Lemon & Chive Roasted Fish & Vegetables | One Sheet Pan Recipe

I use Sheet Pans, $8, for everything - roasting everything from vegetables to chicken breasts, and baking cookies (obvi.) and scones.  Sometimes I even make an entire dinner on one sheet pan.  This is the easiest and healthiest dinners around - piles of vegetables, filets of fish, squeezes of lemon, sea salt and a drizzle of a simple chive, garlic, lemon and olive oil mixture.  Everything is layered onto a sheet pan, and then it roasts in the oven for about 25-30 minutes.  A delicious sauce accumulates in the bottom of the pan to pour over when serving.  So yummy, fresh and easy.  

I took these photos at dinner time, so the lighting is not great, but you'll get the point : )

I used red potatoes, asparagus, cherry tomatoes and radishes.  Red onion or scallions would have been great additions.

I used Mahi Mahi from Trader Joes - I've been keeping my freezer stocked for nights I don't want to go to the store.  I just put it in a bowl with cool water to defrost.

Layer the fish filets directly over the vegetables.  Then drizzle over lemon, chive, garlic and oil mixture.  Season generously with sea salt.  

Ready for the oven. 

After 25 minutes, the fish is perfectly cooked and the potatoes are tender.

Notice only two pieces of fish - Emma was not interested, though she did try a couple of bites.  She had the vegetables and leftover mac and cheese... : )

Plated up.

I put 1 tablespoon of cream + a splash of white wine in the pan to loosen everything up and stirred around with a spatula.

Then poured directly over.  

Lemon & Chive Roasted
Fish & Vegetables

serves 2-3

4 red potatoes, sliced
1 pound of asparagus, cut
cherry tomatoes, halved
radishes, quartered
2 pieces of fish (Mahi Mahi, used here)
1 lemon, quartered
2 tablespoons of butter
...
sea salt
...
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 tablespoons of chives, fresh
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
...
1 tablespoon of cream
splash of white wine or stock (optional)

Pile vegetables on a large sheet pan, $8.  Generously season fish with salt.  Place pieces of fish on top.  Stir together oil, lemon juice, garlic and chives.  Drizzle fish and veggies with  lemon mixture.  Place butter pieces around the pan.

Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes at 400 degrees until fish is fully cooked.

Plate veggies and fish.  Add cream and wine to the pan to make sauce.  Pour over fish.

Another version of this is the Lemon Roasted Salmon & Vegetables.  It is the same idea, just different veggies and different fish.  This would also be great using chicken.  

Buy Essential Sheet Pans, $8, here >

Weekly Menu + Emma's Playhouse Update + Photos from Fishing at the Farm

Time for my weekly menu post... that I haven't gotten around to in about 6 weeks : )  I'm not sure what has happened to the month of April, but wow, is it flying by.  I guess that's what happens when the weather is nice and you are too busy going on walks, bike rides and building playhouses... and you just throw chicken on the grill every night with veggies.  No complaints, here!

We spent the last week working on Emma's playhouse (that is alllllmost finished).  When we are midst of a project, I tend to go all in and everything else gets put aside... like planning dinner, doing laundry, etc.  Now that we're just finishing up the details, I am ready to do get the house back in order and fix something yummy for dinner.

*I'll be sharing details when it is finished!

Here are a couple of photos from our Sunday afternoon.  We went out to my parents' farm in Lexington for Emma's first day fishing.

We are so fortunate to have "country life" just an hour away for a quick refresh.

I caught the day's biggest fish - that my brother is trying to get me to hold in this photo.

I'm thinking this would be a great place for a big farmhouse... if you don't mind these cows for neighbors!

Or, maybe Mike and I will build a mini-house like the one we built for Emma and put it right here?!

Back to our "in-town" life and what is for dinner this week :

Teriyaki marinated steak with Lemon Orzo & Squash with Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella
*I just realized I never added the marinade recipe to this post :
2 tablespoons of oil
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 cloves of garlic, minced

Nine Color Salad

Greens, Radishes, Radicchio, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Feta, Green Onions, Celery & Red Wine Vinaigrette 

Lemon & Herb Grilled Shrimp Skewers

I'm debating between this Cherry Pound Cake... or...

These Cherry Cupcakes.  But definitely something cherry for this week of warm weather!

Panko Crusted Salmon in a Brown Sugar Lime Marinade

When I go to the meat & fish counter at my market I always debate between salmon and sea bass, then end up buying a flat iron steak.  Am I the only one that likes the idea of serving fish for dinner, but lacks some really great recipes that I actually want to make again?  It seems like when I do serve it we both agree it was good, but not great.  Therein lies the problem.

