Watercress and Spinach Soup

It’s starting to get cold out. I don’t know about you, but this makes me crave soup! My Godmother makes delicious soups and two of my favorites are her watercress soup and her spinach soup, with just a splash of lemon.

 

She always talked about how important the splash of lemon at the end was, and it is! If you don’t believe us, taste the soup pre-lemon, then post-lemon and I dare you to disagree! J

 

 2-3 Servings

2 Tbsp butter
1 large Russet potato, peeled and diced
3 green onion sprigs, sliced
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 cups chicken broth
6 oz fresh watercress - leaves and tender stems only
1 lb fresh spinach, chopped
1/4 cup minced flat leaf Italian parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste
Juice from ½ lemon
Plain Greek yogurt (or sourcream)

Over med-high heat, melt butter in a large pot. Add potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes. Add green onions and garlic. Sautee for about 2-3 minutes. Add broth and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10-15 more minutes.

Add watercress, spinach and parsley. Mix together until wilted.  Puree in a blender until smooth. Return to pot and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add lemon juice.  

Serve immediately with a dollop or drizzle of yogurt. Enjoy with a sliced baguette or grilled Panini sandwich.

Note: In order to keep the bright green color of the soup, I recommend serving immediately. The longer it sat on my stove top the more brown it turned.

 

Croatian Swiss Chard and Potatoes (Blitva)

While were in Croatia, we often ate this traditional Dalmatian side dish, Blitva.  You could find it on the menu of any Dalmatian restaurant accompanying grilled fresh fish. Unfortunately, some of the dishes we had were lacking flavor due to over boiling the vegetables. Since I love these two vegetables, I decided to do it my way and kick the flavor up a notch.

 

To increase the flavor, I steamed the potatoes, instead of boiling, and sautéed the chard in garlic and red pepper flakes with a splash of apple cider vinegar.

 

2 large red skinned potatoes, diced

A large bunch of chard (I used red chard), rinsed and roughly chopped
3 large cloves of garlic, pressed or crushed
Few dashes of crushed red pepper flakes
A few drizzles of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
A dash of apple cider vinegar
Salt, season to taste

Over the stovetop, steam diced potatoes for about 15 minutes, until fork tender. Set aside.

In a large sauté pan, heat EVOO over med-high heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir for about 2 minutes. Add chopped chard. Sauté for about 5-7 minutes, until wilted. Add apple cider vinegar and season with salt, to taste. Add potatoes and stir to combine.

Serve with your favorite grilled fish.

If you like this dish, try the Italian version, Spicy Greens and Bean, of this dish here.

Note: The potatoes are pink because the red chard releases the pink color from its red stems. You can use regual Swish chard with white stems too.

Chicken with Mediterranean Couscous

This dish took less than 30 minutes to make. It was colorful and full of flavor. I love marinating chicken in Italian salad dressing overnight because it's so easy and provides lots of flavor the next day.
 

 

I package of couscous (I used a box of garlic and olive oil flavor)

½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

¼ cup sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and diced

¼ cup artichoke hearts in oil, drained and diced
½ cup Mozzarella cheese pearls
2 Tbsp minced fresh Italian flat leaf parsley

Italian Chicken:

2 chicken breasts
Italian salad dressing
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
 
In a large bag or bowl, add chicken and cover with salad dressing. Marinate overnight.

Cook couscous according to directions on packaging. Stir in remaining ingredients. Set aside and cook chicken.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium frying pan, heat a drizzle of EVOO over high heat. Once it starts to smoke and ripple, add chicken and brown on both sides for 1-2 minutes. Move chicken to oven and cook for 15 minutes, or until cooked all the way through so no longer pink in the middle and juices run clear.

To plate, make a bed of couscous and top with chicken sliced and fanned on top.

Chorizo Stuffed Chile Relleno Casserole

Since we weren’t going to be around for Thanksgiving, I wanted to have an early celebration and throw a big brunch for my friends. I made several egg casserole/frittatas, but this one stood out as the crowd favorite. 

