Recipe of the Week

We love this dish. It feels like comfort food in your tummy, but doesn't sit like comfort food on your hips. Comfy food made with fish that is healthy? Strange, I know- but true! This recipe is fast (20 minutes or less from start to finish) and fool-proof easy.

Halibut in Thai Curry Broth
Fat- 8 grams Calories- 396 Protein- 42 grams Fiber- 3.5 grams
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 shallots, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
2 1/2 teaspoons red curry paste, or 2 teaspoons curry powder
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1/4 teaspoon, plus more for seasoning
4 (6-ounce) pieces halibut fillet, skin removed
2 cups Steamed spinach
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 scallions, green part only, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cooked brown rice, for serving

In a large saute pan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer until reduced to 2 cups, about 5 minutes.

Season the halibut with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Arrange the fish in the pan and gently shake the pan so the fish is coated with the sauce. Cover and cook until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 7 minutes.

Arrange a pile of steamed spinach in the bottom of 4 soup plates. Top with the fish fillets. Stir the cilantro, scallions, and lime juice into the sauce and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Ladle the sauce over the fish and serve with rice.

Jesse Notes:
I knew Cori wouldn't be excited about the spinach, so I used 2 cups of fresh green beans that I steamed for 15 minutes. Also, my supermarket didn't have halibut, so I used fillet of sole. I think any mild white fish would be great in this recipe. The sole was so flaky that it just fell apart in the broth. So I served it up by putting the rice and green beans in the bowls first and then filling the bowls up with the fish and the broth. It is seriously so delicious. If you're not a cilantro and lime fan, the broth has tons of flavor with out it. Oh, in the interest of time, I used uncle bens ready rice. The kind you pop into the microwave for 90 seconds. The nutrition stats are actually structured around this rice.

Recipe of the Week

If you love Indian cuisine the way we do around here, you will love these recipes! The menu: Chicken Tikka Masala over Basmati rice served with buttered Naan. The Masala recipe is spot on. There are probably better naan recipes out there, but this one was easy, ergo the one for me! I've included my little notes and alterations at the bottom of each recipe.

Chicken Tikka Masala

2 to 3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar or lemon juice

1 cup plain yogurt, plus more for garnish

1 cup vegetable oil

1 pound chicken breast, boneless and cut in small pieces

Mint leaves, for garnish

1.In a blender on high speed, or in a small food processor, add the ginger and garlic and blend until you have a paste. In a large bowl combine the ginger and garlic paste with the remaining ingredients. Add the chicken and mix until the chicken is evenly coated. Let marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

2.Grill chicken over medium-high heat until it is fully cooked and tender. You can also bake the chicken in the oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

3.Spread the chicken and remaining marinade evenly in a baking pan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is tender. Serve with mint or yogurt. I served it over basmati rice.

Jesse Note: When I tried to make said 'paste' with the ginger, garlic and lemon juice in my food processor, it didn't quite happen. The bowl of my processor is too large. So my suggestion would be to coarsely chop your ginger and garlic, add all the ingredients into your food processor or blender and then run it until your sauce is nice and smooth.

Naan

Courtesy of Emeril

1 teaspoon dried active yeast

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup warm water, about 110 degrees F

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more as needed while kneading

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup clarified butter or vegetable oil, plus 1 teaspoon

1. In a glass-measuring cup, combine the yeast and sugar. Add the water and stir well. Let rest until foamy, about 5 minutes.

2. Sift together the flour and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour the yeast mixture and oil into the center. Mix together with your fingers until a smooth dough forms, working in a small amount of additional flour as needed. Knead for 3 minutes.

3. Oil a small bowl with the remaining butter or oil. Place the dough into the bowl, turning to coat, and let rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

4. Divide the dough into 6 pieces and gently roll into 6 circles on a lightly floured surface. Bake on a baking stone, or a lightly greased baking sheet, until just golden brown and puffed, about 12 minutes. Serve immediately.

Jesse Note: Maybe because of my altitude here or something, I don't know, I had to add nearly an extra cup of flour to get my dough smooth. Also, be careful not to roll the dough out too thin. You'll end up with a naan cracker. A very good naan cracker, but not bread. When the dough is rolled, keep it at least 1/4 inch deep. I put my baking stone in the oven as it preheated so as to slap the dough onto a hot surface. (I read its more traditional that way.) I also brushed the naan with butter right as it was coming out of the oven which helped keep it soft as it cooled.

Recipe of the Week

Chili Chicken and Corn Meatballs
Serves 4 - Calories per serving: 223 - Fat content per serving: 3 G
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. lean ground chicken
4 scallions finely chopped
1 small red chili, seeded and finely chopped
1-inch piece fresh ginger root, finely chopped
3 1/2 ounce can corn, drained
salt and white pepper
boiled jasmin rice, to serve

SAUCE:
2/3 cup fresh chicken stock
3 1/2 ounces cubed pineapple with 4 tbsp reserved juice
1 medium carrot chopped
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp superfine sugar
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp cornstarch mixed to a paste with 4 tsp cold water

1. To make the meatballs, place the chicken in a bowl and add the scallions, chili, ginger, seasoning, and corn. Mix with your hands.

2. Divide the mixture into 16 portions and form each into a ball. Bring a pan of water to a boil. Put the meatballs on a sheet of parchment in a steamer, set over the water, cover and steam for 10-12 minutes.

3. To make the sauce, pour the stock and pineapple cubes and juice into a pan and bring to a boil. Add the carrot and bell peppers, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Stir in the remaining ingredients and heat through, stirring, until thickened. Season and set aside until required.

5. Drain the meatballs and transfer to a serving plate. Garnish and serve with boiled rice and the sauce.

My modifications:
I used shallots instead of scallions, 'cause its what I had
We didn't have ground chicken so I ran some chicken breats through the food processor
Because the chicken was different, the meatballs were sticky, and wouldn't stand in the steamer, so I pan fried them. They turned out like crab cakes! They were great.