Giada's Feel Good Food (32 page)

This flavorful tomato–bell pepper sauce can top anything—fish, steak, shrimp, pasta, vegetables, and more. I often make a double batch and keep it on hand to use throughout the week. The fennel in it brings me back to my Italian roots; I love that light anise flavor, especially with fish. It's a classic Southern Italian pairing.
serves 4

for the sauce:
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the bell peppers, tomatoes with their juices, tomato paste, and agave. Bring to a simmer, whisking to blend. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the basil and salt.

for the fish:
Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat.

Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper. Drizzle the fish with the olive oil. Grill the fish until cooked through and the flesh flakes easily with a fork, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Transfer the fish to 4 plates and spoon the sauce on top.

This no-cook sauce—a particularly bright, citrusy pesto—started as a dipping sauce in my house. But I liked it so much I started making it to serve with sole, which proved to be a great way to get Jade to eat fish. The sole is nice and light and needs only a smear of the lemon-basil pesto to make a simple, elegant dish.
serves 4

In an 8-inch square glass dish, combine ¼ cup of the olive oil, the lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Whisk the marinade to blend. Add the sole and turn several times to coat evenly. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Remove 4 sole fillets from the marinade, letting any excess marinade drip off, and add to the hot pan. Sear for 2 minutes and then turn the fish over. Sear until just cooked through, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to plates and repeat with the remaining 4 pieces of sole. Top each serving of sole with 2 tablespoons of the lemon-basil pesto and serve.

Leftovers can be tossed with whole-wheat pasta or served with fish, meat—or pretty much anything. You can store the pesto, covered and refrigerated, for a couple of days.

In a blender or food processor, pulse the basil, pine nuts, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper until finely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add the oil and blend until the mixture is smooth and thick. Add the cheese and pulse until just incorporated.

I love honey-mustard anything. The sauce is sweet but it also has a kick. Pork tenderloin cooks quickly and benefits from the added bold flavors from this simple pan sauce, which comes together in minutes while the pork rests. Leftovers make great sandwiches.
serves 4

for the pork:
Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400ºF. Spray a heavy rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray.

Season the pork with the salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer the pork to the prepared baking sheet and bake until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 160ºF, about 30 minutes. Allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes on a cutting board before slicing ¼- to ½-inch-thick slices.