 

If you’re having guests in town for the holidays, I’d recommend this simple and quick dish as a part of your brunch menu.

 

 

1 chorizo sausage link (1 lb)

1 large can of whole roasted chile rellenos (about 10-12 peppers)
6 eggs
¼ cup milk
A dash of Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper
Freshly grated pepper Jack cheese

Remove sausage from casing and into frying pan. Over med-high heat, cook sausage through. Using a spoon, carefully stuff chile peppers. Place stuffed peppers onto a greased baking pan.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs with milk, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper. Pour over chiles into dish. Cover with shredded cheese.

Bake on 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until the middle is set. Let casserole rest for about 5 minutes before cutting into squares.

Top with sliced avocado and serve with salsa.

 

Blueberry Bread Pudding

I found that people typically really like bread pudding or won’t touch the stuff. I usually fall into the latter category, but decided to give it another shot. Recently, I made a big brunch for some friends and since I’m not a huge breakfast or sweets person, I wasn’t sure what to make for “dessert”. I thought about pancakes and French toast, but decided it was too much work and couldn’t really prepare beforehand.

I settled on the bread pudding because it was easy. I could make it the night before and finish baking it right before everyone arrived. Even my friend who said she didn’t like bread pudding, ended up going home with the recipe. This dish was devoured by the end of the day! I’m looking forward to making it again around Christmas when family is in town.

 

Crispy on top and warm in the middle.

 

 

10-12 servings

3 eggs
3 cups heavy whipping cream
2 cups sugar
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
Zest from one lemon
2 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 loaf (1 lb) French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and lemon zest. Stir in frozen blueberries. Stir in bread cubes; let stand for 15 minutes or until bread is softened. I made mine the night before and then baked it the next day.

Transfer to a greased 13” x 9” baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Top with fresh blueberries and serve with fresh whipped cream or maple syrup.
 

Gnocchi with Ham and Peas in Creamy Pesto

We just got back from our trip to Croatia where we had the opportunity to try all types of regional Dalmatian cuisine. In different parts of Croatia, the cuisine and architecture have Italian influences, since the two countries are located just across the Adriatic Sea.

This meal was inspired by a dish my husband had in a little town near Stari Grad on the island of Hvar. Since it’s all store bought (sorry, I cheated for this one!), it was super fast to put together. I think the longest cooking time was for the frozen peas! Perfect for a midweek meal.

1 package of Knorr Creamy Pesto sauce mix (or use your favorite jarred white sauce)

1-17 oz package of potato gnocchi
5 oz frozen peas
7 oz cubed ham
freshly grated parmesan cheese

Prepare Creamy Pesto sauce mix according to directions on packaging. Whisk constantly and remove from heat; set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add peas for 3 minutes, then add gnocchi for an additional 3-4 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium frying pan over high heat, sauté cubed ham to brown.

When gnocchi start to float to the top of the water, drain water and return to peas and gnocchi to pot. Mix in pesto and ham.

Serve in a shallow bowl and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese. I garnished with diced tomato, just because I had some on hand to use up.

Black Risotto with Shrimp and Scallops

On our trip to Croatia, we made various stops along the coast – Dubrovnik, Hvar, Split – and in each town almost every restaurant offered black risotto (crni rižoto). The risotto is blackened using cuttlefish ink and includes sautéed cuttlefish.

When we returned to the States, I visited an Italian market that only sold imported goods and found a package of the black risotto. I was so excited to try this dish at home. Instead of running all over town and trying to hunt down cuttlefish, I decided to just use shrimp and scallops, then serve with a side of baked halibut.

1 package of black risotto (try to find this at your local Italian market)

½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ pound scallops
2 Tbsp butter
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Chopped green onions, for garnish

Prepare risotto according to directions on package. My instructions called for cooking the risotto in a pot of salted water with 1 Tbsp of butter for 18 minutes. Once risotto is tender, season with salt and mix in half of parmesan cheese. Set aside.

