Grilled Teriyaki Sea Scallops with Asian Triple Bean Salad

Summer is a time for grilling and eating al fresco. Our Friday night dinner was just that, kind of.

Some running around at dinner time lead to my enlisting the help of The Husband and his grilling expertise. I whipped up a batch of homemade teriyaki sauce because I have never found a bottled brand that didn't contain a list of ingredients I can't pronounce. After skewering a couple pounds of scallops, I left him instructions while I was off to pick up My Oldest from WORK. You heard me right, I said WORK. I am proud to say I am the parent of an employed teenager. She brought her first paycheck home last week. If I could figure out how to get the picture of it off my phone and onto my blog, you would see it. But that would require a little too much work on my part.

We had Grilled Teriyaki Sea Scallops and Asian Triple Bean Salad and it was a perfect dinner for a hot and muggy summer night. It is a quick meal to throw together; I had about 30 minutes of hands-on time. That is about all I want to do this time of year.

After lounging, working, or doing whatever it is you do during the summer, this meal will not disappoint. And you won't spend too much time in the kitchen either.


Grilled Teriyaki Sea Scallops

2 pounds sea scallops
wooden skewers

teriyaki sauce ingredients:
1 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Heat grill to medium high heat.

Lay 4 scallops in a line on work surface. Thread on 2 parallel skewers to make flipping on the grill easier (see photo above). Set aside.

To make teriyaki sauce, combine 1 cup water, soy sauce, ground ginger, garlic powder, honey, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Mix together the warm water and cornstarch and add to the soy sauce mixture. Cook for about 3 - 4 minutes or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat.

Grill scallops on hot grill for about 3 - 4 minutes per side. After the first flip, brush the scallops with the teriyaki sauce. Watch for flare ups so the sauce does not burn. Remove scallops from grill and serve with Asian Triple Bean Salad.


Asian Triple Bean Salad

1 pound green beans, trimmed and blanched
2 cups edamame, shelled and blanched
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 scallions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons peanut oil
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 clove garlic, minced

In a large bowl, combine green beans, edamame, black beans, and scallions. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together peanut oil, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic. Drizzle dressing over beans and toss to coat. Can be served cold or at room temperature.

Chicken Nuggets with Dill Dip

It is the first week of summer vacation, and I have to say our dinners have been unremarkable. Repeats of family favorites have been the order of the day. I have a couple menus picked out that I just haven't got around to making. Summer is supposed to be a lazy time and I have been sticking with tradition.

Lots of vacationers will be hitting the roads for family trips. A frequent culinary stop on road trips is McDonald's which offers the kid-favorite Chicken McNugget. I found several copycat recipes and decided I'd give making my own Chicken Nuggets a try. We are not frequent visitors to McDonald's so the homemade variety will be about as close as we get.

Making Chicken Nuggets was a little more labor intensive than I was hoping for today's dinner. Chicken breasts are chopped in a food processor and then seasoned and formed into small balls. The chicken balls are rolled in flour then egg and back into flour before frying in vegetable oil. The nuggets are drained on paper towels and sprinkled with salt. I served the nuggets with a childhood favorite of mine - Dill Dip.

Only 3 of the 5 family members had Chicken Nuggets for dinner tonight. I thought the texture and flavor was very good. I ate more than my share of the dip. My Middle One said that she likes them better than my Panko Chicken Fingers. When asked her opinion of the dip she said it was dilly. No Thank You Boy said I must have read his mind because he was hoping for battered chicken for dinner. He commented that I should buy a frying thingy and make preparing more Chicken Nuggets easier in the future.

I am not a big fan of deep frying. Eventhough my Chicken Nuggets are fried, I at least know that only chicken breast meat was used to make them. I'm not really sure what actually goes into a McDonald's Chicken McNugget and probably don't want to know.


Chicken Nuggets

makes about 30 nuggets

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in small pieces
2 teaspoons Montreal Chicken Seasoning
2 extra large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cup flour seasoned with Penzey's Chicago Steak Seasoning or salt and pepper
vegetable oil for frying

Put chicken in a food processor and process until chicken is chopped into very small pieces. Add Montreal Chicken Seasoning and pulse about 5 times.

Form chicken mixture into about 30 small balls. Put the beaten eggs in a pie plate and the seasoned flour in another pie plate. Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large saucepan to medium-high heat. Dredge the chicken balls in the flour then the eggs and then in the flour again. Slightly flatten the coated chicken ball. Fry about 3 - 5 nuggets at a time in the hot oil (about 350 degrees) for 3 - 4 minutes per side or until golden brown.

