Author : Shap

Ruby Amanfu has a voice that can be immediately distinguished on a record.  Critics have tried to compare her voice to some well known mainstream artists, but honestly I don’t think there’s another voice out there like Ruby’s . Despite achieving mainstream notoriety more recently, Ruby Amanfu is no stranger to the music scene having five record deals and two publishing deals under her belt. She is truly a unique songbird on high demand in our hometown of Nashville, TN;  and has worked with industry greats such as Patti LaBelle, Wanda Jackson and more recently Jack White. Ruby is also one of the members of the Nashville Sing Off group, The Collective, and most notably is known as the other half of the duo, Sam and Ruby, who released one of my personal favorite Ruby songs, The Here and The Now.

I decided to do a dedication to Ruby because quite frankly she is a perfect fit to be featured on Lhyme. Being an accomplished musician and an aspiring chef, she is exactly what Lhyme encompasses…great music and great food.  After talking to David Allen, a fellow member of The Collective, and finding out all of the food Ruby makes on the road for the group with her amazing cooking…I had to do a feature.

I have known Ruby for well over 16 years and a few things truly stand out in my mind about her . She has been a very talented and strong vocalist and musician since the first day I met her. And a another characteristic, which even David Allen mentioned, is how supportive and encouraging she is of fellow musicians and friends with all their aspirations. The genuine and warm nature of Ruby is reflected in her music, food and kindness towards others.

Since Ruby is such an amazing cook herself, I decided to feature one of her own recipes I thought would be absolutely delicious for the summer time. Her Orange Roughy and Herb Orzo Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes is a simple and fresh dish that is perfect for the summer. I personally love Orange Roughy, it is my favorite fish hands down , so anytime I get a chance to try a new Orange Roughy Recipe..I’m all game ! She also gave me a couple more great recipes to experiment with so stay tuned ….there may be more recipes courtesy of Ruby Amanfu in later Lhyme Dedications 🙂

Ruby has a few tips for her Orange Roughy Recipe that really make the dish stand out :

1) Lay both Orange and Lemon slices on the Orange Roughy before it is baked.

2) Use  FRESH Basil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil , Kosher Salt , Pepper,  a bit of aged Balsamic and Lemon juice to purée in the blender for the dressing on the Orzo Pasta.

Thanks for the tips Ruby !

For this recipe, I kept it simple with not too many spices so the flavor of the fish and the salad can really come through. And with all that Fresh Basil, you don’t want to over power that with unnecessary spices and seasonings. Hope I do Ruby’s recipe justice…AND NOW ON TO THE FOOD !!!

 

Ruby Amanfu’s Orange Roughy and Herb Orzo Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes

Ingredients

– Four 4 Ounce Orange Roughy Fillets

– 2 slices of Orange

-2 slices of Lemon

– Non stick Olive Oil cooking spray

-Kosher Salt

-Sea Salt

-Ground Black Pepper

– 2 Tablespoons Aged Balsamic Vinegar

-1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

– 1 Heirloom Tomato – cut into 1/2 inch pieces

-2 bunches of Fresh Basil

– 1 1/4 cups of Orzo Pasta

-1 tablespoon of Lemon Juice

 

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray your baking pan with non stick cooking spray.

2) Arrange the fish fillets in a single layer in your baking dish. ( I added a very tiny drizzle of Olive Oil to each fillet ). Sprinkle with Kosher Salt and top each fillet with one slice of orange and one slice of lemon.

3) Bake for about 10 minutes or until the fish can be flaked with a fork .( I also broiled it on high for about two minutes just to give it a golden finish on top )

4) Cook the orzo pasta in a boiling pot of salted water until tender but still slightly firm as well. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again making sure all the water is drained well. Transfer the pasta to your mixing bowl and allow to cool.

5) Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, puree the basil with the Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Sea Salt, Pepper and Lemon Juice.

6) Pour the Basil Dressing over your Orzo pasta and toss until well incorporated into pasta. Fold in your Heirloom Tomatoes.

7) Serve Orzo Salad with Orange Roughy and Enjoy !!

 

 

Sources :

http://www.examiner.com/article/josh-ritter-ruby-amanfu-harrison-hudson-and-more-this-week