Red Snapper in a Spicy Coconut Sauce

Last night I tried out a new recipe I had found on www.self.com and as usually I modified as I went along and ended up creating something wonderful (not that the original recipe didnt sound wonderful). I hardly ever follow recipes, except for baking, because I like to let my palate guide me. I usually will use recipes as a reference or jumping off point, I get a basic idea of the ingredients and the order and proportion and adjust and add as I go along. What started as Coconut Spinach Snapper ended up as Red Snapper in a Spicy Coconut Sauce! So in my usual fashion, the following recipe is a rough estimate of what I made, I tried to remember the exact amount of each ingredient but I very highly encourage you to taste and alter as you go along!

Red Snapper in a Spicy Coconut Sauce

INGREDIENTS

Olive Oil
2 snapper fillets (about 6 oz each)
Salt and Pepper to taste
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 cup diced white onion
2/3rd to 1 can of light coconut milk
Juice of 2-3 limes
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce (I highly recommend Safeway brand soy sauce…I cant explain why but it has the best flavor)
About 1/2 tablespoon of Sriracha (adjust to your spice preference)
2 plum tomatoes, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
1 bag (10 oz) spinach, washed (not dried)
1 broccoli crown chopped

Heat a bit of oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Season fish with salt and pepper and cook 2 or 3 minutes per side or until the fish is cooked but not too flakey. Remove fish from skillet and cover to keep warm. Return skillet to heat; cook garlic, ginger and onion until tender. Add coconut milk, lime juice and cilantro and bring to a boil. Add soy and sriracha; simmer 1 minute. Heat oil in a separate, large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté remaining the bell peppers and broccoli, season with salt and pepper. Add tomato and spinach and cook until greens are just wilted. Plate the veggies then top with the salmon and sauce. Garnish with a bit of lime.

I served this dish alongside some mild curry spiced rice but any rice or quinoa would be excellent. Bottom line is have fun with this recipe, you can play with the flavors a lot and really make it your own. If you come up with any tasty variations please share!

<3 seanalyn