No-sweat beach fare

Sand, sun and sea spell satisfying times, indeed.
By ALLISON ASKINS
MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS
LIP THIS ONE AND STICK IT IN YOUR BEACH BAG.
That way when you're sunning on your favorite beach this month, you'll have some great supper recipes to pull together after your late-afternoon shower and early-evening toddy.
OK, even if you're headed to the lake or even the back yard, these recipes shore are good.
When we think of beach food, we think of fresh local shrimp, crab or fish, so here are six recipes that give you two choices with each beach delicacy. No matter which beach you land on this summer, you'll have yummy options to whip together for family and friends.
A favorite comes from Nathalie Dupree and Marion Sullivan's new "Shrimp and Grits Cookbook" (Wyrick, 2006). The recipe for "Simple Supper Shrimp and Grits" is the perfect, quick pull-together that takes advantage of July's ripe red tomatoes, fresh basil and plump, delectable shrimp. You can even save your leftover grits from breakfast and warm them at suppertime to make this colorful and satisfying plate.
Simply scalable
"The thing about this recipe is that you can make as many grits as you need to go with the amount of shrimp you have -- and it is easy, easy, easy," Dupree says. "No one wants to slave over the stove in the summer, particularly when they are cleaning up sand from the kitchen floor."
While we're talking shrimp, the shrimp-paste sandwich recipe from Douglas Bostick and Jason Davidson's new book, "The Boathouse: Tales and Recipes from a Southern Kitchen" (Joggling Board Press, 2006), is a perfect beach lunch. Use leftover shrimp from your shrimp boil; blend the ingredients before heading out to the beach and then straggle in later for a yummy summer lunch. The book recommends good old white bread, but any delicious bread will do.
If crab is your beach food of choice, let Sallie Robinson transport you back to her native Daufuskie Island with her Ol' Fuskie fried crab rice. The dish teems with Lowcountry rice and sauteed crabmeat. A bit of onion, green pepper and bacon pull it all together.
Imagine a stormy night at the beach and this comfort food for supper. Robinson writes in her "Gullah Home Cooking the Daufuskie Way" (University of North Carolina Press, 2003) that she has eaten this dish as long as she can remember. Her children beg for it still. Be forewarned though -- fried crab rice is so much more fun to eat if you go crabbin' beforehand and use the fruits of all that great afternoon labor to satisfy at the supper table.
Another crab option that will take you in a completely different direction is the crab-salad vinaigrette created by J.R. Hirsch of The Associated Press. He came up with the recipe in an attempt to end the potato-salad pickiness his family indulges in during summer gatherings. This is lighter fare -- perfect for that night when you've had too much sun and too many Goldfish crackers on the beach.
Speaking of fish: Fresh fish of all sorts is another gem you'll find during your South Carolina beach vacation.
We offer two recipes for fish (see thestate.com). Both would be simple to pull together with ingredients at the beach grocery and each is finished on the grill. One includes store-bought pesto sauce; the other includes a marinade created with fresh grapefruit.
So, put on a little more sunscreen, soak up those afternoon rays and dream about your beach supper.
SHRIMP-PASTE SANDWICHES
1 pound cooked small shrimp (70/90 count)
1 celery rib, minced
1 small onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon dill
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Combine all ingredients in a food processor; puree until smooth.
Spread shrimp paste onto sliced bread in a thin layer and serve.
Makes 8-10 servings.
Nutritional information per serving: calories, 134.6; protein, 9.7 grams; carbohydrates, 2.5 grams; total fat, 9.6 grams; cholesterol, 72.9 milligrams; saturated fat, 1.4 grams; dietary fiber, 0.6 gram; sodium, 170.8 milligrams; sugar, 0.6 gram; vitamin A, 25.4 retinol equivalents; vitamin C, 9.7 milligrams; calcium, 35 milligrams; iron, 1.2 milligrams; alcohol, 0 grams.
Source: "The Boathouse: Tales and Recipes From a Southern Kitchen" (Joggling Board Press, 2006)
SIMPLE SUPPER SHRIMP AND GRITS
2 cups cooked grits
4 tablespoons butter and/or olive oil
1 pound shrimp, peeled
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 to 2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon julienned fresh basil or parsley
Reheat grits in microwave or over low heat, with additional liquid if necessary.
Melt butter and/or olive oil in saucepan, preferably non-stick. Add shrimp; saute until just before they turn pink. Add tomato; stir until liquid exudes slightly, just a minute or so. Add garlic and cook briefly.
Divide grits between two plates, pour shrimp-and-tomato mixture on top, garnish with basil or parsley and serve.
Makes 2 servings.
Nutritional information per serving: calories, 527.7; protein, 29.4 grams; carbohydrates, 67.8 grams; total fat, 16.5 grams; cholesterol, 172.3 milligrams; saturated fat, 2.2 grams; dietary fiber, 2.4 grams; sodium, 170.6 milligrams; sugar, 0.8 gram; vitamin A, 85.2 retinol equivalents; vitamin C, 7.9 milligrams; calcium, 66.2 milligrams; iron, 5.1 milligrams; alcohol, 0 grams
Source: "Nathalie Dupree's Shrimp & amp; Grits Cookbook" (Wyrick & amp; Co., 2006)
OL' FUSKIE FRIED CRAB RICE
11/2 cups uncooked rice
21/4 cups warm water
Pinch salt
2 strips bacon
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
11/2 to 2 pounds crabmeat (lump and claw)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Measure rice. Rinse and drain several times. Put rice, warm water and pinch of salt in a medium pot. Cover, bring to a boil and simmer 20 minutes or until rice is done and water has been absorbed.
