Pasta e Ceci

Sadly the sun has definitely set on my Greek island holiday where, as you know, I have been doing a 5-week yoga retreat with my teachers, Graeme and Leonie Northfield.

From past experience, I have found Graeme and Leonie's workshops to be deeply profound on many levels, and this year was no exception.  For me this was a much needed time of letting go, after all the stresses of the Christchurch earthquakes and their aftermath, and I am enormously grateful to Graeme and Leonie for having allowed the space and the support for me to find a way in my practice to both honour and overcome what I have been through.  I have come home with the inspiration to take a more joyful and compassionate approach to my practice, letting go of much of the judgement that has always "dogged" my practice up until now;  a new-found gratitude for what I can do, rather than harsh judgement of what I can't.  It was wonderful to come together again with special friends made at previous workshops, and to make some new friends too.  The bond which seems to develop between people practising together in this intense way is unlike any other.  Off the mat also, the retreat did not disappoint. We enjoyed glorious, sun-filled days (not a single drop of rain in six weeks), mornings at the beach after practice, leisurely breakfasts, mid-day trips to town for coffee and a bit of shopping (which may or may not have included pastries), afternoon siestas, and long dinners at the local tavernas.  We even managed to take in a cooking class, which was one of the real highlights of the trip for me, and which I will tell you more about in another post.

And now I have returned to wet and wild here on the Auckland west coast.  Day after day the coast has been lashed by fierce winds, bringing with it huge surf.  Even in normal conditions the sea here can be treacherous, but right now we are witnessing mother nature at full force.  Then at night come the electrical storms.

It is of course all very spectacular, and although it has its own dramatic beauty which I love, there is no doubt that being thrust into the midst of wintery storms after weeks of endless 30 degree C days is a bit of a shock to the system.  Crisp, fresh salads and summer fruit have had to move over in favour of more warming food such as soups and pasta dishes, and yet I still want to cling to some of that lightness of summer foods - my body is not quite ready to plunge into heavy stews and casseroles just yet.  In a recent issue of Jamie Magazine, The Italian Issue I came across this recipe for Pasta e Ceci, which seemed to fit the bill perfectly.  The pasta and chickpeas provide just enough substance to provide comfort and warmth;  spinach, herbs and lemon add lightness and brightness to the dish;  and the accompanying mixture of creme fraiche, garlic and paprika adds some extra warmth and creaminess without a trace of heaviness.  Actually in the original recipe Jamie uses a mixture of yoghurt and harissa, but since I didn't happen to have either of those on hand I used a little creative license.

I'm sharing this recipe with my friends at I Heart Cooking Clubs, where we continue to cook with Jamie Oliver.  This weeks theme is Pot Luck, and I think such a dish would be a great contribution to a pot luck dinner anytime of year.

Pasta e Ceci Recipe

Adapted from recipe by Jamie Oliver

Jamie Magazine, The Italian Issue (March/April 2011)

Vegetarian

Makes 3 generous servings

Click here for a printable copy of this recipe

250g pasta shapes (I used strozzapreti)

400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 tbsp fresh mint, coarsely chopped

flaky sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon, grated zest and juice

4 generous handfuls of baby spinach leaves

200g creme fraiche

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon smoky paprika

Bring a large pan of water to the boil over high heat, salt the water liberally, then add the pasta to the water and cook until almost al dente.

Meanwhile, put the chickpeas into a bowl.  Add the chopped mint, salt, pepper, olive oil, grated zest and juice of the lemon.  Toss well to combine.

Add the spinach to the bowl of chickpeas and toss together.

When the pasta is almost, but not quite al dente, remove it from the heat, and reserve about one cup of the pasta water.  Drain the pasta and then return it to the pan, adding in the mixture of spinach and chickpeas.

Place the pan over medium heat, add the reserved cooking water, and cook until the pasta is fully cooked through and the spinach has wilted.

Remove from the heat, add a little more olive oil, and taste, adding more lemon juice, salt or pepper as necessary.

In a separate bowl mix together the creme fraiche, garlic and paprika and serve alongside the pasta.

