Pan-seared mahi-mahi with bell pepper and mushrooms

I thought I would check in and see what fish recipes are on Deb Perlman’s popular blog Smitten Kitchen and I was a bit shocked to see that she hardly has any! I know now that Deb is fish-averse. I, however, am not. I have shared my love for fish tacos with you already. Growing up in Southern California has had a influence on my tastes. I don’t like sushi or poke, but I do enjoy a good shrimp bowl and shrimp with pasta.

We try to have fish or other seafood for dinner about once a week. Sometimes I fall out of the habit of buying fish at the grocery store, especially because I like getting fresh fish, but I don’t always feel like making it on the day I grocery shop. So, I recently got a pack of 6 individually frozen mahi-mahi fillets. I don’t care to have a big frozen fish defrosting but I like that these packs were in individual pouches.

I generally like my fish to have a bit of a spicy kick, so that’s what you’re getting here. The vegetables add a nice brightness to the fish.

Pan-seared mahi-mahi with bell pepper and mushrooms

This recipe is loosely adapted from Home Chef. For the bell pepper, use red, orange, yellow, or a combination. I do not recommend green for this recipe as it will likely be bitter. If you don’t have shitake mushrooms, button or portabello mushrooms will also work here. Serve with rice, as seen here, or with sweet potatoes, as Home Chef does.

Yield: 2 servings

For the sauteed vegetables
3 shitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps minced
1/2 a red bell pepper, minced
1 tbsp butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1/8 tsp salt

For the mahi-mahi
2 mahi-mahi fillets
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp black pepper

Cook the vegetables:Heat a medium pan over medium-low heat and add butter. When melted, add minced shiitakes and bell pepper. Season with salt. Cook 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. When mushrooms are lightly browned, add garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and remove mixture to a bowl. Cover and set aside, keeping warm.

Cook the mahi-mahi: Mix salt, cayenne pepper, paprika, and black pepper in a small bowl. In a medium pan, heat 2 tsp. of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the tops of the mahi-mahi with the seasoning, add to pan and cook about 3 minutes per side until browned. Fish is cooked with the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Carefully remove fish to a plate. Set aside and keep warm.