WOW! Its Hot!!!!!! Today I will share a cool refreshing summer dish sure to please that is light on calories and big on taste! While I will be using "Tillapia" today, you may use any fish, Salmon or Tuna are also great choices. I like Tillapia for its mild flavor, and texture that make it a great fish for the grill, or to be seared off in a heavy pan. This is a fish that is primarily farm raised and very easy to find in almost any market while being very affordable it is a perfect choice for a money saving meal. The dish will get a huge punch of flavor from a "Tropical Mango & Avocado Salsa". Tonight we will serve the fish over a bed of mixed Spring Greens which will be dressed with an "Orange and Basil Almond Oil Vinaigrette." I will be using an orange flavored vinegar that I love from "Cuisine Perel"www.cuisineperel.com, these fruit flavored vinegars are of exceptional quality!
Adding veggies is so easy to sneak in as a salad so I will add some Carrot sticks and Green Beans after being blanched and chilled, with some Artichoke Hearts, and Hearts of Palm to the Mixed Baby Greens. By doing this I add texture to the dish while adding nutrients and vitamins, boosting the depth of flavors. This recipe is for six.
- For the Tillapia all we need is a bit of "Allegro, Hot and Spicy Marinade" www.allegromarinade.com, which we use to flavor the fish. It will absorb the flavor quickly so only allow it to marinade for 3 minutes! Then we will place it on a hot and well oiled grill pan, cooking for about 4 minutes and then turning only once and cooking for 5 minutes longer. Now you see how quickly the fish cooks, so I suggest having everything else done and the salad on the plate before cooking the fish.
- The Carrots and Green Beans should be cleaned and blanched earlier as much as a day ahead if you like. Carrots should be cut into sticks so as they mimic the size of the beans, and chilled before adding to salad greens. The Artichoke Hearts and the Hearts of palm should be quartered and chilled as well. I use 1/2 lb of green beans and 2 carrots, 6 artichoke hearts and 6 hearts of palm.
- For the Salad Dressing you will need 1 Green Onion, 1 clove garlic, 3 sprigs fresh Thyme leaves removed from stem, 3 large Basil leaves, 5 Tbs Orange Vinegar, 2 Tbs granulated sugar, pinch Cinnamon, 2 Tbs water, and 1/4 cup Almond Oil www.rolandfood.com, 1 tsp ground Mustard. Put it all in the blender and blend till smooth. Reserve, toss salad greens, carrot sticks, green beans, artichoke, and hearts of palm in dressing before you plate.
- For the Mango Salsa you will need:2 Mango peeled and deseeded diced into small bite-sized pieces, 1 small Purple Onion diced, 2 ripe Avocados cleaned and diced, 6 Basil leaves and 4 Mint leaves chopped, 12 Grape Tomatoes halved, salt and pepper to taste, and add 1 Tbs of the dressing. Toss in a bowland chill for 1 hour. Serve atop the grilled fish after placing over the dressed greens. I sometime add a garnish of Toasted Sliced Almonds www.bluediamond.com for added flavor and a nice crunch!
This is a simple and delicious meal for any time of the year, but I love it especially in the summer months. Try swapping the mango with Pineapple, Blood Orange segments, or even sweet Blackberries. My wine choice for the meal is a light and crisp "Waterbrook Pinot Gris" www.waterbrook.com
I remind you to get back with your thoughts about this recipe and the experience you have with the menu preperation. Please vote for this factoidz and any others you like! After all your the judge! Good eats to all……
