Dining on Flipper!

Well, not really. Dolphin yes, but not the friendly mammalian type that we adore so much and swim with and chirp with and all that amazing fru-fru jazzy stuff. Mahi Mahi, a more acceptable thing to say other than dolphin. It's a hearty white fish that is very versatile in flavor. You can steam it, bake it, grill it, or fry it. The easiest of which being baking or grilling. I have found the best flavor combination is citrus basil. It keeps the light flavor of the fish available while subtly adding notes to it that bounce all around your pallet.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and grab some aluminum foil. Lay out a large enough piece of aluminum foil to hold the entire piece of fish. Sprinkle the juice of half a lemon over the fish and sprinkle about half a tablespoon of basil over that. Take a clove of garlic and peel off the skin. Place four portions of the garlic around the fish and wrap the foil up over it all. Place the foil packets in a baking dish and place in the oven.

The fish will take about 20-30 minutes to cook. While the fish cooks, you can prepare your sides. I ended up cheating today and using some microwave in the bag rice and green beans. They are good, simple, and easy to make. That way you can focus more on a glass of wine or ice cold beer and the people you have invited over.

When the fish has completed cooking, it will be slightly flaky, yet still firm. Cut the Mahi Mahi pieces into smaller steak sizes and serve over rice with the beans on the side. This fish goes best with a crisp white wine like a Chardonnay. With the time you saved on making the sides, you can think of an amazing desert to make for afterwards!

What you need

Mahi Mahi

Rice

Green beans

Lemons, or juice of, half for each piece of fish

Garlic

Basil

Cilantro Lime Chicken and Mexican Rice

This dish is simple, delicious, and relatively healthy, for those of you for which that matters. Also, you will most likely have some mexican rice left over so you can use it for future meals! It is perfect for a summer day where you want something a little lighter but yet very flavorful! The lime on the chicken mixed with the cilantro gives a light, earthy flavor while the rice has a little kick to bring everything together.

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees and place the chicken breasts in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. While the chicken is cooking, put one cup of rice and two cups of water in a medium sauce pan. Mix in a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, a tablespoon of Cayenne pepper powder, a tablespoon of Chili powder, and a tablespoon of Cilantro. Bring the mixture up to a boil over high heat. Once the mixture is boiling, lower the temperature to medium and cover allowing to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally with a fork.

While the rice and chicken are cooking, combine in a large bowl one can of sweet corn [NoProTip: They have canned corn that has red and green peppers already mixed in, thats what I used!], one can of black beans, one can of soy beans [I know they aren't "mexican" per se, but I love them and wanted to use them, you won't regret it!], and finally half a cup of diced tomatoes. Mix all that together in the bowl and set to the side.

When your 25 minute timer goes off for your chicken, pull it out of the oven. Drizzle lime juice over the top, half a lime for each breast, and sprinkle cilantro over that. Place the chicken back into the oven for another 10 minutes to help the lime juice soak in and completely cook the chicken through.

When the rice has fully cooked the liquid out, mix in the corn mixture into the rice, cover and let sit until the chicken is finished cooking. The heat of the rice will heat up all the other added ingredients. An optional step is to add some lime juice to the rice mixture, that depends on your preference towards lime juice of course.

Once the chicken is done, put a portion of the rice mixture on the plate and place the chicken breast on the top edge of the rice. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the top to help bring out the flavor of the cilantro and the lime.

This meal goes great with a Mexican cerveza like Corona or a sweet white wine.

What you need

Chicken

White rice

Lime, about 2-3 [or buy lime juice, works just as well]

Sweet corn

Black beans

Soy beans

Cilantro

Cayenne pepper powder

Chili Powder

EVOO

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Smothered Chicken and Rice

Chicken is great! So are mushrooms, and cheese! Why not combine them? Smothered chicken is an easy way to make a simple chicken breast into something amazing, and its super easy! Its perfect for those nights where you are tired from the kids running around all day because its been raining and you've been trapped in the home and you want to simply kill them, but instead you will cook something that is simple and delicious. Or say you only have a toaster oven and electric hot plate in your college dorm, its still easy!

Start with preheating your oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken breast in your baking dish and drizzle with EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Bake the chicken for thirty minutes or until the juices run clear.

While the chicken is cooking, you can start on your rice. A good rule of thumb to follow when making rice is 1 cup of rice needs 2 cups of water. 1 cup of rice yields a good serving of rice too! Enough for two or three people. Rinse your rice three times under cold water before cooking it. This helps take any harmful pesticides off of it as well as wash off a layer of starch that can cause the rice to be too sticky. This step is optional but makes for better rice. Place the rice and water in a pot and season with salt and drizzle in a little EVOO to help keep the rice from sticking to the pot. Bring the water to a boil over high heat and lower down to a simmer over medium heat. If you are using an electric oven, you may need to use two burners so the heat transfer can go quicker. Cover the rice tightly and and let it simmer for about 15 minutes until all the water is cooked out. After the water has cooked out of the pot, fluff the rice with a fork and let it sit, covered, for at least five minutes. This helps the heat and water transfer to fully penetrate the rice.

While the rice is cooking, put your sliced and cleaned mushrooms in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Drizzle EVOO over the mushrooms and allow them to cook down for about 10 minutes.

When the chicken is done cooking, take it out of the oven and top with the sauteed mushrooms. With the mushrooms on top of the chicken, place a piece of provolone, or swiss, cheese and place back in the oven under the broiler until the cheese is fully melted.

Plate this with a good helping of rice on the plate and put one smothered chicken breast on top of the rice. Sprinkle a little basil over the top to add a little more flavor, and color. Serve with a nice chilled glass of a sweet white wine, or your favorite beer.

What you need

Chicken Breast

Rice

Extra Virgin Olive Oil [EVOO]

Salt and Pepper

Mushrooms

Cheese [provolone or swiss]

Basil