Monthly Meals: April 2007

Throughout April our neighborhood Whole Foods had the most beautiful steelhead I could have asked for. It’s an ocean trout that resembles salmon in color, but tastes much lighter in flavor. This fish is perfect in this recipe, which is (of course) a recipe I got from my mother-in-law. Enjoy!

MAIN DISH

Steelhead with Mango and Coriander

INGREDIENTS
-1 lb. wild steelhead fillets, with skin removed*
-2 organic mangoes, peeled and cut into pieces
-2 Tablespoons organic Paradise oil
-1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
-1/4 teaspoon salt

*Usually fish tastes much better when it’s cooked with the skin on. But when I made this dish the first time, the skin was burned into my cast iron pan and it took me a ridiculous amount of scrubbing to remove it. So, whether you keep the skin on or off of the fish is up to you.

DIRECTIONS
Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. On a cutting board, drizzle the steelhead fillet with the Paradise oil and sprinkle with salt and ground coriander. Once skillet is hot, place fillet in pan. Arrange mango pieces on top of fish, ensuring the flavor cooks down into the fillet.

The fish will cook from the bottom upwards, so take care that the bottom doesn’t burn. If you think it’s getting a little dry, you can add a very small amount of water into the pan as it cooks. Once the fish is done, remove from pan and serve immediately over rice.

SIDE DISH

Coconut Rice

I’ve used this Coconut Rice recipe in my Monthly Meal from last November. I think it’s versatile, though, and it goes so well with the steelhead.

Start with one cup of good organic white basmati rice. Wash it a few times by adding warm water to the rice in a saucepan, swishing it around with your fingers, and pouring it out, and repeating two or three times.

To one cup of washed rice, add one cup of water, one cup of organic coconut milk, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed.

Serve the steelhead over this rice, or you can serve the rice on the side if you prefer.

SIDE DISH

Steamed Broccolini

Buy some good organic broccolini at the store, and it will be good with so many things. It’s tender and delicious, and it’s one of my favorite vegetables. You can use broccoli if you can’t find broccolini, just increase the cooking time by a few minutes.

Cut the bottoms off the broccolini stems, leaving a few inches of stem attached. Heat a few teaspoons of water in a pan and add broccolini. Steam covered for a couple of minutes, and then remove the cover so the water will reduce down into the vegetable. Check stems periodically with a fork to test for doneness.

DESSERT

Vanilla Ice Cream with Fried Bananas

To fry bananas, cut them into inch-size pieces. Heat organic Paradise oil in a skillet over medium heat, and once it’s hot add banana pieces. Flip them frequently, until tendet and mushy.

Serve the fried bananas over good organic vanilla ice cream. We love Straus Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, it’s rich and creamy.

MUSIC

Album: Modest Mouse, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

Yeah, this isn’t really dining music, I know. But it’s great to listen to while you cook, among other things. I’ve been listening to this album all month long, and I’m especially fond of the song “Missed the Boat”. It’s just so good!