The Fish for Dinner feature chronicles my education in the ways of fish-cookery. I grew up avoiding fish other than sticks and was well into adulthood before adding the real deal into my diet, usually at a restaurant. The impetus to cook more fish at home comes from joining a sustainable fish program through Hooked on Fish. I’ll tell you what we made and how we liked it, plus occasionally a few tips and tunes too.

The Occasion: Summertime supper. When it’s way too hot to turn on the oven or even the stovetop, fire up the grill and turn to this recipe instead. It’s just grilled fish with a salad piled on top, but this dish is so much more than the sum of its parts. Fresh, high-quality ingredients + easy to cook + no steamy kitchen = Pure summertime bliss!  

What Makes It Special? It’s the marinade/dressing, which goes onto the fish after it comes off the grill. ​When the warm fish absorbs those lemony, garlicky flavors – awww yeah! 

Serve With: Rice pilaf, toasted quinoa, or roasted potatoes would be nice to accompany the fish and salad. Maybe also a glass of crisp white wine? Yum. Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

The Verdict: This is a perfect meal – lean protein well-prepared, leafy green deliciousness, and a zesty marinade to pull it all together. Give this one a try -- I’m pretty sure you’ll seek out Sicilian Grilled Swordfish with Greens more than once this summer. Good for you!

Sicilian Grilled Swordfish with Greens
Recipe source: Ina Garten via Food Network
 
INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 (1/2-inch-thick) swordfish steaks (5 to 6 ounces each)
• 4 ounces baby arugula or other salad greens
• Grated zest of 1 lemon

DIRECTIONS:

• Light a charcoal grill or preheat a gas or stovetop grill until very hot.
• For the sauce, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Set aside.
• When the grill is ready, sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper and cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes on one side, then turn and cook for 1 to 2 minutes on the other side until almost cooked through.
• Remove to a flat dish, prick holes in the fish with the tines of a fork, and pour the lemon sauce over the fish while it is still hot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
• When ready to serve, place the swordfish on dinner plates or a serving platter, pile the arugula on top, drizzle with the sauce from the fish, and sprinkle with the grated lemon zest. Serve warm. 

Afternoon Dance Break is a recurring feature that invites you to get up from the desk, crank up the tunes, and dance your fool head off for a few minutes before resuming the daily grind. Want more dancing? Find past ADBs here.

​Today's dance break honors two talented musicians who have been bringing joyful music into my life for a long, long time: Chaka Khan and Joan Armatrading. 

We had the pleasure of seeing Joan in concert last night - her new album is available now, check it out. It was great until Sharon Shrill-Whistle sitting next to me decided to bust my eardrums with her enthusiastic sound effects. Dude, use your indoor whistle. 

And I cannot wait until Chaka rocks us all at the Pitchfork Music Festival next month -- I feel for you, girl! She's got a new single that dropped yesterday. Get it while it's hot hot hot!
​

The Occasion: Despite the word Breakfast in its name, this tasty treat says ‘snack food’ to me. More specifically it says "Eat me, you fool, I am the snackingest food, and we both know you want me now." The blackberry bar is not lying. 

The Recipe: One of my most favorite food blogs – Smitten Kitchen – is responsible for bringing this delightful treat into my life. Originally published as Raspberry Breakfast Bars, I took the blogger’s suggestion and swapped the fruit for what looked good at the market that week. The commenters suggested reducing the sugar in the crust to make the bars even more fruit-forward and delicious. 

Serve With: A cup of coffee or tea will be perfect as a go-with for this tasty treat. If you choose to make this part of your breakfast menu, add a small handful of nuts for a pop of protein if you’re in a rush, or maybe an egg white omelet if you’ve got more time.

Kitchen Tip:  Depending on the fruit you choose, the bars may or may not “bubble up” while baking as the recipe says. Some fruits (such as strawberries) are extra-juicy and may need a bit more flour or cornstarch to thicken up the sauce. Other fruits – like the blackberries I used – are not very juicy; I probably should have muddled the berries to loosen then up a bit. Just keep an eye on the bars, adjust the baking time as needed, and all will be well. Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

The Verdict: Overall these are very good – we’re already looking forward to making them again. AND they received several thumbs up from the office colleagues. That’s a relief, they can be a tough crowd! 

Blackberry Breakfast Bars
Recipe source: Smitten Kitchen
 
INGREDIENTS:

For the Crust and Topping

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

For the Fruit Filling:

• 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 pound blackberries, fresh or frozen
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

 
DIRECTIONS:

• Make the crust and crumb: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch glass or light-colored metal baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up the two short sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. (This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan after they have baked.) Butter the parchment.
• Put the flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until combined.
• Add the butter and pulse until loose crumbs form.
• Reserve 1 1/2 cup of the mixture and set aside.
• Pour the rest of the mixture into the prepared pan and use your hands or the back of a large wooden spoon to push the crust into an even layer at the bottom of the pan. The crust should touch the sides of the pan. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let the crust cool. Keep the oven on while you make the fruit filling.
• Make the blackberry filling: In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon and flour together.
• Add the blackberries, lemon juice and butter and use your hands to toss gently until the blackberries are evenly coated. “Muddle” the berries a little bit until they are soft and juicy but not mushy.
• Assemble and bake the bars: Spread the blackberry filling evenly on top of the cooled crust. Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly on top of the filling.
• Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, rotating the pan every 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling starts to bubble around the edges.
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then cut into squares and serve. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two days.