Almond Crusted Striped Bass with Sauteed Kale

Today is expected to be a beautiful 70 degree day in Brooklyn, and already I'm crawling out of my skin to get out of my office and into the sunshine! When it's this beautiful out, I prefer to spend my evenings either jogging at the park or sitting at a sidewalk cafe, sipping wine or a cold beer--which means that dinner prep needs to be quick!

I came up with this meal idea one night when I had some extra fish from another meal that I didn't want to go to waste. It was late, and I'm not a fan of eating right before bed, so I wanted to make something quick yet healthy. I've always known about the health benefits of eating fish, but I also felt skeptical about the whole mercury and seafood issue, so when I stumbled upon this NPR article many of my concerns about where and how to safely obtain my omega-3's were demystified.

I decided to use kale as the side in this meal because, as I'm learning more and more, kale is a superhero of the vegetable family. It takes 15 minutes or less to prepare, whether as chips, a salad, or served sauteed or steamed, and its nutritional values are numerous: Kale is unusually high in fiber and other important vitamins and antioxidants, which can help prevent heart disease, osteoporosis, and cancer. Additionally, kale promotes healthy cognitive function as well as a positive mood, making it a great brain food to boot! I literally can't get enough of it!

Sauteed Kale

1 bunch kale, cleaned and rough chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
salt and pepper

Preheat about 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes, or until translucent. Add a dash of white wine to deglaze. Then add the kale and garlic and cook for about 5 more minutes, or until the kale cooks down. Add the salt and pepper to taste. I also like to add other vegetables I have lying around, such as fresh tomatoes or red and yellow peppers. Remember, the more color, the merrier (and healthier!) the meal.

Also, if you are looking for increased health benefits from the kale, I'd recommend skipping the saute pan and steaming the kale instead. To enhance flavor, steam the kale with garlic; not only do the two pair well, but the health benefits of garlic are also through the roof!

Almond Crust
1/2 c unsalted almonds
1 tbsp flour
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp coriander
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
zest of 1 orange

Season the fish lightly with salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside.

Place almonds in a food processor and process until crushed. Add flour, orange zest, and spices. Then coat both sides of each piece of fish with almond mixture.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, preheat about a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Cook for about 8-10 minutes per side, being careful not to tear the fish when flipping.

I like to serve the fish atop the bed of kale, but you can also put it on the side. Also, because I didn't have lemon in the house when I made this dish, I simply substituted orange, a decision I'd pass along to you, dear readers, as it proved to be a fresh twist on a classic fish.

Apple Pie with Medieval Pastry Crust

Game of Thrones has returned! And to celebrate the start of the third season, I wanted to make a dish inspired by my A Feast of Ice & Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook, which I got a little while back as an anniversary gift from my husband and sadly haven't used yet.

Although I originally opened the GOT cookbook with dinner in mind, I had also purchased a bag of golden delicious apples earlier in the weekend from my local farmer's market for an apple dessert. Saffron pastry dough and lemon pastry dough with vanilla are some of the first recipes in the book, so I decided to make a rich, savory crust for a crisp and sweet apple pie using a version of the two recipes: I added orange zest and bourbon barrel vanilla to the saffron pastry dough recipe.

Apple Filling: 
2-3 lbs golden delicious apples, diced
1/4 c brown sugar
1 tbsp melted butter
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp sea salt

In Advance: Combine ingredients in a large bowl. I also added a healthy dash of cayenne pepper, as well as maple powder and lavender sugar for a sweet and floral punch. I got both of these wonderful sweeteners, along with my bourbon barrel vanilla extract, from the wonderful Colonel De spice market in Cincinnati, Ohio. I then let the apple mixture rest in the refrigerator overnight so the flavors could mingle. If you don't have overnight, then let the apples rest for at least a few hours. Before adding the apples to the pie crust, stir in about 1-2 tbsp flour or cornstarch.

Medieval Pastry Dough
1/2 c water
1 tbsp vanilla
zest of 1 orange
Pinch of saffron
3 c flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 stick butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Combine water, zest, and vanilla and dissolve saffron in mixture. Meanwhile, cut the butter into the flour. Add the yolks and vanilla water until incorporated and a soft dough forms. Add more water or flour as needed.

Divide the dough into 2 parts for one 9" pie or 3 parts for two 8" pies. Roll out the dough for the bottom crust to about 1/4" to 1/8" thickness and place into pan. Shape and stab with a fork a few times. Add the apple filling.

Roll out the dough for the top crust and shape. Top with brown sugar and cinnamon. I also added a dash more of the the maple powder, lavender sugar, and orange zest.

Bake for about 10 minutes and then lower temperature to 350°F and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.