Salmon with Mango Habenero Salsa

For some reason, I love fruit with my meat dishes. Whether it be chicken or fish, I can always find a way to incorporate fruit into it. This meal was no different. I have made this many times, but for some reason, I have never taken time to blog about it. It just seems too simple, but maybe that's what someone might be looking for, so here it is!

Serves 2

2 salmon steaks
1 mango, diced
1/2 lime, juiced
1 habanero pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 small onion, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
salt to taste

To prepare the salsa: In a small bowl, combine the mango, lime juice, habanero pepper, onion, cilantro and salt. Stir to combine. If you want the salsa to be a little less "chunky" you can put half the salsa in a food processor or blender and combine it well, then add it back to the other "chunky" half. I like my salsa chunky, so I did not blend mine at all. 

Grill the salmon on an indoor or outdoor grill until it is cooked through. The time will vary depending on the cooking apparatus and the thickness of the salmon steak. So just keep testing the fish to see if it is done all the way through. Serve with salsa on the top of each salmon steak.

Baja Fish Taco Salad with Creamy Red Chili Dressing

Often people say to  me, "You like fish tacos?...eewwww!" I will never understand that question/statement. I love, I repeat, LOVE fish tacos. What's not to like? You get the health benefit of eating fish, you get the whole taco experience and on top of that, the cabbage and other ingredients give it so much texture! I love to make beer batter fish tacos, but since I am not 21 yet and can't buy beer....cough cough....since I didn't happen to have a beer lying around my house, I decided to try the Baja fish taco salad recipe I had found earlier in the week in one of my old forgotten recipe magazines. I figured it couldn't hurt to leave off the old shell and have a few less carbs for dinner. I'm so glad I tried it. I tweaked the recipe just a bit and my hubby, who is not  "foodie" like me ( I know....how is it possible not to be) kept commenting how much he loved it! So today, I may not have any fish leftover, but I do have salad and dressing leftover, so that will be my nice healthy lunch!  So I say "FISH TACO LOVERS UNITE" and give this one a try. You will thank me later :)

Recipe Adapted From: Cuisine at Home Magazine February 2012

Calories: 309 per serving
Makes 6 servings
Total time: 45 min

Baja Fish Taco Salad:

For the fish, whisk together:
1 cup cornflake crumbs
3/4 tsp coriander
3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

To Coat the fish and cook it::
3/4 cup canola oil
3 egg whites, beaten
2 Tbsp water
 1 lb Flounder pieces, cut into 2 inch long strips

For the salad, toss together:
6 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
1 cucumber, seeded and diced
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup thinly sliced radishes
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves (you can chop these, but don't chop them too fine)

Whisk the cornmeal, coriander, cumin, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper together in a bowl.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
Combine egg whites and water in a small bowl.
Cut your fish into pieces that are approximately 2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide.
Dredge the cut pieces of fish into the corn flake crumbs, then into the egg white mixture and then back into the cornflake crumbs. (Make sure you let the excess egg whites drip off before you re-dip them into the cornflake crumb mixture to prevent clumping)
Fry the fish in small batches, until golden (fry in small batches to prevent cooling down the oil) and place on a paper towel lined plate to soak up any excess oil.
For the salad, toss together the cabbage, cucumber, tomatoes, radishes and cilantro in a large bowl. Divide the salad among  the plates and top each salad with as much fish as you would like. Serve with Creamy Jalapeno Dressing. (recipe follows)

Creamy Red Chili Dressing

1/2 cup fat free mayonnaise ( I used Veganaise)
1/4 cup almond milk mixed with 1 tsp lemon juice (orig.recipe used buttermilk and I didn't have any so improvising was necessary)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
3 small red fresno chilies, seeded and roughly chopped (you can substitute jalapeno)
1/2 lime, juiced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin

Place all the dressing ingredients in a food processor and process until the green onions and chilies are minced well and the dressing is combined.

