Coconut Crusted Mahi-Mahi with Cara Cara Orange Salsa

There are days I plan dinner from the moment I wake up. The way the ingredients will feel as I chop them, the way they all come together, and the way they'll taste when finally on my fork. And then there are the days when I have no plan at all. On our drive home Oliver asks, "What’s for dinner?" and it catches me by surprise as if I didn’t know dinner was happening that day. I find this happens the most when I’m busy, the days I have the least time to day dream about recipes.

These are always the days I can’t fit a grocery run in. Instead, I focus on one ingredient that I know we have. In this case, it was frozen mahi-mahi fillets. Then, with mahi-mahi as the muse, I brainstorm recipes. Fish tacos? But we don’t have tortillas. Or salsa. Or cheese. Fish curry? When was the last time I bought coconut milk? Coconut. I have coconut, I thought as I remembered the pink bag of coconut buried with other baking supplies in the pantry.

This is how the pieces fall together. Sometimes it’s a disaster. Other times it’s happy coincidence, like it was meant to be. Like it had been planned. That’s how I first discovered this meal. A win; happy coincidence. I have since made this quite a few times—even planned on making it several times after the one happy coincidence.

The toasted coconut on the outside gives the flaky fish a crispy finish, and while you could probably use whatever fruit salsa you want, the citrus from the cara cara oranges cuts through the fish and coconut, balancing out the dish. Avocado brings it all together (like avocado so often does).

The other wonderful thing about mahi-mahi is that it cooks quite fast — just 10-12 minutes in the oven. And while the oven is doing it’s thing, you can be prepping the salsa. SO while this dinner has an “ooh, wow, pretty” effect on the eyes it’s really not going to take you much time to through together.

Coconut Crusted Mahi-Mahi with Cara Cara Orange Salsa

Published March 20, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 4   |    Total Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 4 four-ounce fillets mahi-mahi (if frozen, thaw first)
• 1/2 cup gluten-free flour (try cassava flour, or cup-for-cup gluten-free flour mix)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup desiccated shredded coconut
• 1 egg

For the salsa:
• 2 cara cara oranges
• 1 avocado
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 jalapeño, minced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, minced

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Set pan aside.
2. Place three bowls on the counter. In the first, whisk flour and salt. In the second, whisk egg until yellow and frothy. In the last, place the coconut.
3. Coat one fish fillet at a time: first, dip it in the flour, coating all sides. Shake off access. Now, place the fillet in the egg, coating each side in egg and then letting excess drip off. Finally, place the fish in the coconut, flipping it over to coat each side. Now, place fillet on prepared baking sheet.
4. Repeat step three until each fillet is coated. Then, bake fish for 10-12 minutes, until it is flakey and opaque (check thickest fillet with a fork).
5. While the fish cooks, prep the salsa: segment oranges (here is a good way to do that). Dice segmented oranges, and place in small mixing bowl. Dice the avocado, and add it to the bowl along with the minced jalapeño and cilantro, and the lime juice. Stir.
6. To serve: place fish on serving plates (I served over a bed of arugula, for more greens) and spoon salsa over top.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Mahi-Mahi

So I'm sitting on the couch right now, curled up next to Oliver while he watches his new favorite show. His show ends, and I ask him, "What ten foods would you pick if you could only have ten?" (Welcome to typical us). He starts his list right away, a couple of basics -- I do the same. We get about half way, and then our list building process slows down. We realize ten is not very many. We start to make more calculated selections. After we get to about seven items each, we stop all together. It's a good thing we don't live on a deserted island. 

What's on your Ten-Foods-On-A-Deserted-Island List? What about your top three? After a little more thought, I think I have my list. I'll probably look back at this a year from now (or maybe even next week?) and wonder what I was thinking, but for now, here it is:

1. White fish. Preferably Mahi-Mahi or Tilapia: they're both satisfying and when cooked they are perfectly flakey. They're also easy to cook (cod gets tough when cooked wrong, and if I'm on a deserted island I probably don't have a full kitchen). Not to mention, they're versatile! 

2. Broccoli. I've always adored broccoli. It was probably my second favorite vegetable when I was a kid, right after zucchini. It's good raw, it's delicious steamed, but it's best when it's roasted. Heck, you can turn it into soup! Maybe my love for the vegetable explains why this broccoli ad has a special place in my heart. 

3. Coconuts. All hail the coconut! Seriously, if I were stuck on an island, an everlasting supply of coconuts would be my savior: first, you get coconut water. Then, the milk -- glorious, glorious coconut milk! Finally, coconut meat and coconut oil. Four food items in one -- is that cheating? 

4. Cocoa powder. Did you think I was going to missing this one? Cocoa powder + coconut milk = 1 damn good glass of chocolate milk. I'd probably go crazy without my chocolate fix. 

5. Apples. I'm all about their sweet crunchy flesh. Evidence -- the many many apple recipe on this blog (like apple cinnamon roll porridge). 

6. Kabocha Squash. Even though Delicata Squash is my favorite squash, I think I would pick Kabocha. It has a satisfying, starchy quality that makes it taste rich. 

7. Salt. I'd like to take other seasonings with me too, but there are too many to choose from! Curry powder + coconut milk + fish could make a pretty good dinner, but I know that'd get old. I always love thyme, but that would get old too. So instead I'm keeping it simple: salt. 

8. Water. Do I have to say this? Can't this bee a free-be? Well, for anyone that thinks it must be included on your list if you want to consume it, I'm adding it to my list. Definitely wouldn't last long without water. 

9. Onions or Garlic. I'm not sure which one. Maybe onions? They add so much flavor to everything, but then, so does garlic. Which would you choose? 

10. Eggs. Ok, not only can eggs be cooked in so many different ways, they're also just the best breakfast food I can think of. If you have any doubts about this pick, just read Michael Ruhlman's book, Egg. 

Prosciutto-Wrapped Mahi-Mahi

Paleo, Primal, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    

Serves: 2   |    Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 2 5-ounce portions of Mahi-Mahi
• 3-ounces frozen spinach, thawed (about 1/3 of a typical package)
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• Salt & Pepper
• 2 slices prosciutto
• Mustard for seasoning
• 3 teaspoons coconut oil
• 1 pieces of baker’s twine, about 10 inches long each.

Directions:

1. Dice onion and mince garlic. Using your hands or a strainer, squeeze extra water out of the spinach. Heat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in a medium sized skillet. Once oil is hot, add the onion to the pan, and sauté until transparent. Add garlic, and then spinach. Cook until the spinach is warmed through. Turn off the heat.
2. Assemble the fish: lay the slices of prosciutto out on a cutting board. Spread a thin layer of mustard over the middle section of the prosciutto (cover about 1/2 of the surface area— leaving 1/4 of the prosciutto untouched on each side). Place 1 fish filet on the top of the prosciutto, right where the mustard smear is. Season the fish lightly with salt & pepper. Finally, scoop a bit of spinach over the top of the fish, and spread into an even layer. Fold the ends of the prosciutto over the fish and tie closed using the bakers twine.
3. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of coconut oil in a medium sized skillet. Once sizzling, place fish in pan. Cook for 3 minutes, then flip. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, until fish is flakey and opaque. Serve immediately.