Fish in coconut curry

Maybe it's the cold or a need for deeper, more satisfying, flavors during these cold winter days.  Whatever the reason (or maybe for no particular reason at all), I've been craving curries.  During the holiday break, I made coconut chicken curry and that really hit the spot.  Along the same lines, I thought I'd try a recipe I'd saved up for a while now and make a fish curry.  In this case, it's Cod Coconut Curry.  

Cod cooked in a light coconut sauce with curry, onions, red bell peppers, and tomatoes

I was interested to learn that this is a dish from Tanzania and that many dishes from Tanzania use Indian spices.  I pulled this recipe from the April '14 issue of Cooking Light.  It's easy to put together and light; I love dishes like this that are full-flavored, healthy, and hearty at the same time.

Since I'm always looking to incorporate more fish into our diet, I'm happy to add this to my repertoire.  I used cod but any flaky white fish would work nicely (in the recipe, halibut is used).  The fish is first rubbed with hot curry powder and then seared and partly cooked on the skillet.  Then comes a mixture of onions, red peppers, and some fresh garlic and ginger.  Tomatoes break down and their juices help create this broth that's combined with some light coconut milk for a richer flavor.  The light coconut milk contributes a tropical note to the dish without being overpowering or making the dish too heavy.

The fish finishes cooking in the sauce and it's all done, ready to be served with some extra lemon on the side.  I never under-estimate the power of lemon juice; sometimes, it's just what you need to round out the flavors of a dish or to make all the flavors pop, as in this case here.  

I served this fish curry with some brown rice.  It's perfect for soaking up the sauce and makes for a satisfying dinner.  This is a great meal for fish and spice/curry lovers.

Poached saffron cod with burst tomatoes and white beans

This cod poached in saffron broth is crazy delicious!  It's light but full of flavor, tasting like a fish stew you'd order at a restaurant and can't believe you actually made yourself at home (that's my reaction, anyway)!  It's not hard to make and you get a big reward for your effort.  If you want to cook more fish at home, this is one to try.  It tastes better than it looks.

I'm feeling pretty productive these days...at the beginning of the year, I started getting a little more organized.  Nothing fancy - I got a dedicated notebook and started jotting down my meal plan for each week.  I love making lists (and checking them off) so it was no real burden but as it turns out, the simple act of sitting down for a few minutes, sketching out meal plans, noting recipes I wanted to try out and actually putting them on the schedule, made them happen!!  So many of those recipes ripped out of magazine pages and stuffed into a folder, or pinned/bookmarked for cooking/baking at "some point" have actually been happening.  I'm amazed when I look at my "recipes I'd like to make" pin board and see that I've actually made a good number of them.

This recipe is an example of that.  I saw it in the May 2014 issue of Rachael Ray magazine - that's this May, practically real time!  Normally, there'd be something like a 2-year lag time between seeing a recipe and trying it out (if I get to it at all) so I essentially made this dish two whole years early thanks to a little planning and organization!  ; )  

I took a few liberties with the recipe.  I skipped the gremolata topping but added an anchovy in the poaching broth to boost the flavor (I love how an anchovy or two does that so well).  The all-important poaching broth is also made up of chicken stock, white wine, onions, garlic, and saffron, which needs no introduction and is essential to this dish.  All of that, with the tomatoes, makes for an incredibly flavorful base for the fish to infuse in (and add even more flavor to).  It's savory and full of the flavors of the sea.

The original recipe doesn't include beans but I decided to add some cannellini beans to bulk it up.  I made a little extra broth and my husband took advantage of some leftover brown rice to sop it all up. I just made use of my spoon because you really shouldn't waste any of that aromatic, flavorful broth. Some crusty bread would be great to have nearby.  And finally, to let you know how do-able this is, I have to tell you...I used frozen cod fillets (thanks, Trader Joe's!) and it worked beautifully.  Now that's convenience!