Striped Bass with Heirloom Tomato Scampi

PreparationTo cook the bass: Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large ovenproof nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the fish liberally with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the lemon zest and juice. Once the oil begins to shimmer, place the fillets skin-side-down in the pan and let them cook, without moving them, until the skin is crisp and golden brown, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Give a light push to loosen the skin from the pan. Add the thyme sprigs to the pan. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the fish flakes easily with a fork, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove fish from the oven and transfer to paper towels. To make the scampi: In a large skillet, heat the garlic oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, shallots, and fennel seeds and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the celery and capers and cook until the celery has softened, about 2 minutes. Add the wine to the pan and cook until it is reduced by half, about 1 minute. Add the vinegar, lemon zest and juice, tomatoes, and basil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to incorporate the flavors and heat the tomatoes through. Serve the bass fillets topped with the tomato scampi. Per serving: 424 calories, 35 g protein, 25 g carbohydrates, 21 g total fat (3 g saturated), 136 mg cholesterol, 7 g fiber, 252 mg sodium Nutritional analysis provided by Other Reprinted with permission from The Sweet Life: Diabetes Without Boundriesby Sam Talbot, (C) © 2011 Rodale

PreparationTo cook the bass: Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large ovenproof nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the fish liberally with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the lemon zest and juice. Once the oil begins to shimmer, place the fillets skin-side-down in the pan and let them cook, without moving them, until the skin is crisp and golden brown, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Give a light push to loosen the skin from the pan. Add the thyme sprigs to the pan. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the fish flakes easily with a fork, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove fish from the oven and transfer to paper towels. To make the scampi: In a large skillet, heat the garlic oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, shallots, and fennel seeds and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the celery and capers and cook until the celery has softened, about 2 minutes. Add the wine to the pan and cook until it is reduced by half, about 1 minute. Add the vinegar, lemon zest and juice, tomatoes, and basil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to incorporate the flavors and heat the tomatoes through. Serve the bass fillets topped with the tomato scampi. Per serving: 424 calories, 35 g protein, 25 g carbohydrates, 21 g total fat (3 g saturated), 136 mg cholesterol, 7 g fiber, 252 mg sodium Nutritional analysis provided by Other Reprinted with permission from The Sweet Life: Diabetes Without Boundriesby Sam Talbot, (C) © 2011 Rodale