Easy elegance

I had an elegant dinner last night with my boyfriend.

Brown rice I started ahead of time. Although no different from the way I normally make it, the rice was extra buttery from having longer to cook. It needed 30 minutes simmering in 1.5-to-1 salted water, and ten more minutes steaming itself (turned off) for crunchy rice, but it will continue to hold its heat, and mine sat on the stove turned off for 40 minutes.

Broccoli takes just a few minutes to cook. Heat a healthy does of olive oil in a fry-pan with well-fitting lid, while you chop broccoli, separating leaves (cut into 1-inch strips) from stems and florets (use all of the broccoli, except the bottom dried-out bit, and be careful to prepare florets pretty). Add stems and then florets to hot pan, cover, and shake over heat to coat broccoli with oil. Then add leaves, cover, shake, and steam until bright green. Remove from heat; it will hold for up to five minutes, but I don't like my broccoli too cooked.

Snapper takes about seven minutes to pan fry. Heat oil in a large non-stick pan, and place fillets out flat. Sprinkle with dill, cover, and cook four minutes. Then flip each fillet, and cook other side another three minutes. Plate, and sprinkle on more dill. Expect about 1/2 a pound fish per person.