Halibut with White Beans in Tomato-Rosemary Broth

Yeah, so Food and Wine is my favorite foodie magazine. But, Cooking Light is a close second... because of recipes like this. Delicious. Hearty. Healthy. And pretty much always inspiring. This one wasn't perfect as written, but provided plenty of food for thought to produce a really fantastic meal. (As to the improvements/inspirations: We like our fish with a bit of bread crumb crunch on top. And I added a bit of Parmesan to richen the broth. I'll highlight my adaptations below....)

Halibut with White Beans in Tomato-Rosemary Broth
Adapted from Cooking Light magazine.
Serves four.

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 (6-ounce) halibut fillets
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chopped plum tomato (about 4)
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
(My additions: 1 cup bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (plus 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese), 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish evenly with salt and pepper. Add fish to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side. Remove fish from pan and place in baking dish or pie plate. Cover fish in mixture of bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons Parmesan and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place in oven and bake for ten minutes or until done.

Meanwhile, add garlic to skillet in which fish was cooked; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in tomato, broth, wine, and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Right before removing from heat, stir in one tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese. Remove from heat; stir in rosemary.

Serve immediately by placing fish on top of bean mixture in rimmed bowls. Garnish with a fresh sprig of rosemary.

Food/Wine Pairing: This is one of those borderline dishes that gives you plenty of options. A Sauvignon Blanc or Albarino has the acidity to stand up to rich flavors. An unoaked Chardonnay would complement the creaminess of the white beans. And even a light Pinot Noir would work. I took the easy route...it's summer, so we uncorked a rosé. It was the perfect balance between richness and acidity. Try it and let me know what you think.

Ironically, I tried this recipe on the same night that my brother had a brief layover at the airport and we discussed a possible wine dinner for December. Guess what? This dish makes the cut.