Article by Christine Budd
Mahi Fish Tacos
Ingredients:
Tacos:
1.5 pounds mahi mahi fillets skinless
6-8 6-inch corn tortillas warmed
Avocado Crema:
1 medium avocado
1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
15 Minute Marinade:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp each paprika, chipotle chile powder, brown sugar
1 tsp each ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Strawberry Pineapple Slaw:
2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
1 pint strawberries hulled and chopped
1 cup diced pineapple
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup diced red onion
1-2 jalapenos seeded, deveined, minced (1 for very mild)
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 tsp each salt, pepper
Directions:
Marinade:
Whisk all of the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl. Add fish to shallow dish in a single layer. Pour marinade over fish and rub the marinade evenly over each side of the fish. Marinate at room temperature while you prep the slaw and crema – no more than 30 minutes.
Strawberry Pineapple Slaw:
Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl. Toss to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve. You may need to strain excess juice before serving depending on how juicy your strawberries are.
Avocado Crema:
Add all of the ingredients to your blender and blend until smooth, scraping sides down as needed.
You can prepare this 8 hours ahead of time and refrigerate in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed directly to the surface of the crema.
Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
Once hot, gently add fish and cook for about 3 – 4 minutes per side or until cooked to desired doneness (cook time will vary based on thickness of fish).
Remove fish from skillet and break into large pieces. Evenly divide fish between tortillas then top with slaw and crema. Garnish with additional lime and hot sauce if desired.
Grilled Wahoo & Stuffed Portobello
Ingredients:
Filling:
1 cup cooked, brown rice
2 large portobello mushroom caps
1 Tb. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp. fresh red chili pepper, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tb. fresh ginger, grated
2 Tb. water chestnuts, chopped
1 Tb. low sodium soy sauce
1 Tb. sweet chili sauce
1 Tb. rice vinegar
1 tsp. sesame oil
Dash of kosher salt
Dash of freshly ground black pepper
Juice of ½ fresh lime
Topping (optional):
¼ cup plain bread crumbs
1-2 Tb. olive oil (just enough to allow the bread crumbs to stick together but still be crumbly)
Basil-Lemon Compound Butter
2 Tb. unsalted butter, softened
1 Tb. fresh basil, torn into small pieces
1 tsp. lemon zest
Dash kosher salt
Dash freshly ground black pepper
Fish:
2 large wahoo fillets
1 Tb. olive oil
Dash of kosher salt
Dash of freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Cook brown rice according to package directions. When cooked, set aside.
Lightly brush/clean mushrooms and remove and chop stems; set aside.
In a medium skillet, add oil, chopped mushroom stems, onion and red chili over medium heat. Once they start to sweat, add garlic, ginger and water chestnuts and cook another minute or so to combine flavors.
Add soy, chili sauce, rice vinegar and cook about 1 minute.
Remove from heat then add rice, sesame oil, lime juice, salt & pepper; stir to combine.
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Brush mushroom caps with a little olive oil and place on a baking sheet (gill side up). Place in oven for about 8-10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for a few minutes. Dab off excess water then top each mushroom cap with a large handful of the rice mixture.
In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs & olive oil. Sprinkle over tops of each rice mound.
In another bowl, make the compound butter by simply combining all ingredients and mixing together. Set aside until ready to use.
Heat a grill to high then sprinkle fish on both sides with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Place fish on grill and allow the first side to sear/cook about 3-4 minutes on each side (depending on how thick the fillets are), remove and allow fish to rest on a cutting board or dish. Top each fillet with some compound butter so it melts in nicely.
While the fish rests, pop the mushroom caps in the 375 degree oven for a few minutes - until the bread crumbs brown/crisp (you could also broil them for a couple of minutes for faster results). Remove from oven, top with the fish and serve with lime wedges.
Notes:
If you have leftover rice filling (because you just can’t fit more in your mushrooms), save it for another time. It will pair nicely as a side with chicken or steak.
Shrimp & Grits
Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup stone ground white grits
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces white cheddar cheese, shredded
4 thick slices bacon
1 cup chopped white or yellow onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
2 cloves garlic , minced
1 to 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup chicken stock
3 green onions, chopped (white and light green parts only)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Juice of 1 lemon, about 1 to 2 tablespoons
Directions:
Cook the bacon:
Fry the bacon in a large sauté pan on medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon and chop. Pour off all but about 3 tablespoons of the fat. Turn off the heat.
Cook the grits:
Bring the water to a boil in a medium pot. Add the salt. Slowly pour the grits into the boiling water while you stir with a wooden spoon. Stir and pour gradually so you don’t get any lumps. When all the grits are incorporated, turn the heat down to a low simmer and cook the grits, stirring often, for 35 minutes.
Chop the shrimp:
Reserve about 1/3 of the shrimp whole and cut the rest into 3 to 4 pieces each. Set aside.
Sauté the vegetables, bacon, and shrimp:
When the grits have cooked for 30 minutes, heat the sauté pan on medium high. When the bacon fat is hot, sauté the onion and green pepper over medium-high heat until soft, about 4 minutes.
