CASUAL AT THE BEACH

Start these scrumptious dishes at home, and finish them when you arrive.

Here's how to enjoy great food and still have time to lounge by the ocean: Prep some of the food at home, and carry it to the beach with you. Make our flavored mayonnaises, shrimp barbecue sauce, and dressing ahead of time, put them in containers with snug lids, chill, and pack them in a cooler. The process couldn't be simpler. When you get to the coast, your favorite seafood market will have fresh shrimp and fish fillets to use in these recipes. (One of our favorites, Goatfeathers Il in Seagrove Beach, Florida, even sells creamy housemade crab dip, just right for an afternoon snack with crackers.)

So set out your chair and umbrella, slather on the sunscreen, and choose your favorite book. Then settle down for a relaxing weekend. -Donna Florio

Fish Sandwiches

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

PREP: 15 MIN.

Use steamed, poached, or baked fish in this sandwich. It's a great way to use leftover grilled fish too. Any firm white fish, such as tilapia, snapper, or grouper, works well.

2 lb. firm white fish, cooked

¼ tsp. grated lemon rind

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp. olive oil

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

½ cup Basil Mayonnaise (see recipe at right)

4 French bread rolls, split

4 romaine lettuce leaves

¼ cup thinly sliced red onion

1. Flake fish in a medium bowl. Add ¼ tsp. lemon rind, ¼ cup lemon juice, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, ¼ tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. pepper, tossing gently to coat.

2. Spread Basil Mayonnaise evenly on cut sides of rolls. Place lettuce and fish on bottom halves of rolls; top with onion, and cover with roll tops.

Try this versatile recipe for fresh Fish Sandwiches.

Basil Mayonnaise

MAKES 1 ½ CUPS PREP. 10 MIN.

1 cup light mayonnaise

1 tsp. grated lemon rind

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

1. Process all ingredients in food processor or blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

Garlic-Chili Mayonnaise: Omit lemon rind and basil. Substitute fresh lime juice for lemon juice. Stir together mayonnaise, juice, and 2 Tbsp. Asian garlic-chili sauce.

Makes about 1 cup.

Pack jars of Basil Mayonnaise and Garlic-Chili Mayonnaise. They enhance just about any sandwich or salad and take only minutes to make.

Asian Beef Salad

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

PREP: 15 MIN., CHILL: 1 HR., GRILL: 14 MIN., STAND: 5 MIN.

No grill available? Cook the beef in a grill skillet on the cooktop. Napa cabbage may be called Chinese cabbage in some grocery stores.

¼ cup teriyaki sauce

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 (1-lb.) flank steaks

1 (1 ¾-lb.) napa cabbage, chopped

1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped

2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges

2 cucumbers, thinly sliced

½ small red onion, thinly sliced

½ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro

Soy-Sesame Dressing

1. Combine teriyaki sauce and oil in a shallow dish or large zip-top plastic freezer bag; add steaks, turning to coat. Cover or seal, and chill 1 hour, turning steaks occasionally.

2. Remove steaks from marinade, discarding marinade.

3. Grill steaks, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350° to 400°) 5 to 7 minutes on each side or to desired degree of doneness. Let stand 5 minutes; cut diagonally across the grain into thin slices.

4. Toss steak slices, cabbage, and next

5 ingredients together; drizzle with desired amount of dressing, tossing gently to coat.

Soy-Sesame Dressing:

MAKES 3/4 CUP

PREP: 5 MIN.

Sesame oil lends a nutty flavor. Use the higher amount of Asian garlk-chili sauce for a spicier dressing. Store dressing in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

¼ cup fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp. light brown sugar

3 Tbsp. olive oil

3 Tbsp. sesame oil

2 Tbsp. lite soy sauce

1 to 2 tsp. Asian garlic-chili sauce

1. Whisk together all ingredients.

Bring the dressing for hearty Asian Beef Salad with you. Assemble the salad in the morning, and then toss it together with the dressing at dinnertime.

Thai Iced Coffee

MAKES ABOUT 7 CUPS

PREP: 10 MIN., STAND: 12 HRS.

½ lb. dark roast ground coffee

8 cups cold water

½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1. Stir together ground coffee and 8 cups cold water in a pitcher until well combined; let stand at room temperature 12 hours.

2. Pour coffee mixture through a large, fine wire-mesh strainer into a Dutch oven or other large container, discarding grounds. Clean strainer; place a coffee filter or double layer of cheesecloth in strainer, and pour coffee mixture through lined strainer into a pitcher. Add vanilla extract. (Cover and store in refrigerator up to 1 week, if desired.)

3. Stir together coffee mixture and sweetened condensed milk. Serve over ice.

Basil Shrimp Salad

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

PREP: 20 MIN.

4 to 6 large tomatoes

2 lb. peeled cooked shrimp

½ cup finely chopped celery

¼ cup sliced green onions

¼ cup Basil Mayonnaise (see recipe on page 148)

1. Cut a ¼-inch slice from tops of tomatoes; scoop out and discard pulp, leaving shells intact. Drain tomato shells upside down on paper towels.