Mustard-Roasted Snapper

I suffer from Goldilocks syndrome whenever I make seafood. It's either underdone or overdone, never just right. That is, until I stumbled upon Ina Garten's Mustard-Roasted Fish Recipe. I've never roasted snapper or any fish before and I was fully prepared to eat a rubber tire but to my surprise, the fish came out just right. The creamy sauce that covered the snapper served as a protective shield to keep the moisture in without overcooking it. The dijon and whole grain mustard combo cut through the rich sauce so nicely. I must caution though, the flavorful sauce is a little intense from the mustard and the creme fraiche so pair it with something that won't fight the flavors or the delicate texture of this dish. I served it with quinoa & roasted broccoli and it made for one quick and easy meal! You could even say it was a snap!

On the flip side, today's seafood dishes landed on the overdone side. I decided to make dinner for my mom, sister & brother-in-law since they've been so busy taking care of the twins. Sous Chef Lough and I made Mussels in White Wine, Garlic Bread, Roasted Asparagus, and  Lemon, Butter, Caper Scallops over a bed of lemon pepper pappardelle (available at Trader Joe's). In my attempt to time all of the dishes to finish at the exact same time, I ended up overcooking the scallops. Even so, the family was appreciative of the break from all the chinese food they've been eating. And it was very gratifying to know that even though I cant change diapers, I can provide a pretty delicious meal.

thanksgiving

thanksgiving menu:

• Butternut Squash Soup
• Roasted Butternut Squash with Mixed Greens
  
• Portuguese Duck Rice
• Sauteed Brussel Sprouts
• Roast Chicken with Fingerling Potatoes
• Honey-baked Ham
  
• Stuffing & Gravy
• Black Pepper Tri-tip
• Ketchup Shrimp
• Mashed Potatoes
• Tuna Avocado Cups
  
• Shrimp & Red Snapper Ceviche

that's right, we had stuffing without a turkey to stuff it with however we did have a mish mash of dishes from all over the world. with fond memories of my recent trip to cancun, i chose an appetizer that originated from our southern neighbor, ceviche.

ceviche is a dish that consists of raw fish marinated in citric acids (usually lime) until the flesh is cooked. for the skeptics, i encourage you to chop up some raw white fish and let it sit in lime juice. the flesh of the fish turns from translucent to solid white right before your eyes.

i was a skeptic so i made a raw version (red snapper) and a cooked version (shrimp). lessons learned from my 8 hour ordeal:

• pay the extra money for peeled & deveined shrimp. it is NOT fun!
• when deseeding serano peppers, the gas from the pepper disperses into the air. i now know how pepper spray can get into your eyes, mouth, and nose and burn you to the point of unconsciousness. i discovered that if you deseed the peppers in a bowl of water, the gas can not escape from the water. (thank you mr. kanu! i did have a reason to use chemistry!)
• to keep avocados from browning, leave the avocado seed in the same container, this will slow down oxidation

Pictures and recipes from my thanksgiving contributions:

Traditional Ceviche
(Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse) 

Shrimp Ceviche
(Recipe courtesy of Anthony Lamas, Jicama Grill, Louisville, KY)

Lemon Tuna Avocado Snack

(Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart)

I take no credit for this spread, it was delicious!