I really enjoyed this dish, in fact I ate it three nights in a row - it is certainly not a heavy dish, so could easily be enjoyed anytime of year, and if you're after quick and easy it doesn't get much better than this.

Interested in getting to know Jamie a bit better?  Then do go and visit my friends at I Heart Cooking Clubs and see what they've all been cooking up ....

.... or check out Jamie's Italy and many of his other great titles, available from Amazon or Fishpond NZ.

         

I am also sharing this post at Magazine Mondays (hosted by Cream Puffs in Venice) and at Presto Pasta Nights (which will this week be hosted by Tandy of Lavender and Lime).

          

Scallops with Sweet Potato, Spinach & Vanilla Saffron Sauce Recipe

Here is a recipe which is totally unlike any of the usual fare that you might usually find on my blog, but in exploring the use of vanilla for a "Make it with ... Mondays" entry I wanted to try and use this ingredient in a more savoury application.  I had once seen Jamie Oliver on TV preparing fish with vanilla, and the idea of that combination was intriguing to me.  I set about searching in books and on the internet for recipes with fish and vanilla and didn't manage to turn up anything that was particularly appealing.

Then in an old issue (number 118 to be precise) of Cuisine magazine I came across this recipe for Hapuku with Spinach, Kumara & Saffron Vanilla Butter Sauce.  This was in fact a recipe from Swell restaurant, Waikanae Beach, which had been requested by a reader.  I really liked the idea of this recipe, but some of the steps and techniques involved were a bit "cheffy" for me - let's not forget I am the master of the one-pot-wonder, so I did make several changes to turn this into really a very simple dish.  Furthermore, since I was eating on my own, I decided to splash out on some beautiful scallops instead of the fish.  Using the original recipe as my inspiration, this is what I did to turn this into a beautiful dinner for one.

Scallops with Sweet Potato, Spinach & Vanilla Saffron Sauce Recipe

Inspired by recipe in Issue 118 of Cuisine Magazine

One generous serving (or two small serves)

Click here for a printable copy of this recipe

12 scallops

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 vanilla bean *(reserve 1/2 for sauce)

olive oil

1 medium-sized, orange-fleshed sweet potato

olive oil

flaky sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

2-3 large handfuls baby spinach leaves

butter

flaky sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

1/2 cup fish or chicken stock

1/2 cup white wine

2 cloves garlic, peeled (not chopped)

2 bay leaves

pinch saffron threads

1/2 vanilla bean *(see above)

1-1/2 teaspoons cream

2-3 tablespoons butter

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C (390 degrees F).  Peel the sweet potato and cut into smallish cubes.  Line a roasting pan with a sheet of parchment paper, add the sweet potato, drizzle liberally with olive oil, sprinkle over some flaky sea salt and freshly ground pepper, and toss well to make sure all the sweet potato is well coated.  Roast in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes until golden and crispy.

Meanwhile, put the lemon juice into a shallow bowl.  Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and set one half aside to use for the sauce.  Scrape the black seeds out of the other half and add them, along with the scraped out bean pod, to the lemon juice.  Add a generous drizzle of olive oil, stir to combine, and add scallops to the mixture.  Leave to marinate for a few minutes while you prepare the sauce.

Put stock and wine into a small saucepan with the whole garlic cloves and bay leaves, set over high heat and allow to reduce by half.  Scrape the seeds out of the reserved 1/2 vanilla bean, and add the seeds and pod to the pan, along with the saffron strands.  Reduce down to about 1-1/2 tablespoons.  Set aside to infuse while you prepare to cook the spinach and scallops.

Set a non-stick pan over high heat, add the scallops to the hot pan and sear on both sides.  These take just a moment or two on each side and care should be taken not to over-cook or they will be rubbery.

In a separate pan, heat a generous knob of butter, add the spinach leaves, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook until just wilted - again just a moment or two.

While the spinach and scallops are cooking, finish the sauce.  Strain the sauce into another small pan (discarding the vanilla bean, bay leaves and garlic clove), and add the cream.  Bring to a simmer, then add in the butter a teaspoonful at a time, whisking constantly so that each addition is fully emulsified.

To serve, place the roasted sweet potato on a serving plate, and top with the wilted spinach.

