Blue Fish with Scallions with Smashed Potatoes with Goat Cheese and Chives and Pan-Grilled Corn with Herbed Tomato and Mushrooms

This meal is a throw-back to many favorite, classic foods but with the slightly off-the-beaten-track blue fish thrown into the mix. For those of you who regularly read Cooking in the Capitol, you'll have read a few weeks back of my love for blue fish. It has a great taste, is easily prepared, is cheap to buy, and pairs nicely with many foods. If you can find it at your local store, that is. But for this recipe we were in luck! I managed to scoop us some blue fish and tried a new recipe with it, a soy and scallion sauce, that turend out perfectly and is detailed below.

The blue fish this time is accompanied by a few classics with a twist. Smashed potatoes, the cousin to the more well known mashed potato, are cooked here with goat cheese and chives to pick up the flavor of the scallions and act as a comfort food. Then, the meal is finished off with a saute of corn, mushrooms, and tomatoes. These classic vegetables will tempt even the strongest vegetable foe while still tasting refreshing and different.

Blue Fish with Scallions
For best results, dig out your old grill pan or go purchase one at your local Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Unfamiliar with grill pans? They are basically exactly what they sound like - a pan disguised as a grill. Meaning, it's similar to your basic fry pan, but usually with a larger base and lower sides. Most importantly, the bottom of the pan is ridged like a grill. While you cannot replicate the charcoal or smoky flavoring you get from a real grill, the pan creates the dark lines that are so unique to grilling and still allows the food to be cooked in a different manner. Since only spots of the fish are touching the pan and others are not, some of the effects of grilling are retained. It is the best we can do in a kitchen!

Marinate the blue fish in soy sauce for 15 minutes in the fridge. Then, heat a small amount of olive oil on your grill pan over medium heat. Place your blue fish on the pan. Pour the soy sauce over top. Add diced scallions so they are both on top and to the side of the fish. I used about 3/4 cup of scallions for 1.5 lbs of fish. Sprinkle the blue fish liberally with black pepper and green pepper. Let it cook for 5 minutes. Add some more soy sauce so the fish is well coated with some sauce, but not a ton, pooling in the pan. Cook for another 5 minutes. Flip the blue fish and continuing cooking for 5-10 minutes or until fully cooked. You can always check by cutting the middle of your thickest filet with a spatula. Once the fish is fully cooked you are ready to enjoy it!

Smashed Potatoes with Goat Cheese and Chives
This is the longest part of the meal to prepare, so make sure that you plan your time accordingly. You'll find that the recipe dictates two different types of smashed potatoes, but I went happily along with the goat cheese and chives. I love goat cheese. Feel free to branch out if you prefer the other option more! Smashed potatoes, while delightful to eat and a little time consuming to prepare, are actually incredibly simple. Mostly you are boiling potatoes, mashing them, and adding a few ingredients. You'll find that this calls for 3 pounds of potatoes and 3/4 cup of goat cheese. You might want to add a little more cheese. While it is certainly healthier without it, I found that 3 lbs of potatoes made such a huge amount of smashed potatoes that the cheese simply disappeared inside. I was unable to taste the goat cheese at all.

I also find that 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper does next to nothing. Add more! Go crazy! A good rule of thumb with smashed potatoes is to add a little, mix it in, and give it a taste. Make sure you continue to add until you enjoy your creation. But remember, 1/4 teaspooon of black pepper doesn't go very far when your biggest pan is chock full of smashed potatoes.

Pan-Grilled Corn with Herbed Tomatoes and Mushrooms
Yum! I love vegetables! This recipe does well since it pairs run-of-the-mill vegetables that are palatable to anyone. It's also incredibly fast and simple to make which is nice since the starch part of this meal took a little longer to prepare. Make sure that when you purchase your frozen corn you pick one that is not already flavored with butter. Also check nutrition lablels - you'll be surprised how much something that is seemingly basic can vary.

The same goes for the diced tomatoes. If you purchase them canned ensure that they are explicitly labeled "no salt added" to avoid ingesting a lot of sodium. Can't find them and still want to be healthier? Use fresh tomatoes and then add some garlic to make up the difference! Fresh garlic and fresh tomato will taste great here. Just make sure to saute the tomatoes and garlic for an extra few minutes to get the right consistency and flavor.

Pair this meal with a nice white wine, or even a light red one, and enjoy!