Brenda's Recipes

• 1.5 lbs Fresh Halibut filets, skin removed
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
• ½ teaspoon fresh thyme

1. Whish together olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and thyme.
2. Pour over halibut in an airtight container or plastic bag, and let marinate for 20 minutes in refrigerator.
3. Preheat oven to Broil
4. Place marinated halibut on baking sheet. Place on upper rack in the and broil for 10-15 minutes depending on thickness of the fish.
5. Remove from oven, drizzle with olive oil a dash of salt and serve with lemon slice.

** Serving suggestion: Accompany with Roasted Lemon and Herb Potatoes (find under side dish tap) and Greek Salad (under salad tab)

I created this recipe several months ago. My inspriation was a bottle of champagne that I wanted to open and have a glass of, being that I was pregnant I had to stop at only one glass! But I didn’t want to waste the rest of the bottle so I tried to incorporate it into as many elements as possible into my cooking that night.

 I came up with a Pan Seared Halibut in a Creamy Lemon and Thyme Champagne Sauce over a bed of Sauteed Baby Spinach accompanied by a Champage Asiago Risotto…
It turned out incredible!!
I make risotto often but I always have used white wine in it. The champagne makes for a much sweeter and softer flavor, which was truly delicious when complimented by the savoriness of the Asiago Cheese.
The Halibut was out of this world!! I modified a recipe I found online for Pork Chops in a champagne sauce. I had to change it around a bit so that the flavors would work with fish instead of pork, but if you wanted to use it with pork add tarragon or rosemary to the sauce and omit the lemon.

Ingredients:

• 2 -7oz filets of Halibut
• 1 1/2 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 half finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 small clove of chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ½ tbsp fresh thyme
• 1 cup champagne
• 1 cup whole milk, or half and half
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 ready to eat package of baby spinach leaves

Directions:

1. Heat oil on med-high heat
2. Season halibut with salt and pepper on both sides and add to pan. Cook on each side for about 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside
3. Turn down heat and add onion, garlic, lemon zest. Sautee for 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.
4. In same pan whisk together butter and flour to make rue
5. Return onion garlic mixture to pan and pour in the champagne, whisking rapidly to incorporate rue and liquid.
6. Add lemon juice and thyme. Gently boil while whisking for 2 min to reduce sauce.
7. Add milk and continue to whisk, let simmer for another 3-4 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Return Halibut to pan and let cook through in sauce for about 5-7 min, depending on thickness of filets.
9. Meanwhile, in separate pan sauté baby spinach.
10. When fish is cooked through serve over bed of spinach and spoon generous serving of sauce on top.

Champagne Risotto

Ingredients:

• 1 half yellow onion (finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 cup risotto
• 2 ½ cup low sodium chicken stock
• 1½ cup champagne
• ½ cup grated Asiago Cheese
• 2 tbsp olive oil

 Directions:

1. Bring chicken stock to slow boil in small saucepan
2. Heat olive oil in medium sauce pan and add onion and garlic, cook until transparent
3. Add Risotto, stirring to coat evenly for about 1-2 minutes
4. Add Champagne, let rice absorb liquid stirring frequently
5. Add heated chicken stock in ½ cup increments, stirring frequently
6. Stir in Asiago cheese in a figure eight motion, then salt and pepper to your taste.

Last night my husband and I decided it would be fun to have a date night at home. So we fed and put the kids to bed a little earlier than usual and enjoyed dinner all by ourselves, a rare occasion in our house. My husband is from Boston and he is a BIG seafood fan. I decided to make something I knew would be right up his alley!!

I created a fantastically supple and delicate filet of Sole topped with fresh crab meat from the king crab legs I had bought earlier that day. Over that I poured a white wine sauce featuring lemon and butter flavors. On the side I I served steamed asparagus tossed with olive oil and baked sundried tomato polenta.

I highly reccommend this dish. It was very easy to make, but your lucky dinner guest will think you are a master chef! Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed… I promise!

Filet of Sole topped with Crab in a White Wine Lemon and Butter Sauce.

Ingredients:

1 lb crabmeat
1.5 lb filet of sole (2 or 3 fresh boneless filets)
1/2 cup white wine
1 lemon
4 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 shallot (very finely chopped) 
1 tbs. flour
salt, pepper and parsley

Directions:

Crack the crab legs and remove meat (this is my husband’s job). Run your fingers through the meat to ensure there are no pieces of shell in the meat. Coarsely chop and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Pat fish dry and season with season with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour. Melt 1 tbsp. of olive oil and 1 tbsp. of butter over high heat.  One by one sear filets on both sides to a golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Add more olive oil and butter as needed for each filet.

Carefully place on baking sheet and set aside.

In same skillet add crabmeat along with 1 tbs. butter and juice from 1/2 lemon. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Let cook for about 3-5 minutes, then remove from pan and place over the sole.

Turn heat to low and melt 2 tbsp. of butter. Gently sauté shallots until translucent. Add 1 tbs. of flour to shallots; this will thicken the sauce later. Slowly add 1/2 cup white wine. Wisk wine and shallots together to prevent clumping. Add zest and juice from half a lemon and season with ½ tsp. of salt and ½ tsp. of pepper. Add ½ tsp. of fresh or dried parsley flakes and let simmer for 5 min until sauce has thickened a bit and acidity has cooked out of the wine.  

While the sauce is working, place fish in oven to cook for 5 min. Remove from oven and carefully place on plate. Lastly spoon the lemon butter sauce on top of the sole.