Arrange the seared scallops over the top, and drizzle generously with the sauce.

As I said before, this is definitely not the kind of thing that I normally make - it's a rare thing indeed for a sauce to be made in my house - but I will definitely make it again.  It was utterly delicious, and made a really special treat for "just me", or would be a beautiful dish to serve company for a special occasion.  I found that the scallops didn't really pick up that much flavour from the vanilla in their little marinade, even though you can see plenty of the little black seeds on the flesh of the scallops cooking in the pan.  It may be that I had a little too much lemon juice in the marinade which dominated a little, and I would reduce that next time (maybe even leave it out altogether).  The flavour of the vanilla did definitely come through in the sauce though - not strongly, but certainly unmistakably there - subtle and tantalising. The sauce had a beautiful savouriness to it and is certainly a sauce that I would make again - it would make a beautiful accompaniment to a piece of fish and also worked extremely well with the spinach and sweet potato.

This post is my contribution to Make it with ... Mondays challenge vanilla - the linky is open until Monday 24 January, so keep your vanilla posts coming, and don't forget to check out this week's special ingredient which is quinoa.

I'm also submitting this post to Magazine Mondays and the Hearth & Soul blog hop and to Food on Friday: Scallops, hosted by Carole at Carole's Chatter.

Shrimp & Curried Coconut Risotto for Magazine Mondays

You might recall that a couple of months back I decided it was time to try and whittle down the embarrassingly large pile of food magazines I have lying around the place.  In order to do that I set myself the challenge of cooking something out of the magazine pile at least once a week.  Well I'm pleased to say that I've been doing just that, even though I haven't always been able to post the outcomes.  I also can't really say that I've made much of a dent in the pile, as some of these magazines are so good that I've been stuck in the same one for a month!  But, never mind, at least I'm using them, and I've even finally managed to discard one or two.

As you may have noticed, when I have managed to actually get one of these magazine gems posted, I've joined in with the Magazine Mondays group which is usually hosted by the lovely Ivonne at Cream Puffs in Venice.  Since, Ivonne is a little busy this week I'm honoured to be hosting on her behalf this week.

My contribution this week is a Shrimp & Curried Coconut Risotto, which I adapted from a recipe for Crab & Coconut Risotto which appeared in the December/January 2004-2005 issue of Delicious magazine.  I made a few minor changes to the recipe, firstly using shrimp instead of crabmeat (which is not readily available here), secondly replacing lemongrass with freshly grated lemon zest, and lastly adjusting quantities because I didn't have four people to feed.  You can see the original version of the recipe by following the link above, or my adaptation at the end of this post.

Other contributions to Magazine Mondays this week came from:

Kimberly of Couple in the Kitchen who made Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake with Raspberry-Cranberry Compote from the December 1998 issue of Bon Appetit Magazine;

Mary of Caramels, Bonbons et Chocolats who made Crisp Maple Shortbread Cookies from the current issue of Chatelaine;

Chaya of Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog who made Cornmeal Dumplings for Chicken Soup from the current issue of Bon Appetit Magazine;

Tina Marie of Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor who made Julie's Noodle Casserole from Family Circle Magazine;

Grace at La Mia Vita Dolce (My Sweet Life) who made Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream from the November issue of Food and Travel;

Allyson of ReTorte who made Bobby Flay's Toasted Coconut Cake from the holiday issue of Food Network Magazine; and

Jamie of Life's a Feast who made Portugese Cream Tartlets from the December 2010 issue of Delicious Magazine (UK).

Shrimp & Curried Coconut Risotto Recipe

Adapted from recipe in Delicious Magazine

Serves 2

Click here for a printable copy of this recipe

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

grated zest of 1/2 a lemon

1 teaspoon medium curry powder

3 large handfuls of arborio rice (1 handful per person & 1 for the pot)

4 cups fish or chicken stock, hot

250g fresh shrimp, peeled & uncooked

3/4 cup coconut cream

generous handful chopped coriander

toasted shaved coconut to serve (optional, also see note at end)

Heat the oil and half the butter in a large frying pan, set over medium heat.  Add the shallot and cook until softened, approximately 2-3 minutes.  Add the garlic and grated lemon zest, cook for another minute, then add the curry powder and rice.

