At a recent dinner we were offered a pina colada, a frothy, refreshing cocktail made with rum and coconut milk. It’s a popular drink in the Florida Keys. It started me thinking about the sunny islands of the Keys with the abundance of sweet fresh fish. I decided to use rum and coconut milk as a glaze for fresh mahi-mahi in this quick dinner to savor the island flavors at home.
Pearled couscous completes the dinner. These are little pearls of toasted semolina and can be found in most markets. Israeli or Jerusalem couscous is a little smaller but works well in the recipe. Since they may be slightly different, follow the cooking timing on the package and then complete the recipe with the shredded carrots.
HELPFUL HINTS:
You can use any type of fish fillet instead of mahi-mahi.
You can use fresh parsley or cilantro instead of mint.
COUNTDOWN:
Prepare ingredients.
Start couscous.
While couscous boils, make mahi-mahi.
Finish couscous.
Coconut Rum Glazed Mahi-Mahi
Yield 2 servings. Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
¼ cup white rum
¼ cup lite coconut milk
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon canola oil
¾ pound mahi-mahi fillet
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
Mix rum, coconut milk and honey. Stir well to combine. Set aside. Heat canola oil in a nonstick skillet over high and add mahi-mahi. Saute 2 minutes, turn over and saute 2 minutes. Remove to a plate. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add the rum mixture to the skillet and saute, about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring as it reduces. Return the mahi-mahi to the skillet and saute 1 minute. Flip and saute another minute. A meat thermometer should read 125 degrees. Divide the fish between 2 plates and spoon sauce on top. Garnish with mint.
Per serving: 367 calories (35% from fat), 9.7 g fat (2.3 g saturated, 4.5 g monounsaturated), 126 mg cholesterol, 32.1 g protein, 18.5 g carbohydrates, 0.4 g fiber, 158 mg sodium.