Remove the nuggets from the oil and drain on a paper towel lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Serve warm with honey mustard, barbecue sauce, Dill Dip (recipe below) or ketchup.


Dill Dip

This dip also goes well with crudite and chips.

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill
1/2 teaspoon Montreal Chicken Seasoning

In a small bowl, combine ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate for about 1 hour before serving.

Strawberry No Bake Cheesecake with Peach Compote

Strawberry No Bake Cheesecake with Peach Compote

"What are you making?"

"Strawberry No Bake Cheesecake."

"Ohhh!! You know me so well. That means I can lick the spatula without getting salmonella."

That was the exchange between My Oldest and myself while making Strawberry No Bake Cheesecake with Peach Compote. She loves cheesecake and was excited to lick the bowl without having to eat raw eggs.

I have a great cheesecake recipe. I got it from my sister-in-law's neighbor's brother. The recipe takes lots of eggs, cream cheese, and sour cream and graham crackers for the crust. I was out of eggs and sour cream so off to the internet to find a recipe for cheesecake with ingredients I had on hand. I found a cheesecake recipe that could be made in less than a half an hour with about 3 to 4 hours of chilling time and I had everything needed to whip it up. We still get to eat cheesecake and I have to do much less work. Thanks to Adam over at Baking with Dynamite for providing the basis of my recipe.

The resulting cheesecake did not disappoint. A light and creamy filling with a crunchy granola based crust combine for a delicious cheesecake. No Thank You Boy liked it enough to have 2 pieces. He also just finished his first day of football camp so that may have had something to do with his overindulgence. My Oldest gave a simple review, "That was really good." I'll be having another piece as soon as I finish this post and before heading off to bed. I think I'll have another piece for breakfast tomorrow morning too.

This would be a welcome addition to any 4th of July party. Top with some blueberries for a red, white, and blue treat.

Strawberry No Bake Cheesecake with Peach Compote

Crust:
2 cups granola
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
1/4 cup butter, melted


Cheesecake:
2 – 8oz. packages neufchatel cheese
2 – 6 oz. containers strawberry yogurt - fruit on the bottom
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin mixed in 1/3 cup hot water


Peach Topping:
about 2 cups sliced and peeled peaches
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10-inch springform pan.

In a small bowl, combine granola, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and melted butter. Mix so that the granola is evenly coated and there are no super large pieces. Spread into the springform pan, pat down so it covers the pan completely, and bake in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely.

In a food processor, add all of the cheesecake ingredients except for the gelatin and water. Pulse until smooth. With the food processor running, add in the gelatin-water mixture slowly. Once the cheesecake mixture is well blended, pour over the granola crust.

Refrigerate for 3 - 4 hours - until the cheesecake is set.

Meanwhile, prepare the peach topping. Place peaches, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat for about 4 - 5 minutes, or until peaches soften up a bit. Cool slightly.

Serve cheesecake topped with peach compote.

Granny Smith and Craisin Chicken Salad

We joined a neighborhood pool about a mile from our house. It is a nice pool - like the ones I remember from when I was a kid. Nothing fancy. A rectangular cement pond with a diving board, some tables with umbrellas, a grill, and a ping pong table. It's just a nice pool with a group of nice families enjoying the warm summer months.

Part of the fun of belonging to a neighborhood pool is that everyone brings drinks and snacks to replenish the famished swimmers. For the first few weeks, I brought the usual Pringles, Goldfish, Bugles, Cokes, and my new summer drink of choice - Bud Light Lime. All was well, but I'm getting a little hungry for something more substantial to eat.

I mixed up a batch of Granny Smith and Craisin Chicken Salad for the pool tomorrow. Cooked, shredded chicken mixed with diced Granny Smith apples, Craisins, diced celery, walnuts, mayonnaise, and a dash of lemon juice will be waiting in the cooler for me and anyone else who happens to be sitting nearby.

Of course, I'll also be packing the Pringles, Goldfish, Bugles, Cokes and a few Bud Light Lime.


Granny Smith and Craisin Chicken Salad

4 cups cooked and shredded chicken
2 Granny Smith apples, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup Craisins
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Package in pint deli containers with plastic forks in a cooler with ice.

