Grilled Swordfish with Eggplant-Pepper Salad

I'm lucky enough to live a couple miles from the beach and try to cook fresh seafood as much as possible. That said, I usually stick to a few of my favorite types of fish (salmon, trout, shellfish) and don't branch out that much from my go-to's. This recipe is a break from the norm and now I'm officially hooked on swordfish. The dish is actually based on something I saw Bobby Flay make on TV, but I couldn't find his recipe so I just winged it from memory. The fish has a great meaty texture and mild flavor that makes it perfect for the grill and the roasted eggplant and pepper salad adds lots of flavor and texture. It's a fresh, healthy meal that will make you feel like you're vacationing in the Mediterranean.

Grilled Swordfish with Eggplant-Pepper Salad:

• Slice 1 eggplant and half of an onion into 1/2" thick slices and brush with canola oil.
• Rub 1 bell pepper with canola oil.
• Place vegetables on a hot grill* for 4-6 minutes per side, or until nicely charred and soft.
• Dice all the vegetables together into bite-size chunks and toss in a bowl with 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar, 1 c. arugula leaves, 1 tbsp. chopped cilantro, 1 tbsp. chopped basil, salt, and pepper.
• Stir salad together and taste for seasoning. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, brush a 1 lb. swordfish steak with canola oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
• Cook fish on a hot grill for 5 minutes per side** and then top with the eggplant and pepper salad.
• Serve immediately.

Serves two

*You can also do this under a broiler or on a grill pan.

**Or until just cooked through. I like to rotate the fish at a 45 degree angle on each side to get restaurant-style crosshatch patterns.