Miso halibut en papillote with kale sesame salad
We did cook and eat this summer – we were just out having too much fun to post any recipes to the blog. Granted, a lot of that nutrition was taken in during time on the bike, including a variety of Luna and Clif Bars, gels and shots, and the chalky yet convenient liquid nutrition like Hammer Perpetuem. Every time I get on the bike I swear I’m going to pack ‘real’ food, but a falafel and hummus don’t go down the pipe as easily as a fruity Clif Shot Blok.
I looked at the date of our last post – Friday, July 29th was the day after RAMROD (Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day), a grueling 150+ mile endurance ride covering 3 mountain passes and over 10,000 feet of elevation gain. We have a couple of teammates who completed this feat 5-7 times and rave about the scenery, organization, and route. I convinced Aaron to enter the lottery with me and Aaron prayed he wouldn’t fall victim to the ultimate irony of him being selected and me not getting a berth. Ultimately we both ‘won’ spots and completed the ride in what seemed like breakneck fashion; we spent 8 hours in the saddle and 10 hours on the road from point to point (including food and rest stops). I would absolutely do the ride again, if not just for the amazing spread of food at every pit stop and the ability to carb and calorie load for recovery’s sake.
Tina & Aaron at the RAMROD finish line
With the transition of road season into cyclocross, we’re finding more time to be intentional about cooking and meal planning. We also started ordering a weekly CSA box delivered to our doorstep each week which takes the guesswork out of selecting random fruits and vegetables at the grocery store that inevitably end up going limp in the back of our produce drawer. Each week I receive an email listing the box’s contents, but for Aaron the tupperware bin on the doorstep is gift waiting to be opened and savored. He’ll examine the bunch of purple carrots, carefully trim their tops, and bag them with kindred vegetables before tucking them away in the fridge.
This recipe features a few items from our most recent delivery and was adapted from the Oct/Nov 2011 issue of Fine Cooking:
Halibut en papillote ingredients:
2 1-inch thick halibut filets, seasoned with salt and pepper
3 Tbs unsalted butter
3 Tbs miso paste
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
2 stalks green onion, chopped
1 sliced leek (white and light green parts only)
1.5 cups long grain white rice
3 C low sodium chicken broth
Parchment paper
Directions:
Heat oven to 375o
Heat 2-3 quart saucepan over medium high heat and melt 2 Tbs butter, add leeks and sauté until soft and barely golden brown, about 4 min
Add rice and coat with butter, cook until rice begins to crackle
Cover with chicken broth and lower heat to simmer; cook until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes
Remove from heat and set aside
Cut 2 sheets of parchment paper about 20″ long and fold each sheet in half; cut out a half heart and unfold
Rub butter on both sides of heart and spoon rice between the sheets, careful not to overfill
Mix miso paste with rice wine vinegar
Place halibut filet on rice and generously smear miso paste, sprinkle with green onions
Fold the parchment paper to create a seal, instructional video available online (skip to 1’30”)
Transfer packets to cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes
Kale sesame salad ingredients:
1 bunch of young lacinato kale
2 Tbsp sesame seed oil
1 Tbsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted
1 lemon wedge
Directions:
Remove fibrous stems from kale and slice crosswise, into 1/4″ slivers
Dress kale with sesame seed oil and let sit for 5-7 minutes for oil to soften the leaves
Toss with sesame seeds and and juice from lemon wedge
Variations
I made fish en papillote three times in one week because it was just so darn easy. My favorite other variation is to use Thai jasmine brown rice with halibut, red curry sauce, and broccoli florets.
lesdomestiques 