Shrimp, Avocado and Mango Salad

Let me first apologize for this picture. I actually forgot to take a picture of our dinner before we started eating. So unfortunately you are seeing a half eaten shrimp salad haha! Obviously I couldn't wait to tear into this bad boy. Oh my goodness, this is the most light and refreshing salad I have had in a long time. If my mango had been a tad been riper, it would have been even better than it already was. The perfect combination of tart from the lime, hot from the chili, sweet from the mango and savory from the shrimp, make a perfect marriage of flavors! On top of that, this is a no cook recipe. So you can't use the excuse that you don't know how to cook. Do you know how to slice up things with a knife? Do you know how to squeeze a lime? If you answered yes to those, then I'm afraid you are out of excuses. Go chop and squeeze and make this salad so you can see for yourself how great it is!

Recipe Source:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/mango-avocado-shrimp-salad-10000001713106/

3 Tbsp fresh lime juice 
2 Tbsp olive oil  
1 Tbsp sugar  
2 large ripe mangoes  
2 medium firm-ripe avocados 
2/3 cup thinly sliced green onion
2/3 cup chopped cilantro  
1 Tbsp chopped fresh hot red or green chile  
1 pound  peeled cooked shrimp, tails removed

In a large bowl, whisk together lime juice, oil, and sugar until sugar dissolves.
In a large bowl, dice the mangoes and avocados into cubes. Add green onion, cilantro, chile, and shrimp.
Pour the lime mixture over the top and mix gently. Serve cold.

Caribbean Jerk Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Salsa and Pina Colada Cremá

Seafood, Seafood, Seafood (admit that you just read that in a "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha, kind of Brady Bunch voice) is my food of choice. I seriously think I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. So when I found a recipe for jerk shrimp tacos, I just knew I had to try it. Now granted, these days I am on the low carb band wagon, so I had mine without the shells, but I did try one small bite of my hubbies with the shell. It about knocked my socks off. Ok so it's summer in Southern California  and I definitely was not wearing socks, but if I  had been, they would have been knocked right off! So get outside, stoke up the grill and get to cooking!

Recipe Adapted From: http://www.closetcooking.com/2013/08/jerk-shrimp-tacos-with-pineapple-salsa.html
 ** Note: I found the crema a little runny, so next time I would add a little extra plain yogurt to it to thicken it up

1 pound (16-20) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup jerk marinade (recipe follows)
2 cups red cabbage, sliced or grated
1/2 cup pina colada cremà (recipe follows)
12 small corn tortillas, fried or warmed
2 cups pineapple salsa (recipe follows)

Jerk Marinade: 
1 Jalapeno Pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
2 green onions
1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon allspice
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark rum
1/2 orange, juice and zest
1 lime, juice and zest

Puree all the jerk marinade ingredients in the food processor until smooth. Set aside.

Prepare your pineapple salsa (recipe follows) and set aside in the refrigerator until time to assemble your tacos. 
Prepare your Pina Colada cremà (recipe follows) and set aside in the refrigerator until time to assemble your tacos . 
Toss the cabbage in half of the pina colada cremà. Set aside

Marinate the shrimp in the the jerk marinade for at least 20 minutes and up to over night. 
 Place the shrimp on a skewer and grill over medium-high heat for about 1-3 minutes per side, or until cooked through. 
Assemble your tacos by placing slaw on the warmed/fried tortilla, then some pineapple salsa followed by the shrimp and a drizzle of pina colada cremà. 

Pineapple Salsa

1/2 pineapple, peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 red onion
1/2 red bell pepper,
1 jalapeno pepper
1 lime, juice and zest
1/2 cup cilantro
salt to taste

Mix all ingredients in the food processor by pulsing until you reach salsa consistency. If you don't have a food processor, just chop everything finely and mix together.

Pina Colada Cremà 
1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt (you can also use sour cream)
3 Tbsp fresh pineapple chunks
2 Tbsp coconut cream
1 Tbsp coconut rum

Mix all ingredients together  in the food processor or blender until thoroughly combined and smooth. I found this a bit "runny" for my taste so I added a little extra plain yogurt to mine.

