Swai with Herb Pesto

What is swai? It's an Asian freshwater catfish, and you may have seen it popping up more and more in your grocery store. It's great because it's a mild white fish, and it is really inexpensive. It's become one of my go-to fish, because I can buy it frozen (Score! Using it this week AND next week...) and it substitutes well in any recipe for white fish. This recipe is such a great "throw together" for a weeknight, and it looks so pretty!

Grocery list items
frozen swai filets
grape tomatoes
fresh herbs (dill, parsley, basil etc.)
walnuts

I decided to make this recipe because I had a ton of leftover herbs. I bought them in these huge bunches and then I was trying to figure out how to use them up before they started to wilt and turn mushy. Aha! Pesto, one of my favorite foods. Normally, I make it with basil and spinach (check out that recipe here) but I had a ton of dill and parsley, so that's what I used.

Herb Pesto: 

1/2 cup walnuts 

2 cloves garlic 

2 oz parmesan 

2 tbsp olive oil 

1 1/2 cups fresh dill 

1 1/2 cups fresh parsley 

salt + pepper 

This really couldn't get much easier. Put the walnuts, garlic, parmesan cheese and 1 tbsp olive oil in the food processor. Blend until they are chopped very fine, then add your herbs with some more olive oil. I take only the frilly parts of the dill, but I use the stems from the parsley, since they have a nice flavor too. Blend until you have a lovely, bright green, thick paste. You're going to end up with a lot of pesto, so you can always freeze leftovers for another time. 

Swai: 

2 swai filets 

1 tbsp lemon juice 

1 tsp olive oil
1 handful grape tomatoes, sliced in half

Confession. When I'm lazy, I don't even defrost the frozen filets before I put them in the pan. I just drain off the water as they cook. 

Lightly coat a large non-stick pan with the olive oil. Cook filets in the pan on medium heat, sprinkling with lemon juice. Cook about 10 minutes on one side, then flip and finish cooking another 10 minutes or so, until they are opaque and flaky. If you put them in the pan frozen, it takes about 15-20 minutes a side. 

 All ready to serve! Spread your swai filets with a generous serving of herb pesto and top with some sliced grape tomatoes for color.

Swai with Herb Pesto 
 Herb Pesto: 

1/2 cup walnuts 

2 cloves garlic 

2 oz parmesan 

2 tbsp olive oil 

1 1/2 cups fresh dill 

1 1/2 cups fresh parsley 

salt + pepper 

Directions: 

1. Put the walnuts, garlic, parmesan cheese and 1 tbsp olive oil in the food processor. Blend until they are chopped very fine.

2. Add herbs with some more olive oil. Blend until you have a lovely, bright green, thick paste. 

Swai: 

2 swai filets 

1 tbsp lemon juice 

1 tsp olive oil
1 handful grape tomatoes, sliced in half

Directions: 

1. Lightly coat a large non-stick pan with the olive oil.
2. Cook filets in the pan on medium heat, sprinkling with lemon juice.
3. Cook about 10 minutes on one side, then flip and finish cooking another 10 minutes or so, until they are opaque and flaky. If you put them in the pan frozen, it takes about 15-20 minutes a side.
4. Spread swai filets with a generous serving of herb pesto and top with some sliced grape tomatoes for color.