I promise to stop bragging about my Hawaiian vacation soon.  It was just so wonderful, I can’t help it! Someone asked me this weekend what my favorite part of the trip was, and of course I proceeded to tell her about my favorite meal. Snorkeling, luaus, sunset catamaran rides, relaxation – none of them top the dinner we had at Tidepools, a beautiful restaurant inside the Grand Hyatt on Kauai.  I had the baby romaine salad with Maui onion dressing, it was like a magical island Caesar salad.  Then I had macadamia nut crusted Mahi Mahi with coconut rice and tropical rum sauce. TO DIE FOR. Seriously. I would have picked my plate up and licked up every crumb if it weren’t such a nice restaurant.  This is my attempt at duplicating the amazing meal I had.  Of course, it doesn’t quite measure up because the Mahi wasn’t caught right outside my window. I had to use the frozen stuff – wah! Also, my attempt at tropical rum sauce was a complete failure so I had to go sauceless for now. But, this was still pretty darn good. And, since I ate it in the privacy of my own home, I was able to lick my plate clean with no judgment.Ingredients:

Serves 2

  • 2 6oz. mahi mahi fillets
  • 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, finely crushed (you can also pulse quickly in a food processor)
  • 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 TB all purpose flour
  • 2 TB unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 a yellow onion, sliced
  • 1 lime
  • 1 TB coconut milk (Save the rest if you want to make coconut rice)
  • salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil

2. In a small bowl, combine the crushed nuts, bread crumbs, flour, and butter. Set aside.

3. Place the sliced onions in an even layer on the foil lined baking sheet.

4. Slice the limes into equal rounds. Use one lime round to rub on both sides of the fish filets. Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper and place on top of the bed of onions. Top with remaining lime rounds.

5. Cover with another piece of foil and roll up the sides to make a closed packet for the fish to cook in.  Bake in the oven for 7 minutes.

6. Remove the fish from the oven, and remove the top piece of foil.  Remove the limes. Brush the coconut milk evenly on top of the fish. Evenly spread the macadamia mixture on top of the fish filets and gently press down to adhere. Place back in the oven for another 7 minutes, or until the topping begins to brown, and the fish is flaky and cooked through.

ENJOY!

Source: Adapted from Fifteen Spatulas