In a frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp of butter over high heat. Sauté shrimp and scallops until shrimp turn pink and scallops are cooked through and are no longer translucent in the middle. This should only take about 3 minutes. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Mix the seafood into the pot of risotto. Serve in a shallow bowl and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Garnish with green onions.

Baked Halibut over Mashed Carrots and Potatoes

I decided to switch things up with the mashed potatoes and used a Parmesan Basil Sauce instead of milk. It gave it a great extra flavor and I used up the extra sauce I had in the fridge from yesterday’s dinner.
 

2 Halibut filets (I bought one 1 lb piece and cut it in half)
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
2 large red skinned potatoes, diced
2 large carrots, chopped
About 10 asparagus spears
2 Tbsp butter, split into two slices
5 oz of Alfredo sauce (I used the Vons brand, Open Nature, Parmesan Basil Sauce), split into two

Marinate fish in EVOO, lemon juice, salt and pepper for about 30 minutes.

In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil with potatoes and carrots. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, until fork tender. In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add asparagus.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place fish on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, until flakes easily with a fork and is not longer translucent in the middle.

Using a slotted spoon, add carrots to a large mixing bowl with 1 Tbsp butter and about 2 ½ oz of Alfredo sauce. Puree or blend until smooth. Salt to taste. Spread a spoonful of carrots to each plate.

In the same mixing bowl, add drained potatoes with Tbsp butter and about 2 ½ oz of Alfredo sauce.

Puree or blend until smooth. Salt to taste. Spread a spoonful of carrots to each plate.

Top with asparagus spears and fish filets. Add extra salt and pepper, to taste.

Homemade Granola with Nuts and Dried Fruit


When my parents come to visit, it means we’re going to cook and eat…A LOT. Among the many things we cooked that week, we made a batch of homemade granola with toasted nuts and dried fruit. For breakfast every morning, my husband and I eat yogurt topped with fresh fruit and granola, so it was nice to create a batch of granola with the combination of flavors that we love. 


Mom & Larry making granola.



Whisk syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, salt and oil.

Fold in oats until coated.

Spread mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Press down until mixture is compact and then it is ready to bake.

Serve over yogurt and fresh fruit.

1/3 cup maple syrup or agave nectar

1/3 cup brown sugar

4 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp salt
½ cup vegetable oil
5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup almonds, roughly chopped
½ cup pecans, roughly chopped
½ cup sunflower seeds
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dried cherries  

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk syrup or nectar, brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Whisk in oil. Fold in oats and nuts until well coated.

Spread a thin layer of the mixture to the baking sheet. Press mixture down until compact. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown. Rotate rack half way through.

Remove from oven and let cool completely for about 1 hour. Break granola into desired pieces. Stir in dried fruit. Store into an airtight container.

Try these variations to create your perfect flavor combination:

·         Add dried apples
·         Add shredded coconut
·         Add 2 Tbsp orange zest
·         Add dried mango or pineapple for a tropical flare
·         Try a variety of nuts like hazelnuts or macadamias

Brussels Sprout Sauté with Bacon, Pecans and Goat Cheese

My parents are in town, and you know what that means...good eats! Here's the side from our first dinner together. 

 

About 10 large Brussels Sprouts
5 strips of bacon, diced
1 large garlic clove, minced or pressed
¼ cup coarsely chopped pecans
Crumbled goat cheese (about 3 oz or to your liking)
Salt, season to taste
 
Prepare Brussels Sprouts but removing outer leaves and cutting in half. Steam for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a frying pan cook diced bacon until crispy. Add steamed Brussels Sprouts, garlic and pecans; toss, coating Brussels Sprouts in bacon grease. Season with salt, to taste.

Serve and top with crumbled goat cheese. Enjoy with grilled fish and garlic bread.

