a fish called basa

Today, the odds were stacked against us. Inches of snow, sleet, hail and rain fell overnight and throughout this morning, making the Monday morning commute truly frustrating. A busy workday added to the stress and made us want to be under the covers rather than typing away at the office.

The thought of coming home, unwinding and eating a delicious meal was quickly dashed when we noticed that the barbecue was flung over by the gale-force winds, making it a chore to clean up and put back in place.

But that was nothing that a delicious seafood meal couldn't fix. We had a couple of Basa filets ready to season and cook. Basa is a fish native to Vietnam and is in the catfish family, with a similar delicate, white flesh to its cousin.

Dina seasoned the filets with salt & pepper and oregano and cooked them in a bit of olive oil and sautéed garlic. Once the garlic was toasted, the filets were flipped and a healthy squeeze of fresh lime juice was added to finish. When ready to plate, she added a spoonful of roasted red pepper purée (made from blending roasted red peppers, some chicken broth, lemon juice and some seasonings in the blender and heating up the mixture). I grilled up some asparagus to accompany the fish.

I marinated the asparagus spears in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper, and a squeeze of lime juice and grilled them on high heat in a grill pan until tender-crisp.

This was truly a restaurant-inspired meal, only better. Definitely enough to cure the Monday blues.