Thursday, September 15, 2016

Grilled Halibut and Kale Pesto Pasta.


Hello everyone! Here is a very tasty dish for your summer grilling.   

This delicious Grilled Halibut with Lemon-Caper Wine Sauce and Pasta with Kale and Walnut Pesto are company-worthy recipes but also an easy and delicious meal to make any time you can find halibut available at a reasonable price.


My husband and I were lucky enough to find halibut again in the fish case at our local market just last week.  We like to grill fish on the flat side of a cast iron griddle so that we don't loose any fish that flakes apart and falls through the grates.  The griddle has saved many a tasty morsel! 


I don't know how I first came across the recipe for kale and walnut pesto, but it was probably one the best new recipes I tried this year.  My personal twist on the recipe was adding some chopped garlic scapes from the garlic that I grew for the first time this season but you can simply add a clove of regular garlic. Thank you to Monique for the encouragement to grow garlic! I can't believe it will be time to plant garlic again next month! Time to scope out the local garlic sold at the farmers markets, which is the best to use for growing your own garlic. 


I want to thank everyone for your wonderful comments on my last post when I announced that I had broken my wrist! Also, many thanks for the wonderful emails, cards and care packages! Each and every one meant so much to me.

Until next time!

Grilled Halibut with Lemon-Caper Wine Sauce

Printable Recipe

Serves 4

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel (use organic, if possible)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil (divided)
2 teaspoons drained capers, coarsely chopped
4 halibut filets, about 6-8 ounces, cut from the thick end for even grilling

Whisk together lemon juice, lemon peel, olive oil, wine and garlic in small bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons fresh basil and capers. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let stand at room temperature until ready to use. Vinaigrette can be made 1 hour in advance.

Pat fish dry with paper toweling and brush about 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette.

Place a cast iron griddle on top of the grill grates with flat side facing up. Heat grill with cover closed to medium-high for about 10-12 minutes. When ready to grill fish, spray griddle with non-stick cooking spray. You may also broil the fish.

Grill (or broil) halibut for about 3-1/2 minutes per side until just barely cooked through (fish will continue to cook after removing from grill. Watch carefully as halibut can become dry when cooked too long. Transfer fish to a platter and tent lightly with foil. Note: If your fish comes with skin attached, grill the skin side first and remove skin with tongs before flipping over to other side, if desired.

Whisk remaining vinaigrette and pour over fish. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of basil and serve.

Adapted from Epicurious

Pasta with Kale and Walnut Pesto

Printable Recipe

Yield: 1 cup pesto

1/3 cup walnuts
3 cups chopped organic kale, thick stems and veins removed (you could also use arugula)
1 clove of minced garlic – or 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic scape, if available
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (divided)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound of pasta of your choice
½ cup of pasta cooking water, reserved

Toast the walnuts in a preheated 350F degree oven until lightly browned and fragrant – about 5-7 minutes. Cool completely.

In a food processor with steel blade, pulse the walnuts until finely ground.

Add the kale, garlic (or chopped garlic scapes) and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pulse until finely chopped.

Add ½ cup grated Parmesan and pulse to combine.

Slowly pour in the olive oil, pulsing to incorporate. Transfer the pesto to a bowl. This will yield about 1 cup of pesto. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Remove ½ cup of the cooking liquid before draining.

Add cooked pasta to a large bowl and add kale pesto to taste (roughly 1/2 cup per pound of pasta).

Add additional grated Parmesan to taste and enough reserved pasta cooking water to make a creamy sauce.

Serve immediately.

Adapted from Food Network

38 comments:

  1. Hope you feel well soon Susan,I can imagine the pain ! I have also a little problem with my foot, I begin a therapy, actually I can't walk for long time, I know everything will go well but I have to be patient .Your pics are delicious and make my mouth watering,A warm hug and my good wishes for you my dear Susan, take care !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Chiara! I'm am so sorry you are have trouble with your foot :( Good wishes to your recovery also, My Dear.

      Delete
  2. The fish looks so delicious.

    Wishing you a speedy recovery. I have been struggling with an allergy, but now I just feel wimpy. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Allergies are awful! My husband has allergies for years and I've become more sensitive the past 10 years of so myself. Thank you, Madonna. You would love this preparation, I'm sure.

      Delete
  3. I am glad that you don't have to wear an immobilizer any longer..that's progress. That halibut looks really meaty and tender...simply excellent!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Angie! Small steps :) I wondered if you can get halibut in Germany. I believe the halibut we buy is from Alaska.

      Delete
  4. It looks so fresh and delicious!

