Platters at the Ready

As we approach the Spring (we are in March after all) my mind has started to wander on to the summery dresses, floaty blouses and floral trousers that are filling our shops online, and otherwise, as I type away.  So I have decided to step away from the winter stodge fest that I have been consuming night after night...after night, for as long as I can remember.  My 'it's so cold outside, I deserve something cakey, something indulgent' mentality is behind me!  In order to get body ready for summer time dressing I have whipped up a tried and tested healthy dinner that is super easy and delicious at the same time.  The recipe is also ideal if you're entertaining a group of friends, it's definitely a crowd pleaser.  





Recipe Idea:  Italian Baked Sea Bass:

BBC Good Food


Ingredients:

• About 290g jar whole roasted peppers, drained and sliced
• 1 red onions, sliced in to thin wedges
• drizzle of olive oil
• 4 garlic gloves, unpeeled
• 3 fat slices of lemons (the rest cut in to wedges to serve)
• 2 sea bass
• 15 black olives
• 25g toasted pine nuts
• handful of roughly chopped parsley

Method:

1.  Heat oven to 200C/180C, fan/gas 6.   Toss the peppers and onions with seasoning plus a small drizzle of olive oil.  Spread on a baking tray and cook for 5 minutes

2.  Toss in the lemon and garlic with the onions and peppers.  Sit on the sea bass, brush fish with a little more oil, season the fish and roast for 15 minutes

3.  Stir the olives and pine nuts in to the veg and roast for 5 minutes more until the fish is just cooked through.  Squeeze over some lemon juice and scatter with parsley to serve.

Finally, accompany with a summery salad and voila, dinner is served!


I adore cooking and creating a feast for my family and friends, but I also love the opportunity of using all of my plates, platters, bowls and jugs that I have collected over the years.  I have something of a problem, who needs umpteenth platters?  Well, I do!  So here are Butterfly Lane's top three designs to get you through a successful dinner party with ease and elegance.  

The White Company always have an amazing and simple selection, and this one is particularly lovely. 

The White Company, £40

Astier de Vilatte have a stunning selection, they have a larger price tag but are so timeless.

Astier de Vilatte, £120

This Colbert Long Platter is elegant and simply exquisite.  It would make a wonderful table centre piece for any occasion.

  

Colbert Long Platter, £199 

Happy shopping...X