Killer Garlic Shrimp

Recently a friend from work loaned me a cookbook she thought I might like. Well, I more than like it, I LOVE it! It's called Two Dudes One Pan. It is definitely worth buying. This is the 3rd recipe I have made from there so far and I have liked all of them. I know, I know...I  haven't blogged them all. Don't judge...life gets busy. The thing I loved about this recipe is that  it requires absolutely no thinking to put it together or to cook it. So for those days that you don't feel like cooking or that you don't have a lot of time to fuss over something special, this is a winner!

Recipe Source: http://www.amazon.com/Two-Dudes-One-Pan-Minimalist/dp/0307382605/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332945024&sr=8-1

2 lbs. medium or extra large  shrimp, peeled and deveined

10 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tsp salt

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

4 limes, cut into wedges

Place shrimp in a large bowl and toss with garlic and oil.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.  

Heat a skillet over medium high heat until very hot. 

 Add the salt to the shrimp and toss to combine.  

Add the shrimp and the marinade to the hot skillet.

Cook the shrimp approximately 2-3 minutes or until they are slightly firm to the touch, stirring often.

Transfer the shrimp to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the red pepper flakes and chopped cilantro.  Serve immediately, with limes on the side.

Spicy Moroccan Shrimp

This might just be my new favorite shrimp recipe. I love the spice, the way the flavors blend together so well and the ease of making this dish. I stumbled onto this recipe on Pinterest and have been considering making it for quite some time. My hubby is not a huge shrimp fan, so I kept putting it off. Well tonight I couldn't put it off any longer. I just knew from reading the ingredients that I would love this. Turns out the hubby liked it also! :)

Recipe Source:
http://cookeatshare.com/recipes/spicy-shrimp-moroccan-style-4437

1 lb large shrimp, shelled and tails removed
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1/8 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp ground ginger
pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt/Pepper to taste
1/8 cup Italian Parsley, chopped
1/8 cup cilantro, chopped

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.
After it is hot, add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes or until it begins to brown lightly. Add the paprika, cumin, ginger, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Add the shrimp to the pan and mix the shrimp around to coat evenly with the seasoning.  Cook, stirring constantly  until shrimp is just about cooked through. (5-8 minutes depending on the size of the shrimp)
Add in the Italian Parsley and the cilantro, cook for about 1 minute more or until the shrimp is fully cooked. 

Maragarita and Citrus Shrimp Salad with Mango and Pineapple Chunks and Citrus Honey Viniagrette Dressing

Yum! Nothing says "great summer dinner" like a refreshing and light salad. After working in my garden today, walking 3 miles and generally just getting a lot done, I decided that a nice, light dinner was in order. I opened my freezer, took out some shrimp that I had purchased last week and after unwrapping it, I was shocked to find that  the employee behind the seafood counter had inadvertently given me already cooked shrimp, instead of raw shrimp!  I don't think I have ever bought the pre-cooked kind. So what was I supposed to do with this?  I pondered for a few minutes and then it hit me....make a yummy salad! Since the shrimp was already cooked, I just had to find a way to dress it up a bit. I could have taken the easy route and just served basic shrimp on greens, but that would not have been any fun! So this was the end result and boy oh boy, I'm sure glad it was!

For the Margarita and Citrus Shrimp Marinade:
1/2 lb. pre-cooked, peeled shrimp
1/2 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp coriander
1/2 clove garlic, chopped
Zest and juice from 1 large lime

Salt/Pepper to taste

Cut the tails off the shrimp and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the jalapeno, olive oil, coriander, garlic, lime zest, lime juice, salt and pepper. Put the shrimp in this mixture. Toss the shrimp to evenly coat it with the marinade. Marinade the shrimp in the refrigerator for 15-30 min.

