Well friends, we are getting down to the wire over here! Only 5-7 more weeks to go before our twin baby boys make their way into this world. I can’t believe it’s so close – and yet so far. We’ve come through so many months of the eating (and drinking) restrictions, weird symptoms of all kinds and lower energy in general.

But what I am learning, especially in the third trimester, is that planning balanced, nutritious meals is more important than ever. I need to focus especially on healthy proteins – and I’m eating a lot seafood, since it’s so good for building little babies! And when I’m no longer pregnant, I’ll be eating more of it to get back to building muscle. Mama’s gotta get swole again!

Seafood can come with a lot of tricky questions – how do you prepare it? What do you pair it with? How do you know if care has been taken of the environment? I’ve found a great choice in Columbia River Steelhead, a delicious fish that’s native to our area, low in mercury and so high in protein!

Steelhead looks so much like salmon – and they are closely related! – but Steelhead is in fact trout. But you can cook it in all the same ways! It packs a whopping 17g of protein in a single 3 oz serving, which is *awesome* if you are trying to hit big goals of lots of protein. Pacific Seafood’s Steelhead has also been given a green rating – the “best choice!” – from the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch’s sustainability rating system. As someone who lives in the Pacific Northwest, where it feels like we are constantly hearing worrying news about the health of our precious wildlife, this is a non-negotiable. I look for that green sticker whenever I go to the grocery store.

I paired my Steelhead with farro – which I cooked in my Instant Pot – with a brown sugar chili glaze on the Steelhead and a simple pomegranate dressing. And, because it needs a little green, I roasted some broccolini as well. The goal here was to pack a ton of seasonal superfoods into my protein bowl, and top it all off with a beautifully – but easily roasted piece of fish.

I’m so thrilled with how it turned out, and I’m excited to have even more Steelhead in my freezer to pull out this winter. It cooks so quickly, I know we’ll be using it for healthy weeknight meals in addition to date night dinners. Are you a fan of Steelhead? I’m looking for more fun dinner ideas – tell me yours in the comments!

Chili Rubbed Steelhead Protein Bowl with Farro and Pomegranate Glaze

Ingredients

• 2 3-oz filets of Columbia River Steelhead, skin on
• 1 cup dry farro
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp cumin
• 1 bunch broccolini, ends trimmed
• ¼ cup plain, Greek yogurt
• 2 Tbsp. Pomegranate juice
• 1 small avocado
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare farro according to the package directions (or in an Instant Pot!)
2. Toss broccolini in olive oil and sea salt, and then roast on a baking sheet for 15-20 minutes until lightly charred.
3. Mix brown sugar, salt, chili powder and cumin together in a small bowl. Brush steelhead with olive oil, then sprinkle on spice rub. Turn on the oven’s broiler function. Broil the filets for 6-10 minutes, or until your desired doneness. Keep a close eye on them!
4. Finally, assemble the bowls: Put 1 cup of cooked farro in each bowl and top with broccolini, steelhead and sliced avocado. Stir together Greek yogurt and pomegranate juice and drizzle on top, and top with parsley.