Green Eggs and Fish

Tis' the season and even though sugar plum fairies and egg nog is on the mind, I can't get fish out of my head. My sister recently returned from her annual Puerto Vallarta rendezvous (cue jealousy) and brought home the second best thing to personalized key chains...MAHI MAHI.


Nicole and her husband, Brandon, pose below with their trophy fish, soon to be consumed by mwah. (They even caught a shark one year...yeah they're intense)




What to do with a fresh piece of Mahi Mahi...? I pondered this question over and over in my head until I landed upon a recipe that really caught my eye from the quirky Alton Brown himself. I needed a break from butter-laden meals finished with, well, more butter (oh yes, there is such a thing, hence the extra poundage sitting on my waistline these days). My sister opted to cook her fish with a green egg...grooooosssss, right? WRONG! Nicole got Brandon the Big Green Egg for his birthday and they say it has changed their life...literally. Never heard of it you say? It's basically a ceramic kamodo-style cooker that does everything but wash your dishes (I'm still waiting for that one...). It is a unique barbecue that transforms into a grill, smoker, and even an oven. Everything they've cooked with the Green Egg has turned out so good that they don't know what they ever did without it. Too bad I couldn't cook up Mason and Cooper in it because I'm ready to eat-them-up!





Since we aren't all so lucky to possess the egg, try out this recipe next time you're debating how to cook your flaky white fish, any kind will do. It's easy, healthy, and comes together in only 15 minutes. The coconut milk really sets it apart and makes the fish moist and delicious. Check it out!


Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi

Adapted from Alton Brown

• 1 1/4 cup roasted macadamia nuts, coarsely ground
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (Japanese style bread crumbs, found in the ethnic aisle)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• Vegetable oil, for brushing foil
• 4 mahi mahi fillets (or any white fish)
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons coconut milk
• Fresh squeezed lemon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine nuts, panko, flour, and butter. Set aside.

Cover a baking sheet with foil and brush liberally with vegetable oil. Season the fillets with salt and pepper on both sides and place on the foil. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with coconut milk. Divide the nut mixture among the tops of the fillets, patting the mixture to adhere to the fillets. Return to the oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, just until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

I drizzled lemon juice over the top to give a little more brightness to the dish. In the words of Racheal Ray...it was yum-O!