Pan fried Swordfish in a Wine and Tomato sauce – Weekday meals

I have set a new challenge for myself, to never reheat food in a plastic container in the microwave. This is due to the health risks. If you haven’t heard of Dioxins before, please Google it. If you have heard of this dangerous chemical, and you have always ignored the warnings, I suggest you join me in the challenge. A new Dooney’s Kitchen Revolution “SAY NO TO PLASTIC CONTAINERS IN THE MICROWAVE”. What are the alternatives you say? Use ceramic dishes or bowls. Even the plastic cover used to prevent food splattering has been banned from my kitchen. I cover my food with another ceramic plate.

As someone who undertakes huge cookouts on a regularly basis, this almost seemed impossible. I mean, all my food is packed in plastic containers. In the freezer, it is safe to use, it is heating it that is the problem. Many an evening, starving after work, I just have to sit there and watch the food defrost. Out of desperation, I have destroyed many plastic containers, trying to force the food out with a knife. Hunger + necessity is the mother of invention, so I used my stock freezer as my inspiration and I started coming up with quick meals I can prepare after work. Even when I get home starving, the act of cooking dinner from scratch has a way of relaxing me and calming the hunger pangs. At least my taste buds and tummy have something delicious to look forward to. So, here’s my recipe using Swordfish. Any firm white fish would do. Even Crocker or Cod. Yes, we have fish sauce that we all grew up with, but it is mainly made with either Canned Tuna or Sardine, and a few other basic ingredients. This is waaaaay better than that.

Sometimes people say 9ja food can be boring for dinner everyday, so this is a Spanish recipe with a 9ja twist. I hope it inspires you to put some spark into your menu choices for dinner. You can make this for one or many people. This recipe prepares for one.

Here is what I used

1 fillet of swordfish – you can use any white fish

Olive oil

5 large tomatoes  you could use one can of chopped tomatoes. Remember to strain out the tomato juice, otherwise your sauce will be watery

1 clove of garlic

1 tablespoon of plain flour – optional

1/4cup pine nuts – you can use cashew nuts or raw de-skinned groundnut

1/3 cup of chopped parsley

Seasoning cube/powder – I used fish seasoning powder

2 Rodo (scotch bonnet/habanero pepper)

1 tsp cayenne pepper – dry pepper

1 small Red Onion

1/2 cup of White wine – optional

So, here’s how I made it

1. Chop the swordfish into 5 – 6cm long cubes and place in a dry bowl. Sprinkle salt and one seasoning cube/1 teaspoon of seasoning powder. Depending on how much fish you have, you will need more seasoning cubes. If the fish you are using is not firm, then you will need to sprinkle some flour on it, to prevent it from breaking apart under heat

2. Chop your tomatoes finely, so it breaks down to create the sauce. Dice the garlic, onions and rodo

3. Heat up 2 tablespoons of Olive oil in a deep pan and fry the fish on each side for 2 minutes on high heat. Turn over the fish very carefully, if you are not using firm fish, to prevent it from breaking apart. When each side has been fried, carefully take the fish out of the pan and set aside.

4. You should be left with brown bits in the pan, simply deglaze it with a tablespoon of white wine and empty the contents of the pan over the fish you just set aside.

5. Wipe the pan clean, and toast the pine nuts/cashew nuts for about 1 minute, shaking the pan to get all the edges toasted. Empty the contents into another bowl. Heat up 1 tablespoon of Olive oil and sauté the garlic onions and rodo for 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes and let it fry. Stir regularly, and watch the tomatoes break down to form a thick sauce. Add the white wine, dry pepper, a little salt, seasoning, parsley and toasted nuts, and stir. The white wine will provide the liquid for the sauce, so let this cook for 2 minutes. This will boil out the alcohol, leaving you with a rich wine flavoured tomato sauce. I used my favourite Chardonnay. If for religious reasons you can’t cook with alcohol, I’ll suggest water. It is only half a cup so it shouldn’t dilute the flavour too much. Simply re-season

6. Put pack the fish into the sauce stir around, or simply shake the pan if you have delicate fish, and let this cook for another 2 minute and turn off the heat. If you want a much thicker sauce, in case you’ve gone overboard with the water or wine, just let it cook for another 2 minutes.

………and there you have it. A very quick and delicious recipe from my kitchen. This is guaranteed to make a difference in your weekly dinners. it is quick to prepare, trust me. In under 30minutes or less, dinner is served. You can serve with rice or Pasta. Boil your rice or Pasta just as you are about to start, to have everything ready by the time the sauce is finished.

So, join me on the dining table with my favourite Chardonnay and catching up on this week’s The Good Wife

If you are thinking, oooooh Dunni, I don’t have fish at home and I want to make something quick too, no Eba or Semo with soup tonight. Do you have bits of meat, and Indomie? You can try my Indomie Noodle soup right HERE. Have a nice evening, I sure am having one. wink* wink*

A reader Ms ‘Kach sent this in today. It looks very delicious. Well done girrrrrl.