Southeast Asian Fish Rolls with Fragrant Jasmine Rice
This food is not much to look at - baked fish and rice means white food. They are tasty though! These recipes are another attempt at some healthy cooking. Both recipes come from the Low Fat Moosewoods cookbook, a relic from my vegetarian days. I should get back into that a little more often, only I can’t remember what I ate all of the time. I suspect that I had a lot of pasta, which isn’t particularly a great idea. And cheese. I know I ate a lot of cheese. Plus, I find it very difficult to find tofu recipes I like. Anyway…
The rice smelled fantastic while it was cooking (jasmine rice will do that) but didn’t have enough flavor at the end, and I needed some soy sauce to perk it up. If I make it again, I’ll halve the water and rice, effectively doubling the amount of flavorings/seasonings within the rice, to make it more interesting. Fresh lemongrass was certainly an experience, though! The first time I made the fish rolls, I was worried they’d fall apart, so I skewered them with toothpicks to hold them together, and then they fell apart as I pulled out the toothpicks. This time, I couldn’t find the toothpicks, so I just placed them seam side down in the baking dish and they held together perfectly.
For the fish:
- 8 2-4oz. thin fish fillets, such as sole or flounder
- 1/4 c. fresh lime juice (3 limes)
- 2 Tbs soy sauce
- 4 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1/4 c. chopped basil
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
- 3 Tbs chopped cilantro
- 1/2 tsp. freshly grated lime peel
- panko bread crumbs
Mix together all ingredients except for fish. Lay fillets on a cutting board or counter and spoon 1/8 of the filling onto each piece. Roll up and place seam side down in a baking dish. Spray lightly with cooking spray and dust with panko crumbs. Cover lightly and bake a 375 for 20-25 minutes.
For the rice:
- 2 c. jasmine rice
- 2 Tbs mined lemongrass or 2 tsp freshly grated lemon peel
- 4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 1 small green chile, seeded and minced
- 1 c. undrained crushed pineapple
- 2 Tbs chopped fresh basil
- 2 1/2 c. boiling water
Place rice in colander or sieve, and rinse with cool water. Set aside.
In a large nonstick saucepan, heat a little oil over medium (about a teaspoon, really) and add lemongrass or peel, garlic, chile, and a little salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add pineapple with its juice, basil, rice, and boiling water. Cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.