Sunday, June 5, 2011

Grilled Mahi Mahi with Tropical Salsa and Coconut Rice


For the last month I have been eating a little different, in a good way!  I have been healthy and aware of what I am eating.  Without going into too much detail, I am doing Body for Life by Bill Phillips which is a new way of eating and exercising.  It is great!  I am exercising 6 days a week and eating my 5-6 small meals a day. 

Click here to check out Body for Life a little more in depth.

Due to changes in my eating habits I have been trying to incorporate fish a LITTLE more.  It is so healthy, light and easy to prepare.  I have been sticking to lighter (less fishy) fish such as mahi-mahi and halibut.  So far, I have made both once and I LOVED the taste and texture.  Kyle approved of this recipe 100% so I will be making this one a few more times! =)  It is a little easier to make this recipe in the summer due to all the fresh fruit.  It’s cheaper and you can a good amount of options.    

When I am searching for recipes I usually go to good ol’ google.com and enter what I am looking for.  A good amount of the time I end up getting my recipes from allrecipes.com.  It’s hard not too with all of the options and reviews! =)  With that being said, I knew that with this fish recipe I wanted something good!  Not just okay, but good!  When I am looking for a mind blowing recipe that I know will turn out great I go to Emeril!  It is hard to go wrong with a food network star.  With Emeril’s recipe pulled up on the lap top, I got busy in the kitchen.  I did make some changed though simply because I didn’t have everything that was listed in the recipe.  It still turned out fabulous and this is going to be one of my go to recipes when it comes to mahi-mahi.
 
Source: adapted from Emeril Lagasse Grilled Marinated Fish with Tropical Salsa and Coconut Rice

INGREDIENTS

For fish:

1/2 cup sliced yellow onions
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T. orange juice
2 T. lime juice
2 T. fresh cilantro
5 cloves garlic (smashed)
1 t. salt
1 t. cumin
Pinch cayenne
4 (6 to 8-ounce) mahi-mahi fillets

For Salsa:

1 ripe mango (diced)      Omitted.  Instead I added 1 peach since it was what I had on hand.  
1 ripe avocado (diced)     Omitted
1/2 cup fresh pineapple (diced)
1/4 cup red onions (minced)
1/4 cup red bell peppers (minced)
3 T. chopped fresh cilantro
1 T. fresh lime juice
2 t. jalapeno (minced)
1 t. garlic (minced)
Pinch salt

For coconut rice:

1 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 cups water
1 t. salt
3/4 t. sugar
1 cup long grain white rice
3 T. chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS:

For fish:
  
In a bowl, combine the onions, oil, orange and lime juices, cilantro, garlic, salt, cumin, and cayenne.
Place the fish in a large, non-reactive baking dish.
Pour the marinade over the fish, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 hour.
Preheat a grill, and lightly oil the grill rack with vegetable oil.
Remove the fish from the marinade.
Place on the oiled grill and cook, skin side up, until marked, 45 seconds to 1 minute.
Turn carefully with a spatula and cook, skin side down, until the fish is just cooked through, about 4 minutes, depending upon thickness.

NOTE: I used my George Foreman grill and it turned out perfect!! (Dumb TN law now allowing BBQ’s near buildings.)

For salsa:

Combine the mango (or peach), avocado, pineapple, onions, bell peppers, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno, garlic, and salt in a bowl and gently fold to combine.
Adjust seasoning to taste.
Let sit for 30 minutes before serving for the flavors to blend.

For coconut rice:

In a saucepan, combine the coconut milk, water, salt, and sugar.
Bring to a boil.
Add the rice, stir well, and reduce the heat to medium-low.
Cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is fluffy, about 20 to 24 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let sit without stirring for 10 minutes.
Fluff with a fork.
Add cilantro if wanted.

Wow…information overload.  After compiling all of the ingredients and directions it seems like a lot of work but I promise it’s worth every minute! =)

I served this with a side of asparagus.  It made it look pretty too! =)






Wednesday, June 1, 2011

ABCDEFoods!


A: is for Apple, what’s your favorite variety?

Honey Crisp!  I know they are the post expensive but they are so worth it.  They are generally large and super duper juicy/sweet.  If you get the chance to try one, do it!  



B: is for Bread, regardless of nutrition, calories, or whole grains what is your favorite type to have a nice big piece of?

Homemade white roll, yum!  I love fresh baked rolls with melted butter and a little touch of jam.  They are actually pretty easy to make as well.  



C: is for Cereal what is your favorite kind currently (just one!)

