This is a delicious fish recipe. The finished product can easily stand in for fried fish in a sandwich or be eaten by itself. If you’re not sure about the mayonnaise, try it with your favorite tartar or cocktail sauce recipe.

Spicy Cilantro Mayonnaise

3 T minced fresh cilantro

¼ c mayonnaise

1 serrano or jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

1 garlic clove, crushed

Stir ingredients together and set aside while you prepare the fish.

Cornflake-crusted Halibut

1 c skim milk

1 egg white, lightly beaten

1 ½ c cornflake crumbs

¼ c flour

1 t Kosher salt

½ t ground black pepper

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

4 6-oz. halibut fillets

Combine milk and egg white; stir well with a wisk. Combine cornflake crumbs, flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Dip fish in milk mixture, then dredge in cornflake mixture. Add fish to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily. Serve with mayonnaise mixture and lemon wedges. Serves 4.

This is a fabulous side dish for meat, poultry, or fish that comes out perfectly every time. Prepping the recipe takes about five to ten minutes, but it does need to bake for a while so be sure to allow enough lead time.

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

3-4 medium Yukon gold potatoes (about 1 lb), peeled

1 medium or 2 small zucchini (about 8 oz.)

2 ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced

¾ t Kosher salt

¼ t black pepper

1 t finely chopped fresh thyme, or ¼ t dried thyme

3 oz. grated Cheddar cheese

Place rack in upper third of oven; preheat oven to 375°.

Coat a 10-inch, deep-dish pie plate or gratin dish with 1 t oil; sprinkle with garlic. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice potatoes and zucchini as thinly as possible. Arrange potato slices in dish, overlapping rounds; repeat with zucchini, then tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme, drizzle with remaining oil, and sprinkle with cheese.

Cover with foil; bake 35-45 minutes until potatoes are tender. Remove foil; continue baking 25 minutes, until top is golden brown. Remove from oven; serve immediately. Serves 4.

Here’s a recipe for all you vegetarians in the crowd, although I frequently serve it to my meat-eating friends and family as well. The chickpeas have a terrific, meaty texture and hold up well in this dish, inspired by Indian cuisine. If you don’t have garam masala, don’t feel that you need to buy it. Simply substitute a mixture of ground cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, and black pepper to your taste. And be sure not to skip the peas or peanuts in the rice; they add sweet and salty flavors and another pleasant texture.

Chickpea Stew

1 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 c finely chopped onion

2 28-oz. cans whole peeled plum tomatoes(preferably San Marzano), drained, seeded, and chopped, reserving the juice

1 ½ t sugar

1 t curry powder

1 t Kosther salt

¼ t ground turmeric

¼ t ground red pepper

2 15½-oz. cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

½ t garam masala

¼ c chopped fresh cilantro

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat Add onion; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomato, sugar, curry powder, salt, turmeric, and red pepper; cook for 10 minutes or until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If mixture seems dry, add some reserved juice. Serve over Peanut Rice; garnish with cilantro. Serves 4.

Peanut Rice

2 ¼ c water

1 c uncooked white basmati rice

½ t salt

¼ t ground turmeric

½ c dry-roasted peanuts

½ c frozen green peas, thawed

Bring water to boil in a saucepan. Add rice, salt, and turmeric; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes until liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked. Remove from heat; stir in peanuts and peas. Serves 4.

This is a very fast week-night meal for which it’s easy to keep ingredients on hand. I typically serve it with a tossed salad and garlic bread to soak up any extra sauce.

¾ lb linguine

¼ c extra-virgin olive oil

4 T butter

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 small onion, minced

¾ t dried oregano

2 cans small, chopped baby clams with the juice

Kosher salt and black pepper

¼ c chopped fresh parsley

Cook pasta until al dente, approximately 8-12 minutes. Drain pasta when cooked.

While pasta cooks, heat oil and melt butter in 12-inch sauté pan. Add garlic, onion, and oregano; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add clams and juice; bring to a boil, then turn to a low simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste; stir in parsley. Add pasta and stir to coat with clam sauce. Serves 4.