For the Margarita and Citrus Shrimp Sauce:
1/8 cup Margarita mix (the sweet and sour mix, not the one with the alcohol already in it)
1/8 cup Tequilla
Juice and Zest of 1 large orange
Juice of 2 large limes
1 green onion, chopped

While your shrimp are marinading, get out a small saucepan to make the sauce. In the saucepan combine the margarita mix, tequilla, zest and juice of the orange, lime juice and the green onion. Bring to a boil and let cook on medium for about 6 minutes. Cool slightly. Drain the marinade off the shrimp that is in the refrigerator then pour the cooled  sauce over your shrimp. Place the shrimp back into the refrigerator to cool down while you prepare the dressing and the salad.

For the Citrus Honey Vinaigrette Dressing: 
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 Tbsp onion, chopped finely
1 large orange, juiced
2 limes, juiced
2  Tbsp honey
3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
dash of Sriracha sauce
1/2 cup olive oil

Place all the dressing ingredients in a container with a tight fitting lid that seals well. Shake it all up and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Shake again before using!

For the Salad:
Spinach
Kale
Tomato
Red Onion, sliced
Cilantro
Mango, cut into slices or chunks
Fresh Pineapple, cut into slices or chunks
Avocado, cut into slices

You can use as much or as little of each of these ingredients, for the salad, as you would like. Be creative and put whatever salad fixin's you think would taste good with this, into your salad. Assemble the salad in any way you would like. Top with the shrimp and the cold dressing! Enjoy!


*The recipe for the dressing was adapted from: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/06/honey-citrus-vinaigrette/

Broiled Salmon with Thai Sweet Chili Glaze and Sriracha Cream Sauce

I am such a sucker for seafood recipes. I'm also a sucker for Asian sauces. So when I saw this recipe, I just knew I had to try it. So many times, I am creative and make up my own, or I find a recipe and by the time I'm done "tweaking" it to suit my taste, it doesn't even resemble the original recipe. Well, tonight neither of those things happened. I was way too tired to think creatively and I knew when I saw both of these recipes, that I would not have to change anything about them. I'm so glad I didn't, as they were great "as is."

Recipe Source for the Salmon:
http://www.onceuponachef.com/2011/10/broiled-salmon-with-thai-sweet-chili-glaze.html#more

Recipe Source for  the Sriracha Cream Sauce:
http://damndelicious.net/post/24047518520/teriyaki-salmon-with-sriracha-cream-sauce

For the Salmon:

3/4 lb Salmon fillet 3 Tbsp Thai Sweet Chili Sauce (Mae Ploy brand is the best!) 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce  1/2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger 1 green onion, sliced 1. Preheat the broiler to high and set the rack in your oven to the highest possible rack setting.  2. Make the marinade by combining sweet chili sauce, soy sauce and ginger in a shallow baking dish. Save  1/4 cup marinade and set aside to use later. Add salmon fillet to the marinade in the shallow baking dish and marinate for 1 hour in refrigerator. 3. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray with Pam. Place the marinaded salmon fillet on the foil lined cookie sheet and drizzle a very small amount of the marinade over top. Broil the salmon for 6-10 minutes, or until cooked through. Transfer salmon to serving dish and pour reserved 1/4 cup marinade over the top. Garnish with green onions and Sriracha cream sauce.

For the Sriracha cream sauce:

1/4 cup mayonnaise 
2 Tbsp Sriracha 
3/4 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and keep in refrigerator until ready to use. 

Ancho Chile Grilled Ahi Tuna with Pineapple and Strawberry Salsa

Tonight as the hubby and I were eating this, we both kept saying "yum." Ok so they hubby didn't say "yum", but he did say it was wonderful. I was the one sitting there saying "oh my gosh...yum....this is ssssoooo good." I loved the combination of the sweet, and spicy and it complimented the fish very well. 
If you have a food processor, you can just put all the salsa ingredients in the food processor except the avocado and pulse it until you have made your salsa and then just  chop the avocado  and add it to it. That's what I did! I love my food processor, it makes everything so much easier. If you don't have one, then just get to chopping.

