Mahi Mahi with Madeira Orange Sauce, Mashed Cauliflower, and Sauteed Spinach

What can I say to convince you that cauliflower mashed is just like regular potatoes?  Add a little nutritional yeast and you get that starchy taste that you may miss when you are just making the switch over.  Cauliflower, with its simplicity, has quickly become one of my new favorites.  There is so much you can do with it!

Got some great Mahi Mahi the other day and the night I fixed it, I wanted a savory sweat sauce.  Since oranges are in season, why not pair it with an orange marmalade?  

It turned out delightful.  You can never go wrong with sweet and savory together.

Fish

3 fillets Mahi Mahi, skin intact

salt and pepper

1 tsp. thyme

Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower, chopped into even pieces

1 c. water

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 c. almond milk

1 tbsp. nutritional yeast

1 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg

Spinach

1 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 onion, fine dice

1/2 red bell pepper, fine dice

6 cups spinach

Sauce

1 c. Madeira

2 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1/2 c. orange marmalade

1 tbsp. dill

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees.  Salt and pepper the flesh side of the fish, then add the thyme.  Place flesh side down on sheet pan.  Place in oven and cook 15-20 minutes depending on thickness.  The skin will begin to look dry...that is okay, I promise the fish will be moist.

While oven is preheating, add the cauliflower, water and olive oil to a large saute pan over high heat.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until the cauliflower is tender.

Heat the Madeira and Dijon in a small sauce pan until boiling and allow to reduce by half.  Add the marmalade and dill, whisking it well into the Madeira.  Lower to medium and allow the sauce to continue to reduce, whisking once in a while.  Watch it so it doesn't reduce too much, reduce to simmer if necessary.  Salt and pepper to taste to finish.

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat.  Add the onion and pepper, cooking until tender and they start to caramelize.  Reduce heat to medium, add spinach and cook until the spinach is done, meaning tender and soft.  (about 6-8 minutes)  Pepper to taste and then set aside to keep warm.

The cauliflower should be done around this time.  Add everything in the pan into a food processor.  Process until the cauliflower breaks down.  Add almond milk, yeast and nutmeg, scraping down the sides and process until smooth.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Place cauliflower on heated plate, then spinach mix, and then a piece of the fish.  Lightly spoon the sauce over the top.

Enjoy!

I included this so you can see my recipe book.  I write as I am cooking, cross off and adjust measurements as I taste.  X ones that don't work.  It's a process...but it is fun!