Baked Pesto Tilapia

The good thing about tilapia is, when I ask people if they like it, they say, "yeah! it's bland." The bad thing about tilapia is, when I ask people if they like it, they say the same thing: "no. it's bland!" So, at least we know what to work with when it comes time to preparing this mild, white fish for dinner.

We rotate tilapia into our dinner a few times a month, which I guess other folks are doing, too - the fish has risen to the top as a seafood staple on American dinner tables. Probably because it's inexpensive and easy to find in grocery stores.

There are a million ways to make baked tilapia, but this Baked Pesto Tilapia is foolproof, delicious, and will convert any non-seafood eater to a full-fledged pescatarian. Try it and let me know how it goes!

Baked Pesto Tilapia

• 2 tilapia filets 
• 4 tablespoons prepared pesto
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup quartered cherry or grape tomatoes
• Salt and pepper
• Basil and lemon slices for garnish

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil and lightly grease olive oil or cooking spray.

2. Place the fish in the dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Spread or drizzle the pesto evenly over each filet of fish. Top each filet with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.

4. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until fish easily flakes with a fork and is opaque. 

5. Top with basil leaf for garnish, quartered cherry tomatoes, and another sprinkle of cheese. Serve over rice or garlic quinoa.

Grilled Salmon Kebabs

This spring was one for the books. We celebrated five marriages of our great friends. Looking back, it was amazing watching each couple become a family in their own way. Since the end of April, we've been extremely well-fed (and of course, well-entertained!) each weekend. So on a recent Saturday off, I was excited I was able to make dinner for just us.

I was scrolling through my embarrassingly large Gmail folder of "recipes to make" and an old email popped out at me. It was a recipe from last summer for these lovely grilled salmon kebabs.

Even after tweaking it to fit my taste, I wondered: why had it taken me a whole year to make these?! They're a unique spin on kebabs, really delicious (come on, salmon is the best) and easy to make.

I added zucchini to the mix and, seasoned everything with fresh herbs, lemon, and grilled to perfection.

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Grilled Salmon Kebabs

• 1 ½ pounds skinless salmon fillet (preferably wild), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 medium zucchini, chopped into 1-inch cubes
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped oregano
• 2 tablespoons chopped dill
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Lemon wedges

1. Prepare grill for medium heat. Whisk oregano, dill, mustard, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl to combine; set spice mixture aside.

2. Beginning and ending with zucchini, thread vegetables and salmon onto skewers tightly. If you have enough, use two skewers parallel to each other to give the salmon more support. Brush with oil and season with ½ reserved vinaigrette mixture.

3. Grill, turning occasionally, until fish is opaque throughout, 5–8 minutes. Remove from grill and brush with second half of vinaigrette mixture. Serve with lemon wedges.

NYC: Ratatouille Brunch Recipe

I love getting my Bon Appétit mag in the mail. One of my favorite things about the magazine is its RSVP column, which prints previously unpublished recipes from the favorite restaurants of readers. I've been calling, emailing, Facebooking, and just plain badgering the folks at Bar Tabac in Brooklyn for a recipe for years, so maybe it's time I just sic Bon Appétit on them. The recipe in question is their brunch menu staple: Eggs Bar Tabac. Baked with ratatouille, merguez (lamb) sausage, and potatoes; I ordered this once while we were living up the street from the restaurant, and no brunch has been the same since.

But enough is enough, so I did my best in recreating the dish from memory. It came out pretty darn good, and we served it to Brian's mom for Mother's Day (last year we served Mascarpone French Toast Bake, also delicious). She loved it too!