Recipe adapted from:
http://www.tasteloveandnourish.com/2013/04/24/chipotle-grilled-salmon-with-pineapple-avocado-salsa/

Salsa Ingredients:

1/4 pineapple, diced
4 strawberries, diced
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1 large jalapeno, diced
2 avocados, diced
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
Zest and juice of 1 large lime
1 1/2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp salt

Stir all ingredients together well. Set in refrigerator until the fish is ready to serve. If it gets a little watery from the juice of the berries, just drain off the liquid.

Ahi Tuna ingredients:

2 Ahi Tuna steak
1 tsp Ancho Chile Powder
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp ginger (powdered)
1/2 tsp coriander

Stir together the Ancho chile powder, brown sugar, salt, pepper, ginger and coriander until blended to make a "rub."  Rub this on both sides of the tuna steaks. Grill until cooked through. Serve with the salsa on top.

* I used my indoor grill because I was out of  propane. I'm not sure of timing on an outdoor grill.

Salmon and Pineapple Ceviche

I know that salmon is usually not the fish of choice for ceviche. Well tonight it had to be. That was about the only choice in my freezer at the moment. I also know that no one traditionally puts pineapple in their ceviche. Well I wanted to give it a try. I'm really glad I did! When I was pulling all the ingredients out of my refrigerator for dinner, I saw a beautiful fresh pineapple staring back at me. I have made several seafood dishes with pineapple salsa on top of them, so I thought, why not try it in ceviche? So after a trip out to my garden to pick some ripe tomatoes and a couple ripe jalapenos, I got started throwing it together. Laziness overtook my brain and I decided to use my food processor to chop everything for this dish, which would have been fine, except that I got a little too aggressive with the "pulse" button! I ended up making salsa out of it instead of a nicely chopped mix for ceviche. Needless to say, I poured it on top of the fish anyway and then set out to chop a few extra chunks of tomato, cilantro and chives so it wouldn't look as though I had made salsa with fish in it! So if you decide to use your food processor to make this, go gentle on the "pulse button" or you will have to do some extra chopping also!

2 Salmon fillets, chopped into bite size chunks
3 large lemons, juiced
2 jalapeno peppers, diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
3/4 cup green onions, chopped
4 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup fresh pineapple, chopped
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp Sriracha sauce (or your favorite hot sauce) (you can omit this if you don't want the extra spice)
Salt, to taste

In a bowl, mix together the salmon and the lemon juice. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for 4 hours minimum. (This allows the citric acid of the lemons to "cook" the fish by changing it's chemical and physical properties and allows it to have the same look and texture of fish that has been cooked with heat.)

After you take the fish out of the refrigerator, add all your other ingredients, put it back in the refrigerator and let it sit for about 30 minutes for the flavors to mesh together. Serve cold and enjoy!

Hawaiian Coconut and Macadamia Nut Salmon with Coconut Lime Sauce

Well it's been awhile since I posted any regular meals. The whole foods,  natural eating plan is going wonderful, but boy oh boy do I miss cooking things like this. This meal didn't quite fit into my doctors eating plan for me, so tonight when I knew my daughter would be here for dinner, I decided to make something special for her and my hubby. I'm glad I did, because they both thoroughly enjoyed this. I will "fess" up that I took a very small bite just to see if it tasted good. Yes it sure did!! It felt so amazing to let my creative juices flow and put together a great meal again, as it's been quite awhile since I have cooked anything very fancy, beyond basic meats, veggies etc. So be patient with me and I will try to post every once in awhile when I make something special for visiting family members and friends.

