Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Something Fishy Going On!




As summer fades to fall, I feel that one often tries to cling to every last thread of summer memories that they can.  Because few things say summer like a light fish dish (guess I’m a poet and didn’t know it) we have “gone fishing” recently for some of our evening meals.  Today I will share two dishes with you that both landed themselves a spot of the McQuillan “hit list.”

Both recipes are taken from issues of Real Simple magazine.  Are you sensing the trend in what magazines I read/subscribe to?  If I haven’t said this already, I L-O-V-E Real Simple magazine! 

The first recipe was taken from the September issue and is called salmon and zucchini with shallot vinaigrette.  This meal literally takes 20 minutes to prepare, which I am all about these days as my schedule gets tighter and tighter (kinda like my pants after all of this cooking!).  I was completely surprised how tasty something that took so little time to prepare could be!


Recipe:
-1 shallot, finely chopped
-2 tablespoons rice vinegar
-2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
-3 tablespoons plus 1 tsp olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
-1 ¼ pounds skinless salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces (I just bought a couple of salmon fillets)
-1 ½ pounds medium zucchini (about 3), cut into thin sticks

Preparation:
-In a small bowl, combine the shallot, vinegar, dill 2 tablespoons of the oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper, set aside.
-Heat 1 teaspoon of the remaining oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Season the salmon with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.  Cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
-Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the zucchini and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.  Cook, tossing frequently, until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes.  Serve with the salmon and the vinaigrette.

The second recipe is taken from the October issue and is called roasted tilapia, potatoes, and lemons.  Check out the photos for yourself, but it honestly doesn’t look like something that could have possibly come out of my kitchen.  To top off the picturesque-ness of the dish, it was beyond tasty and took only 45 minutes from start to finish.  The prep time on this thing was about 10 minutes, which, if you are like me (and I hope you aren’t for your sake) means about 35 minutes of multi-tasking! 

Slainte!

Recipe:
-1 pound baby potatoes (about 12) halved
-1 lemon, thinly sliced
-8 sprigs fresh thyme
-2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
-Kosher salt and black pepper
-1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives
-4 6 oz. skinless tilapia fillets
-1/2 teaspoon paprika

Preparation:
-Heat oven to 400 degrees.  On a large, rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes, lemon, thyme, 2 tablespoons of the oil, ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper; arrange in a single layer.  Roast, tossing once, until the potatoes begin to soften, about 20 minutes.
-Toss the olives with the potato mixture.  Drizzle the fish with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil and season with the paprika and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.  Continue to roast until the potatoes are golden brown and crisp and the fish is opaque throughout, 12 to 15 minutes more.

Enjoy!


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