Add the bacon, garlic cloves and shrimp and toss to combine. Let this cook another minute.
Add the stock, then reduce:
Add the chicken stock and let this boil down for 5 minutes.
Add the cheese and butter to the grits:
Meanwhile, stir the cheddar cheese and butter into the grits. The dish might not need any more salt, but add some if you’d like.
Serve:
To serve, spoon out some grits in individual bowls. Add to the shrimp the green onions, parsley and lemon juice to taste. Add salt if it needs it. Spoon some shrimp over the grits and make sure at least one whole shrimp is on everyone’s plate. Serve at once.
Ginger Baked Rockfish
Ingredients:
3/4 to 1 pound rockfish
3-4 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Dash of chili oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 green onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced or chopped
1 teaspoon ginger, in chunks (easier to remove later)
1 Tablespoon mirin
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking dish with some foil, spraying the foil. Mix everything except for the rockfish together to make the sauce. Add more cornstarch if the sauce is too liquidy.
Place the rockfish in the baking dish, then pour the sauce on top. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, checking the fish halfway through baking. At the halfway point, use a spoon to put sauce that has poured into the baking dish back onto the fish. Continue cooking until the fish flakes when cut with a fork. Near the end of baking you can top with more chopped green onion, if desired.
Garlic Parmesan Crusted Sheepshead
Ingredients:
Fish:
4 sheepshead fillets – skinless and boneless
1-2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
Salt and cracked black pepper, to season
Garlic powder, to season
Garlic Parmesan Crumble:
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and cracked black pepper, to season
Squeeze of lemon juice
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and prepare your garlic parmesan crumble.
For the crumble, add all the ingredients and combine well. Place sheepshead fillets onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and add your mayo (I used a brush to evenly spread it. Add the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Then, add your parmesan crumble on top of your mayo topped fish, but don’t add the crumble until you are ready to put your fish in the oven!
Bake the fish for about 12-15 minutes and then turned on BROIL for about 1 minute or so to really crisp up the parmesan crumble! Remember, the thinner or thicker your fillet of fish determines how long to bake them in the oven.
If desired, you can serve the fish with jasmine rice, beans, and some fresh vegetables! You can sprinkle some green onions and red pepper flakes on top to add that crunchy and fresh flavor to the dish!
Crispy Fried Spanish Mackerel Nuggets
Ingredients:
2 Spanish mackerel fillets about a pound, cut into cubes approximately 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 inches square
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups peanut oil
Directions:
Place the buttermilk in a bowl and add the fish nuggets. Stir to make sure all are covered and let sit for five to ten minutes. Set aside.
Add the cornmeal, flour, Creole seasoning, and salt to a pie plate or large shallow bowl. Mix well.
Take the nuggets out of the buttermilk and let any excess drip off. Place the fish in the cornmeal mixture and toss. Make sure that the nuggets are coated on all sides. Place on a wire rack and repeat until you have all of the fish coated.
Place a cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the oil. You want at least 1/2 inch of oil in the bottom.
Before adding the fish, test to make sure the oil is hot by dropping in a pinch of the cornmeal mixture. It should immediately start to sizzle. If it doesn’t, let the oil heat a few more minutes. The oil should ideally be at 375 degrees F. If the oil is too cool, your fish will be greasy if the oil is too hot, the crust will burn before the insides cook.
When the oil is hot, add the nuggets and make sure not to crowd them. You will most likely have to cook the fish in two batches.
Let the fish fry, turning as needed, for a total of two to three minutes or until the nuggets are golden brown and crispy on all sides.
Use a slotted spoon or fish turner to remove the nuggets from the oil. Place on a paper towel or wire rack to drain.
Repeat as needed until all of the fish is cooked. Serve immediately.
Mahi in Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
Fish:
4-5 mahi fillets 4-6 oz. each, 1-inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Spice Rub:
3 tablespoons flour
1 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce:
3 tablespoons minced shallots
3-4 cloves garlic minced
1 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 tsp each dried parsley, dried thyme
2 tablespoons lemon juice more or less to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Freshly chopped chives, optional
Directions:
Mix together all of the spice rub ingredients in a medium bowl. Pat mahi dry and rub spices into the fish.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat in a large heavy bottom skillet. Once hot, add fillets, turn heat down to medium and cook approximately 4 minutes. Flip fillets over, then cook an additional 2-4 minutes to your liking, depending on thickness. Mahi should reach an internal temperature of 137°F). If fish is browning too quickly, then turn down the heat. Remove fish to a plate and tent with foil.
If needed, drain oil from skillet so you are left with about 1 tablespoon oil. Add shallots and sauté while scraping up the drippings for 2 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds.
Whisk chicken broth with cornstarch and add to skillet along with heavy cream, lemon juice, thyme and parsley. Simmer until reduced by half and slightly thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, about ¼ teaspoon each and add additional lemon juice if desired.
Nestle fillets back into the skillet and spoon sauce over the fillets. Garnish with fresh chives (optional). Serve immediately with rice, mashed potatoes or pasta. §
