Sundried-Tomato Arctic Char, Gazpacho, and Potato Wedges

I know, I know. What is arctic char, you may ask? The short answer = delicious. It's in the salmon family, but almost appears as a blend between salmon and trout. Native to the arctic (surprise, surprise) it is orange-colored like salmon, but not as thick or as large. The filets will appear almost as if they were an orange colored trout. The taste, too, is similar to salmon but much lighter. Either way, it's tasty and different, helping to avoid the boredom of eating the same thing every night.

This menu is great for the summer, pairing the lighter arctic char with freshly-made gazpacho and some pan-fried potato wedges on the side. I'd start with the gazpacho since you will want to give it plenty of time to sit in the refridgerator to make sure it is properly chilled before serving.

Gazpacho
This gazpacho recipe comes (at least mostly) from Cooking Light. While I prefer the watermelon and other summery versions of gazpacho, this time I was in the mood for the classic. This recipe is also far faster and simpler to make since it uses fewer ingredients than many of the fancier versions do.

Since I was pulling this recipe together last minute I substituted red tomatoes for the yellow ones. While not quite as pretty, it still tasted quite good. I also used chardonnay vinegar rather than a generic white wine vinegar (just because that was what I had on hand - use whichever you prefer.) Not a big fan of yellow pepper? Well, I am, but the other partaker of dinner was not. I made two batches of this soup (cutting the recipe in half) and only used pepper in one of them. They tasted similar, but the cucumber comes across much stronger when there is no yellow pepper. This made two large bowls of each type, plenty for leftovers!

I skipped the garnish as you can see in the picture, but if you are having guests and presentation is important then I would add it on! If you are cooking for yourself, it is less important.

Sundried-Tomato Arctic Char
This dish makes use of the idea of using leftovers again! After making some more lunches I still had some of my sundried tomato spread featured in the very complicated eggplant wraps two weeks ago. I decided to put it to good use as a topping for my arctic char. Didn't read that post? You can find the sundried tomato spread recipe here.

Set your oven to broil. Broil the arctic char (without marinade) for 10 minutes. Check the fish (should still be raw in middle) and brush the top liberally with the sundried tomato spread, to taste. As you can see from the picture above, I spread it thickly across the entire top. Put the fish back in the oven and broil for an additional 8-10 minutes. The middle should be pink, like salmon, when it is cooked through.

If you like a more charred topping, as featured in the picture, you can place the marinade on at the beginning. I prefer the paste less charred and would personally put it on midway through as described.

Potato Wedges
This is my version of a healthier steak fry. You can use regular yellow potatoes, as I did here, or mix a combination of yellow potatoes and sweet potatoes together.

Cut the potatoes you are using into wedges. I used two large Idaho potatoes for two people. Heat a little bit of oil (maybe 2 teaspoons) in a pan over medium to medium-low heat. When the oil is hot place the wedges into the pan. Within about 5 minutes they should be lightly sizzling.

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and italian seasoning. You can also add a sprinkle of garlic powder to taste, but that should not be the main flavor. Use a spatula to flip and stir the potatoes every 3-4 minutes. You want to make sure they are browning and cooking evenly, with each wedge getting time at the bottom of the pan. Constantly stirring and flipping will also avoid burning the potatoes.

Cook for about 15 minutes. Depending on the size you cut the wedges, cooking time may vary. The potatoes should be tender through the middle but still crispy when they are cooked correctly.

Serve your meal and enjoy!