basil and panko crusted halibut, wheatberries w/ avocado and basil puree

 

Wheat berries w/ avocado and basil puree
If you wanted to have a vegetarian night just saute up some veggies (zucchini, squash, mushroom, onions, tomatoes) and serve with the wheat berries for a delicious, hearty meal!

2 cups uncooked wheat berries

• You can substitute the wheat berries for farro or brown rice, but don’t forget to alter the amount of liquid you use and the cooking time

2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 1/2 cup water
4 medium-large ripe avocados
1/2 cup basil, rough chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

– Rinse wheat berries and drain. Add chicken stock and water to wheat berries and bring up to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 1 hr till almost all of the liquid is gone. Remove wheat berries and place in a mixing bowl; reserve any leftover liquid on the side
– In a food processor or blender, combine avocados, basil, lemon zest and juice and olive oil. Puree until smooth. If the puree is too thick add in some of the reserved liquid from the wheat berries. Season liberally with salt and pepper
– Spoon puree over wheat berries, reserving 1/4 cup of the puree for the fish

Basil and panko crusted halibut

6 halibut fillets

• If you’re portioning the halibut yourself, I normally do 6oz-7oz a person, so for 6 people you would need approx. 2 1/4- 2 1/2 lbs of fish

1/4 cup avocado and basil puree
3 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup panko
1 tbsp basil, finely chopped
salt and pepper
olive oil

– Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place baking tray in the oven to heat the tray
– While the tray is heating, mix together the butter, basil, garlic powder, bread crumbs, and panko in a small bowl
– Season the halibut with salt and pepper on both sides and spread the avocado and basil puree over the top of each fillet
– Spoon the bread crumb mixture on top of the puree and lightly press down
– Remove the baking tray from the oven, drizzle the tray with olive oil, and place halibut fillets on the tray, topping side up. Place a sheet of foil over the fish and bake for 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish
– Remove foil for the last few minutes so topping gets nice and brown; you can also turn the oven to broil to quickly brown the topping if you’re worried about the fish getting overcooked