Currently, I don’t eat much cereal.  I use to before I looked at carbs, sugars and calories.  Now that I care about all of that nonsense I usually have cereal every couple of weeks.  If you are looking for a healthy yet tasty cereal give Kashi Cinnamon Heart a try.



D: is for Doughnuts, you might not currently be eating them but what kind do you fancy?

Chocolate covered with pretty sprinkles please!  It has been a long while since I have had a donut but every now at then the sugary goodness is much needed.



E: is for Eggs, how would you like yours prepared?

I LOVE eggs.  I would say the kind I eat the most is hard boiled.  Second place would have to be scrambled.  Third, poached!  I have eaten 3 eggs today!



 F: is for Fat Free, what is your favorite fat free product?

Greek yogurt.  I will say that it took me awhile to go use to it but now that I eat it pretty much every day, I love it.  I buy the plain Greek yogurt and add my own mix-ins.   

Some examples/variations: 

Peaches and cinnamon
Strawberries and honey
Honey and brown sugar
Pineapple and honey

You get the idea.  You can pretty much add any variation. 



G: is for Groceries, where do you purchase yours at?  

As of late, Whole Food, Fresh Market and Wal-Mart pretty much have everything I need.   I will occasionally wonder over to Kroger.

H: is for Hot Beverages, what is your favorite hot drink?

Ehhh..I don’t drink hot beverages all that often.  When I do, I would have to say my favorite is hot chocolate with a dollop of whip cream please!



I: is for Ice Cream, pick a favorite flavor and add a fun topping

Chocolate chip! No toppings needed.



 J: is for Jams or Jellies, do you eat them, and if so what kind and flavor?

Occasionally I eat sugar free red raspberry jelly.  



 K: is for Kashi, name your favorite Kashi product?

Same as mentioned above, Kashi Cinnamon Heat.

L: is for Lunch, what was yours today?

Cobb salad, which included lettuce, tomatoes, bacon bits, hardboiled egg, avocado and fat free ranch dressing.



 M: is for microwave, what is your favorite microwave meal/snack?

Oatmeal!  When I eat my oatmeal hot I microwave it, I don’t make it on the stove top.  Quaker quick cooking oats with water are my favorite, of course with my own mix-ins.




N: is for nutrients, do you likes carbs, fats, or proteins best?

CARBS! I love anything with a carb. =) Bread, pasta, rice..you name it, I love it!




O: is for oil, what kind do you like to use?

Smart Balance Vegetable Oil or EVOO.


Q: is for Quaker, how do you like your oats?

Ah man, I have to choose?  I am a huge fan of making up my own variations.  My favorite kind as of late is overnight oats.  Never heard of them?

Here is my go to recipe:


There is nothing I want LESS on a hot summer morning than piping hot oatmeal.   I generally want something cool and sweet.  Walks in, overnight oats!  They are prepped the night before and sit in the refrigerator overnight.  In the morning you give them of quick stir and then add your mix-ins.  My favorite lately has been sliced strawberries with a dollop of Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Dreams. HEAVEN!

Never heard of Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Dreams?

You can find it at Wal-Mart.   It looks like this:


R: is for roasting, what is your favorite thing to roast?

Hmm..I am not much of a roaster now that I think about it.  Chicken?  

S: is for sandwich, what’s your favorite kind?

Turkey!  I am drawn to turkey sandwiches more than anything else, who knows why.  When we go out to a good ol’ American restaurant that is usually the first thing I look for.


 T: is for travel, how do you handle eating while traveling?

Ahh…not too well.  =) I usually just plan one snack which is usually a protein bar but that is about it.  Kyle and I tend to find something quick at the airport like Subway or Quiznos. 

U: is for unique, what is one of your weirdest food combos?

Peanut butter and dill pickle sandwich.  I don’t think it is weird at all (!!) but Kyle and many others think it is pretty off the wall.  Blame my Mom and Dad for that one.


V: is for vitamins, what kind do you take?

Prenatal gummies
Calcium gummies
Vitamin E
Vitamin B

W: is for wasabi, yay or nay?

Yay, on the rare occasion that Kyle and I go out to Sushi.  He has been working hard on getting me to like it.


X: is for XRAY. if we xrayed your belly right now, what food would we see?

My cobb salad that was mentioned above.

Y: is for youth, what food reminds you of your childhood?

Too much….
Peanut butter and dill pickle sandwiches
Green olives
Chips and garlic dip
Swiss steak
Otter pops

That is just a few.

Z: is for zucchini, how do you prepare it?

Sautéed in a tiny bit of butter with a generous amount of salt and pepper.