Super Snapper

At least once a year a group of my college friends converge on my house for a get-together.  As the only one without a husband and kids, I've got the quiet zone (until they all get here, of course).... and it's pretty much a guarantee that there'll be good food, and lots of it!

It was a gorgeous Northern California day, so they arrived at 3PM, champagne in hand, and we sat in the backyard, sipping and noshing on sourdough, cheeses, fresh fruit, pistachios, and hot smoked salmon....

I don't recommend testing recipes out on company, but I can suffer from "culinary cockiness" from time to time.  So I tried out a couple new things.  I don't venture too far from my wheelhouse when I do this, so I felt pretty comfortable that I could pull it off.  I would never try cooking a cut of meat that I'm unfamiliar with or use ingredients I've never used before, but this day I tried out a couple dishes that let me remain in my comfort zone and branch out all at the same time.


I turned to one of my favorite new cookbooks, Fresh, Happy, Tasty, by Jane Coxwell.  I hadn't made any of the recipes in it yet, but they all look so tasty and fresh that I knew this was my go-to book for my girlfriends.  I coupled my tried and true Green Papaya Salad and Citrus Roasted Asparagus with Coxwell's Tamarind & Coconut Lentils and Green Quinoa-Crusted Bass (but I used snapper - it's in the bass family and was the freshest fish at the market that morning).


The snapper recipe is my new favorite..... you essentially mix a pesto with cooked quinoa, put it in the fridge for a half hour to firm up, top the fish with it and bake it for just 5-6 minutes.  That's my kind of dinner: fast, easy, and delicious.

Jane's recipe calls for toasted pine nuts, but I used walnuts (like I do in most of my pesto recipes).  You pop those in a blender or mini chopper along with a clove of garlic (use a big, fat one!), lemon zest, olive oil, 2 cups of fresh herbs (I used basil, mint and cilantro) and cooked quinoa.  This makes a lovely "paste."

Spread that onto a board covered with plastic wrap, keeping it about 1/4" thick.  Top it with another sheet of plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes to get nice and firm.

After a half hour in the fridge, it will be easy to cut into pieces and top the fish.  To give a little seasoning to the other side of the fillet, drizzle olive oil on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  This goes into a 450 degree oven for only 5-6 minutes (love that.... cuz there was a lot of laughing an storytelling on the back deck, and I hate missing out!)

Give this one a try, peeps.  It's a keeper.  Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner for the family or to impress your friends at your next dinner party.  The crust will keep in the fridge for a good 24 hours, so you can always make that ahead, and then you've got a healthy 5 minute dinner!  I busted out my new spiralizer (it did take 3 of us to figure it out - thanks Renee and Tish for having more patience than me!) to make noodles out of a daikon radish, to give a nice crunchy addition to the tender snapper.

Here's Jane's recipe from her book:

Green Quinoa-Crusted Bass
Serves 4

1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 garlic clove, minced
Zest of 1/2  lemon
Extra virgin olive oil
2 cups tightly packed fresh green herbs ( a mix of parsley, dill, mint, cilantro and basil)
Maldon or other flaky salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Four 4-ounce boneless, skinless pieces of bass

• Toast the pine nuts in a small dry skillet over low heat for about 2 minutes, until lightly browned. 
• Cook the quinoa in boiling water for about 15 minutes and drain.  Place it back in the dry saucepan over low heat and stir for 1 minute to remove excess water.  Remove from heat and let cool.
• Add the quinoa to a blender with the garlic, pine nuts, lemon zest, 1/4 cup olive oil, herbs and salt & pepper to taste.  Blend until it forms a smooth paste.  Check the seasoning and adjust as necessary.
• Lay some plastic wrap flat on a clean work surface and spoon the mixture onto the plastic wrap.  Top with another layer of plastic wrap.  Using a rolling pin, roll the mixture into a rough rectangle that's about 1/4" thick.  This will be your crust.  Place it on a plate in the fridge to stiffen up for about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Remove the crust from the fridge and place it on the work surface again.  Peel off the top layer of plastic and discard.  Them using a knife, cut out 4 pieces of the crust to match the size of you fish.  Rub the fish in a bit of olive oil.  Use a spatula to pick up the crust pieces and place them on top of the fish.
• Season the bottom of a baking sheet with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and place the fish on the sheet.
• Bake the fish for about 5 minutes until cooked to your liking.

Cook Happy!

Velvety Mushroom Soup

I always crave soup this time of year...the weather is chilly, and a nice bowl of hot soup warms me up and just hits the spot.  I've been making a lot of butternut squash variations, spicy pumpkin and hearty chili.  I was looking for something new to try.

I'm in love with a book I "borrowed" from my sister (you have to actually give it back for it to be considered borrowing, and I'm not sure I'm there just yet!).  It's called Fresh Happy Tasty, by Jane Coxwell.  She was the personal chef to Diane Von Furstenberg, and I share her approach to cooking: real food, fresh ingredients, simple preparation.

While reading it cover to cover, I spied a mushroom soup recipe that was described so beautifully that I knew I had to try it.  I made just a couple changes (I added some goat yogurt, used a large shallot instead of red onion and added a little more oil when sautéing the veggies), but either way, it's so perfect and simple that I wanted to share it with you.

I was first struck by the fact that she broiled the mushrooms; this brings out all their warm, earthy flavor.  I usually sauté my veggies when I make soup, but I was excited to try this method.  Toss a pound of sliced mushrooms with some olive oil, fresh thyme leaves and sea salt (Jane loves Maldon sea salt, and I do too - its large flakes give wonderful flavor).

Lay the mushrooms out on a baking sheet and broil for about 10-15 minutes, tossing occasionally, until browned, being careful not to burn them.

When mushrooms are done, place in a medium saucepan with any of the juice from the pan and a little olive oil.  Add chopped shallots (or red onion) and a few cloves of garlic.  Saute until the shallot is softened, stirring occasionally so garlic doesn't burn.  As far as chopping goes, you're going to puree this, so you can do a bit of a large chop, so nothing burns.

When shallots are soft, add enough broth to cover.  I used 2 1/2  cups of chicken broth (you can keep it vegetarian by using vegetable broth).  I ended up adding another 1/4 cup when I pureed it to get the consistency I liked.  Bring this to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Transfer to a blender and puree for at least 2-3 minutes until velvety smooth.  If patience is not your strong suit (like me), you're probably used to just blending it until everything is combined.  But trust me on this one....let it go for a few minutes and it becomes so silky and delicious.  Jane says about most of her pureed soups, "when you think it's smooth enough, blend even more."  She's absolutely right!

Now this is where I like to play, and encourage people in my cooking classes to taste and balance their flavors.   A soup or sauce is a great place to start learning about adding elements to create the perfect taste.  You can see what I added below, but start playing this little game with yourself: taste the soup, and then add a pinch of salt.  Taste it again and see how the flavors have woken up.  Try a little acid - vinegar, citrus juice, yogurt - and see what that does to the flavors.  If you're nervous about ruining a whole pot of your soup, put a little into a small bowl and play with just that amount.  When you've figured out your secret formula, then you can add it to the pot.

I added goat yogurt (has a nice tanginess about it, and is tolerated by most people with lactose issues), some lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.  And viola!  A little bit of sourdough and I was in heaven.  A perfect lunch to get me ready for wrapping Christmas gifts!  Speaking of, this would be a nice addition to your usual Christmas Eve dinner - maybe little mushroom soup shooters to start the meal.....

Velvety Mushroom Soup
Serves 2-3

1 lb. sliced cremini mushrooms
leaves from 4 sprigs of thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1/2 cup chopped shallots
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 1/2 cup chicken broth, plus extra for desired consistency during puree
1 tablespoon plain goat yogurt
Juice of half a lemon
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Goat yogurt and thyme leaves to garnish

• Preheat broiler
• Toss mushrooms, thyme, salt and 1/4 cup olive oil in a large bowl.
• Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and broil, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes until browned, being careful not to burn.
• Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add mushrooms and any of their juices from the pan, shallot and garlic.  Saute, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened, about 3-5 minutes.
• Add 2 1/2 cups broth, or enough to cover mushrooms.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.
• Transfer to blender, add goat yogurt and lemon juice and puree 2-3 minutes until velvety smooth, adding more broth if needed to reach desired consistency.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper to your taste.
• Garnish with a dollop of yogurt and a couple small thyme sprigs.