Jacob and Ashley

The week before I went out to visit my family, we had a great menu line up with all sorts of new recipes. Since I'll be revisiting many of them this summer I wanted to keep them in a safe place, so here you have it my friends...

Couscous & Parsley Crusted Fish
via stephmodo
This creates a perfectly crunchy crust on the fish...even Avery loved it!
1 cup couscous
1 1/4 cups chicken stock
1 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. minced Italian parsley
zest + juice of one lemon
sea salt + pepper
1 lb. firm white fish (I used mahi mahi)
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
canola oil, for shallow frying

Place the couscous and stock in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 5 minutes or until liquid has been absorbed. Then add butter and fluff with a fork. Add parsley, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper and mix to combine. (Avery loved eating just this as we were waiting for the fish to cook)
Cut fish into pieces or strips. Dust in flour, dip in egg and coat in couscous mixture. Heat 1/3 inch oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat and cook fish pieces for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden and crisp. Serve with a little mayo and lemon juice mixed will and several lemon wedges.
(I cooked mine out on the grill in a pan so it wouldn't smell up my house)


Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower, Arugula & Prosciutto
via
kosher salt
1/2 medium head cauliflower, cored and cut into 3/4 inch florets (3-1/2 Cups)
1 pint grape tomatoes
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
9 large fresh sage leaves
4 large cloves garlic, peeled
6 thin slices prosciutto (about 4oz.)
12 oz. dried orecchiette (or other small pasta)
5 oz. baby arugula (5 lightly packed cups)
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil.
Toss the cauliflower, tomatoes, oil, 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper on a rimmed baking sheet; spread in a single layer. Roast, stirring once or twice, until the cauliflower begins to turn golden and tender, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, pulse the sage and garlic in a food processor until minced. Add the prosciutto and pulse until coarsely chopped. Once the cauliflower is golden, toss the herb mixture into the vegetables and continue to roast until fragrant and the cauliflower is golden brown, 5-7 minutes.
Boil the orcchiette until al dente, 9-10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Stir in the roasted cauliflower mixture, arugula, cheese and enough pasta water to moisten. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


Caesar Club Sandwich
via Barefoot Contessa

2 chicken breasts
good olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto
1 large garlic clove, chopped
2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 tsp. anchovy paste
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 Tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup good mayo
1 lg. ciabatta bread
2 oz. baby arugula, washed and dried
12 sun dried tomatoes in oil
2-3 oz. Parmesan, shaved

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the chicken breasts on a plate. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until cooked through.
Meanwhile, place the prosciutto on sheet pan in a single layer. Roast for 10-15 minutes, until crisp. Set aside to drain on paper towels.
Place the garlic and parsley in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until minced. Add the anchovy paste, mustard, lemon juice, and mayo and process again to make a smooth dressing.
Slice the ciabatta in half horizontally and separate the top from the bottom. Toast the bread in the oven, cut side up, of r 5-7 minutes. Cool slightly. Spread the cut sides of each piece with the Caesar dressing. Place half the arugula on the bottom piece of bread and then layer in order: sun-dried tomatoes, shaved Parmesan, crispy proscutto, sliced chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and finish with another layer of arugula. Place the top slice of ciabatta on top and cut into desired lengths.