Stir until the rice is well coated with everything, then add a ladleful of stock and continue stirring until all the liquid is absorbed.  Then continue in the same way, adding the stock one ladleful at a time, and each time stirring until the liquid is absorbed before adding the next spoonful.  You want to continue doing this until the rice has begun to release its starches and becomes "creamy", but still has a little bite left to it.  When you feel as though the rice is almost done, and you feel as though you are probably only going to add one more ladleful of stock add the shrimp to the rice at the same time.  By the time the rice has absorbed that last batch of stock the shrimp will be almost cooked and will finish off cooking in the final resting time.

Now remove the pan from the heat, stir in the rest of the butter and the coconut cream, cover and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Stir the coriander into the risotto and serve.  Garnish with a little extra coriander and the toasted coconut shavings if using.  (Note I used toasted shredded coconut, and I have to say that even though I love toasted coconut, I didn't like the texture of the "crispy" coconut with the soft, unctuousness of the rice - it just seemed to be too much of a contrast, rather like coming across toenail clippings in your dinner!  Maybe if I had fresh coconut which I was able to shave and then toast it might have been better.  Either way - you choose)

One more ingredient that would really finish this dish off nicely - a tropical island paradise in which to eat it!

While you're here, check out my new event "Make it with ..... Mondays" - this week we're cooking with saffron and I'd love you to join in.  

I'm also giving away a free copy of Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything iPhone application (also works on iPod Touch and iPad) - full details here.  There are lots of opportunities to win, and this application really is brilliant, so do go and check it out.  All comments left on this post automatically get an entry to win.

Pork Chops with Saffron Baked Potatoes

As I have told you here before, I eat a predominantly vegetable-based diet.  This has more to do with my preference for vegetables over meat, than any opposition to the killing and consumption of animals.  As long as humane practices are observed in the raising and killing of those animals, then I am not opposed to eating them.  I am also convinced that for most of us the consumption of some animal products - meat, fish, eggs and dairy products - are essential to maintain optimal health.  I know all the vegetarians and vegans out there would probably have a lot to say about that - say what you like - that is my belief (based on much research, reading and reflection, I might add) and I'm sticking to it.

Anyhow, I'm not about to turn this post into a lengthy dissertation on the rights-and-wrongs, pros-and-cons of eating anything - I'm just saying that I'm not that much of a meat-lover and I would happily sit down to a big bowl of vegetables or a beautiful bowl of salad, than a big, juicy steak, any night of the week.  I never think of vegetables or salads as side dishes - for me they are definitely the main event.

I've also got to tell you that, as long as pigs roam this earth, even if I wanted to I could never become a vegetarian.  As you already know, I think just about everything can be made a little better with bacon and, whilst that big, juicy steak might not excite me .... dangle a pork chop in front of me and I would willingly give up state secrets, absolutely no torture necessary.  You really need to know, up front, that if your life ever depends on my keeping schtum about something, you sure as heck better hope that my captors don't manage to come up with a pork chop!

I have a few favourite pork chop recipes that I love and frequently come back to.  The first is this recipe for Pistachio and Blue Corn Tortilla Crusted Pork Chops by The Enchanted Cook - I think this might have been the first recipe I discovered on Veronica's beautiful blog, and it was such a big hit around here that, not only have I made it several times since, but I have become a regular visitor at The Enchanted Cook - check it out, I'm sure you'll love it too.  Another favourite pork chop recipe that gets made often around these parts is this one from Nigella Lawson for Mustard Pork Chops with Gnocchi.

The recipe I'm sharing with you today, will definitely be added to that list of favourites, and I know I will be making it again many times over.  Potatoes are baked in a saffron and sage infused broth, while pork chops are baked on top of them allowing all that beautiful "piggy" flavour to permeate the potatoes.  The original recipe called for onions in here as well, but I used wedges of fennel instead, and added a few sage leaves - really, what goes better with pork than fennel and sage? - not much.  The original recipe is by Kate Nichols and comes from the November 2007 issue of Delicious magazine.

