Asian Glazed Swai Fish Over Jasmine Rice

When we moved here we were warned about the competitiveness within the Philadelphia community, a.k.a. Eagles Fans. Though my husband is a huge NBA and MLB Fan, football has just never been under his radar. Yet we have found that if you're not an Eagles fan (even if you are indifferent to them) and you admit this to an Eagles fanatic they will spend as much time as they feel necessary trying to convince you why you should be an Eagles fan (that is, when the Eagles are performing satisfactorily - otherwise, they'll be cursing the coach and reconsidering their loyalty altogether).

This type of competitiveness about football is also translated into their view on weather, oddly enough. Specifically, they're competitive about their winters in Pennsylvania being the absolute coldest winters than any place (other than maybe Russia and Antarctica). Of course being from Indiana I figured I could chime in on the conversation since I've experienced a brutal winter a time or two. But I've found that each time I've tried to chime in on the conversation, no matter who I'm speaking to, if they're from Pennsylvania, I am very quickly and loudly kicked out of the conversation.

Apparently, only if you live in a warm climate year round can you have a conversation about bad winters with a person from Pennsylvania. And I've determined the reason for this is because they don't want a fellow survivor of comparably harsh winters to compete with them. Even though this past Friday it was 50 degrees Fahrenheit in Philadelphia and it was snowing in Indianapolis the weather, according to them, was still worse in Philadelphia because the wind was chilly...So I've deducted that people in and around Philadelphia are so competitive that it affects their scope of reality about everything. In their minds, they have to be number one for everything, even when it comes to being the worst at something.

So while everyone I knew in Indianapolis was eating meals fit for a cold day like soup and stew I decided to relish in the nice fall weather we had this entire weekend. Since I wasn't consumed this weekend by the "awful" weather from a little wind (like most of the folks I worked with) I decided to save my soup and stew recipes for the actual winter and prepare Ian and I a meal still fit for the fall. I had leftover ingredients from when my sister was here so I modified a glaze she had made for us. And I also just discovered Jasmine Rice, which I was very pleased to find the texture is a perfect cross between standard white rice and Japanese sticky rice. Jasmine Rice has great health benefits and it worked beautifully with the fish. I hope you decide to try this recipe because it's been my favorite one so far this fall. Bon Appetit!

Cooking Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Swai Fish
• 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil, divided
• 2 cups Water
• 1 cup Jasmine Rice
• 3 Tbsp. Honey
• 2 tsp. Soy Sauce
• 2 tsp. Sesame Oil
• 2 Tbsp. Sriracha (I used a lot, please modify based on your preference to spice)
• 2 tsp. Rice Vinegar
• 3 Green Onions, Chopped
• Pepper

Cooking Directions for the Jasmine Rice:

• In a small pot add one Tablespoon of Olive Oil and 2 cups of water and bring to a rolling boil
• Add the Jasmine Rice, then cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed by the rice

 Cooking Directions for the Glaze:

• In a small bowl mix the honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, rice vinegar, and pepper together

Cooking Directions for the Fish:

• Heat 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil in a large frying pan over medium heat 
• Slice your Filets in half (if needed) and place in the oil
• Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side and then remove from heat
• Add freshly ground pepper to the fish
• On a place, place the fish filets over a bed of Jasmine Rice
• Pour a few spoonfuls of glaze over the top of the fish
• On a cutting board, chop the green onions and then sprinkle a few pieces over the top of the fish for a garnish