Variations:

·         Substitute pecans for walnuts or pine nuts
·         Substitute goat cheese for feta cheese

Fried Polenta with Black Bean Salsa

A little bit of Italy with a Central American flare.

 

Polenta originates from Italy and is a porridge like substance made from cornmeal. It has a smooth, creamy consistency, similar to cream of wheat or grits. Polenta can be used in place of rice, potatoes, pasta or bread and served as an appetizer or as a part of the main dish.

2 servings

1-18 oz tube of precooked polenta (I used  a brand from Quinoa)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Black Bean Salsa:

1 can of black beans (I used ½ a can)
½ small red bell pepper, diced
½ small yellow bell pepper, diced
½ large avocado, diced
2 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro
Juice from one lime
Salt, season to taste

Cotija cheese

Cut polenta into ½”slices. I cut 4 slices per person. In a frying pan over med-high heat, drizzle just a little EVOO. Cook polenta for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown.

In a small bowl, combine ingredients for black bean salsa. Carefully toss to combine without mashing the avocado.

Top fried polenta slices with black bean salsa. Top with crumbled Cotija cheese. Serve with grilled chicken.

Note: To prepare the chicken, I rubbed the chicken pieces with chili powder and salt, then drizzled with lime juice. Let marinate for 30 minutes and then grill until cooked through.

Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad

Where the flavors of Italy and the Mediterranean meet and create happiness in your mouth.

 

1 lb dried Orzo pasta

1 cup mozzarella cheese pearls

½ cup sliced Kalamata olives

1/3 cup diced sun dried tomatoes

1 large bunch of basil, chopped

2 green onion sprigs, chopped

1/3 cup minced Italian flat leaf parsley

Marinade:

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

1 Tbsp white wine vinegar

Juice from one lemon

Salt and pepper, to taste

 

Cook Orzo according to directions on packaging; cook until al dente. Set aside and allow to cool.

 

In a small bowl, combine marinade ingredients and whisk together; set aside. 

 

Toss cooled Orzo pasta with remaining ingredients. Add marinade and mix together until well combined.

 

Helpful hint: For a more flavorful pasta, make this dish a day ahead to allow the flavors to marinate overnight. 

 

Variations:

·         Substitute the sun dried tomatoes for halved fresh cherry tomatoes

·         Substitute the  marinade for a pesto sauce

Grilled Pork Chops with Sautéed Veggies over Mashed Potatoes

Nothing fancy, but tasty and filling.

 

 

Serves 2

2- 3/4" Pork chops

Lemon Pepper seasoning

Seasoned salt

 

Veggies:

¾ cup baby carrots, halved

1 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise and cut into 1” pieces

½ small yellow onion, sliced

1 Anaheim pepper, sliced (you can use a regular bell pepper too)

1 large garlic clove, pressed or minced

2 Tbsp of freshly minced cilantro

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

 

Mashed Potatoes:

2 large red skinned potatoes, cubed

2 Tbsp butter

¼ cup milk (add more to get a creamy consistency)

Salt and black pepper, taste

 

Starting with the potatoes since they have the longest cook time, in a large pot of boiling water, cook cubed potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain water and add back to pot. Add butter and milk and mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Cover and set aside.

 

Preheat grill to medium heat. Season one side of pork with lemon pepper seasoning and the other side with seasoned salt.  Grill pork for about 4 minutes per side, or depending on thickness until no longer pink in the middle.

 

Lastly, prepare the veggies. In a frying pan over med-high heat, drizzle EVOO. Start sautéing with carrots first. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add zucchini , onion and peppers. Sauté another 3-4 minutes. Last, add garlic and cilantro. Cook another 1-2 minutes, until carrots are tender. 

 

Serve pork chops over a plate of mashed potatoes and sautéed veggies. Enjoy!

