Mahimahi with Bells and Onions

Sometimes life makes promises that don't pan out.  Take that photo on my masthead.  The mango trees are doing it again - blooming like there's no tomorrow.  Hoping for the best.  But, here in Puna it all depends upon the weather, and mostly we can count on not getting mangoes.  Maybe one or two.  All due to rain at the wrong time.

The Allspice tree is blooming too.  And, that's another story.  A funnier one.  Or sadder. It blooms every year, but never makes any babies.  Do you know why?  You're waiting with bated breath I can tell.  Because it needs a tree of the opposite sex. Duh. Yes, sex is involved here.  The only problem with trees being that they have no external appendages by which one might tell which sex they are.  So, because my poor darling was lonely, I went out and purchased another tree, which could be of the same sex or the opposite.  Who knows?  At least not until it's big enough to make babies.  Enough about things that disappoint.

As far as this meal goes, what can I say?  It is basically a technique, and a favorite go-to of mine for chicken thighs, fish or tenderloin steaks.  I haven't posted about it before because it just seems too simple.  But, aren't the best things in life often simple?  And this one never disappoints.  You put whatever it is on top of some veggies that have been drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with herbs, (in the case of chicken, lots of garlic) salt and pepper.  Cook at 400F and that is it.  The cooking times depend on what you have.  Meal in a pan.

Sometimes I add mushrooms or zucchini.  If it's chicken, I cover with foil the first 20 minutes, remove and do the last 20 minutes without, after a splash of white wine and more olive oil (or butter).  With ahi tuna I put it under the broiler for about 5 minutes on each side.  For this mahimahi, a more delicate and thinner cut, I lightly sauteed the vegetables first in the cast iron pan, added the fish on top, sprinkled with salt, pepper, fennel pollen, and olive oil. Then popped the pan in the oven for about 5 minutes on each side, repeating the sprinklings.

You want the fish barely cooked, before removing to a plate to rest, surrounded by beautifully roasted veggies.  Fabulous, moist and tender, served with roasted potatoes which can be done in the oven at the same time, or as I did with kefir lime and parsley scented rice alongside green beans in a vinaigrette. This will join the dishes over at Hearth 'n Soul Blog Hop, hosted by Swathi.  Check out some tasty recipes.