of calories from fat, 56 grams fat, 9 grams saturated fat, 292 milligrams cholesterol, 20 grams carbohydrates, 44 grams protein, 801 milligrams sodium, 11 grams fiber.

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