    Susan..your garic harvest is fantastic..are you doing it again next year?

    It's my fave thing in the edible garden..nothing tries to eat it..fuss free!
    So happy you are healing well!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The halibut is one of our favorite meals :) I am absolutely going to grow garlic again this year. I have a trip to the farmers' market planned this afternoon to start looking for prime bulbs! I have a couple of really big bulbs that I grew this year that I'm saving to plant as well. I love using my own garlic and the scapes were a real treat! You're so right - it's almost fool proof here :) Thank you...it feels so good when I see progress. Not so much when I go the other way :( You should see how small that arm is compared to the other. It only takes 3 weeks to lose muscle and much more time to regain it.

      Delete
    2. I will keep my fingers crossed you prove nature wrong and regain it quickly:)
      WE should form a club..Garlic Growers Anonymous..the world is so small..I was Googling something and I discovered than an agent that I used to work with has moved to another province and that's what he does! Big time though..a farm of it..it suits him..he always had a great garden..

      Delete
    3. Found some beautiful, big bulbs today :) When are you starting yours this year? I wonder where your friend sells his garlic? What a fun profession!

      Delete
  5. First of all love, love your grilled halibut and kale pesto, looks heavenly. Next I am so glad your wrist is doing better. By the time you finish with all your physical therapy you will be like the bionic woman, way to go!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is heavenly, Cheri, thanks :) Fingers crossed on being a bionic woman - I'll take back to normal and be happy.

      Delete
  6. Love this look awesome Susan. And Im happy you are better !! You will be OK soon !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Gloria! I will try to keep your words in my mind :)

      Delete
  7. not sure where the comment went, but *poof* it is gone...

    And just when I was urging you to take it easy. Have a food fall, one that makes up for the less than stellar summer!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A food fall? Ha! A good fall, too. (And no falling!)

      Delete
  8. You are so funny, Vee! I've actually thought about winter and ice - ugh! Believe me, I'm going to be walking (and driving) verrrrry carefully this winter :) Thanks so much!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Okay my comment just disappeared so if we end up with two, sorry! So glad to hear you are on the road to recovery. Don't overdo! :-)

    Kale and walnut pesto sounds delicious. Love the idea of walnuts instead of those pricey pine nuts.

    Take good care!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're the second one who had that problem, Julie! I wish I knew what the problem was. This is one of my favorite pasta sauces! Who knew kale could taste so good this way :) Thanks so much and I have to keep reminding myself I can't do everything I'd like to do just yet!

      Delete
  10. The fish looks amazing but hearing that you're slowly getting better is wonderful news. Hope the healing goes quickly now!

    ReplyDelete
  11. So glad you're doing better! The halibut and pasta look delicious. :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. so pleased your doing better, was just thinking about you and this looks delicious

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'm really happy to hear that you are making good progress with your wrist…just be careful and don't undo the healing that is taking place. Your meal looks delicious, both the fish and pasta.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the advice, Karen! I do try to be careful but get impatient to do more. So hard!

      Delete
  14. Oh Susan, I am so glad to hear that you are doing better...and cannot believe that you a sharing this awesome meal...looks fabulous, nice piece of halibut!
    Have a great week ahead :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Juliana :) It was prepared and photographed before my accident but I'm getting better at doing more cooking, thankfully.

      Delete
  15. This is great news! So glad you are mobile and able to do for yourself again. I have missed your lovely posts and am so glad I didn't miss the one. Wonderful beautiful recipe Susan! Welcome back :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. So glad to hear that you don't have to wear the immobilizer. I hope your wrist gets better very soon. Take care and all the best with the exercise!
    The halibut looks very tender, flaky and delicious!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Joyce! I am trying to be careful and do my exercises faithfully :)

      Delete
  17. It is always handy to have couple of recipes ready in case something wrong happens! I love the flavors of fish and the pasta!

    ReplyDelete
  18. OMG I'm so sorry to hear about your wrist! I totally understand how frustrating that can be having suffered my share of broken bones in the past 5 years. I'd advise you not to overdo it too much but I sure know how good it feels to start doing things on your own after being cooped up for weeks on end. Well the halibut and kale pesto look positively DIVINE - so keep the fabulous recipes coming and heal that wrist! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I didn't know that you had some breaks in the past 5 years, Stephanie! Plural? Yikes! Thanks for the comment and the sage advise :)

      Delete
  19. We love halibut and love kale pesto- perfect combination!!! Great idea from a great cook- YOU! Love ya girlfriend!! Xo

    ReplyDelete

I appreciate your comment!