I know this picture is not very great. But it will have to do, as hungry family members are not to be kept waiting just to get a decent shot of dinner ;)

For the Salmon:
1 ex. lg Salmon fillet
1/4 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
10 wheat thins, crushed
1/8 cup Panko (Japanese bread crumbs, sold at most grocery stores)
3 Tbsp flour
1 egg, beaten

1/8 cup vegetable oil or cooking the fish 

For the Lime Sauce:
 1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
Zest of medium lime
1 large lime, juiced
1/8 tsp lemon pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp sugar
* 1 1/2 Tbsp unsweetened, shredded, coconut (see note at bottom of recipe)
7 ounces coconut milk ( I used the canned as it's a little thicker than the one from the deli department)

 Be sure to have the lime sauce ingredients all ready to go as you will be making the sauce while the fish is cooking and it doesn't take very long to cook the salmon.

For the Salmon:
In a medium bowl, mix together the macadamia nuts, wheat thins and panko bread crumbs. Mix them together well. Pour out onto a plate ( I would suggest a paper plate for less dish washing later on). Set aside.

On another plate (again paper plates work well here) place your flour and set aside.

In a small bowl, beat the egg. Pout into a shallow dish that you will be able to dip the salmon into. Set aside.

Clean your salmon and pat dry with a paper towel. Dredge the salmon in the flour, making sure to coat all sides, then into the egg wash, again coating all sides of the salmon, then into the macadamia mixture, coating all sides with the mixture. Set the fish on a plate while you are heating your oil.

Heat 1/8 cup canola or vegetable oil in a skillet. Make sure it's good and hot before you add the salmon. Place the salmon in the hot oil and cook on both sides, until it's cooked all the way through. It's hard to give a time for this because the size and thickness of salmon fillets differ so much. When you think it's done, test the edge with a fork. If it flakes away easily, your salmon is cooked through.
While the salmon is cooking, prepare your lime sauce.


For the Lime Sauce:
In a small or med saucepan, melt butter. Add the flour and stir. This will look lumpy and clumpy, that's ok. You are basically making a roux (pronounced ROO, which is a thickening agent for sauces).
After that's stirred together, stir in the lime zest, lime juice, lemon pepper, salt, onion powder, sugar and shredded coconut. Stir together. Don't worry this will still be super thick and clumpy. Now add the coconut milk. Stir together and press out any lumps, with the back of the spoon, as you stir. Cook until thick and bubbly. Cook for one additional minute.
Pour the heated sauce over the salmon and enjoy!!

 *You can substitute sweetened, shredded, coconut if you would like, I think it actually would taste good, but I stuck with the unsweetened for this attempt.

Spicy Ceviche

I'm sensing a theme here. My last couple of posts have begun with the word "spicy". I guess that's what happens when all your chili peppers ripen at once in your garden. That, plus the fact that I can't get food spicy enough anymore for me. I think I must have burned a hole in my stomach that the spice goes through, because I almost don't taste it anymore. I watch people at work actually break into a sweat when they barely dip their chip into the salsa and I almost want to burst out laughing. Me? Give me the spiciest version of food and I probably won't think it's spicy. So for those of you that wouldn't want your food so spicy, just be sure to take the seeds out of the jalapenos as you make this ceviche. Try it spicy...you just might like it!

3 Tilapia Fillets, chopped into bite size pieces
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup tomatoes - diced
2 fresh jalapeno peppers, diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, choppped
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon Franks Red Hot sauce or Tabasco sauce

In a bowl, mix together the fish and lemon juice. Place the bowl into the refrigerator for 4 hours. (No less than this...the lemon needs this long to absorb into the fish and change the texture)

After it has been in the refrigerator for 4 hours, drain off the excess lemon juice. Add the tomatoes, jalapenos, bell pepper, onion, garlic, garlic salt, cilantro and red hot sauce. Stir well. Keep in the refrigerator until serving time. Serve with tortilla chips or over shredded cabbage.

Tequila Lime Shrimp

As many of you know who read this blog, this has been a stressful week. If I was a drinker, this dinner might have just ended up being "lime shrimp" because I would have consumed the entire bottle of tequilla. I guess it's a good thing that I don't really drink, because the tequilla added quite an abundance of awesome flavor to this dish. The hubby also loved it and it's a good thing because when I'm stressed, I don't eat much and after tasting 3 of the shrimp and saying how much I loved them...I was done for the night. So he got to eat a lot, and I mean a lot of shrimp! I will definitely be making these again when I am up to eating more of them.

