Hallibut... or not.

Obviously "Hallibut or not" is not the name of a recipe.  But it should be.  Because when I went to Wegman's and discovered that 2 hallibut fillets was $19.95, I nearly abandoned all plans to make "Grilled Hallibut with Peach and Pepper Salsa."

But there next to the apparent lobster of fish was a big bag of Swai for $9.95.  I have no idea what Swai is, but there were about 8 large fillets in the bag and when it substituted it for hallibut we didn't notice a difference.

Of course I've never had hallibut.  At $19.95 I don't think I will anytime soon!

But I've totally digressed.  This recipe is definitely one you should try.  Although I may wait until summertime when peaches are in season.  The peaches I had available weren't ripe so it was a very hard salsa!

INGREDIENTS

Salsa:
2 1/2  cups  coarsely chopped peeled yellow peaches (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 1/3  cups  chopped red bell pepper (about 1 large)
1/2  cup  thinly sliced green onions
1/2  cup  chopped fresh arugula
1/3  cup  fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
2  tablespoons  chopped fresh oregano
1/4  teaspoon  salt
1  habanero pepper, seeded and minced
1  garlic clove, minced

Fish:
2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
2  tablespoons  olive oil
1  teaspoon  paprika
2  garlic cloves, minced
6  (6-ounce) skinless halibut fillets
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

DIRECTIONS


1. To prepare salsa, combine first 9 ingredients; toss gently. Let stand 30 minutes before serving.

2. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

3. To prepare fish, combine 2 tablespoons juice, oil, paprika, and 2 garlic cloves in a large, shallow glass baking dish, stirring with a whisk. Add fish to juice mixture; turn to coat. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

4. Remove fish from marinade; discard marinade. Sprinkle fish evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Place fish on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Serve fish with salsa.

VERDICT





This was really good!  My peaches weren't very ripe, and the entire thing would have been better if they had been, but aside from that this has great flavor and isn't that difficult or time consuming to make (in spite of that really long ingredient list!)

As for the Swai fish, whatever it is it's mild and slightly firmer than tilapia.  Whatever it is, I'll take it over Hallibut.
 

Brined Pork Tenderloin with Plum & Jicama Relish

What on earth is a Jicama, you ask?  Why, it's "the Mexican Potato", a firm vegetable with a thin peel that is used in many Mexican dishes and can be substituted for water chestnuts in Asian recipes.

You can find it in the 'strange food' section of the Wegman's produce department.  Or skip it entirely if you don't have a Wegman's (trust me, you're not going to find it at Tops).

INGREDIENTS

• 8  cups  cold water
• 1/2  cup  kosher salt
• 2  (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed
• 1  tablespoon  extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1 1/2  cups  diced plums (3/4 pound)
• 3/4  cup  finely chopped peeled jicama
• 1/2  cup  finely chopped red onion
• 2  teaspoons  grated lime rind
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lime juice
• 1  tablespoon  honey
• 1/8  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1  serrano chile, seeded and chopped (or good old jalapeno pepper)
• Parsley sprigs (optional)

DIRECTIONS


Combine 8 cups cold water and 1/2 cup salt in a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish, stirring until salt dissolves. Add pork to brine; let stand at room temperature 1 hour.

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

Drain pork; pat dry. Brush pork with oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place pork on grill rack; grill 15 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155° (slightly pink), turning pork occasionally.

Remove pork from grill; let stand 5 minutes. Cut across the grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, plums, and next 7 ingredients (through chile); toss gently to combine. Serve relish with pork. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired.

VERDICT

I don't know what I expected the jicama to taste like, but it was pretty bland.  I think it's in the relish mostly for the texture.  Although the first piece I cut off the bulb tasted like jalapeno.  Remind me not to put my fingers in my mouth after cutting one up.

Plums, peaches and apples are all great accompaniments to pork, so this recipe was a hit.  I don't really get the whole 'brining' thing, but I guess it made the pork nice and salty.  Mostly, the relish made it.

Definitely on the list of keeper recipes!

Pumpkin Seed Crusted Tilapia

I KNOW I posted this recipe before.  It's a favorite of ours for this time of year.  But since I can't find it (and more importantly, GOOGLE can't seem to find it), I'm re-posting it now. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds
• 2 tbsp panko crumbs
• 1 tsp dry parsley
• course salt such as kosher
• fresh cracked pepper
• 4 pieces (5.5 oz each) tilapia filets
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• olive oil spray (or olive oil poured delicately)

DIRECTIONS

Grind the pumpkin seeds in a food processor or coffee grinder. Combine crushed pumpkin seeds, panko, parsley, pinch of salt and fresh pepper and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean up. Drizzle 1/4 tsp oil on each tilapia filet. Rub over fish to coat, season with salt and pepper and top with crushed garlic.

Add crumbs to the top, mist with a little oil and place in the center of the oven.

Bake for 15 minutes or until fish is cooked through, then broil for 1 - 2 minutes, or until crumbs are golden (be careful not to burn).


VERDICT

If you like seafood to any degree, you're going to love this.  It's super crunchy and the pumpkin seeds are great for you.

Just a side note:  there is a big difference between the pumpkin seeds you take out of your pumpkin at home and roast up and the raw seeds you can buy at the store in bulk.  This recipe expects you to use the bulk kind.  The kind that is already shelled.  I didn't do that the first time I made the recipe.  It was still good that way, but it's WAY easier to make it with the shelled bulk kind!

NUTRITION



Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1 tilapia filet •
Calories: 184.5 • Fat: 5.9 g • Protein: 31.3 g • Carb: 2.3 g • Fiber: 0.2 g • Sugar: 0.1
Sodium: 67.1 (without salt)