Pork Chops with Saffron Baked Potates Recipe

Adapted from recipe in

November 2007 issue of Delicious magazine

Serves 4

Click here for a printable copy of this recipe

1kg potatoes (I used red ones, cut into quarters lengthwise)

2x fennel bulbs, halved (quartered if they are large)

2 tablespoons olive oil

pinch saffron threads, soaked in 2 tablespoons boiling water

1-1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock

salt & pepper

4x rashers streaky bacon, cut into strips

1 tablespoon olive oil

fresh sage leaves

4 pork chops

salt & pepper

extra sage for garnish

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F).

Toss together the potato, fennel wedges, olive oil, saffron and its soaking liquid, and stock in a roasting pan.  Season well with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over high heat, and cook the bacon until crisp.  Remove from the pan, using a slotted spoon, and sprinkle over the top of the potatoes in the roasting pan.  Tuck a few sage leaves in amongst the vegetables.

Season the pork chops on both sides with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Using the same pan you cooked the bacon in, over high heat, sear the pork chops for 1-2 minutes on each side until lightly browned.  Place the pork chops on top of the potato mixture, and bake until the pork is golden and the potatoes are tender - around 40 minutes.

Scatter a little extra fresh chopped sage over the top and serve.

I'm submitting this post to Magazine Mondays - mmmm, can't wait to see what else is cooking.  You can find last week's round-up here at "Cream Puffs in Venice".

         

I'm also submitting this post to the Hearth and Soul blog hop, a place where you'll find lots of wonderful people who are passionate about great food and cooking from the heart - do go and have a look at what they're all cooking this week.

Moroccan Chermoula Fish Kebabs with Couscous

Here is a fish dish that you are going to want to make over and over again this summer.  Okay, I know a lot of you are headed towards winter right now, not summer - but, take my advice and bookmark this one right now, because when summer rolls around you will definitely want to make these, and you don't want to find yourself (with a barbeque planned) scratching your head and wondering where you saw this recipe.  Go on, do it now - I'll wait ......  Oh and, by the way, if you find yourself in six months time enjoying a balmy evening out on your patio, with a bunch of these on the barbeque, please don't email me and tell me what a wonderful time you're having - by that time I'll be rugged up in a blanket or huddled over the heater and the last thing I'll want to hear about is the warm, sultry evenings you are having!!

Anyway, back to the kebabs.  These have loads of flavour;  they are healthy and delicious, quick and easy to prepare, and in fact can be prepared largely in advance;  they are colourful and gorgeous to look at;  they take just moments to cook;  and, let's face it, who doesn't love food on a stick?!  What's more, if the weather's not great outside, these can just as easily be cooked on a chargrill indoors (as I did) - so there you go, you don't need to wait for summer - you could make these right now wherever you live.

This recipe came from the November 2007 issue of Delicious magazine and, in my endeavour to whittle down my large pile of food magazines, is my contribution this week to Magazine Mondays.  I did make a couple of small changes to the original recipe - I omitted red onion from the chermoula and spring onion from the couscous (since, as I'm sure you know by now, we don't do onion at our house).  I also added some chopped pistachios and preserved lemon to the couscous.

Moroccan Chermoula Fish Kebabs with Couscous Recipe

Adapted from recipe in

Delicious Magazine, November 2007 issue

Serves 4

Click here for a printable copy of this recipe

Chermoula:

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes

pinch saffron threads

juice of 1 lemon

1/3 cup olive oil

2 cups coriander leaves

large pinch flaky sea salt

Kebabs:

800g thick, firm-fleshed fish (I used monkfish), cut into 3cm (1-1/4 inch) cubes

1 red pepper, cut into 3cm (1-1/4 inch) squares

1 orange or yellow pepper, cut into 3cm (1-1/4 inch) squares

16 fresh bay leaves

Couscous:

2 cups couscous

1 cup coriander leaves, roughly chopped

handful of shelled pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

skin of half a preserved lemon, finely sliced

To serve:

plain yoghurt, optional

Put all of the chermoula ingredients into a food processor, and process until a coarse paste is formed.  Remove two tablespoons of the paste and set aside, then coat the pieces of fish in the remaining mixture.  Cover and allow to marinate in the fridge for one hour.

