I've also got a busy weekend and couple of days off next week, so I'll hurry and post the entree now:

Parmesan-Crusted Halibut
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Parmesan-Crusted Halibut

1/2 cup flour
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons water
2 cups Panko bread crumbs
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Zest of 1 lemon, chopped
4 6-oz halibut fillets, skin removed
3 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Place flour in one bowl, beat eggs and water place in 2nd bowl, combine Panko, Parmesan and lemon zest in 3rd bowl. Lightly salt and pepper the halibut fillets. Dredge the fillets in flour, next dip in egg and then coat with Panko mixture.

Heat olive oil in ovenproof pan (I used my LeCreuset). Saute the fillets in on medium-high until golden-brown crust forms. Turn fillets over and place pan in preheated oven. Roast until centers are pearly white and opaque.

This recipe was posted on Cooking by hoopysmom and it's delicious, and I just love halibut nearly any way. I use my biggest cast iron skillet because I can brown the fish then just pop it right into the oven.

Annie

This is great with a gin & tonic or a cold glass of white wine. I prepare the cheese spread in a Cuisinart, but can most certainly do this all by hand. I have never used exact measurements when making this, but it is so simple you cannot mess it up.

Peppered Cheese Toast

1 block jalapeno Monterey jack cheese, shredded

about 1/2 onion, grated (I use yellow onions)

5 or 6 finely chopped jalapeno pepper slices from the jar (if you like things really hot & I do)

mayonnaise to bind it all together really well

1 loaf party rye bread

Mix everything except the bread; spread fairly thick on slices of party rye (the little mini loaves of bread). Place on a cookie sheet, & bake on 450 until bubbly and slightly browned. THAT'S IT!!

These freeze so well too. Just put them unbaked on a cookie sheet to freeze. Transfer to a big ziplock bag once frozen. You can take out what you like, when you need them, and put them in the oven straight from the freezer. This is my absolute favorite appetizer for anytime of the year.

Well then, just for the halibut, here is

Kohlrabi Soup

1 chicken, cup up
4-6 kohlrabi
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 tbls chopped parsley
4 tbls butter or lard
3 tbls flour
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup cream

Cook chicken for 30 minutes in salted water to cover. Peel the cohlrabi and cut into julienne strips. Add to the chicken with the salt and continue cooking until chicken and kohlrabi are tender, about another 25-30 minutes.

Remove chicken and sohlrabi; set aside separately. Defat the broth.

In a small skillet, wilt the parsley in butter or lard; add the flour and blend. Stir in 1 cup of the soup and continue stirring and cooking unmtil thick and smooth. Thin with remaining soup.

Remove chicken from bones and cut inmto bite-sized pieces. Return chicken and cohlrabi to soup and heat to boiling. Mix the egg yolks with the cream; temper mixture with a little hot soup and stir into the soup.

Makes 8-12 servings.

Yum. I picked up some halibut cheeks today. That might be a nice way to do them since dh doesn't like nekkid fish (I like my cheeks simply sauteed with some butter and garlic. He'd put tartar sauce on it ((shudder)).

This is my new favorite marinara sauce. Our neighbor made huge pots of it for her son's Italian-themed wedding and I couldn't believe how simple it was. It's really a non-recipe...proportions aren't important. The quality and the variety of the tomatoes makes a huge difference though. This is how we like it, though I do toss in fresh basil when I have it...or a splash of red wine...

Pasta with Lynn's Marinara Sauce

1 whole bulb garlic - peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 - 3 qts. diced tomatoes - canned, or use fresh, diced tomatoes, simmered for a bit and measured to 2-3 qts.
6-8 bay leaves
pasta of choice
Fresh grated Parmesan and cracked black pepper

Saute the garlic in olive oil until tender. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer until thick. Serve over pasta and top with freshly grated Parmesan and pepper.

GL - I need to take this opportunity to tell you that I'm going on a 2 week vacation (to Ireland) and I won't be available until the July 5 Progressive Dinner. I hope somebody new will join in!

With fish I always like to make some kind of crispy potatoes and a dark green veggie - so I flipped a coin and here is what I decided upon to go with the halibut this week.

CRISPY POTATO CUBES
inspired by Taste Of Home

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/8 teaspoon pepper
5 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 garlic clove, minced

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, salt, thyme, rosemary and pepper. Add potatoes, seal bag and shake to coat. Pour butter into a 13 x 9 baking dish, stir in garlic. Add potatoes.

Cover and bake at 450 for 20 minutes, uncover and stir, bake 15-20 minutes longer or until potatoes are lightly browned and tender. 4 servings

Have a great time in the Auld Sod, Woodie.

When Woodie flipped the coin and came up with a potato side, it helped me to figure out the other side. I have always liked peas with fish, so here ya go...

Sugar Snap Peas with Parsley Recipe
courtesy Rachael Ray

1 1/2 pounds sugar snap peas
Coarse salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves

Place peas in pot and add 1 inch water. Add a little salt, a teaspoon of sugar and a couple of pats of butter to the pot. Bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook until peas are tender but still bright green, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chopped parsley. Transfer peas to a serving dish.

Nancy

This is a summer favorite of ours!

Summer Tomato Salad
serves 6

1 lb fresh tomatoes or 2 1/2 c chopped
1 c seedless red grapes
1 med cucumber
1/2 small onion or 1/4 c finely chopped
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
1/4 c bottled or prepared balsamic vinaigrette
1/4 c sliced (not slivered) almonds

Wash and core the tomatoes and chop in 1/2 inch or smaller pieces and place in 2 qt bowl. Slice the grapes in half, (quarter them if they are large) and add to bowl. Dice cucumber and finely dice onion and add to bowl. Add feta cheese and dressing, toss to combine, sprinkle almonds over and serve.

Shelley

So, a fancier version of a "Fish and Chips" dinner, eh?

We used to have fish for dinner every friday. We didn't often eat dessert (mostly just special occasions) but if my grandparents came to dinner, there was usually an apple crisp. My recipe is more like a method LOL.

Peel, core, and slice enough apples to fill a pyrex pie plate. Toss them with some sugar and cinnamon to taste. I like to use brown sugar because I think it has a better flavour. Some people prefer to keep the colours lighter and use white sugar.

Mix 1 cup flour and 1/4 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt. Add some more cinnamon if you like. Cut in 1/2 cup butter until the mixture has lumps the size of peas. Stir in 1/2 cup oats.

Sprinkle this mixture over the apples, and pat it down a bit.

Bake in a 350-375 oven until the filling is bubbly, the apples are soft, and the top has browned a bit. When I made it with granny smith apples it took almost an hour, with macintosh it was closer to 30 minutes so check often. Allow to cool for a bit.

Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.