Italian Style Perch

Summer is finally here!  After all of the travelling and family events, it's now back to basics and finding some new, fun ways to enjoy a delicious summer meal.  

I'm a big advocate of fish.  It's a great, affordable way to add protein and it's a lean meat, so even better.  And, you can add so many different kinds of spices and seasonings to it and that fish will still taste great.  Plus, it cooks fast meaning you can enjoy that delicious meal sooner!

I was browsing around on BuzzFeed and found this article for 23 Easy Tricks for a Healthier Barbecue.  It has some fantastic, colorful, and healthy recipe ideas for great summer cooking.  Since I love  all things Mediterranean, I decided to try the recipe posted for Moroccan Potato Salad (find it here; posted below).  And, continuing with the "fresh fish" theme, I found this recipe for an Italian-inspired grilled fish (find it here; posted below).  It was my first time cooking fish on the grill, but it was just as easy as the oven (but much more fun).  

Both dishes turned out great and went well paired together - a breezy Mediterranean way to bring in the summer!

Italian-Inspired Perch

Ingredients

1. Fish fillets!  I use perch because I love it and it's cheap at my local grocery store, but tilapia or probably most fish would also be great alternatives.
2. Olive Oil
3. Garlic, thinly sliced
4. Kalamata Olives, sliced
5. Cherry Tomatoes, sliced in half
6. Small Onion, diced
7. Fresh Lemon, sliced
8. Parsley 
9. Basil
10. Seasoning of your choice for the fish

Bake that fish!

First, thaw out the fish that you want to use (if frozen).  Take a grill-ready flat sheet (or, alternatively, take a metal cookie sheet and wrap it in tin foil) and lightly drizzle the bottom with some olive oil and place the thinly sliced garlic on the sheet where you will place your fish fillets.

Season up that fish!  I used some Nature Seasoning, Lemon juice, and a bit of paprika, but feel free to play around.  

Preheat that grill!  Like I said, it was my first time using the grill to cook fish.  But I know that these perch fillets cook at 425 (Fahrenheit) for 15 minutes, so I let the grill get to about that same oven temperature (we've got a gas grill with a gauge, but otherwise, I guess that would be about medium/medium-low heat for a covered grill?).

In a separate bowl, slice up kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, onion, parsley, basil, and lemon.  Mix everything up together and then cover the fish on the tray with this aromatic mixture.  The combined smell of the tomato with the fresh basil and parsley alone already makes you wish the meal was ready.  Finish it off with drizzling some olive oil over everything again to keep that moisture and prevent burning.

Now, grill that fish!  You can just place the tray on the burners, cover the grill, and set your timer.  When the fish fillets are firm to the touch and the meat flakes with your fork, it's ready.  Again, about 13-16 minutes, probably.  Just as the original chef wrote, "the smell is intoxicating as the garlic starts cooking and infuses the fish...the flavors all blend together leaving an exceptional taste!"

Moroccan Potato Salad

Described by the original chef as "bright and aromatic with plenty of fresh parsley," this potato salad lives up to its hype.

Ingredients

1. Scrubbed Potatoes (about 1 pound)
2. 3/4 Cup minced Flat-Leaf Parsley (I purchased one bunch of fresh parsley from the grocery store, used about the 3/4 cup for the potato salad, and used the rest of the bunch for the fish above)
3. 1 Small Red Onion, peeled & minced
4. 1 Garlic Clove, peeled & minced
5. Olive Oil (recipe recommends 1 tbsp., but I'd add a bit more to keep the potatoes moist instead of dry once you cook and peel them).
6. Salt & Pepper to taste
7. A little bit of Lemon Juice

Mix it Up!

Instructions are pretty easy on this one.  Place the potatoes in a pot of cold water.  You can add a bit of salt to help the potatoes stay together when you boil them.  Do not peel them yet.  Cook over medium-high heat until tender, about 20-25 minutes.  Drain the potatoes and let them cool (that's the hardest part for me - I get too excited then end up burning my fingers; just wait it out though).

