One Dish Halibut and Summer Vegetables

Halibut is my all time favorite fish, its mild but firm and buttery. I feel like it is the meatiest and most toothsome fish and recently I discovered I could by good size wild caught filets in the freezer section (at Whole Foods) and I can just pull out a few at a time and thaw them in no-time. I try really hard to buy responsibly sourced fish and I just think wild-caught tastes better and is free from artificial dyes and stuff we don’t need. That being said, you could also make this with whatever kind of fish you like, halibut can be kind of pricey….cod or turbot would make a good alternative.

This dish comes together in under 30 minutes and uses very few dishes, the best! My recipes aren’t perfect because I am new to sharing them so please adjust to your personal preferences. I am a bit of this and dash of that type of cook and am trying to get better about measurements! What you need:

-Fresh veggies (I used squash, red onion, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper)

-olive oil

-fresh ground salt and pepper

-zest of 1 lemon

-Italian seasoning blend (oregano, rosemary, basil)

-fresh basil

-crumbled ricotta salata

-4 oz portion halibut filets

Preheat the oven to 350 and chop your vegetables into similar sized pieces, I like chopping the squash into 1 inch slices and then quartering. Place all of your vegetables on a baking dish or sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil, fresh ground salt and pepper, a dash of Italian seasoning, and 1/2 of the lemon zest. Mix around to distribute olive oil and spices evenly and bake for about 15 minutes.

Remove the veggies from the oven and scoot them to the outer edges of the pan, place your fish filets in the center. Drizzle the fish with a bit of olive oil and a healthy amount of salt and pepper, seasoning and remaining lemon zest. It depends on how many fish filets you are making but about 1 tsp of seasoning should be enough for 2 filets.…adjust to your taste levels. Place the dish back in the oven and bake for about 12 minutes until the fish is cooked through. Sprinkle the veggies with fresh basil and crumbled ricotta salata.

Broccoli and White Bean Portobello Melts

It doesn’t get any easier than these melts. The oven does most of the work and the results are cheesy, creamy, comfort food that is actually incredibly healthy and packed with protein and fiber. If you are looking for a filling and nutritious weeknight vegetarian meal try these.

Portobello mushroom caps make a great vessel but I feel like these would be good as zucchini boats or stuffed peppers too. If you’re not cutting carbs this would be awesome on toast or a baked potato. The options are fairly limitless. The mashed white beans here are crucial though, they add a creaminess that is clutch and the starch from the beans sort of glues it all together. I like frozen broccoli because it’s so easy, plus the florets are usually nice and small.

What you need:

olive oil 4 large portobello caps, stem removed

1 cup chopped frozen broccoli florets (thawed to room temp)

1 can cannellini beans, drained

1-1.5 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, swiss, havarti, any good melting cheese)

salt and pepper

steak seasoning

Preheat oven to 350. Rub olive oil on both sides of your mushrooms and place on a baking tray. Sprinkle with your favorite steak seasoning blend (something with salt, pepper, herbs, garlic) and place in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked through. Remove them from the oven and set aside.

In a medium sized bowl add your white beans and gently mash with a fork (don’t pulverize them, but mash into chunks). Next stir in your broccoli and add a dash of salt and pepper. Stir in half of the cheese. Using a large spoon scoop out 1/4 of the mixture and place on top of one mushroom. Repeat with the last 3 mushrooms. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly on top of the mushroom melts. Bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and evenly melted. I like to serve these with a light side salad. Enjoy!

Tortellini with Stone Fruit and Burrata

We stopped by the fruit stand yesterday and picked up some fresh cherries and peaches. I just love this time of year when we can find delicious produce grown right around the corner. Inspired by a tortellini salad I had on vacation and looking for a really quick and light dinner, I decided to throw the cherries and peaches right into the mix. Last summer I made tomato and peach salad, tomato and peach bruschetta, and basically tomato and peach everything. Switching out the tomatoes for cherries gave this dish a nice tartness but if you wanted to use tomatoes instead, it would be really delicious! We haven’t quite reached peak tomato season yet where I live but its looming right around the corner. I recommend using whatever is fresh and available at the time you are cooking and it will likely pair nicely, most summer fruits and vegetables go together in one way or another.

Last night I used frozen corn because we haven’t reached corn season yet either. I was feeling impatient and sautéed my Vidalia onion in a pan with olive oil and added the frozen corn and cooked them together for about 10 minutes. If you don’t like a strong onion flavor this is a good option for you. However, I think it took away the acidity and punch this salad needed so next time I am going to slice the onions very thinly and leave them raw. I will also just pull the frozen corn out in advance and let it thaw or better yet use fresh corn cooked in advanced and sliced right off the cob.

Here’s what you need:

1 package tortellini cooked according to package directions and cooled

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (thawed or pre-cooked)

1 peach, peeled and sliced thinly (a just ripe one so it is still firm enough to slice but smells fragrant)

1/2 a cup of fresh cherries, pitted and halved

1/2 Vidalia onion sliced very thinly

1/4 cup olive oil

1 fresh ball of burrata cheese

1/4 cup fresh basil

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

fresh ground salt and pepper

balsamic glaze ( I buy pre-made because its easy, Roland is a good brand)

If you are able to make this recipe a couple of hours in advance the flavors will meld together more, I discovered that it tasted even better for leftovers so I would recommend making it ahead of time if you are able. That being said, peaches are delicate so I wouldn’t do it more than 24 hours in advance. Begin by mixing all of your fruit and vegetables with the olive oil and pasta. Add salt and pepper in small increments so that you are sure not to over salt it. Cut your burrata in half and squeeze out all the cream, separating it into chunks. Take the outer mozzarella layer and slice into thin pieces. Carefully stir the burrata and mozzarella into the dish. Lastly, stir in your basil and mint and tear large pieces in 1/2 or 1/4s. If you are making in advance cover and refrigerate. At serving time, drizzle with the balsamic glaze and a bit more fresh herbs.