As the days get warmer and the sun shines brighter I start to crave lighter, healthier dinners. I'm often just not up for a heavy meal at the end of an afternoon outside with the kids. Besides, eating a light dinner sure makes justifying an evening bowl of ice cream so much easier! You didn't think I was going all health nut on you, did ya? This dinner is tasty and filling, yet completely guilt-free in my book.
I used fresh open water halibut fillets to make this recipe, but thick fillets of cod or haddock would work equally well. The salsa is a combination of sweet mango, fresh mint, lime juice and spicy cayenne pepper, while the red kale is wilted and tossed with Dijon and sesame oil. Delish!
Here's how I made it:
makes 4 servings
1 cup fresh mango, diced
1 dozen fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 tsp ground cayenne
juice of 1 lime, divided
1 1/2 lbs halibut fillets (cut into 4 pieces)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup water
1 lb red kale, roughly chopped
1 tsp prepared Dijon
1/4 tsp sesame oil
To prepare the salsa, I stirred together the mango, mint, cayenne and half the lime juice in a small bowl, then set it aside.
While my oven preheated to 400 degrees (F), I warmed up a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. I seasoned my fillets with the other half of the lime juice, salt and pepper, and added them to the hot pan, skin side up, and cooked them until slightly golden and cooked half way through (4-5 minutes). The fish was transferred to an oven-safe dish, skin side down, and popped in the oven to finish cooking for 8-10 minutes until flaky and no longer clear.
Meanwhile, I brought the water to a boil in a large saucepan and added the kale. With the heat lowered to medium and the lid on, I cooked the kale while occasionally stirring for about 5 minutes until wilted. The wilted kale was tossed with the Dijon and sesame oil.
To serve, I used the kale as a bed for the halibut then topped it with the mango mint salsa.
So fresh and healthy!
How does the warmer weather affect your eating habits? What's happening in your kitchen this week?