White Fish Braised in Lemon with Red Peppers and Tomatoes

This recipes comes from Mark Bittman’s cookbook, Kitchen Express. For years, Bittman wrote for The New York Times’ Dining section as “The Minimalist,” where he became famous for his 101 recipe lists. He’s done 101 appetizers, salads, simple meals etc; all of which take under 20 minutes to prepare. His lists are epic, and yet totally inspiring and do-able. This cookbook is in the same vein. I wouldn’t recommend it for a novice cook – he isn’t very specific about measurements or technique – but if you feel pretty confident in the kitchen it is a great tool for weeknight cooking.

2 medium onions (yellow or red, whatever you prefer), thinly sliced*
2 red peppers, thinly sliced*
2 TB. olive oil
1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half*
4 fillets of white fish (about 6 oz. each) –  flounder or tilapia are good choices
Juice of 1 lemon
1 TB. capers (optional)

* ingredients that can be prepped several days ahead.

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan and add onions and peppers. When the vegetables soften, add tomatoes and cook for another 3 minutes, or until the tomatoes soften. Season fish with salt and pepper; move vegetables to the side of the pan, add a bit more olive oil, and sear the fish for about two minutes (if your pan is not large enough for all of the fish, sear the first two fillets, remove them onto a plate and then sear the next two). Turn fish over (or return all fish to the pan onto the non-seared side), spread the vegetables around the fish, add the lemon juice and cover the pan and simmer for another three minutes, or until the fish is cooked through. Salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with capers.

Roasted Green Beans and Red Onion

This is one of my favorite, winter side dishes.

1 ½ lb. green beans, trimmed
1 large red onion, sliced in thick rings
1 TB. olive oil
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss all ingredients on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes – tossing once, halfway through. Season with salt and pepper again, if needed.