Recipe Source: Tequilla Lime Shrimp

1 tablespoon oil
1/2 small onion(chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 jalapeno (chopped)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

 1/4 cup tequila
1/4 cup lime juice
zest of two limes
salt and pepper
1 handful cilantro, chopped

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeno and cumin and saute about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and tequila and cook until the shrimp are pink, about 2 minutes per side. Add the lime juice, zest, salt, pepper and cilantro. 

*If I had enough time I would have served this with cilantro lime rice. That would make a great accompaniment to this dish.

Island Tilapia with Mango, Kiwi Salsa

This dinner was inspired by a conversation at work yesterday. After telling a friend at work, how much I love mangoes, she told me about how her family eats them. She said they dip them in a mixture of Sriracha sauce and sweet soy sauce. So today as we huddled around a desk to try a sample that she had brought to work, I knew I would love it! Oh and love it I did!! Sriracha and sweet soy sauce is like a marriage made in heaven. The sweet soy sauce, which has an almost molasses type flavor, blends perfectly with the spiciness of the Sriracha sauce. So after I left work, I kept thinking about how much I loved that flavor combination. I already knew I was going to fix Tilapia for dinner and I knew I could incorporate this flavor profile into my meal. So I began the search through my kitchen for anything I could find that I thought would work well in a mango salsa. I guessed at the blend of sweet soy sauce to Sriracha and I even surprised myself that the combo seemed perfect. I guess I need to start up food conversations more often to keep myself inspired!

*This recipe is for 2 Tilapia fillets


3 Tbsp Sweet soy sauce
1/2 Tbsp Sriracha sauce
1 Kiwi, peeled and chopped
1 mango, chopped
3 Tbsp red onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup chopped, cilantro
1 1/2 tsp lime juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tilapia fillets
salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl, combine the sweet soy sauce and the Sriracha sauce. Stir to mix them together and set aside.
In another small bowl, combine the kiwi, mango, red onion, bell pepper, cilantro and lime juice. Stir together to mix. Add 1 1/2 Tbsp of the soy mixture to the fruit salsa mixture in the bowl. Stir to mix. Set aside.
Season the Tilapia fillets with salt and pepper. 
In a medium skillet,, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil on med-high heat. When oil is hot, add the fish. Brush the soy sauce mixture onto one side of the fish with a pastry brush. Cook for 2 minutes. Turn the fish over using a spatula and brush the remaining soy sauce mixture onto the fish. Cook for 2 more minutes or until fish is cooked through. Serve with the fruit salsa on the top!

Coconut and Macadamia Crusted Mahi Mahi with a Lemon/Lime Butter Sauce

All this dinner needed was a swaying palm tree, a pina colada and some hula dancers to make me feel like I was in Hawaii. The neighbor's lawn mower, his dog barking and the motorcycle going up and down the street definitely did not lend itself to a Hawaiian ambiance. So I closed my eyes and pictured it all in my head. Oh wait....I definitely do NOT want the picture of me in a bikini in my head. *sigh*
Way to ruin a perfectly good dream!
Now, back to the reason I am writing. This dinner was so scrumptious. It was light, all the flavors worked so well together and the hubby and I loved it! This will positively be made again at our house. This just might be one of my most favorite seafood recipes. So for those of you who like coconut, lemon, macadamia nuts and fish...this ones for you!!

