Summer officially starts this Sunday - Father's Day. The temperature is getting hotter and the air is more humid. If you're the one to cook in your household chances are you're grilling or making lighter, healthier meals.
If you have children there's a good chance they are off and running at camp during the day or maybe even some of you have your children at overnight camps where you have some quiet time to yourself.
Whatever the situation summer brings BBQs, picnics, Father's Day, Fourth of July celebrations and concluding the summer break with Labor Day.
In case you are looking for some new recipe ideas this summer in the weeks to come I will bring you a great pasta dish to bring to that picnic you were invited to plus, some fun Fourth of July cookies and fresh squeezed lemonade. If you're looking to serve a beautiful healthy and colorful meal for Father's Day this weekend then I have a luscious recipe for Sea Bass that I know you're going to love and it's so simple too.
Of course you can always schedule a culinary class "At Home with Vicki Bensinger." It can be for you, your friends or an afternoon or evening culinary party for your children to learn techniques and recipes to add to your at home dining experience. However, for those of you that still can't decide what to prepare for Father's Day I'm going to share a favorite recipe of mine. Remember though to think of me for your future culinary adventures!
To get a taste of my Father's Day recipe, please read below.
Sea Bass with Strawberry Orange Salsa
For years I have been making this recipe. I have to admit I got it from a magazine called Simply Seafood back in the 90s that is no longer available. It was a great magazine with fantastic seafood recipes.
I love this recipe because it's light, refreshing, healthy and it uses Sea Bass which has a mild buttery flavor. If you don't like Sea Bass then feel free to use Halibut or your favorite fish.
Here's the recipe:
Serves 6
2 pounds Sea Bass fillets, cut into 6 pieces
Strawberry Orange Salsa
2 large navel oranges
1 cup fresh strawberries, stemmed and chopped
1/2 - 1 jalepeno chili, stemmed, seeded and minced
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint or fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1-2 tsp. honey
salt
Peel the oranges and remove all the white pith (it has a bitter taste). Section the oranges and finely chop, discarding the seeds. Transfer the chopped oranges to a bowl with the strawberries, jalapenos, onions, mint and lime juice. Add honey and salt to taste, then blend together. Cover and chill for at least an hour to let the flavors come together.
Rinse the fish in cold water. Measure the thickness of the fish and pour water into a deep skillet or saute pan to measure twice that thickness. Bring the water to a boil, add the sea bass, cover the pan and remove it from the heat. Let stand until the fish is opaque in the center approximately 20 minutes.
Lift the fish from the pan and drain, then arrange on individual plates. Spoon the salsa with its juice over the fish and serve immediately.
For those of you that have a fear of cooking fish, this method is tried and true. It always comes out perfect. However, if you prefer to grill the sea bass then go ahead. It takes approximately 20 minutes on medium heat. If grilling, rub some oil on the sea bass. Cook 10 minutes on one side and flip for another 10 minutes, then plate it up with the salsa.
Enjoy!
