1 tsp. cardamom pods
3/4 C. refrigerated carrot juice
About 1 1/2 tsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. sugar
Salt
1 lb. boned, skinned swordfish or halibut
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. coarse-ground pepper
1 T. minced fresh chives (optional)

Crush cardamom pods; remove black seed. In a 1- to 1 1/2-quart pan, mix cardamom seed, carrot juice, 1 1/2 tsp. vinegar, cornstarch, and sugar until well blended. Stir over high heat until mixture boils; reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 1/2 C., 7 to 9 minutes. Cover pan and remove from heat; let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Taste, and add salt and more vinegar if desired. Pour sauce through a fine strainer into a bowl. Meanwhile, rinse fish, pat dry, and cut into 4 equal portions. Rub fish all over with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Set a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan (with ovenproof handle) over high heat. When pan is hot, add fish and turn as needed to brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes total. Sprinkle pepper evenly over fish. Put pan with fish in a 400° oven; bake until fish is opaque but still moist-looking in center of thickest part (cut to test), 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer fish to rimmed plates. Spoon sauce evenly around fish and sprinkle with chives.

Yield: 4 servings
Calories: 171
Fat: 5.7g
Fiber: 0g