Tamarind Flavored Grilled Pompano and Sauteed Spinach with Sesame Sauce

Since we moved here in the US, I've set Friday as my laundry and cleaning day. You might be asking why Friday. Well it's for the simple reason that I want to devote Monday to Thursday in doing important things for my girls (esp. during school days) and I want to spend Saturday and Sunday just having fun with them and Ryan. I guess it's a valid reason, right??! So Friday it is. Because of the tiring nature of my Friday chores, I'm not in cooking mode on most Fridays. So it's either we eat leftover or I prepare frozen food or we just eat out. 

But last Friday, I was craving badly for grilled pompano. So, I called Ryan and I asked if he could come home early to do the grilling for me...and of course, he said yes. FYI, it is very seldom that he says no to my requests. (^.^)

After the phone conversation with Ryan, I prepared the pompano so it would be ready when he gets home. It was actually very simple to prepare with only 4 ingredients needed: salt, garlic, ginger and Knorr Tamarind Soup Mix. Ryan's aunt from Texas City introduced us to Tamarind Flavored Grilled Fish 2 years ago, and we've loved it since then. Her version has only salt & tamarind soup mix in it, but whenever I prepare it, I always add minced garlic and ginger for richer flavor.

I was thinking of a side dish that would best fit our Tamarind Flavored Grilled Pompano. I checked out what's in the refrigerator and when I saw the spinach, I remember about the Spinach with Sesame Sauce recipe of Nami (author of Just One Cookbook). But I thought of giving it added flavor by sauteing the spinach with garlic in sesame oil rather than just boiling it in water...so that's what I did. But don't get me wrong, Nami's version is good...all her dishes are! Maybe I was just being a Filipino at that moment! Filipinos love sautéing, you know!

Ryan came home around 6p.m. and by 7p.m., we have this Tamarind Flavored Grilled Pompano and Sauteed Spinach with Sesame Sauce ready to satisfy our growling tummies! For me, nothing beats eating a good meal with your family after a tiring day!

Ingredients:

For Tamarind Flavored Grilled Pompano

• 2 pcs. whole pompano (1 lb each), cleaned
• 2 Tbsp garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp ginger. minced
• 2 Tbsp Knorr Sinigang Mix
• Salt

For Sauted Spinach with Sesame Sauce

• 1 bundle spinach (about 1 lb, thoroughly washed and trimmed)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 Tbsp Sesame oil
• 3 Tbsp roasted white sesame seeds
• 1½ Tbsp soy sauce
• ½ Tbsp brown sugar
• ½ Tbsp Cooking Sake
• ½ Tbsp Mirin

Procedure:

For Tamarind Flavored Grilled Pompano

1. Clean pompano. Wash and drain. Sprinkle with salt and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes.

2. Rub each pompano with 1 Tbsp garlic and 1 Tbsp ginger then sprinkle each with 1 Tbsp tamarind soup mix. Let sit in the refrigerator for another 10 minutes.

3. Wrap in slightly greased aluminum foil separately.

4. Grill for 30 minutes at 275F.

5. Unwrap from aluminum foil in a serving dish. Serve immediately.

For Sauted Spinach with Sesame Sauce

1. Separate spinach stalks from the leaves and cut the stalks in 1 inch length. Set aside.

2. In a pan, roast sesame seeds until light brown. Grind using mortar and pestle (or any grinder) while still hot to bring out the flavor.

3. In a small bowl, mix ground sesame seeds with soy sauce, sugar, mirin and sake. Set aside.

4. In a skillet over medium heat, saute garlic in sesame oil until light brown. Add spinach stalks and saute for a minute. Add spinach leaves and saute until just wilted but is still bright green. Remove from heat. Add sesame sauce and mix well. 

5. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve as a side dish. 

Wishing you all a wonderful first day of August!!!