Fish and Chips, as you know, is a traditional British dish, consisting of battered fish and deep-fried fish potato wedges. Known for being filling and hearty, Fish and Chips can also often turn out soggy, limp, and well, laden with extra fat and starch that perhaps we don’t need in our everyday diet.

My version of Fish and Chips, Panko Crusted Lake Perch with Parmesan Kale Chips, injects a little more nutrition into what is considered iconic international cuisine. Instead of frying in vegetable oil, we are using olive oil, and in place of potatoes, we are plating with Parmesan-sprinkled kale chips. We are also going to mix it up and instead of using the more commonly used Haddock or Cod for this recipe, we will serve with Lake Perch and batter with Panko crumbs.

Recipe: Panko Crusted Lake Perch with Parmesan Kale Chips

Do you often wonder what to do with asparagus other than drizzling with olive oil and baking in the oven? Gets kinda old after a while, right? Well, why not add some to your pizza?

This recipe for Grilled Vegetable and Pesto Flatbread is a savory combination of those delicious vegetable spears, along with mushrooms and Vidalia onions. Fresh basil pesto, Mozzarella, and oregano complete this tasty homemade meal perfect for lunch, dinner, or a midnight snack!

Recipe: Grilled Vegetable and Pesto Flatbread

If you haven’t yet had a chance to visit one of your local farmer’s markets yet, you should. Not only is it important to buy local and support local agriculture, but nothing is better than spending the morning taking in the sweet, just-picked aromas of fresh fruits and vegetables while talking with local vendors out in the sunshine.

Depending on where you live, peach season is getting into swing. Even if you don’t yet have farm fresh peaches available, you can still find good ones at your grocery store. In this recipe for Fresh Peach and Grilled Vegetable Salad, the succulent sweetness of the peaches pair extremely well with the earthy flavors of asparagus, onions, mushrooms, basil, and greens (topped with creamy goat cheese). Even better than buying your produce outdoors is cooking up, serving, and enjoying what you’ve made al fresco!

Recipe: Fresh Peach and Grilled Vegetable Salad

There are hundreds of ways to prepare chicken. . . you can bake it, grill it, roast it, barbeque it, marinate it, and fry it. You can mix it in with pasta, put it in a taco, add it to soup, skewer it on a kabob, chop it up in a salad, or put it in a stir fry. Endless options!

Let me help you whittle down those possibilities with this recipe for Sesame Citrus Glazed Chicken, a classic on many restaurants’ menus. Home cooks can often feel overwhelmed and intimidated by recipes they see in cookbooks, or think they can’t do what many top chefs do at their favorite eating establishments. But you can, and it can be easy. This recipe takes about an hour to prepare, but assembling the ingredients and cooking this yourself in the comfort of your own kitchen will empower you to start making more restaurant quality dishes with just as much ease!

Recipe: Sesame Citrus Glazed Chicken

Sweet, tangy, and spicy all at once, this recipe for Mango Orange Glazed Barbecue Shrimp is ideally suited for summer get-togethers, but even if you wanted to prepare this dish on a regular, old night after work — hey, you earned it — I would encourage that. Dinner is on the table in 30 minutes! The layering of citrus really brings out the comparatively “sweet” flavors of the shrimp, as does the brown sugar, but the chili flakes and rice wine vinegar tones the sweetness back down, adding just the right amount of spice and tang to this dish.

There are a variety of ways that the home chef can spice up their recipes or put an easy twist on classic recipes, like I do with this Lemon Pepper Chicken with Jicama Slaw dish.

The jicama, also known as a Mexican Yam or Mexican Turnip, is definitely an underutilized vegetable ingredient, and one you won’t find on many menus across America. That’s too bad, because its sweet, earthy taste goes well with “zesty” citrus flavors like lime, lemon, and oranges, and provides a much-needed crispness as a slaw when paired with chicken.

Memorial Day to many people means school is finally out, vacation season has started, and summer is almost here. The carefree feeling that’s heightened this time of year, of course, is really due in part to what Memorial Day really means — commemorating the men and women who gave their lives to protect the freedoms we enjoy as Americans. So let’s remember to be thankful this holiday, and by all means, celebrate with some good food while keeping the country’s men and women in uniform in our thoughts.

My Memorial Day menu this year revolves around a healthier version of Pan Fried Chicken. You bake the chicken first, remove the skin, bread it, and then pan fry it, so it still retains that crispy, crunchy texture, but isn’t as fattening.

Also on the menu: Asian Grilled Shrimp Spinach Salad, fresh Spinach Pasta, and for dessert, decadently good Mango and Dark Rum Ice Cream. Happy Memorial Day!

Recipe: Pan Fried Chicken

Chef Johnny Prep filming with Teen Kid News in New York City.

I’m in New York City today filming with Teen Kids News, a regional Emmy Award-winning educational news show for kids, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Stay tuned for when my segment will air. Teaching kids how to incorporate healthy eating habits into their life(style) is one of my greatest missions, and I’m glad to have you along for the ride and hopefully to inspire you to teach your kids to do the same.

Today’s recipe is a wonderful dish to cook along side your kids; it’s a spicy recipe for Grilled Salmon with Roasted Onion and Sriracha Mayo. Fish of course is heart healthy and the protein is good for your bones and muscles. As you may have noticed, I also frequently make my own homemade sauce or dressing, like the Sriracha mayo, for my dishes. . . It tastes so much more authentic and is quick and simple to make yourself!

Recipe: Grilled Salmon with Roasted Onion and Sriracha Mayo

Lots of people like to eat breakfast food not just at breakfast — those meals, like this Breakfast Burritos recipe, are ideal any time of day. Sure, it’s an excellent protein-packed choice for the morning hours to power up your day, but who among us haven’t craved eggs and sausage for lunch or dinner?

The spicy aroma of this savory Breakfast Burrito is the first thing that will hit your senses. Next, savor the taste of chorizo sausage, onions, pepper, jalapeno chiles, eggs, and queso cheese wrapped in a tortilla and topped with salsa. It’s is an easy-to-make comfort food for the AM or PM!

Recipe: Breakfast Burritos

Gyros are popular, but why they are not as popular on restaurant menus as hamburgers is a mystery. When you are walking in the city and happen along a street vendor who is whipping these up in his or her tiny food truck, the aroma will draw you in every time.

Yes, gyros are traditionally made with pork, chicken, lamb, or beef, but my recipe for Grilled Tilapia Gyros upends that notion. (The kitchen, as you know, is a wonderful place to experiment. That’s why they call it a “test kitchen”!) The grilled Tilapia and crispy pita bread subtly collide with the cool, zesty Tzatziki sauce, tomatoes and onions, making this the perfect dish to prepare for the kids after school or on the weekend while entertaining friends.

Recipe: Grilled Tilapia Gyros