Monday, February 29, 2016

Paleo Broiled Sole

Living within walking distance of Whole Foods has led me to step up my game as I get back into the cooking groove.  Dover sole on sale?  Into the cart, figure out the plan later.  Here's what the internet turned up:

Recipe

3 to 6 sole fillets
1/4 c olive oil
zest of one Meyer's lemon
3 whole cardamom pods (or a sprinkle of cardamom powder)
fresh cilantro leaves
salt & pepper

Mix together the olive oil, lemon zest, cardamom, and cilantro.  Spread half in the bottom of an oven-safe dish.  Put the sole on top, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cover with the rest of the sauce.  Put under the broiler for 7-8 minutes.  Feel free to squeeze some lemon juice on top, what else are you going to do with a skinned lemon?

Notes

Simple enough...  Although of course I didn't do things exactly as prescribed.  Rather than acquire cardamom in some form, I used a few cloves of minced garlic.  Also, the original recipe calls for Celtic sea salt?!  That's a thing?  Heritage aside, I used the kosher salt on hand.

This was also a fortuitous recipe since I had plenty of cilantro left over from (coincidentally) another paleo seafood dish.  The distinctive cilantro flavor didn't hold up under the broiler, but there was maybe a hint of burn - the cilantro? Garlic?  I barely let it sit the minimum 7 minutes they recommend, it got so noisy (and aromatic, as promised).  Anyway, here's the final product, a good simple way to get some paleo-approved fish in you.


Saturday, February 27, 2016

Paleo Marinated Tuna Steaks

It's been a while since I've put up a new recipe, but now with a fully-functional kitchen out west, time to get back into it with King Sooper's/Whole Foods' finest ingredients.  Starting with a couple frozen tuna steaks, the internet turned up this recipe:

Recipe

tuna steak(s)
3 tbsp fat (coconut oil recommended)
1 tsp ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c cilantro, chopped
juice & zest of 1 lime
salt & pepper

Mix together your fat, ginger, garlic, cilantro, lime, salt, and pepper.  Slather it on the tuna and let sit for a few hours.

Scrape off the excess marinade - saving it for later!  Heat your grill or skillet medium high, and cook about 4 minutes per side.  Heat up the leftover marinade briefly to make a thick paste.  Serve with avocado, spinach, whatever you want...

Notes

The tuna steaks came frozen solid; it took the better part of a week in the fridge before they were anything other than hockey pucks.  This made me a little cautious, so after searing both sides of the steaks, I popped the skillet in the oven for some extra time to cook through.  The steaks were just slightly on the overdone side...

Some people are strongly anti-cilantro.  While I'm no irrational hater, there always seems to be something strange about a strong cilantro flavor.  In this dish, it seemed to come mainly from the paste rather than the marinade process.  Garlic, ginger, and cilantro make an interesting combination...

Here's the somewhat colorful result, helped on by roasted orange cauliflower - toss florets with a sliced onion, garlic cloves, olive oil, and spices, and roast at 425 until soft (to be honest, the caramelized onions were maybe the best part of the meal).