Melody's creation du jour--Sea Bass Putanesca with Mediterranean Couscous

After a long day of clearing the yard, I made a light dinner from my imagination and pantry stock:

Sea Bass Putanesca (that's what I'm calling it)

2 sea bass filets

Mix basil, minced garlic, salt, oregano and olive oil into a paste, then add chopped olives and capers (I would have added an anchovy but didn't have any, sadly). Place each sea bass filet in the center of a foil square, then spoon a portion of the mixture on top. Now, place 2-3 spoonfuls of diced tomatoes (from a can is fine) and their juices on top of that, and seal up the packets. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, and voila! Makes a really nice brothy base--I served it in a bowl. You could use crusty french bread to mop up the liquids--maybe next time.

In the meantime, prepare 1 cup dry couscous, then raid your fridge. I added: garbanzo beans, feta cheese, pine nuts, basil, pimientos, olive oil--stir, refrigerate until the fish is done cooking. There's your side dish! You could add diced cucumbers, bell peppers, olives, whatever you have around. Yum!

Okay, took all of 10 minutes of actual hands-on time, and David's response? "I hope you're writing all your creations down--"

Sadly, I don't think I'm the next Rachael Ray, but this clicks in at right around 30 minutes total.