Simplicity is the name of the game when it comes to dinner in the Bennett house. This doesn’t mean we like to sacrifice quality or flavor, it just means some days we need dinner in a jiffy.
Fresh fish is fast. It’s easily paired with fresh herbs and aromatics and it cooks quickly. When my little gal isn’t in the mood for fish (which is often) I substitute with a thin chicken cutlet. It can be prepared with the fish and be done just as quickly. But make sure the chicken is a cutlet, or a chicken breast that has been pounded very thin.
As you’ll notice I’ve used fresh cherry tomatoes in this recipe. No, they are not really in season. However, I did spot these little beauties while browsing the produce section of my market and because they were organic and from our neighbors in Canada, I decided a little summer treat in winter would be refreshing. You could substitute fresh cherry tomatoes for a high quality canned organic tomato. I love Muir Glen organic whole tomatoes and they would be just as delicious in this recipe.
Bring a little sunshine to your table with fresh herbs, tomatoes, garlic and seasonal fresh fish. Happy Cooking!
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 ½ lbs seasonal fresh white fish or salmon (Sole, Flounder, Cod or Halibut are delicious in this recipe)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
Dash of white wine or a squeeze of lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
For the Herb butter
½ cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon assorted chopped fresh herbs such as basil, oregano, thyme or marjoram
Mix together and set aside
Directions
To roast the fish, season fish with a pinch salt and pepper, and a small dollop of the herb butter on each fillet. Place the fish in a baking dish and into a 350F pre-heated oven.
Let the fish cook for about 10 minutes per inch of thickness or until you see the firm white juices bubbling in or on the fish. Thinner fillets will cook quickly so check after about 5 minutes.
In a sauté pan over medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil. Add the garlic and tomatoes and sauté for a few minutes until the tomatoes are ever so slightly wilted. Add the fresh chopped basil and Italian parsley and season with a splash of white wine or squeeze of lemon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, plate the fish fillets and dollop with additional herb butter if desired. Top with the tomatoes, garlic and fresh herbs. Serve immediately.
This dish is delicious with a butter lettuce salad with mandarin oranges and Italian parsley vinaigrette. You can find this recipe under salads in this blog. Enjoy!
Hi Karista,
I wss at your class last night and totally enjoyed it. Inspired me to start cooking well again. 🙂 I have a question….How do you make a good tasting healthy protien shake that a picky 17 year old boy would love?
Celia, so glad you enjoyed the class last night! I certainly understand the challenges of feeding teenagers. My two love smoothies and I try to make them as protein rich as possible. The key is to keep several flavors of protein powder on hand to prepare the smoothies. I have a whey chocolate protein powder, a vanilla rice protein powder, and a strawberry soy protein powder. I mix the powders (individually) with either fruit juice, milk or almond milk and then add in all the fun ingredients. Yogurt, cookies (for a cookies and cream protein shake), fresh pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peanut butter, malt powder, bananas, caramel syrup, chocolate syrup, coconut, hot cocoa powder, and anything else you think might be a tasty combination. The key is to be sure to make the protein powder the base and then lightly flavor with the additional fun ingredients. I often make these as “dessert” shakes but with some protein. Hope this helps! Karista
The pictures are gorgeous! Looks yummy!
Thanks Michelle! You know how much we love fish over here, and I can’t resist beautiful tomatoes either. Enjoy!!