Friday Night Paella

A busy personal chef week for me (2 catering gigs and a regular client cookdate) meant we had repeats of family favorite dishes -- Chicken Enchiladas, Pulled Pork, and grilled chicken. I finally got back to my own kitchen and made a new dish for the family. I found some recipes for an easy dish and enlisted the help of No Thank You Boy when dinner time rolled around. Friday Night Paella was the main attraction I served when my Dad and Step Mom came for a 2-day visit. With a softball tournament in town for My Oldest and Middle One, I needed a quick meal to prepare because I spent the previous 2 days shopping, chopping and cooking for a 70 person graduation party.

I had most the ingredients on hand for my Friday Night Paella. I did need a trip to the grocery store for a couple ingredients. One item to pick up was a bag of mussels. My Middle One has recently developed a love of mussels, and I knew that is one thing she would eat when faced with a bowl full of yellow rice, peas, grape tomatoes, shrimp, and chorizo. I picked up a 2 pound bag on Thursday thinking I would be safe to cook them up on Friday. Big mistake. All of my mollusk friends perished overnight and left a nice stench in my frig. Note to self: scratch the mussels -- add more shrimp. Saffron was also on my grocery list. After searching the spice shelves at my local Shoprite, none was to be found. Crap!! I subbed tumeric for its yellow color-adding feature, but will put saffron on my next Penzey's order.

Friday Night Paella is a one pot meal that basically cooks itself. No Thank You Boy served as my sous chef; lots of stirring and slicing and dicing for him on this night. He wasn't convinced that the 4 cups of liquid in the dish were going to be soaked up by the rice. The entree was on the table in about 40 minutes. An added bonus was that The Husband had only one pot to wash and a nice sized container of leftovers.

The reviews came rolling in. "I will come to this restaurant anytime," commented my Step Mom. "Needs more spice," (what else is new?!) said The Husband. A few shakes of Frank's Red Hot Sauce and he was happy. "It's good, but not one of my favorites," offered No Thank You Boy who basically cleaned his plate. "Where are the mussels?" questioned My Middle One. I'll have to get her nose checked at her next doctor visit since she obviously did not smell the dead shellfish lingering in the refrigerator.

I thought this was a great dish that can be adapted to many tastes. I will add more fish in the future like clams, live mussels, scallops, and halibut. Basically anything that looks good at the fish market can go into the paella.

Next time you need a meal to impress with little effort on your part, try Friday Night Paella.


Friday Night Paella

adapted from Cooking Light, June, 2008

serves 6

1 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound chorizo, sliced thin
2 chicken breasts, sliced thin - 2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups vadalia onions, chopped
1 orange or red pepper, diced
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups uncooked rice
2 cups chicken broth
2 (8 ounce) bottles clam juice
1 package grape tomatoes
1 cup frozen peas
1 pound large shrimp, peeled with tails on

In a small bowl, combine wine and tumeric. Set aside.

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and chorizo and cook for about 3 - 4 minutes stirring occasionally. Cook until chicken is cooked and chorizo starts to get crisp. Remove from pot. Add onion and peppers and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in paprika, salt and garlic; cook for 1 minute. Return chicken and chorizo to pot and add wine mixture, rice, broth, and clam juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for about 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the grape tomatoes, peas and shrimp. Cover and cook about another 5 minutes or until shrimp is cooked through.

Serve in large bowls with crusty bread and a romaine and Parmesan salad with olive oil vinaigrette.

Parmesan and Toasted Walnut Salad in Endive

Time for a super easy appetizer. A little late for Friday's Happy Hour, but it is never too early to start planning for next weekend.

I prepared Parmesan and Toasted Walnut Salad in Endive for a wine tasting fundraiser for a local volunteer organization called Pass It Along. I did a test run of the recipe to make sure it was good before I served it to 125 people. I usually try a new recipe without testing it. But I decided that serving something I haven't tried to a group of people laying out a good chunk of change for tickets for appetizers and wine wouldn't appreciate a so-so appetizer. It did not disappoint.

A nice combo of flavors - salty Parmesan cheese, a nutty taste from the walnuts, a crunch from the celery, and a nice bite from the bitter endive. The Husband was happy to come home from work to find the plate in the photo waiting in the frig. I liked it more than I thought I would. It is such a simple recipe and can be thrown together in minutes with ingredients typically on hand. Unless you are making it for 125 people. Then it is going to take you longer than a few minutes.

It is never too early to plan the next Happy Hour. I've given you a headstart.

Parmesan and Toasted Walnut Salad in Endive

makes about 40

adapted from a recipe on Epicurious

1 small garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
a 1/4-pound piece of Parmesan, sliced 1/8 inch dice
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
4 Belgian endives
1 cup walnuts, toasted lightly and chopped fine
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves

In a bowl whisk together garlic, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and oil and stir in Parmesan and celery. Salad may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

Trim endives and separate leaves. Endive leaves may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, wrapped in dampened paper towels, in a plastic bag.

