Local Amberjack with Pea Tendrils & Roasted Butternut Squash Mash!

Divas, hope you're all feeling fabulous today!

This morning, I'm bringing you a recipe for a great dinner I made on Monday night.  The inspiration were ingredients I bought at the Farmers Market on Sunday, including a lovely fillet of local amberjack, a few big handfuls of organic pea tendrils, a rare and delicate ingredient, and the butternut squash that's so plentiful right now.  Because my ingredients were so fresh, I handled them minimally, wanting to make a clean-tasting, flavorful dinner.  I simply broiled the yellowtail and finished it with a little lemon juice, sauteed the pea tendrils with garlic, and roasted and mashed the butternut squash.

Wow, it was so delicious, it had Kuzak all but licking his plate, wishing there was more butternut squash mash!  The pea tendrils also tasted tender and sweet, with a hint of the peas they produce, and the amberjack pulled the whole dish together with its bright, clean flavor and texture!

While I'm writing up the entire dish I prepared with all the components, the Roasted Butternut Squash Mash is a versatile dish that could be prepared to go with almost any type of fish or meat.  It's a fantastic holiday side dish, or puree it with a garlic clove and some vegetable stock for a tremendous soup!

Note: If you can't find fresh amberjack, almost any fish would work, including halibut, salmon or red snapper!  Also, spinach would be a delicious substitution for the often elusive pea tendrils.

Local Amberjack with Pea Tendrils & Roasted Butternut Squash Mash
Serves 2 people

2 amberjack fillets
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
3 cups pea tendrils, chopped with twisty parts removed
1 garlic clove, chopped
salt & pepper

butternut squash mash:
1 large or 2 smaller butternut squashes,  halved and seeded
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp thyme
1 tbsp butter
salt & pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

To roast the butternut squash, rub the inside with the cardamom, thyme, chili flakes, olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place the squash face down in an oven proof dish and poke holes in the tops.  Fill the pan with 1/2 inch of water.  Place in the oven and roast for 50 minutes, or until the squash is tender.

Once it's cooked, remove from the squash from the oven and allow to cool.  Then, scoop out the flesh into a bowl, add the butter and mash it with a fork.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, rub the fillets with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.  Then either broil or grill the fish until just barely cooked through (about 5 minutes depending on thickness).  Remove from oven, sprinkle with the lemon juice and allow to rest for a few minutes.

Finally, make the pea tendrils, heat a pan over medium high heat.  Add the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil and allow to warm.  Then, add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.  Add the pea tendrils and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted (only a few minutes).  Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To plate, place a good heaping of the butternut squash mash on a plate and top with the pea tendrils.  Place a piece of fish on top and enjoy!

Source for Ingredients:

local amberjack from J&P West Coast Seafood (Hollywood Farmers Market)

organic pea tendrils, organic butternut squash, organic garlic, organic lemon and organic thyme from the Hollywood Farmers Market

ground cardamom and organic butter from Whole Foods

chili flakes and organic olive oil from Trader Joe's

Amberjack with Purple Spring Onions & Haricot Verts

I'm posting this recipe in honor of my faux-sister, the great Beet-Eating Champion of the Caribbean, who shares my first name, so I'll call her Diva Squared. I'm currently ensconced in her father's house outside San Francisco, eating their food, drinking their wine, and having a grand time! I've learned many valuable things from Diva Squared, including that Quidditch is now a popular intercollegiate sport in which boys and girls run around with broomsticks stuck between their legs, pretending they can fly like Harry Potter. Who knew? Tonight, we're off my Top Chef Bro's restaurant! I can't wait to see what he has in store for us. We'll be occupying the private dining room at Picco! I promise to report on the feast.

While Diva Squared mostly sticks to veggies, she also enjoys a little fish now and again, so this recipe is perfectly suited for her tastes. It's light, refreshing, delicious and super healthy - a great way to celebrate the end of summer, as she pointed out! So check out this recipe - I promise you'll love it!

Domestic Diva's Amberjack with Purple Spring Onions & Haricot Verts

2 amberjack fillets (also known as yellowtail)
bunch of purple spring onions, purple parts thinly sliced
2 cups yellow haricot verts, blanched
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 lemon, juiced
salt & pepper

Directions:

First, blanch the haricot verts in boiling water for a few minutes, until tender but not overcooked. Place in cool water. Once they've cooled, remove from heat and drizzle with a little olive and season with salt and pepper.

Salt and pepper the amberjack fillets on each side. In a saute pan, heat the grapeseed oil over medium high heat until almost smoking. Add the amberjack fillets, sauteing for a few minutes on each side, until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the olive oil to the same pan and then saute the spring onions until tender. Finish with the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To plate, place some of the haricot verts in the bottom of a plate. Top with an amberjack fillet. Finish with the spring onion sauce. Enjoy!

Source for Ingredients:

local yellowtail fillets from Fish King

organic yellow haricot verts & organic purple spring onions from the Hollywood Farmers Market

Music on Tap:

Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home

Dylan is one of Diva Squared's favorite musicians, and this album is my favorite Dylan album. The song "It's Alright Ma I'm Only Bleeding" is amazing beyond words, not to mention, "Maggie's Farm," "Subterranean Homesick Blues," "Gates of Eden," "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue." If you've never heard it in its entirety, I highly recommend checking it out!

Amberjack with Peach, Serrano Pepper & Basil

So, I'm still flying solo today, just me and my trusty sidekick, The Adorable Monster. While I'm Kuzak-less, I've continued to create and eat great food! I've done everything, from whipping up my famous braised cassoulet (click here for recipe), to journeying west, a rare occurrence, for the sole purpose of dining at Fraiche with the A-Girl, to throwing together a huge batch of homemade hummus with toasted curry powder (recipe forthcoming), to visiting the Hollywood Farmers Market this morning. I'm only sad the Monster can't join me in my feasting!

What does all of this mean? More recipes, restaurant reviews, wine tasting notes and much more coming straight to you! To get you started, here's a great summer dish that takes advantage of the unbelievable peaches that are still in season, using them in a fresh way. I paired a local, sashimi quality amberjack (also known as yellowtail) with fresh peaches, peppers and basil and finished it with citrus and olive oil. While it's pretty simple to throw together, the dish has great depth of flavor sure to impress anyone. So go ahead, give it a try! I know you want to!

Domestic Diva's Amberjack with Peach, Serrano Pepper & Basil

1/4 lb sashimi quality amberjack (also known as yellowtail), cut into cubes
1 peach, pitted, peeled and cut into cubes
1 serrano pepper, seeded & finely chopped
1 tbsp basil, chopped
1 lime, juiced
2 tbsp good olive oil
salt & pepper

Directions:

In a bowl, toss together the amberjack, peach, pepper and basil. Squeeze with the lime juice and then drizzle with the olive oil. Toss all the ingredients together and then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Source for Ingredients:

local amberjack from Fish King

organic peaches, serrano pepper and basil from Whole Foods

Music on Tap:

The Lovell Sisters - Time to Grow

I've been on a bluegrass kick, and these sisters really know how to bring it! Click here to download two of their songs FREE songs from Amazon!