 

Variations:

·         Grill chicken, fish or steak instead of pork chops

·         Pan sear the meat instead of grilling

·         Substitute any of the veggies by adding your favorites or removing those you don’t like

·         Add a variety of herbs to the veggies, such as rosemary, parsley and/or chives

Meatball Stroganoff

A quick and tasty meal with a spin on the traditional beef stroganoff.

 

 

Meatballs:

1 lb ground beef or turkey

1 small onion, minced

1 large garlic clove, pressed or minced

1 egg

¼ Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (if mixture is too wet, add more) 

 

4 large white or Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced

 

McCormik stroganoff seasoning (yes, I'm cheating and using a packet...that's what makes it quick!) 

 

In a large bowl, mix ingredients for meatballs together until well combined. In a large frying pan over med-high heat and drizzle oil. Using wet hands, form walnut sized balls from meat mixture and drop onto frying pan. Fry all sides until browned. 

 

Add sliced mushrooms and sauté for about 3 minutes, stirring around meatballs. Following the directions on the seasoning packet, add water mixed with seasoning to the pan with the meatballs and mushrooms. Before serving , stir in one cup of sour cream.  

 

Serve over egg noodles or rice. Garnish with minced fresh parsley or sprinkle with paprika and freshly cracked pepper.   

Green Chilaquiles with Chicken (Chilaquiles Verdes Con Pollo)

This is my take on a traditional Mexican dish, Chilaquiles. These are like salsa drenched nachos topped with nothing but yummy goodness.

Serves 2-3

Salsa Verde:

1/2 lb tomatillos, husks removed
1 jalapeno, deveined and seeded
2 garlic cloves
Salt
 
Homemade tortilla chips

1 can of black beans
1 cup of shredded chicken
Sour cream
Red onion, minced
Avocado, sliced or roughly chopped
Cotija cheese
Cilantro, chopped

Salsa Verde:

Add tomatillos into a saucepan, cover with water and boil for 5 minutes, until tomatillos have changed color and are soft. Use slotted spoon to remove tomatillos into a blender. Add jalapeno, garlic cloves and a cup of the cooking liquid. Blend until smooth. Add salt to taste.

Add salsa to a saucepan and cook over medium heat for a couple minutes. Add tortilla chips to the salsa. Gently turn over chips until they are all well coated. Remove from heat.

To assemble chilaquiles:

To serve chilaquiles, make a bed of black bean on your plate, top with salsa coated chips, chicken, a dollop of sour cream, onion, avocado cheese and sprinkle with cilantro.

Variations:

·         Use red salsa instead of green
·         Serve for breakfast and top with an egg instead of chicken
·         Serve for dinner and top with carne asada instead of chicken

Stuffed Chicken over Almond Pesto

A nice dinner for my hubby's Birthday: I started off with a Caprese Salad and then this main dish of sundried tomato and spinach stuffed baked chicken over homemade almond pesto pasta.

Stuffed Chicken:

2 chicken breasts
Salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
4 slices of mozzarella cheese
¼ cup frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and water squeezed out, split in four parts
¼ cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped, split in four parts
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Almond Pesto:

2 cups of packed basil leaves
¼ cup of slivered almonds
2 garlic clove
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Juice from one lemon
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

½ lb pasta (bow tie or tube)

In a blender or food processor, add basil, almonds, garlic, salt, pepper, cheese and lemon juice; blend and slowly add EVOO while blender is on. Blend until smooth. Add more salt and pepper, if necessary to taste. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice each chicken breast in half and pound until about ¼” thin. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Layout out filets, add a slice of cheese, ¼ forth the spinach and tomatoes on each filet and roll up; secure with toothpicks.

In a sauce pan over med-high heat, drizzle EVOO and brown all sides of the rolled chicken. Then bake for 15 minutes, or depending on thickness, until cooked all the way through.

Cook pasta according to directions on box. Then drain and toss with pesto sauce.

Serve pesto pasta with sliced chicken. Drizzle chicken with remaining juices from pan. Enjoy!