Mike's Mom has a great marinade that I use on just about everything.  Recently I was revisiting a Barefoot Contessa recipe (Eli's Asian Salmon) that wasn't a huge hit the first time around.  I realized it was fairly close to Joy's recipe, but with limes instead of lemons and the addition of a panko bread crust that the marinade soaks into.  The real key ingredient is the addition of brown sugar - it turns the salty and sour marinade into a sweet sauce.

Here is another way to use this same marinade - Chicken & Vegetable Kebabs.

I decided to merge the two recipes and came up with a really delicious result.  One that we will actually look forward to making again.  It would be perfect for entertaining as it bakes in the oven for 20 minutes, pull it out when you sit down for salad - let it rest for 15 minutes.  You can take it right to the table to serve.

Panko Crusted Salmon
in a brown sugar lime marinade

2 1/4 pounds center-cut salmon fillet
1 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice (2-3 limes)
1 tablespoon toasted (dark) sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons chili paste
1/2 cup sliced green onions

2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon of sesame seeds
1 1/2 cups panko

Place the salmon in a baking dish.  Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Mix together soy, brown sugar, vinegar, lime juice, sesame oil, chili paste, green onions, garlic, sesame seeds and ginger.

Press the panko crumbs on top of the salmon.

   Pour the marinade over the salmon and panko.  

Bake at 500 degrees for 18-20 minutes, or until it reaches 120 degrees on a meat thermometer.  Remove from oven and cover with foil.  

Let it rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Recipes | Baked Scallops, Caesar Salad, Prosciutto, and Crusty Italian Bread

As I begin planning our honeymoon to Italy, I find myself pouring over scrumptious sounding menus of restaurants we plan to visit. The simple options of fresh fare have inspired me. This dinner took me just 15 minutes to prepare and it was fabulous. I served the scallops with thinly sliced prosciutto, warm crusty bread and a crunchy salad.

Baked Scallops (serves 2)

1 pound of sea scallops

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of white wine

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small shallot, minced

1/2 teaspoon of fresh rosemary, chopped

1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes

1 lemon, zested and juiced

Sea Salt & Pepper

Place the scallops in a heavy baking dish. Mix together olive oil, wine, garlic, shallot, rosemary, red pepper, lemon, salt & pepper. Pour the mixture over the scallops. Bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes.

Recipes | Seared Cod with a Lemon Shallot Sauce & Avocado Tomato Salad with Greed Goddess Dressing

Last week I made a light and easy dinner with really fresh ingredients.

We started with this salad :

Green Goddess Dressing

1/2 cup of sour cream

2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar

1/4 cup of fresh basil

1 tablespoon of fresh chives

Romaine

Tomatoes

Avocado

Fresh Pecorino Ramano Cheese

Salt & Pepper

For the entree...

1 pound of cod fish fillet

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

1 shallot, sliced

1 lemon : 1/2 sliced, 1/2 juiced

1/4 of white wine

2 tablespoons of butter

Salt & Pepper

In a skillet, cook the fish in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for about 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the remaining olive oil and garlic, shallots and lemon slices. Saute for 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and reduce for about 3-5 minutes (on medium low). At the end, stir in the butter and season. Place the fish back in the sauce to warm.

Grilled Halibut & Lemon Chive Risotto

Last Saturday night, we opted to stay in for dinner.  I was in the mood for a lite "Bistro-ish" dinner.  Mike was in the mood for a steak.  Solution?  His and hers grilling accompanied by a fresh and creamy lemon, chive and parmesan risotto.

Grilled Halibut with White Wine Lemon Butter Sauce

1 pound of Halibut

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

2 tablespoons of butter

1 whole lemon

1/3 cup of white wine 

Drizzle the halibut with olive oil, the sprinkle generously salt & pepper.  Grill for about 5-6 minutes on each side.  For sauce, melt butter in a small sauce pan, squeeze in the lemon and add wine.  Reduce for 2 minutes.  Pour over fish.

Lemon Chive Parmesan Risotto

1/2 cup of risotto rice, uncooked.

2 tablespoons of butter

1 quart of chicken stock

2 tablespoons of cream

1 lemon, juiced and zested

2 tablespoons of chives

1/2 cup of grated parmesan

Melt butter in a sauce pan, then add rice.  Toast rice in butter for 2-3 minutes on medium heat.  Add 1 cup of chicken stock, and stir until stock is absorbed.  Continue adding stock until it is all absorbed, or until the rice is completely cooked and creamy.  Add cream, lemon juice, zest, chives and parmesan.  Stir and serve immediately.