I would highly recommend cooking with fish (even if--no, especially if you are a beginner) because:
1) It tastes great--and feels like a treat
2) Healthy
3) FAST - Fish takes less than 10 minutes to cook and doesn't need to be marinated to become flavorful
4) Flexible portions--cooking for one? no problem, just buy one fillet!
5) Cost effective---if you are a smart shopper. I check out the butcher shop every time I go to the grocery store, and I usually find a good deal. For example, for two fillets (half a pound) of pacific red snapper, which is generally enough for two people, was just $2.50 (on sale for $5/lb).
Now to the recipe....
First things first...Wash the broccoli and cut off the stems. Cut into bite sized crowns, if desired.
Boil water for steaming the broccoli. If you have a steamer, use that. If not, boil about an inch of water in a medium/large sized pot. Place in steamer or bowl of boiling water and cover. Leave for 10-15 minutes, depending how firm you like vegetables. I like it on the soft side so steamed my broccoli for a full 15 minutes.
Next clean the fish. Get as many small bones out of the fish as you can. I just like to feel the fish, especially around where there are lines and feel for any bones. Then just pull them out, they will be pretty small, around 1 inch but as thin as a tip of a sharp pencil. But it's better to get them out now.
Next, season with good ole' salt and pepper.
Heat around 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan. Place the fish on the hot saucepan and cook on one side until it turns brown. This will happen FAST--around two minutes for thin fillets and 3-4 for thicker ones.
Flip over and brown the other side. Also, don't be skimpy on the olive oil. I probably only added 1-2 tablespoons (didn't measure) but my fish stuck to the pan and it was really hard to flip the fillets (that is what I get for trying to save fat/calories from extra olive oil). If you have a nonstick pan, then you can get away with less olive oil.
The fillet on the bottom right is a good brown color, the other fillet on the top should be a little browner
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine in a saucepan. Add juice from half a lemon, 1 tablespoon of capers, add a handful of chopped (Italian) parsley. If you don't have a lemon on hand, using store bought lemon juice is a great substitute. Lime also can be substituted. Simmer for 1-2 minutes.
Side note - capers are a great thing to keep in your fridge because they last for a long times (2+ years) and can be used in a variety of dishes (chicken, fish, pasta).
Pour butter-lemon mixture over fish just before it is finished cooking. Add another tablespoon of margarine/butter. And then serve with some more fresh squeezed lemon and parsley (if desired).
My fillets kind of fell apart (especially the top one) because I didn't use enough olive oil and don't have a nonstick pan. But it still tastes delicious!
Take broccoli out of steamer or drain from pot. Add a little salt and either some margarine or a sprinkle of cheese. Vegetables are healthy...you can add a little (but just a little) salt/butter/cheese to reward yourself for eating your healthy veggies!
Yum, yum--there you have it! QUICK (literally under 20 minutes), delicious, and healthy meal that can be made for one or six!
Oh and don't forget some white wine! Pretty much the only times I drink white wine is when I'm eating fish, when it's sunny, or if it's before 1 pm.
This Clos du Bois pinot grigio was fabulous--got it on sale from Safeway! Clos du Bois is also a Sonoma certified green business!
Recipe
(2 servings, easily doubled)
2 fillets of white fish around 1/2 pound (red snapper used in this recipe--some good substitutes include cod, tilapia, flounder, sole, ect.)
Salt
Pepper
3-4 tablespoons of olive oil
3 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 tablespoon capers
Juice of half a lemon (approximately 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon of chopped Italian parsley
2 crowns of broccoli
1. Boil water, steam broccoli for 10-15 minutes.
2. Season fish with salt & pepper
3. Heat oil in nonstick pan (if available--if not use more oil) over medium heat.
4. Cook one side of fish until brown. Flip over and brown other side.
5. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan heat 2 tablespoons of butter, lemon juice, capers, and parsley. Simmer 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
6. Add butter-lemon mixture to fish just before finished cooking. Add another tablespoon of margarine. Serve fish and squeeze some lemon juice on top of the fish.
7. Remove broccoli from steamer and serve with fish.
