Herbed Lemon Rockfish with Asparagus and Balsamic Tomato Saute and Orzo with Sweet Yellow Tomato Cruda

Simple yet fancy, easy yet full of flavor and fresh ingredients. This meal is a bit of a contrast at first, but works out beautifully. Each piece of this meal- the fish, the orzo, the asparagus -comes together very quickly. In fact, the longest any single one of those would take is just 20 minutes. However, if you have just one set of hands and are the only one chopping, prepping, and popping in and out of ovens and on and off of stoves, it'll take longer in all. If you go that route, as I did, I suggest you chop and prep everything first so once you start cooking you can move quickly. Otherwise you risk one dish getting cold as the others cook!

But not only is this meal relatively simple, it's fantastic. With fresh tomatoes in season, the asparagus-tomato dish and the orzo with the yellow tomato cruda are absolutely bursting with flavor. Make sure to purchase fresh, ripe, farmer's market tomatoes for the best results. These two dishes also both include balsamic vinegar, lending complementing tastes to one another without duplicating too many flavors.

The fish then rounds out all of it perfectly. With such flavorful side dishes, full of both sweet (tomatoes) and a bit of salt (cheese) the fish is the final, essential touch. It's rich on herbs and olive oil, giving savory, Mediterranean flavors, that supports without overpowering or being overpowered. Make this meal to impress - and you surely will.

Difficulty: easy
Time: 45 min
Cost: $15.24



Herbed Lemon Rockfish
Time: 20 min

Ingredients:
1 lb rockfish
1 tsp lemon rind
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Thyme, dried
1 tsp oregano, dried
1/2 tsp black pepper

Get your oven preheating to 425 degrees.

Simply combine the lemon rind, lemon juice, olive oil, Thyme, oregano, and black pepper in a small bowl. Spray a cookie sheet or broiler pan (since you are using a high temperature) with cooking spray and place the fillet, skin-side down, on the sheet.

Drizzle the lemon-spice mixture evenly over the fish, scraping all of it from the bowl.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cooked to your desired degree. Serve hot.

Servings: 2
Serving size: 1/2 lb rockfish
Nutrition: calories 281; carbs 2g; fat 10g; protein 43g; sodium 137mg; iron 6mg

Asparagus and Balsamic Tomato Saute
Time: 15 min

Ingredients:
1 bunch of asparagus
2 tsp olive oil
1.5 c grape tomatoes, halved (6 oz)
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 oz goat cheese, crumbled

Trim your asparagus and put it in a microwaveable bowl. Sprinkle with a teaspoon or two of water and microwave for 3 minutes. Check to see if it's crisp tender. If it is, stop. If it isn't, continue to microwave, one minute at a time, until crisp tender.

In the meantime, get a large pan heating over medium-high. Add the olive oil, swirling to coat. When the oil is hot, add the grape tomatoes and garlic. Saute for 5-6 minutes or until tender.

Add the balsamic vinegar and black pepper and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Put the asparagus on a serving plate. Pour the tomato mixture evenly over the top. Sprinkle the goat cheese as the last layer and serve immediately.

Servings: 2
Serving size: 2 cups of vegetables, cooked
Nutrition: calories 119; carbs 11g; fat 7g; protein 3g; sodium 58mg; iron 3mg

Orzo with Sweet Yellow Tomato Cruda
Time: 15 min

Ingredients:
9 oz orzo, uncooked (dry)
2 c sweet yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp basil, dried
1/2 c green onions, diced
1 tsp oregano, dried
1.5 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c reduced fat parmesan, grated

Cook the orzo, following the directions on the package. However, leave out any salt, oil, or butter suggestions. Simply cook the dried pasta in water.

When it's finished cooking, drain and rinse with cold water quickly to keep it from sticking. Put in a bowl.

While it's cooking, get all of the other ingredients together. Once the orzo is in the bowl, add the cherry tomatoes, basil, green onions, oregano, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, black pepper, and garlic. Stir until well-combined. Add the grated parmesan and toss lightly until just combined. Enjoy!

Servings: 4
Serving size: about 1.5 cups of orzo mixture
Nutrition: calories 356; carbs 60g; fat 10g; protein 11g; sodium 243mg; iron 17mg