Fancy Dinner For Me...

Tonight I was excited to try a new recipe. Alas, I didn't time it well, so everyone was sitting and ready to eat while it was still in the oven. Out of desperation, I served the following:

*pan-fried tofu
*white rice
*steamed broccoli
*cottage cheese
*Red Bull for Aogu
*milk for the kids

It's just as well that I did, because when the

*halibut "en papillote" with a mint-cilantro chutney

was ready, I learned that Aogu was full of tofu and doesn't like cilantro. Right. I can't wait to eat this dish again and again for the next couple days, since I'm not interested to try and force my kids to eat it either (though they might surprise me?). I know that sounds sarcastic, but I'm actually not kidding, because I thought it was delicious. It would probably be even better if one actually used halibut; all I had were some cheap "whiting fillets" that I pulled out of the freezer. So if this process can make them taste good, imagine how great a proper piece of fresh halibut would be!

So I guess this recipe won't go into our regular rotation, but I'll write it out here anyway in case you want to try it. Or maybe I can make it sometime when friends are over. I had some chutney left over and I put some of it on my broccoli, which was another great option.

Halibut "en papillote" with a mint-cilantro chutney
from Indian Home Cooking

4 skinless halibut fillets, 6-8 oz. each, about 1 inch thick
2 tsp. salt
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 tsp. garam masala

mint-cilantro chutney
2 cups fresh cilantro leaves
1 bunch scallions, white parts only, trimmed
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into large pieces
4 garlic cloves
3 fresh hot green chiles, stemmed and seeded
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup cream cheese
3/4 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste
juice of 1 lemon

Sprinkle the halibut all over with 1 tsp. of the salt and lemon juice and refrigerate 10 minutes (I didn't refrigerate because my fillets were frozen). Rinse and pat the fish dry on paper towels. Stir together the yogurt, garam masala, and remaining 1 tsp. salt. Pour over the fish and refrigerate 45 more minutes (kept it on the counter). Meanwhile for the chutney, combine the ingredients in a blender and process until well blended (I used the food processor, I thought the blender would frustrate me).
Preheat the oven to 450. Cut a piece of foil about 15 inches long, spray with cooking spray and set a fillet on. Cut the fillet in half horizontally and make a sandwich with 1-2 tablespoons of chutney in the middle. (I didn't cut my fillets in half because they didn't seem thick enough; they were long and skinny so I cut them across the middle and made sandwiches that way) Fold the foil up around the fish, then fold and roll the sides to completely seal the package. Do the same with all the fish, then line them up on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes (I let them go for about 15 minutes and they still weren't done, so I opened the foil packages and baked for 8-10 more minutes. I think it took so long because my fillets were frozen?).