White Fish Bowls W/Green Tahini

I'm going to start off this post by telling you a funny story about what happened to me when I went to buy fish for this recipe.  I always go to Trader Joe's to do my main grocery shopping, but in the last year or so I've noticed that the only fresh fish they sell at the store near me is salmon.  They used to sell tilapia too, but I guess somewhere along the way they decided to stop selling it.  Anyways, I did my normal grocery shopping at TJs and then drove up the road to Whole Foods to get some fish and some specialty items.

I get to the fish counter and they don't have tilapia either!  I look at their fish assortment and can't decide what would be best for this recipe.  I learned from Ryan that when in doubt, you should look to the experts to give you advice.  So I asked the guy behind the fish counter what type of fish would be most similar to tilapia.  He gave me a couple options and asked me what I was making, so I told him.  I chose to do 2 different types of white fish to see which was better since I don't have a lot of experience cooking different types of fish at home.  As he's packing up my fish options, he starts asking me questions and this is where things took a turn.  To preface this next part, I'm 28 and the guy at the counter was probably in his 60s.  

So the guy asks me where I'm going to be making my fish and I say "at home" (obviously since we're in quarantine).  Then he asks me when I'm making it and I respond "tonight."  He then asks me "What time?" and I respond "tonight."  Then he says "What time should I be there?" and I finally realize he's pretend inviting himself over for dinner.  At this point, I feel like I should have picked up on this a few questions earlier.  So I respond to him and tell him that I wouldn't have enough fish for him because I'm getting 1 piece of each fish for myself and my husband.  Once he hears the "H" word, he backs off and says that he'll let us enjoy our meal on our own, but the whole situation made me feel so socially awkward.  Not only am I always socially awkward, but I haven't had a conversation with a stranger let alone anyone except for a few close friends and family in a LONG time.

Anyways, this is a long-winded way of telling you that I couldn't find tilapia, so I chose 2 other types of white fish - pacific cod and turbot - to try this bowl with.  You could honestly make it with any white fish you can find or prefer. 

Here's a photo with the cod.

And one with the turbot & an added poached egg.

We had the turbot first and it was nice - definitely close to tilapia with a mild flavor and similar texture.  We definitely preferred the richness of the pacific cod for this dish though.  I don't know why, but there was something about cod that just didn't seem like it would be right for this bowl when I was at the store but I'm SO glad I bought some.  Plus, it was 1/2 the price of the turbot so we got 2 pieces (about 0.6 lbs) for like $7.  Not bad if you ask me!  So stay tuned, I'm sure you'll be seeing some more cod recipes popping up soon.

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4 bowls

Ingredients:

2 lb white fish (4 fillets or 2 cut in half)

4 cups riced cauliflower

10-12 stalks broccolini

4 cups tuscan kale

3 tbs olive oil

Optional: 4 poached eggs

For the Green Tahini:

2 cloves garlic

2 tbs lemon juice

1/4 cup Tahini

2 cups cilantro

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup water

Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350° F.
2. Toss your broccolini in 1 tbs olive oil and salt & pepper.  Once the oven is preheated, add them and let them bake for 15 minutes.  Flip and roast for an additional 10 minutes or until done to your liking.
3. Make the green tahini.  Place the tahini ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until combined.  Salt & Pepper to taste and set aside.  P.S. this recipe will make about twice as much green tahini as you'll need, but you should save it for later because it's great on just about anything.
4. Add 1 tbs olive oil to a large saute pan over medium heat.  Once your pan is preheated, add your fish fillets and cook until finished (this will vary depending on the size and type of fish).
5. While the fish is cooking, add 1 tbs olive oil to a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add the cauliflower rice and kale and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-8 minutes until kale is softened.
6. To plate, add your kale & cauliflower rice mixture on the bottom of a low bowl.  Top with your fish, broccolini, and drizzle green tahini over the top.  Optional: add a poached egg.

Here's what the green tahini will look like.  This stuff is seriously amazing - I could eat it straight with a spoon.

I'm a firm believer that you can add a poached egg to just about any savory dish and it'll be delicious.  With the green tahini, you really don't need it to have a complete meal, so you can skip it if you want.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 591

Protein: 34g

Carbs: 33g

Fat: 40g

*Nutrition information based off the bowl with the sea bass.  Does not include a poached egg.