Meanwhile, if you are using bamboo skewers for your kebabs, soak them in boiling water for at least 10 minutes.

After the fish has marinated, thread a bay leaf onto each skewer, then alternate pieces of fish with the coloured peppers, and finally finishing each skewer with another bay leaf.

Preheat a chargrill pan or barbeque to medium-high heat.

Meanwhile, put the couscous into a bowl with the two tablespoons of marinade that you reserved earlier.  Pour 2 cups of boiling water over the couscous, stir, and cover loosely with a tea towel.  Set aside for 10 minutes.  Fluff the couscous up with a fork, stir in the chopped pistachios, preserved lemon, and remaining coriander leaves.

Cook the kebabs on the heated grill plate, turning until fish is completely cooked through and slightly charred - this will take approximately 6-10 minutes, depending on the type of fish you have used, and how tightly you have threaded your skewers.

Serve the kebabs on a bed of the couscous and drizzle over some of the yoghurt.

I'm submitting this post to Magazine Mondays - mmmm, can't wait to see what else is cooking.  You can find last week's round-up here at "Life's a Feast".

Olive & Herb Fish Parcels

Here's a post that's short and sweet.  You see, today is a holiday for us here in Christchurch;  it is a glorious, sunny, spring day;  and, I need to spend a bit of time outside instead of at the desk.  These fish parcels, although I actually made them a couple of weeks ago, would be the perfect meal for a day like this - they are light, fresh, and incredibly healthy;  they are easy to make just for one (as I did) or make for a crowd;  you don't need to be too fussy with quantities;  and they can be prepared at least a couple of hours in advance.

This recipe came from the August 2004 edition of ABC Delicious magazine, though I did make a few small changes.  I put some thinly sliced fennel into the parcels, instead of the zucchini which was called for in the original recipe - I love the "aniseed" flavour of fennel, and I especially love it with fish - I thought it was a great success here, but I'm sure the zucchini would also be good.  I also simplified the process a bit - instead of mixing olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, herbs and seasonings together to make a dressing, I just drizzled and sprinkled directly over the fish - why dirty a bowl?

So, enough said - I'm going to let the pictures do the talking - I urge you to try this simple, flavourful dish.  Meanwhile, I'm off to enjoy the sunshine.

Olive & Herb Fish Parcels

Adapted from a recipe by Valli Little

ABC Delicious Magazine, August 2004

Click here for a printable copy of this recipe

For each serving you will need:

generous handful of baby spinach leaves

1 boneless, skinless fillet of firm-fleshed fish (I used groper)

thinly sliced fennel bulb or zucchini

handful of black olives

To dress the fish:

extra virgin olive oil

flaky sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

lemon juice

freshly grated lemon zest

garlic, finely chopped

fresh mint, finely chopped

fresh basil, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C (375 degrees F).

For each serving cut a sheet of tin foil approximately 30cm (12 inches) square, and a sheet of baking paper the same size.  Lay them out on your work bench with the baking paper on top of the foil.

Place a good handful of spinach leaves in the centre of each square.

Place a fish fillet on top of the spinach.

Arrange sliced fennel on top of the fish.

Remove stones from the olives (please don't buy already pitted olives - removing the stones is hardly an arduous task and the flavour is so much better), and distribute a generous handful over the top of the fennel.

Drizzle generously with extra virgin olive, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Drizzle over freshly squeezed lemon juice, and sprinkle over some freshly grated lemon zest and finely chopped garlic.

Lastly, sprinkle over the freshly chopped herbs.

Seal up the parcel, place on an oven tray, and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through - it is done when it flakes easily when tested with a fork.

To serve, open up the parcel and drizzle with just a little more extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.  I also served this with some crispy potatoes and a fresh salad.  I don't remember exactly, but I'm almost certain that a glass or two of Wither Hills sauvignon blanc may well have accompanied this.

I'm submitting this post to Magazine Mondays - mmmm, can't wait to see what else is cooking.  You can find last week's round-up here at "I'll Have What She's Having".