Sassy Swordfish

With its meaty texture and thick fillet size, swordfish is great for a hearty dinner. Although it can be a rather bland fish, it is lovely to marinate, as it will soak up all the wonderful juices and seasonings you decide to use. Tonight I chose to quickly marinate my sword steaks in some citrus, garlic and ginger, using the remaining marinade as the base for a quick sauce. These light and vibrant flavors are what makes this swordfish, well, sassy. Thick, meaty and sassy. My kind of fish.



Swordfish is an excellent source of B vitamins and selenium, a mineral necessary for the proper functioning and use of the body's antioxidant system. Just three to four ounces is all you need to nourish your body with a healthy amount of protein. This little big fish is very low in saturated fat...just one gram for each three ounce serving! It is also a nice source of omega-3 fatty acids - the heart healthy fats responsible for decreasing arterial inflammation. Pairing this fish with some lightly sauteed asparagus added a TON of vitamin K to this meal. A 1/2 cup of cooked asparagus leaves you with about 60% of your daily requirement! How 'bout them apples.

Sassy Swordfish

4 swordfish steaks (3-4 oz each)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1 lime, juiced and zested
2 tablespoons oil (I used a Persian Lime olive oil for extra flavor)
Hearty dash of salt, pepper and paprika
1 tablespoon flour (any kind will do - I used whole wheat)
2 tablespoons of grape must (similar to balsamic, which will also work well in place of the must)
Handful fresh parsley, chopped

1 bunch asparagus, ends snapped off
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Dash of salt and pepper

- Place swordfish steaks in large bowl and add lime juice, 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper and paprika. The longer you marinate the steaks, the more flavor will be absorbed. I didn't do this ahead of time, so I let them sit for about 15-20 minutes.

- Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in large skillet over medium heat and add fish, cooking each side for about 5 minutes. Add all marinade juices to the pan while cooking - this will keep your fish nice and moist.

- While the last side of the fish is cooking, heat a saute pan over medium heat and add sesame oil. Add asparagus, garlic, sesame seed, salt and pepper. Cook until desired texture is reached. I like my asparagus to have a little bite to it - no more than 10 minutes.

- When fish is done, remove and cover to keep warm. Add flour and grape must (or balsamic) to remaining juices and heat on medium high, allowing liquid to bubble. The flour will allow your liquid to thicken up a bit, creating a quick and simple sauce for your fish. Pour over fish steaks, top with parsley and serve.

This meal wouldn't be complete without some delicious carbs, so a nice loaf of olive bread from the Fresh Market graced the table. It was SO good. I love bread. And I love olives. Nothing could have been better.

And to accompany this lovely loaf: olive oil with garlic and herbs, hummus and some olive tapenade, because  clearly we could use more olives.

Good food. Good friends. Good conversation.

Doesn't get much better than this :)