Next, the mixing part!  Combine the parsley, red onion, garlic, and olive oil into a medium bowl.  Season to taste with the salt & pepper (for a heart-healthy option, cut out salt completely).  Peel the potatoes, then coarsely chop them.  Add them to your bowl with the mixture.  I added a bit of lemon juice to the salad to complement the potato and parsley tastes.  Serve hot or cold, your preference (even though it's summer, I still prefer potatoes warm).  Enjoy!

Note: Everything was really easy to make and including prep time for each dish separately, took less than one hour total.  If you want to make the fish in non-grill-season (or you don't have a grill), no worries - using the regular conventional oven cooking instructions for your fish, you can do the exact same recipe with equally delicious results!

Additional Note: For some summer music, this song has been on the radio now that I'm back Stateside and it's pretty catchy.

For now, time to hit the beach!

For more Pure Michigan photos, click here.

For more Pure Michigan photos, click here.

Appetizers Made Easy

As part of our elaborate dinners for awesome professors, we include a selection of appetizers. Two of our favorite, and ones that we have made several times, include a Tomato & Basil Bruschetta as well as "Greek" Potato Lattkes. The latter is such an easy, delicious recipe that we have made it together at least three times, and I have even made it for my family to sample as well.

Tomato & Basil Bruschetta

Ingredients:

• one loaf of bread (we prefer a fresh ciabatta)
• 4 fl oz of extra virgin olive oil (125 ml)
• 4 Roma tomatoes
• at least 6 fresh leaves of basil
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 8 Kalamata olives (pitted and chopped)
• 1 large clove of garlic

Directions:
Cut bread into thin slices. Pour olive oil into a shallow dish and place bread in it. Be careful to put it in long enough to cover all of the bread slice in olive oil, but not so long that it becomes too soggy to work with. Be sure to flip the bread as well.

While the bread is soaking in olive oil, dice the tomatoes and put them in a mixing bowl. Tear up basil leaves and add to the tomatoes. Add salt'n'peppa to taste. Chop the Kalamata olives and add them to the mixture. Pour any leftover olive oil over the mixture and leave it to marinate.

Preheat a pan over medium heat. Place bread in the pan and cook (and flip) until each side is golden-brown and crispy. This might be more difficult if you leave the bread to soak in the olive oil for too long. Remove the bread from the pan and lay each slice out on a serving dish.

Peel the clove of garlic and cut it in half. In addition to guaranteeing yourself some protection from vampires, rub the cut edge of the garlic over the surface of the bruschetta. Top each slice of bread with the tomato/basil/olive mixture and serve.















"Greek" Potato Lattkes

Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds of potatoes
• 8+ oz of feta cheese
• 4 scallions (chopped)
• 3+ tablespoons of fresh dill (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 egg
  
• flour for dredging
• Cooking oil
  
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Boil the potatoes whole and in the skins until soft. Drain water, then peel the skins off of the potatoes while still warm. The potatoes will be very, very hot and in order to make the process easier, using a spoon to help peel the potatoes is much easier. Place in a large mixing bowl and mash.

Crumble the feta cheese into the potatoes and add the scallions, dill, lemon juice, and egg. Season to taste with salt and pepper (the cheese will already be salty, so be sure to taste the mixture before adding more). Stir mixture well (it's much easier to just do the mixing by hand). Cover the mixture and chill until mixture is firm. This step is very important because otherwise when making the lattkes, it will be very difficult to get them to retain their shape.

Once chilled and firm, divide the mixture into walnut-sized balls, and then flatten slightly. Dredge them well in the flour (this will require a fair amount of flour, especially if you double this recipe, which we usually do). Heat the oil in the frying pan, and then fry the patties until golden-brown on each side. Drain on paper towels and serve while hot.

As previously mentioned, we tend to double this recipe because our groups are usually larger than 4-8 people, but it is a crowd-pleaser every time and it's very easy to make. Hope you love it too! Also, more vampires for your enjoyment.