Tuna Poke and Avocado Stack

Yesterday, my husband’s coworker asked him if we liked tuna. Of course! Then she went on to tell him her brother just came back from a fishing trip with several pounds of fresh Bluefin tuna. Would we like some? Again…OF COURSE!  And this was how this little beauty was created!

Top layer:
¾ lb Bluefin tuna (or Ahi), cubed
¼ cup soy sauce
2 green onion sprigs, chopped
1 Tbsp sesame oil
½ Tbsp toasted sesame seeds (I used both black and white)
1/2 Tbsp Sriracha sauce

Middle layer:

½ red bell pepper, minced
1 ½ Tbsp minced red onion

Bottom layer:

1 avocado, diced
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
Juice from one lime

Garnish:

Thinly sliced cucumber
Cilantro
Extra sesame seeds

In a small bowl, combine cubed tuna with the rest of the ingredients for the ‘top layer’. In a separate small bowl, combine bell peppers and onion. In a third small bowl, combine ingredients for the ‘bottom later’.

Using a greased cylinder shaped measuring cup or 2 1/2” circle ring, add a layer of tuna mixture and gently press down with the back of a spoon. Then add a thin layer of bell peppers and onions. Lastly, add a layer of avocado and gently press down.

Take a small plate and layer a circle of thinly sliced cucumbers. Place the tuna and avocado stack in the middle of the plate and gently tap out. Sprinkle with extra sesame seeds and garnish with cilantro leaves.

Serve with homemade tortilla chips.

Jalapeno Crab Stuffed Salmon

I wanted to do something different for dinner with my salmon, so I opened up my cupboard to see if any brilliant ideas would jump out at me. A can of crab and a can of diced jalapenos caught my eye. I love crab stuffed jalapenos, so I wondered what would happen if I stuffed that inside of salmon. Viola! Jalapeno crab stuffed salmon…delicious!

2 salmon filets

1 can of white lump crab, drained
2-3 oz of canned diced jalapenos
¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 green onion sprig, chopped
 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine crab, jalapenos, cheese and green onion, but do not over mix. Set aside.

Season filets with salt and pepper. Using a sharp knife, cut a slit in the middle of each filet. Stuff filets with crab mixture. Place filets on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Turn to broil, move fish to the top of the oven and broil for an additional 5 minutes.

Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

Helpful tip: To know if your fish is cooked, it should easily flake with fork and no longer be translucent in the center.

Grilled Shark with Summer Relish

This grilled fish dinner has a Latin flair and uses fresh summer ingredients.

2 Thresher shark fillets
Fish seasoning: Cajun, seasoned salt or lemon pepper

Relish:
¼ cup corn (roasted and cut off the cob)
About 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
½ large avocado, diced
1 Tbsp diced canned jalapenos (or one fresh jalapeno, seeded and diced)
1 green onion sprig, diced
Juice from one lime
Salt

Rice & Beans:

½ cup rice
1 cup chicken broth
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
½ can of black beans

In a rice cooker, cook rice in broth and EVOO.  Once rice is cooked, stir in beans to heat through.

Meanwhile, season and grill heat over med-high heat. Depending on thickness, grill for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until cooked all the way through.

While fish is grilling, make relish. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Season with salt and set aside.

To plate, create a bed of rice and beans, top with fish and spoon relish over fish.

Helpful hint: Make sure you rub the fish with oil before seasoning or spray the grill to prevent the fish from sticking.

Pesto Vegetable Pasta Salad

A great pasta to bring to a BBQ and serve with  grilled chicken.

1 lb bowtie pasta

1 small jar of marinated, quartered artichoke hearts
½ red bell pepper, diced
About 10 asparagus spears, steamed and cut into 1”pieces
2 Tbsp sundried tomatoes, diced
2 green onion spears, diced
4 oz. of jarred pesto
Feta cheese

Cook pasta according to directions on packaging. Drain and toss with the rest of ingredients. Serve warm or cool the next day. Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese.