cod + shrimp + couscous + basil + serrano

I was looking forward to cooking dinner for my witty and pretty friend April. We both wanted something healthy, but I didn’t want to serve something boring. The spice and the flavor from this dish gave it the kick needed to make this worthy of our girls night in.

This was inspired from a Jamie Oliver recipe that was featured on the goop.com magazine.

1 cup quick-cook couscous

olive oil

2 lemons

sea salt and freshly ground

2 cloves of garlic

1 fresh serrano

a bunch of fresh basil

I teaspoon whole cumin seeds

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 x 6-ounce white fish fillets, skin off and bones removed

¾ pound large shrimp, raw, peeled

1 x 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes

2 handfuls of fresh or frozen peas, fava beans, or green beans (or use a mixture)

1. Cook the couscous according to directions. I used pearled couscous for a hearty texture.

2. Get a large saucepan on a medium heat. Peel and finely slice your garlic. Finely slice your chili. Pick the basil leaves off the stalks. Put the smaller ones to one side and roughly chop the larger ones. Add a couple of lugs of olive oil to the hot pan. Add the garlic, chili, basil, cumin seeds, and cinnamon. Give it all a stir and put the fish fillets on top. Scatter over the shrimp. Add the canned tomatoes and the peas and beans. Squeeze in the juice from the two remaining lemon halves. Put a lid on the pan. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for about 8 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily. Taste, and season with salt and pepper.

3. By the time the fish is cooked, the couscous should have sucked up all the water and be ready to serve. Spoon the couscous into a large serving bowl and give it a stir with a fork to help it fluff up. Top with the fish, vegetables, and juices from the pan, sprinkle with the reserved basil leaves, and pour a glass of wine and enjoy!

Beef. Barley. Baby leek soup.

This recipe was directly inspired from www.smittenkitchen.com as I was doing an internet search for uses for the (two week availability) baby leeks I had a sample of from Coke Farm. We also happened to be in the middle of the storm we had been so desperately needing, as schools were closed and people were staying home from work, so I was so happy when she gave me this simple soup recipe. This may be the easiest soup I have ever made. It smells delicious slowly cooking while we watched the storm.

1. Trim two big, meaty short ribs and put them on the bottom of your soup pot.

2. Add 1/2 cup of barley, three big cloves of garlic shopped up, two chopped onions, and three leeks cut lengthwise and then into segments–use both the white and the green parts. I added crimini mushrooms, you could add any other vegetables you might like. Grind in a little black pepper.

3. Add about eight cups of filtered water or beef stock ( I like the way beef stock makes the dish rich) and let it simmer on the back burner for at least three hours while you go about your business.

4. Before serving, skim off the fat, take the meat off the bones, chop it and put it back in the soup.

Now invite all your friends that are playing hooky from work too, serve with some crusty bread, maybe a little whiskey for added warmth and you have yourself a storm party. You might even be warm enough to go play in the puddles and the mud.