This recipe is for two pieces of Mahi Mahi:

For the fish:

10 saltine crackers, crushed finely
1/4 cup macadamia nuts (chopped finely)
1/6 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut (make sure it's unsweetened)
1/4 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
Olive oil for cooking fish

For the Sauce:

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
2 tsp Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Peel from one medium lemon, zested
Peel from one lime, zested
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
Juice from one lemon
Juice from one lime

To prepare the fish: Place the crushed saltine crackers, the chopped nuts and the coconut together in a bowl. Mix together well. Place the flour in a separate bowl. Place the beaten egg in another bowl. Rinse your fish and pat it dry with a paper towel. First dip the fish into the flour and coat on all sides. Then dip the coated fish into the egg and then into the cracker mixture. Make sure to coat it on all sides.
Heat oil in a  cooking pan until it is hot. Cook the breaded fish in the oil until it is cooked through. Serve with sauce. Place the sauce under the fish and on top of the fish, so every bite has sauce!

To prepare the sauce: Place the butter in a pan and melt it completely over a low-med fire. Stir in the flour, parsley, salt, pepper, and the peels from the lemon and the lime. Stir together. Mix in the milk and the cream and cook for about a minute until it thickens up. Then stir in the juices from the lemon and the lime. Cook for about another minute or two on low heat. Keep warm until time to serve it over the fish.

Tilapia with Avocado Sauce

Once in awhile I divert from a recipe so much that it actually isn't even like the original in any way. Sometimes it turns out to be a mess (thankfully not too often) and sometimes it turns out to be a favorite. This is one of those occasions when the hubby and I each commented on how much we loved this. Of  course, we both love seafood, so I guess you could throw just about anything on top of it and we would like it. But seriously, this was easy to make and mostly healthy and it really tasted great!

4 pieces Tilapia (or any kind of your favorite fish)
Old Bay Seasoning 
Salt/Pepper (to taste)
2 avocados, (leave 1 whole for the sauce and dice one into bite sized chunks for garnishing the cooked fish)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (leave the seeds in for the heat) (reserve a few pieces to garnish the cooked fish)
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 cinnamon basil leaves ( you can use regular basil, I just happen to grow  this in my garden)
1 Tbsp Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro



Season your fish with Old Bay Seasoning to your liking. You can also add salt and pepper if you desire.
In a food processor, blend together: 1 whole avocado, 1/2 cup milk, sour cream, chopped jalapeno, chopped garlic, cinnamon basil leaves, Italian parsley, green onions and  chopped cilantro until smooth. Set aside.
In a skillet, cook the seasoned fish until it is cooked through. This process only takes a few minutes for Tilapia as it is so thin. Pour some sauce out onto your serving dish and place the fish on top of it. Drizzle more sauce on the top  of the fish and garnish with chopped jalapenos and chopped avocado.

Mini Fish Tacos

I found this recipe on Pinterest and I just had to try it. I love, love, love fish tacos. So when I saw this, I thought to myself, "well, I'm sure it won't be great because it's in a won ton cup, but just try it and see." I'm so glad I tried it. It was super good! You can eat each one in two bites and actually it isn't even bad after it's not warm anymore, so I'm thinking this would make a good appetizer to set out at a party. Now that I know how easy it is to bake won ton wrappers, I just might get super creative with what to put in them for dinner or appetizers!

*Recipe from:

inspiredtaste.net

Ingredients

• 12 wonton wrappers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tilapia filets
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 cup finely chopped red cabbage
• 1 tablespoon sour cream
• 1 teaspoon minced chipotles in adobo sauce
• 1 lime
• 12 fresh cilantro leaves

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Lightly brush wontons with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and arrange in 12 mini cupcake cups. Bake 5-7 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
3. Combine 1/4 teaspoon of salt, garlic powder, paprika and coriander in a small bowl then rub both sides of the fish. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the bottom of a baking sheet then place the fish on top. Bake uncovered 10-12 minutes until the fish is cooked and the flesh flakes with a fork.
4. While the fish bakes, make the slaw. In a small bowl, combine cabbage, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, sour cream, chipotles in adobo sauce and the juice of half a lime.
5. Assemble mini tacos by dividing the fish among 12 wonton cups then top with a spoonful of slaw, cilantro leaf and an extra spritz of lime.