Perfect Summer Fish Dish

I recently was out to dinner with some friends and had the most delicious fish dish which inspired me to create tonight's dinner. The fish was baked in parchment paper over Israeli-style couscous and served straight out of the oven. It was so moist and flavorful I was skeptical that I could create the same amazing taste. Alas, I underestimate myself! I adapted my recipe from a bunch of similar ones I found on the foodnetwork's website so that I could use ingredients I already had in my kitchen. While I don't think I got the couscous part exactly right, the fish was absolutely delicious. Just like all of the recipes I've been posting, I found this one to be pretty easy. One other item to note - different fish will work in this one, you might just have to adjust the baking time depending on the thickness of your filet. I used tilapia, but halibut, red snapper, trout, etc would all work with this recipe.

Fish Baked in Parchment Paper
1 cup Israeli couscous
1 pound Tilapia (or halibut, red snapper, etc)
1 tsp salt for fish plus a pinch or 2 for the couscous
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
small bunch fresh oregano
1 whole lemon, thinly sliced
1 medium green onion, sliced
1/2 garlic scape, sliced
a bunch of grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup white wine
parchment paper

--> Oven to 400 F.
--> Rinse couscous in a mesh strainer under cold water, lay out on parchment paper, sprinkle with salt and set aside.
-->Take a large sheet of parchment paper (~15x48 inches), fold in half and lay on baking sheet. Unfold and lay the fish diagonally on the pan on top of 1 layer of parchment paper. Salt and pepper the fish on both sides. Place oregano on top of the fish with lemon slices, garlic, and onion sprinkled over the top. Arrange the couscous next to the fish on all sides, then lay the tomatoes around the outside of the couscous (almost forming a wall). Pour the wine over the fish and then close up the parchment paper. You want to seal the packet almost air tight - I folded over the edges and then actually used a stapler to keep them together.
--> Bake for 20-30 min depending on the thickness of your fish. Halibut steaks will take closer to 30 min while my tilapia was ready in 20. Enjoy!

Easy Caprese Salad

Yum - the tomatoes this week are delicious. We also got more fresh basil in this week's delivery setting up a perfect match. Not to mention what a pretty colorful appetizer this salad makes! I don't think you really need a recipe here - just slice up the tomatoes, layer with basil and sliced fresh mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Homemade Pesto

I think it is peak basil season in New England since we got a really big bunch last week and I hear we are getting more in this week's delivery. So, pesto time it is... Most people find this weird but I'm not the biggest fan of pine nuts, so I often use almonds as a substitute because I am a big fan of those. I also don't love when foods are too garlicky which I think is why I enjoy using the milder scapes when they are in season. That said, I LOVE pesto, especially when it's homemade. Below is the recipe that I use and I find it to be just delicious.

Pesto Sauce
Ingredients:
4 cups basil leaves, well packed
4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed and peeled (I used 2 garlic scapes tonight instead)
1 cup almonds (or pine nuts or walnuts or a combination of all)
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesano-Reggiano or Pecorino-Romano cheese (or combination)
1 1/2 cups EVOO
salt and pepper to taste

--> Place basil and garlic in food processor and process until leaves are finely chopped. Add nuts and process until nuts are finely chopped. Add cheese and process until combined. With machine running, add olive oil in a slow, steady stream. After oil is incorporated, turn off machine and add salt and pepper to taste.
* Note: If not using immediately, store in air-tight container with a thin coating of olive oil on top to keep sauce from turning dark. Pesto will keep well in fridge for a week or so, or you can freeze it. Recipe yields approx. 3.5-4 cups and can be halved.

Kitchen Sink Stir Fry with Pesto

Tonight we took all our vegetables that were piling up in the fridge as well as some chicken and made a huge stir fry. And - we threw in some fresh homemade pesto as well. Not that I make so many complicated dishes, but this one is super simple. Pesto recipe to follow also...

Midsummer Stir Fry with Pesto

Ingredients (as I made it tonight):
EVOO
1 medium eggplant, chopped in 1/2 inch cubes
1 small lilac pepper, sliced
1 medium light green pepper, sliced
2 scallions, chopped
1 garlic scape, chopped
2 small zucchinis, chopped in 1/2 inch cubes
1 package of chicken breast, sliced thinly
cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup pesto
salt and pepper

--> Spray a large grill pan with Pam and grill up the chicken.
--> At the same time, using a large stir-fry pan or wok drizzled with EVOO, throw in the eggplant and zucchini over medium high heat. Stir until crisp-tender (about 5-7 min) and then add peppers, scallions and garlic scapes. Continue to saute, adding more olive oil if necessary. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Throw in a couple of tomatoes if you have any left at the end.
--> When all vegetables are cooked, ~15 min, and the chicken is cooked through, toss together with the pesto and serve.

Zucchini Flatbreads

It's the best part of summer - my weekly farm delivery has been overflowing with beautiful squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants - yum! I haven't been able to find such tasty produce at my local supermarket so the weekly deliveries are that much more precious. The zucchini has been beautiful and the tomatoes, while so tasty, unfortunately don't have the longest shelf life so I made this flatbread pizza last night to enjoy them both - it's so easy!

Summer Squash Pizza
Ingredients:
1 pre-baked pizza crust (12-inch)
2-3 medium tomatoes, sliced
2 medium zucchinis, thinly sliced
1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
some fresh basil leaves
EVOO

--> Heat oven to 450F.
--> Place pizza crust on baking sheet, arrange tomatoes over crust and brush with olive oil.
--> Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, add zucchini and cook for 4-5 min, stirring occasionally until zucchini are crisp-tender. Arrange zucchini over tomatoes and top with cheeses.
--> Bake 10-12 min or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with basil.