Super Summer Supper

 Last night Zach and I had my parents over for dinner on the deck. The food turned out really well, and we had a lot of fun too.  Cooking for loved ones and friends is something I enjoy immensely. I have a great time picking out the recipes, getting all the ingredients I need, and putting it all together. I think I will make it a goal to have someone(s) over for dinner at least every other month, since it is something that makes me feel really happy and proud. In terms of last night's menu, we had roasted cod with crimini mushrooms and green beans, brown rice, cilantro pesto, and a gingery cabbage salad. I'm breaking the recipes into three separate blog posts, since all of them could stand alone or be incorporated into other meals. The cod with green beans and crimini mushrooms is an adaptation of a recipe I found on epicurious. The original calls for halibut and shitake mushrooms. After reading the reviews, I made some changes which led to the recipe below.  The original also includes an awesome cilatro pesto recipe which I'll post tomorrow.

Roasted Cod with Crimini Mushrooms and Green Beans

apapted from a recipe in Bon Appetit, March 2006

4 tablespoons olive or other vegetable oil

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

4 teaspoons soy sauce

1 1/2 lbs cod or other white fish, skin removed

4 cups green beans, tailed and halved

4 cups sliced crimini mushrooms

salt and pepper

preparation

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and boil until just crisp-tender, about five minutes. Drain well. Next, place fish on one rimmed baking sheet, and green beans and mushrooms in single layer on another rimmed baking sheet. Whisk 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and 2 teaspoons soy sauce in bowl to blend. Pour over fish. Repeat previous step to make another bowl of marinade and pour over beans and mushrooms; toss beans and mushrooms to coat. Sprinkle both fish and vegetables with salt and pepper. Roast until fish is opaque in center and beans are crisp-tender, about 15 minutes. Divide fish and vegetable mixture between plates. Serve with brown rice or quinoa.