Wednesday evening, in our house, and probably yours, is still part of the work week with all the extra “stuff of life” attached to it. This past Wednesday evening’s activities were no different in the Tobler household: broken cars that needed to be dropped off in town along with clean-up and fix-it chores before having weekend guests.
Isn’t it sweet though when you can get just a little respite from the weekly grind with a memorable evening meal? Memorable because the meal was not only a pleasure to fix and enjoy but notable because you took the time to actually kick back a little and have deep conversations with the one or ones you love.
We took a lesson from the exemplary sojourn we had in Spain last year (see Spain Off the Beaten Path: An Unexpected Spectrum of Life’s Richest Treasures) where the formula we emulated was taking time for great food, coupled with meaningful conversations with good friends.
Now if you know me you’ll know that I don’t put up a picture and recipe unless it’s tried and true. I knew I had a winner last night when Randy kept raving about the meal while going back for more helpings. Poaching your delicate white fish (like cod) in Court Bouillon lends fish that aromatic flavoring and buttery, tender appeal. Adding an accompanying sauce, like the red pepper coulis (a thin vegetable puree), infuses acidity and sweetness. The herbed quinoa offered just the right amount of starch, fat and herb flavoring to complete a perfect mouthfeel meal.
I served this memorable meal with a side of Swiss Chard Salsa Verde (see SUPERFOOD RECIPES- Cruciferous Vegetables) and complimented it with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc:
Poached Cod in Court Bouillon With Red Pepper Coulis
Served Over Herbed Quinoa
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
*32 oz. low sodium chicken broth
1 peeled carrot-cut in chunks
1 onion, peeled and cut in ½
2 bay leaves
2 whole cloves
2 stalks of celery, cut in chunks
1 ½ pounds cod (wild-caught is the best choice)
Preparation:
- Put in all ingredients except the cod in a large pot with a lid.
- Bring the mixture to a boil. Take off of the stove.
- Set cod in mixture, slightly covering the cod for 10 minutes with a lid. Cod should be fork tender.
- Spoon a serving of Herbed Quinoa in the middle of plate.
- Carefully, using a spatula and
transfer cod to dinner plates on top of Herbed Quinoa. - Ladle desired amount of Red Pepper Coulis on top of cod.
Red Pepper Coulis
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chicken broth
6 sweet red peppers, cored, seeded and cut into dice
12 cloves garlic-minced
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 T honey
1 pinch red pepper flakes to taste
salt and pepper
3 T finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
16 whole basic leaves
Procedure
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the sweet red peppers and garlic and sauté for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Mix in the vinegar, chicken broth and honey.
- Add the red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 15 more minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes and basil: simmer for 10 more minutes.
- Put mixture in blender or food processor until smooth.
- Serve hot over entrée of choice.
*Recipe adapted from Food.com
*Nutrition Info per serving for Red Pepper Coulis: 135 calories/11.6 g carbs./9.5 g fat/1.7 g protein
Herbed Quinoa
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients:
2 cups of low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup quinoa
Dressing:
1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup chopped fresh basil
1/8 cup chopped fresh parsley
½ T. chopped fresh marjoram
1 tsp. lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste
Procedure
- Rinse the quinoa if the grain has not been pre-rinsed in a fine sieve.
- Combine the chicken stock and quinoa in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat to a simmer, with a cover, for 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.
- In a small bowl mix all the dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing ingredients over the prepared quinoa. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
*Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis
Btw, I know I didn’t mention the word healthy one time regarding this meal BUT this is a prime example of a meal that is delicious, made with all fresh ingredients and yes, HEALTHY!