Recipe: Almond Crusted Snapper

I had a few requests for this one, so here you go! This one is very easy, and makes you feel like you're eating a fancy meal. Props for this recipe go to the folks at the cooking school I went to.

ALMOND-CRUSTED SNAPPER
1/2 cup almonds, lightly toasted and then ground into tiny pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 tbsp dijon mustard (i used the grainy kind that mikael wood left at my house. thanks mikael!)
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
Enough extra virgin olive oil (i will not call it EVOO!!!!) to make a paste
4 6oz fish fillets
salt and pepper

1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahenheit
1) combine all the ingredients except the fish and mash together to form a paste. don't forget to taste and season it!
2) pat dry your fillets, place them on a baking sheet (i line mine with parchment paper for easy cleanup) and season well with salt and pepper. then, pat the mash over the top of each fillet.
3) bung it in the oven for 5-8 minutes depending on the thickness of your fish. Check to make it's cooked in the middle and hey presto! DINNER! For a nice little fresh taste, squeeze a little lemon over the top.


For the green bean salad: I boiled them in salted water for about 4 minutes, and immediately plunged them into ice water to keep them green and crispy. The dressing consists of a tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar (my new favorite!), a squeeze of lemon and a tablespoon or so of olive oil, depending on how vinegary you like your dressing.

Let me know if you try it and how it comes out!

Also, I try as much as possible to make sure we only eat SUSTAINABLE seafood, ie. no Chilean Sea Bass! Have a heart! For a complete and often changing list of sustainable fish, check out the Monterrey Aquarium Seafood Watch List. You can even print out a pocket guide. I'm not sure where snapper is on that one. Anyone know?

Also, anyone have a good recipe for deep, dark, banana'y banana bread?

-x-
aarti