Fry bacon until crispy in a 12-inch skillet. Remove bacon from pan, set aside and crumble when cool.
Add oil to bacon fat in skillet, heat, then add celery, bell pepper and onion. Stir-fry until onions are clear; add crab and cook 5-10 minutes until crab begins to brown.
Add crumbled bacon, cooked rice and garlic powder, along with salt and pepper to taste, and stir constantly until mixture is evenly combined.
Cover mixture and simmer for at least 10 minutes. If you prefer a meatier texture, use more crab and less rice.
Makes 8-10 servings.
Nutritional information per serving: calories, 260.8; protein, 21.3 grams; carbohydrates, 24.6 grams; total fat, 7.9 grams; cholesterol, 92.4 milligrams; saturated fat, 1.1 grams; dietary fiber, 0.9 gram; sodium, 295.4 milligrams; sugar, 1.1 grams; vitamin A, 9.8 retinol equivalents; vitamin C, 13.5 milligrams; calcium, 108.1 milligrams; iron, 2.1fmilligrams; alcohol, 0 grams
Source: "Gullah Home Cooking the Daufuskie Way" by Sallie Ann Robinson (University of North Carolina Press, 2003)
CRAB-SALAD VINAIGRETTE
2 heads iceberg lettuce
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 scallion, finely sliced
4 red radishes, cut into fine matchsticks
4 cups lump crabmeat
4 cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
Cut each head of lettuce in half. Lightly trim the rounded end of each half to create a flat surface for the bowl to stand on. Carefully remove the core of each half to create four bowls. Put each on a plate and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Add scallion and radish; mix to combine.
Add crabmeat and gently toss to coat evenly with vinaigrette. Mound a fourth of the crab salad in the center of each lettuce leaf. Garnish with tomatoes.
The salad can be refrigerated for one day.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutritional information per serving: calories, 545.3; protein, 42.8 grams; carbohydrates, 18.8 grams; total fat, 34.2 grams; cholesterol, 18.8 milligrams; saturated fat, 6.5 grams; dietary fiber, 4.9 grams; sodium, 1,653.6 milligrams; sugar, 9.5 grams; vitamin A, 306.3 retinol equivalents; vitamin C, 48.3 milligrams; calcium, 323.6 milligrams; iron, 3.7 milligrams; alcohol, 0 grams
Source: J.M. Hirsch, Associated Press
SALMON WITH PESTO MAYO
4 (5- to 6-ounce) fresh salmon fillets
2 tablespoons crumbled firm-textured bread
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons purchased basil pesto
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. Set aside. Place crumbled bread in a shallow baking pan. Broil 4 inches from heat for 1-2 minutes or until bread crumbs are lightly toasted, stirring once. Set aside.
Measure thickness of fish. Place fish on greased unheated rack of broiler pan, tucking under any thin edges. Broil 4 from heat for 4-6 minutes per 1/2 inch of thickness or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. If fillets are an inch thick, turn once halfway through broiling.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together mayo and pesto; set aside. Combine toasted bread crumbs and Parmesan. Spoon mayo mixture over fillets. Sprinkle with crumb mixture. Broil 1-2 minutes more or until crumbs are lightly browned.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutritional information per serving: Calories, 302.2; protein, 17.3 grams; carbohydrates, 7.4 grams; total fat, 22.4 grams; cholesterol, 29.9 milligrams; saturated fat, 4.1grams; dietary fiber, 1.1 grams; sodium, 569.4 milligrams; sugar, 2.4 grams; vitamin A, 40.8 retinol equivalents; vitamin C, 0.6 milligram; calcium, 65.6 milligrams; iron, 0.7 milligram; alcohol, 0 grams
Source: "Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook" (2002)
BARBECUED GROUPER WITH SWEET-SOUR GRAPEFRUIT SAUCE
6 to 8 grapefruit, unpeeled
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup minced green onion
1 tablespoon Asian chili sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 (6-ounce) grouper or halibut fillets
Cut 4 grapefruits into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Grate zest from 1 of remaining grapefruits. Juice the remaining grapefruit to obtain 1 cup juice.
In a bowl, combine the grapefruit zest, grapefruit juice, sugar, green onion, chili sauce and salt; mix well. (Marinade can be covered and refrigerated for 8 hours before using.)
Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill to medium (about 450 degrees). Place fish in a baking dish.
Stir marinade; pour half over fish, turning to coat evenly. Cover fish and marinate in the refrigerator for 5-15 minutes.
Lay grapefruit slices in a tight, single layer directly on the grill rack.
Place fish on top of grapefruit.
Cover grill; cook 10 minutes before lifting the lid. If the fish does not flake when prodded with a fork, close lid and cook 2 minutes more.
Transfer fish to dinner plates; spoon remaining marinade over fish. Serve at once.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutritional information per serving: calories, 438.9; protein, 37 grams; carbohydrates, 71.6 grams; total fat, 2.5 grams; cholesterol, 62.9 milligrams; saturated fat, 0.5 grams; dietary fiber, 8.4 grams; sodium, 440 milligrams; sugar, 52 grams; vitamin A, 208.5 retinol equivalents; vitamin C, 156.4 milligrams; calcium, 179.4 milligrams; iron, 2.5 milligrams; alcohol, 0 grams.
Source: "Fast Fish" by Hugh Carpenter and Teri Sandison (Ten Speed Press, 2005)