Stir walnuts and parsley into salad.

To assemble a large flower design, spoon about 1 tablespoon of salad onto the bottom end of each endive leaf. Arrange around the edge of a round platter with pointed tips outward. Add a second, smaller layer on top of the first, starting so each leaf of the second layer is between two leaves of the bottom layer. Mound remaining salad in the middle, plunging in a third even tighter circle of endive leaves if desired.

Java Rubbed Strip Steaks

"It's a hot fire tonight," commented The Husband yesterday just before he grilled our Java Rubbed Strip Steaks. But that is his comment every time he grills. He regards himself somewhat of a grill aficionado. And what man does not? Here is his favorite book.



We are in the middle of a sweltering heat wave on the East Coast. Even before he started the charcoal for the grill, the thermometer registered 110 degrees. When grilling began, the temperature registered a scorching 500 degrees. The high grill temperature caused the steaks to have a nice crust from the rub and cooked in about 5 minutes per side.

We are occasional beef eaters. Probably once a week. I picked up some strip steaks at Costco and researched the internet and my cookbooks for a new rub. I usually do the typical Montreal Steak Seasoning or Penzeys's Chicago Steak Seasoning. The spice mix is already in my cabinet making it a no-brainer. A new rub that caught my eye had a base of ground coffee. As a fan of a good cup of joe, I decided that what be the Rub de Jour. After reading a few recipes, I developed the Java Rub.



The steaks came off the grill sizzling and sealed in Java Rub. You did not taste coffee in this rub. Instead, they had a wood-smoked quality. "This one's a keeper," volunteered No Thank You Boy. He bypassed on his usual drowning of the steak in A-1 Steak Sauce. "I'll have some more," he said. I also went with one steak rubbed with my Penzey's Chicago Steak Seasoning. That's the one at the top of the photo. My Middle One was in a chlorine induced haze after spending a couple hours swimming after school. She was not very adventurous and opted for the Penzy rubbed steak as she starred off into the distance. Probably better if she would wear goggles for her next time at the pool. The Husband commented, "I can't put my finger on the taste but I like it. Nice and smokey."

Also on the menu were steamed artichokes with melted butter, brown sugar baked beans (I opened a couple cans of Trader Joe's Baked Beans, poured them into a pot, added a tablespoon of butter and a couple tablespoons of brown sugar), and grilled garlic bread.

One of our best meals in a while.

Java Rubbed Strip Steaks

4 strip steaks, about 1 1/2 inches thick

The Java Rub

2 tablespoons ground coffee
1 tablespoon pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon sugar

In a small bowl, combine the rub ingredients. Rub steaks with a generous amount of the spices. Cover and refrigerate for 1 - 4 hours.

Heat grill to high. Grill steaks about 6 - 7 minutes per side for medium rare. Remove steaks from the grill and let rest for 5 - 10 minutes before slicing.

enjoy.

Monster Cookies

The Monster Cookie is another favorite around our house and with the neighborhood kids. I like making cookies because they are easy to throw together. If I make enough, I can hide some in the freezer as my own late night stash. The cookie is a combo of oatmeal, peanut butter, and M&Ms - a prerequisite to any good cookie is chocolate and peanut butter.

Thanks again to my Stepmom from the recipe. She makes me look like a hero when I bring a batch of these to the pool, a lacrosse or softball game or just have a jarful on my counter.

Monster Cookies

3 eggs
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1/2 cup margarine
4 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 10 ounce bag M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine all ingredients, except the oats and M&Ms, in the order listed. Mix until well combined. Stir in the oats and M&Ms being careful not to crack the M&Ms shells.

Drop by golfball size pieces onto prepared baking sheets - about 6 to a sheet. Press down slightly. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes - they should look a little under done. Let cool for a minute or two on the sheet and then remove to parchment paper on the counter.

Serve with cold milk.

Barbecued Chicken Pasta with Blue and Parmesan Cheeses

Time to clean out some of the leftovers in the refrigerator tonight. We barbecued some chicken and hotdogs a couple nights ago; 2 chicken breasts slathered in Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce were needing to be reinvented. I pulled out an old recipe of mine (a kid favorite) to use up the chicken breasts.

Barbecued Chicken Pasta with Blue and Parmesan Cheeses has a summery feel and uses up some of the leftovers lurking in the refrigerator. The kids and I gobbled up our pasta. I also served a garden salad with romaine, broccoli, peas, and cherry tomatoes topped with an all-American favorite - 1000 island dressing. A loaf of crusty bread rounded out the meal.

