Turbot Fish Curry and an Apricot-Toasted Chickpea Salad

Beans are not a natural favorite of mine, but I've been making an attempt to branch out and experiment a bit more with them to take advantage of their health value! Part of this means turning to dry beans. My little use of beans has always mainly included canned beans - which come soggy and in a weird sauce-like coating. Dried beans just somehow seem fresher and more exciting to me. Just make sure that you allow enough time to cook them - this usually includes at least an hour of simmering or soaking and could take several hours. It's low-maintenance, so just set it up and let it go but this still means it takes some advance planning!

For this meal, I combined the fresh, summer tastes of juicy, sweet apricot and crunchy, toasted chickpeas with a rich, Turbot curry. I'm a huge Turbot fan and it did not disappoint here, flaking nicely and combining with the richness yet lightness of the sauce for a perfect meal.

Difficulty: medium-easy
Time: 45 min
Cost: $29.72



Apricot-Toasted Chickpea Salad
Time: 40 min

Ingredients:
2.5 cups cooked chickpeas
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon rind, grated
1.5 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 c red onion, sliced
4 apricots, pitted and sliced
1 bag arugula
3 tbsp goat cheese, crumbled

Get your oven pre-heating to 450 degrees so you can toast your chickpeas.

Toss the chickpeas with the cumin and coriander and put in a greased (with cooking spray) roasting pan. Drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil over the chickpeas. Roast for 20 minutes - stirring halfway through. They should be toasted at the end.

Make a dressing by combining the rest of the olive oil, lemon rind, white wine vinegar, and black pepper in a bowl. Whisk together and then add the red onion and apricots, tossing to coat. Finally, add the arugula.

When the beans are out of the oven, add them as well. Toss the salad until evenly mixed and then sprinkle with the goat cheese.

Servings: 8
Serving size: about 1 cup
Nutrition: calories 202; carbs 40g; fat 8g; protein 11g; sodium 38mg; iron 16mg

Turbot Fish Curry
Time: 40 min

Ingredients:
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp chili powder
1 lb Turbot fillet
3/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 c red onion, diced
1 tsp ground ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp sugar
6 oz plain fat-free yogurt
4.5 c cooked long-grain rice

First, make your spice mix. In a small bowl, combine the cumin, coriander, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and chili powder. Mix until well combined and set aside for now.

Cut the Turbot until small 1-1.5" bite-sized pieces. Place them in a bowl and sprinkle with the turmeric. Toss until coated evenly.

Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil, swirling to coat. When the oil is hot, add the fish to it. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring often enough to keep from burning. Do not cook 100% through since you'll add it back shortly.

Keep the pan hot, and add the onion to it. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring to keep from burning. Then add the garlic, ginger, and bay leaf. Stir and saute for another 2 minutes.

Now, add your reserved spice mixture. Stir to make sure everything is evenly combined and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of water and the sugar. Stir again.

Remove the pan from the heat, but leave the burner going. Slowly stir in the yogurt, just adding a little bit at a time. Stir constantly as you add the yogurt to get a creamy consistency.

Once all of the yogurt is added, return the pan to the heat but turn it to low. Stir nearly constantly and cook for 5 minutes. Add the fish and cook for another 5 minutes.

Discard the bay leaf and serve the curry over the rice.

Servings: 4
Serving size: about 1.5 cups
Nutrition: calories 567; carbs 52g; fat 25g; protein 25g; sodium 1013mg; iron 8mg