Mediterranean Halibut- Three Ways

A few days ago, I watched a cooking show where the person made this delicious looking recipe of a halibut salad sandwich. I couldn't stop thinking about it and wondered what it tasted like, so I decided to try it out today. I was literally blown away- it was amazing! And so, so versatile. Halibut is a really easy fish to cook. I even bought frozen filets since WF was out of fresh, and could not have been more thrilled with how they turned out. While I did make the halibut filet into a fish salad sandwich which I ate for lunch, I will also serve it as a salad with greens and toasted french bread (which can also be a great appetizer), or serve the filet with the salad base on top of it for dinner. It was light, full of flavor, and totally different from what I usually make/serve. Also would be perfect to serve for a small luncheon- just double or triple the recipe. 1 filet mixed with the base will serve 2-3. Hope you enjoy this easy one as much as I do!

Halibut

Ingredients:
-1 halibut filet (2 if you are serving as a main course and not as a salad)
-1 tsp olive oil
-salt and pepper

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 375.
-Drizzle olive oil on filet
-Sprinkle with salt and pepper (about 1/2 tsp of each, total)
-Bake for about 15 minutes, or until fish flakes apart easily. Set aside.

Halibut Salad Base

Ingredients:
-1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped as finely as you can
-1 tbs capers, drained
-1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
-1 tbs chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
-zest of 1/2 lemon and 1 tsp of lemon juice
-1-2 tbs mayonnaise (if you don't like mayonnaise or are making this as a topping for the halibut filets, feel free to substitute with 2-3 tsp olive oil or vinaigrette dressing)
-salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
-Mix above ingredients together. Set aside.

Ciabatta or French Bread Toasts

Ingredients:
-Ciabatta Bread or French Bread
-1 tbs olive oil
-1 garlic clove, peeled and cut in 1/2

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350.
-Slice a piece of bread off of the loaf, cut in half lengthwise.
-Drizzle with olive oil.
-Bake for 5 minutes until bread is slightly crispy but not brown.
-Rub garlic clove on the bread to give it a little garlic flavor.

Halibut Salad Sandwich and Salad Plate Assembly

Ingredients:
-Baked halibut filet
-1/2 cup arugula
-2 pieces of ciabatta or french bread toast
-sliced tomatoes and fresh chopped basil as a garnish, optional

Directions:
-With two forks, flake apart the halibut and add it to the salad base. Mix together.
-For a sandwich: place arugula on the bread toasts, top with a scoop of halibut salad, top with the other piece of toast. Serve.
-For the salad plate: place arugula on plate, top with a scoop of halibut salad, drizzle with 1/2-1 tsp of olive oil, place a lemon slice or wedge on the plate, serve with the toast on the side.
-If you would like to make each plate look complete, you can add 2 or 3 fresh tomato slices with a little bit of fresh chopped or dried basil (use less if you are using dried) and some olive oil, salt and pepper on top.

Sandwich Assembly

 Salad Plate Assembly

Halibut Filet topped with Mediterranean Salad Base

Ingredients:
-1 cooked halibut filet
-salad base

Directions:
-Place halibut on plate and put a scoop of the salad base on top of the fish. Serve with a lemon wedge. You can also serve this atop a bed of arugula to make a complete meal.