Being from the West coast has been a gift of life because I am always two skips shy of a river with salmon in it. Salmon is my second favorite fish, coming in shy behind rainbow trout. I wrote this recipe after we went on a fishing trip at the Columbia River Gorge. We had so many beautiful salmon that I had to do them justice.

Of course, my youngest daughter insisted that she get sashimi because she is the sweetest and most darling cousin of Gollum. Everything is better raw she says,...and shoot, the kid won't eat salmon unless it is raw.

Anyways, this salmon is dressed with dijon mustard, lemon juice and fresh dill. Yum.

Spice. Fish. And everything nice. And while I know that seafood stew seems to be a summertime love, I prefer to cook it in the bare autumn, as the temperatures dip. I need something healthy and full of protein to keep me moving in the cold. 

In our house, we stick to a fairly clean diet: fresh produce, fresh fish, seeds, nuts and a bit of rice. Eating out is rare, as is dairy (which doesn't mean you won't find some hand-churned mint chocolate chip in the freezer because I do).

This recipe is perfect for the paleo folk, but also delicious with a buttered slice of sourdough.

The Recipe
Ingredients:
 8 (6-ounce) pieces skinless Pacific cod fillet
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
 2 teaspoons sea salt
1 pound large shrimp in shell, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 pound roma tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
2 yellow plantains, cut diagonally into 8 pieces
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
1. Pat fish fillets dry and put in a bowl. Stir together lime juice, peppers, 1 tablespoon garlic, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, then pour over fish and toss to combine. Marinate, covered and chilled, 30 minutes. Add shrimp and chill at least 30 minutes but no longer than 1 1/2 hours more.

2. Put tomatoes in bottom of a wide 5- to 6-quart heavy pot. Add the onions, then the plantains to the pot, layering evenly. Sprinkle the remaining salt. Place the fish in the pot, add the cilantro and parsley. Layer the shrimp, and finally pour the oil and marinade evenly over the ingredients.

3. Bring to a simmer, then cover pot. Adjust heat to gently simmer for 20 minutes.