Herbed Chilean Sea Bass, Haricovert, Morels, Orange Pepper - Guava Sauce

Fish and vegetables is the ideal diet.  It truly doesn't get better and healthier then that.  This meal costs about $30 takes 30 minutes or less and feeds two.

Herbed Patagonian Toothfish
2 6-8oz pieces Toothfish
1 handfill parsley, chopped
1 handfill tarragon, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and white pepper

Preheat oven to 375.  Season fish with herbs, salt and white pepper. Sear on medium high heat in olive and butter on each side until golden.  Place the whole pan in oven for 5 minutes.

Orange - Guava Sauce
1 orange bell pepper, fine dice
1 shallot, fine dice
1/4 cup orangic guava mango juice
1 pat butter
Sautee pepper and onion in olive oil on medium low heat until very soft.  Add juice and let simmer 10 minutes.  Strain sauce and reduce until about 1/8 a cup.  Remove from heat and mix in the butter.

Crispy Morels
10 fresh morel mushrooms, halved
1 teaspoon olive oil
Coat morels in olive oil and roast for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Season with salt and pepper.

French Beans
Blanch beans for 1 minute.  Sautee with olive oil for five minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Mozzarella Panino

Mozzarella Panino is an appetizer I saw in the super market and I thought I could do the same but on a larger scale using higher quality ingredients.  The result was a tasty starter but it was a little too large to eat in a single bite.  Future attempts will be made but I will roll them thinner and smaller.  This costs about $30 feeds 10 and takes about 30 minutes or less.

Mozzarella Panino

1 lb thin sliced Prosciutto di Parma

1 lb fresh mozzarella

1 container fresh basil

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 table spoons of Saba

Lay out proscuitto making sure there is some overlapping.  Slice mozzarella into a long thin strip by using a large kitchen knife and rolling the mozzarella along the knife. It takes a little practice but you will get the hang of it.  Add fresh basil and a little olive oil and roll the whole thing into a log.  Slice like bread across the roll and plate up for presentation.  Finish with a little Saba, an Italian condiment, or balsamic vinegar.  Buon Apetito!

Sockeye Salmon, Charred Zucchini, Shrimp & English Pea Cream Sauce

Wild caught Sockeye Salmon is at top of the chart on omegas and simultaneously tastes amazing. This feeds two people, costs $40 and takes 1 hour.

Olive Oil Roasted Sockeye Salmon
2 6oz fillets of sockeye salmon, sliced into 6 pieces
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and white pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Start a medium saute pan on medium high and add olive oil. Once very hot add all the fish, skin side down. Immediately place the whole pan in the oven and let cook for 7-10 minutes or until fish is no longer raw on top. Remove and let stand 4 minutes.

Pea, Pancetta and Shrimp Cream Sauce
2 jumbo shrimp, diced, shells reserved
1 cup fresh English peas, blanched
2 tablespoons diced pancetta
1.5 cups vegetable stock
1/8 cup heavy cream

Start and medium saucepan on medium low. Add pancetta and let render for 10 minutes. Turn up to med and add veg stock and shrimp bodies. Let cook until reduced to 1/2 a cup of liquid. Strain sauce and add cream. Let reduce to half, about 1/4 cup of liquid. Add diced shrimp and peas. Season to taste.

Charred Baby Zucchini with Red Onions
1/2 lb baby zucchini, halved
1 organic red onion, sliced

Preheat oven to 400. Brush a sheet pan with olive salt and pepper and place zucchini cut side down. Brush tops with olive oil, salt and pepper and topped with sliced onions. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until onions are soft andn zucchini are browned.

I have to thanks my friend Suzy for the inspiration in creating the dish and the help with eating it all as well, good times! Buon Apetitio!!

Middle Eastern Plater

Some of the best tasting and healthy food comes from the middle east. I make many variations on this platter depending on what I have around the house and can get fresh that day. This one includes homemade hummus, homemade tabbouleh, Greek style yogurt, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, fresh mint and olive oil.

Hummus
1 can of chickpeas
3 medium cloves of garlic, smashed
3 oz of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/2 a lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Add 2 cups of water to a saucepan and add the chickpeas and the garlic, turn to medium high and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes and turn it off. Add the chickpeas to a food processor with a few tablespoons of water from the pot. Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor and blend until smooth. Chill and serve.

Tabbouleh

1/2 cup cooked bulgar wheat (1/4 cup uncooked #2 bulgar)
1/2 cup of fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1 roma tomato, seeded and chopped
1/8 cup cucumber, seeded and chopped
1/8 cup of onions, diced
3 oz of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 a lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon of cumin

Start 1 cup of water on high in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add bulgar wheat and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir and then turn of the heat and cover. Let it sit for 30 minutes. Drain with a strainer. Mix bulgar wheat and all of the other ingredients. Stir to combine well. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.


I plated up two servings of tabbouleh, hummus and yogurt, then chopped some cucumbers, tomatoes and onions. I finished the platter off with fresh chopped mint, paprika lemons and extra virgin olive oil. Finally I toasted up some whole wheat pita breads and had a healthy and delicious dinner.