Halibut with Buttered Pecan Sauce

We were in Mexico last weekend with some friends, Paul and Robin.  We got to talking about a fishing trip Paul will be taking to Alaska to catch Salmon and Flounder and it got me craving fish.  This recipe is delicious.  The spicy and savory rice with the taste of the sweet pecan sauce pair beautifully together while still not overpowering the taste of the halibut.  One of my favorite dishes.  

Ingredients For the Rice:

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Diced Onion

1/4 Cup Diced Red Pepper

3/4 Cup Brown Rice

1 1/2 Cups Chicken Broth

Salt and Cayenne Pepper to taste

1/2 Cup of Green Onions

Directions For the Rice:

Over medium-high heat the olive oil and add the onion and pepper until they are tender (a couple of minutes).  Stir in the rice and cook for about a minute before mixing in the broth.  After adding the broth, bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and cover and cook until the rice is tender (about 20 minutes).  Season with salt and cayenne pepper to your taste and then stir in the green onions.

Ingredients For the Halibut:

2 Tsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika

2 Tbsp Fresh Thyme

2 Tsp Garlic Powder

1 Tsp Salt

1 Tsp Pepper

4 Halibuts (6 oz each)

Directions for Fish:

Combine the oil, paprika, thyme, garlic powder

Directions For the Fish:

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl with a whisk.  Pat on both sides of the fish.  Oil grates for grill and cook over medium high heat for about 3-4 minutes per side.  

Ingredients for the Buttered Pecan Sauce:

1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans

2/3 Cup Sugar

1/3 Cup Water

Pinch of Salt

1 Tbsp Butter

1 Tbsp Apple Juice or Coconut Milk

Directions for Buttered Pecan Sauce:

Toast the pecans in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Stir for about 3-4 minutes until you can smell their wonderful flavor.  Put on plate and set them aside.  Combine sugar and water and bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook until its reduced by half about 5-10 minutes.  Stir in the pecans and salt.  Cook for about 1-2 minutes more.  Remove from the heat and serve the fish over the rice and the drizzle the sauce over your entree.  

* Note * The sauce does thicken when cooling or when storing left overs in the fridge but just heat it up and stir and it will be back to a sauce

Creamy Maple Cinnamon Almond Butter

I can' say enough how much I love almond butter.  I will choose it every time over any peanut butter out there especially when its homemade and packed with deliciousness.  

What you'll need are some basic ingredients and a good food processor

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Raw Almonds

3 Tbsp 100% Pure Maple Syrup

2 Tbsp Whole Golden Flax Seeds

2 Tbsp Hemp Seeds

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds

1 Tsp Cinnamon

1/2 Tsp Salt

1 1/2 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions:

1.)  Preheat your oven to 300 Degrees

2.)  Line a baking sheet with a mat or parchment paper.  Mix together the almonds with the seeds and maple syrup and spread them out over the sheet and bake for 30 minutes.  Stir after 15 minutes.

3.)  Allow to cool off of the pan for a couple of minutes and then place them in a food processor.  Now mine was a smaller processor so I divided my almonds up into batches and did it a couple of times, but if yours is bigger, throw them all in.  Process for about 10 minutes, make sure you scrape the bowl and allow the processor to stop about every minute or so.  In the end you will have a wonderful creamy and smooth almond butter.

4.)  Add the vanilla, salt and cinnamon and process until its incorporated.  Here you can taste and add additional cinnamon, maple syrup, or salt to your liking.  

5.)  Transfer to a jar and top on your favorite bread.  DELICIOUS, its ok to lick the bowl too. 

Makes a little over a cup, mine stored in the fridge for several weeks