The Amateur's Kitchen - Pesto-crusted River Cobbler Fillet with Sauteed Spinach

Project: Eat

     I have nothing much to blog about today except for this meal I made out of sheer curiosity.

    While nursing the mommy in a hospital in Vigan for six days last September, I chanced upon bunches of herbs at a nearby grocery store in Ilocos Sur. I was surprised to see these greens in a small town and found it to have more choices than in San Fernando's CSI! So before I took off for La Union, I scoured this store for good old herb finds and got me some Sweet Basil, Mint, and Spinach home. And because I need to make the pesto real fast, a very spontaneous food processor purchase has been done (sans the scolding afterwards, hehe). I wanted to have this cooked using the turbo broiler I won in a Christmas party last year but it was nowhere to be found. Thank God for pans and oven toasters! =p

    Eating healthy has to be done at home now after mommy's nearly fatal condition. I tried on another Pesto-based meal to start with.

Pesto-Crusted River Cobbler Fillet with Sauteed Spinach
 
River Cobbler Fillet cut into half

Basil-Mint Pesto:
  Garlic
  Toasted Cashew nuts
  Sugar
  Salt
  Pepper
  Basil Leaves
  Mint Leaves
  Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  Lemon or Calamansi Juice

Sauteed Spinach:
  Unsalted butter
  Minced garlic
  Spinach
  Salt and Pepper
  Feta Cheese

 
Start on sprinkling some salt and pepper on filleted fish. Set aside.

Grind cloves of garlic in a food processor with the nuts. Add in sugar, salt and pepper. Add in basil and mint leaves and grind 'til fine. Gradually add in olive oil and lemon juice while pulsing until desired consistency/texture is achieved.

Pan-sear fillets on a little oil 'til half cooked. Coat the top half of fillets with a thick layer of pesto. Transfer coated fillets on oven toaster and heat for 10-15 minutes or until Pesto is browned and fillets are well-cooked.

On the same pan, heat butter and add minced garlic 'til browned. Saute in Spinach 'til cooked. Season with salt and pepper to taste and crumble cubes of feta on top.