We were all happy and full tonight.

Barbecued Chicken Pasta with Blue and Parmesan Cheeses

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 shallots, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 large chicken breast, grilled & smothered in barbecue sauce, chopped in small pieces
3/4 cup marinara sauce
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
couple dashes hot sauce
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup blue cheese, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 pound fettuccine, cooked and drained

Heat a large saute pan to medium high. Add butter and olive oil. When butter is melted and bubbling, add shallots and cook for about 4 - 5 minutes or until starting to caramelize. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken and toss to coat with shallot mixture. Add marinara sauce, barbecue sauce, salt, hot sauce, and tomatoes. Toss to coat. Stir in blue and Parmesan cheeses. Add pasta and toss to coat.

To serve, top pasta with more blue and Parmesan cheeses.

Asian Turkey Burgers w/Hoisin-Cucumber Mayonnaise & Soy Slaw

After a day of personal cheffing, I came home and made one of the entrees I prepared for my client - Asian Turkey Burgers with Hoisin-Cucumber Mayonnaise and Soy Slaw. I had about 2 and 1/2 pounds of ground turkey in the refrigerator and the remaining ingredients I needed on hand. Always a bonus when I don't have to make a trip to the store for ingredients.

The burgers went together quickly and were a welcome change from the typical grilled ground beef hamburgers. Ground turkey was combined with cilantro, hoisin, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, scallions, Dijon mustard, and water chestnuts. I grilled the burgers and mixed up some Hoisin-Cucumber Mayo and Soy Slaw.

"They are really good," My Middle One said to My Oldest when she inquired as to what was for dinner. The Husband commented that he would not have know it was ground turkey if I had not told him. I made 10 burgers so there are plenty for left overs. Reheat them on 70% power in the microwave and they taste like they are freshly grilled.

Try these burgers for your next cookout.

Asian Turkey Burgers w/Hoisin-Cucumber Mayonnaise & Soy Slaw

makes 10 burgers

2 and 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1 can water chestnuts, drained and diced
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 scallions, chopped fine
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

10 whole wheat hamburger rolls

Mix burger ingredients together. Form into burgers. Heat a grill to high. Grill burgers for about 6 minutes per side or until cooked through. The internal temperature of the burgers should be between 165 and 170 degrees.

Serve on whole wheat rolls with Hoisin-Cucumber Mayonnaise and Soy Slaw.


Hoisin-Cucumber Mayonnaise

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup dice cucumber
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce

Mix all ingredients together. Can be stored in refrigerator for 3 - 4 days.


Soy Slaw

1/4 cup peanut oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 10-ounce bag coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)
1 cup cucumber, julienned
2 scallions, sliced thin
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Whisk together the peanut oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, mirin, and rice wine vinegar. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the coleslaw mix, cucumbers, scallions, and cilantro. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Refrigerator until ready to serve.

Halibut with Garlic Butter Herb Bread Crumbs

I am starting to sound like a broken record. I prepped dinner ahead of time, parked it in the frig, and baked it for 15 minutes after getting home from the pool - Dinner's Ready. I made one of my personal cheffing recipes for dinner tonight - Halibut with Garlic Butter Herb Bread Crumbs.

Reviews were good from all family members. The general consensus was that the crunchy, garlicky bread crumb topping was a nice contrast to the tender halibut. I also served a pasta salad with fresh mozzarella, pepperoni, cucumber, and tomatoes dressed with Newman's Own Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing.

A tasty, light meal for a warm weekend night.


Halibut with Garlic Butter Herb Bread Crumbs

Adapted from a recipe from Dave Lieberman

5 tablespoons butter, divided
4 (6-ounce) halibut fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup panko
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Pulse the bread in a food processor to get slightly coarse bread crumbs.

Coat a casserole dish just large enough to hold the fillets with butter. Place the fillets in the dish and season with salt, pepper, lemon zest and juice.

Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet with the smashed garlic. As soon as the butter starts to bubble, turn off the heat and let the garlic infuse the warm butter.

Add the panko and lightly toss until all the butter has been absorbed. Turn the heat off, stir in the parsley and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. (I usually use the food processor for the parsley, after I pulse the breadcrumbs).

Spread a layer of panko mixture over the top of each fillet. At this point, you can cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to bake - up to 4 hours/

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until bread crumbs are golden brown and fish is cooked through. *Depending upon the thickness of your fish, adjust cooking time.