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Ratatouille Brunch

• 1 small Eggplant, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 1 cup)
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (about ¾ cup)
• 4 medium garlic cloves finely chopped (about 4 teaspoons)
• 1 pound baby red potatoes, diced
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 small zucchini, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 small summer squash, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 bay leaves
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 pound merguez sausages
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained or 3 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 3 cups)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil
• 4-8 eggs, sunny-side up or fried

1. Toss cubed eggplant with a good sprinkle of salt, place in a strainer and let drain while you prepare the other ingredients.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until shimmering. Add potatoes sprinkled with cayenne pepper and Lawry's and cook uncovered for about 6 minutes. Add onion and garlic and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are golden brown.

3. Reduce heat to medium, rinse eggplant, and add to skillet. Cook uncovered, stirring often until eggplant has browned, about 8 minutes.  Add red pepper, green pepper, zucchini, squash, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes and continue to cook until vegetables have begun to soften, about 6 minutes.

4. In a separate pan, cook merguez sausages.  Set aside.

5. Once vegetables have begun to soften, add tomatoes and cook covered until all the vegetables have softened and the mixture has begun to thicken, about 12 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Stir in half of basil. Divide between four serving plates.

6. In a separate pan (can reuse sausage pan), fry eggs over-easy or sunny-side up. Top each plate with one or two eggs and sausage, season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with remaining basil, and serve.

Note: You can prepare the ratatouille itself the night before. Refrigerate ratatouille in glass pan overnight and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes while preparing the sausage and eggs.

Note Numero Dos: make this dish vegetarian by X-ing the sausage and it's still just as delicious.

Scallops & Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

There are few things as delicious in this world as crisp, chewy bacon. I love it topped on everything from burgers to donuts, and in everything from pasta to grits. I cook with the leftover grease if possible; I hate throwing out good food! Waste not, want not, right?

Instead of using leftover grease to cook shrimp or eggs, I decided to use it in a dressing for a spinach salad. The words "warm bacon dressing" sounded a little bizarre, yet very intriguing at the same time. We usually start the week with a salad on Mondays and this was just what we needed to mix things up.

When I first made this, I was worried the dressing was ruined right away. Once I added the vinegar to the pan, it smelled so strong that the only thought that came to my mind was, "There is no way this is gonna be edible. Sh*t." But after a few minutes of whisking, the vinegar cooked down and the dressing came out quite amazing - slightly sweet and mustardy, with a hint of apple cider.

I think next time I'll add yet another ingredient: Old Bay Grilled Corn. Yum. I hope your June is off to a great start!

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Scallops & Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

• 6 fresh scallops
• 8 ounces baby spinach, washed, dried and stems removed
• 7 slices thick-cut bacon 
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
• Dash of salt
• Splash of red wine vinegar, if you have it
• 1 small shallot, sliced
• Goat cheese, for topping (optional)
• Quartered cherry tomatoes (optional)
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• Lawry's Salt 
• Pepper

For the warm bacon dressing: 

1. Fry bacon until crispy over medium high heat. Remove to a paper towel and pat to dry. Remove 3 tablespoons grease and set aside.

2. Add 3 tablespoons (or, whatever you end up with, really) of the reserved bacon fat, vinegar, sugar, Dijon and salt to the same saucepan or skillet, but over medium-low heat. Whisk together and heat thoroughly until bubbly. Note: it's going to smell very strongly like vinegar. Keep cooking it and it'll die down and taste delicious!

For the pan-seared scallops:

3. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels. Heat a 10- or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot, or for about 5 minutes.

4. Add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Pat the scallops dry once more and put them in the pan in a single, uncrowded layer. Season with salt and pepper and let them sear undisturbed until one side is browned, about 2 ½ minutes. Using tongs, turn the scallops over and sear until the second side is well browned and the scallops are almost firm to the touch, about 2 ½ or 3 minutes. 

5. Once both sides are browned, remove from pan and set on a separate plate. Do not let scallops become too hard to the touch; they will be overdone and taste tough. Adjust searing times as needed.

6. Pour bacon dressing over spinach and toss together with bacon, shallot, goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, and walnuts. Season with Lawry's Salt and pepper. Top with scallops and enjoy!