Grilled Tilapia with Avocado Mango Salsa

                   Wow what a fun Monday yesterday was. The weather was amazing, the mood in the air was so bright and good spirited. I would love to have more Mondays like this one.

                        With it being so warm out, and me needing to use up some ingredients in my kitchen before going grocery shopping, I decided to prepare something fun for our early dinner. Grilled Tilapia in a creamy sauce, served with an Avocado Mango Salsa, and Grilled Corn on the Cob, with a spicy mayo sauce. This amazing, fast and easy dinner left us full, and very satisfied. 

Grilled Tilapia with Avocado Mango Salsa

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

For the salsa

1 whole Medium- small avocado, peeled and diced

1/2 cup peeled, diced mangoes

3 tbs. minced red onions

4 tbs. minced red bell peppers

1-2 tbs. minced fresh cilantro

1 tbs. fresh lime juice

1 minced jalapeno pepper, seeded and rinsed

1/2 tsp. kosher salt 

You can always replace the mango for blueberries, or granny smith apples. 

For the Tilapia:

 

4 fillets of tilapia  

1 tbs. Vegeta, all purpose seasoning

1 tbs. sriracha hot chili sauce

3 tbs. sweet chili sauce

1/3 cup mayonnaise

Vegeta found in European stores, sriracha, and sweet chile sauce found in Asian isle of produce stores. You can replace chicken breast for the tilapia if you prefer, marinade for at least 2 hour. The longer the better, even over night would work great.  

Directions:

Combine vegeta, chili sauces, and mayo in a bowl. Coat tilapia is sauce and let marinade or at least 30 minutes.

Combine the avocado, mangoes, onions, bell peppers, cilantro, lime juice, jalapenos, and salt in a medium bowl. Lightly crush with a fork to release the juices. Set aside. 

Serve each fillet with 1/4 cup of salsa. 

Grill tilapia, covered, over medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until tender, turning once.

Grilled Corn on the Cob

ingredients:

4 medium ears sweet corn 

4 tbs butter, melted

1tbs minced fresh parsley, or dill

1 clove of garlic, grated 

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Combine butter, dill, garlic, and salt in a small bowl. Carefully peel back corn husks to within 1 in. of bottoms; remove silk. Spread butter mixture over corn, with a rubber brush. 

Re-wrap corn in husks and secure with kitchen string. Grill corn, covered, over medium heat for 25-30 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally. Cut strings and peel back husks.

Spicy mayo:

3 tbs. Mayonnaise
1 tbs. sriracha hot chili sauce

Mix, and serve. Adds a little flavor to the corn or even to the fish. 

I usually come up with recipe myself, like these, so I hope you try it out and let me know how it turns out for you. Enjoy. 

Please feel free to ask any questions.  

Vegetarian "or Not" Fajitas.

               Yesterday after a LONG day of "Spring Cleaning" and finishing up a few things around the house. I was SOOO in the mood for something light but flavorful and filling for dinner. So I came up with this recipe. Vegetarian "or Not" Fajitas. Tasty vegetable wraps. Bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms sauteed in a delicious sauce, served on a warm whole wheat tortilla and a fresh mayo.

Vegetarian "or Not" Fajitas. 

Ingredients:

- 2 tbs. Olive Oil

- 2 Onions, thinly sliced

- 2 Green bell peppers, seeded and sliced

- 2 Red bell peppers, seeded and sliced

- 8 oz. Mushrooms ( I used Crimini) thinly sliced

- 1 Jalapeno, seeded and sliced

- 2 tbs. chopped fresh Cilantro 

- 1 lb. Roast beef. (If not making vegetarian style)
- 100% whole wheat tortillas. 12 ct.

Sauce:

- 1 tbs. Sweet chilli sauce

- 2 tbs. Worcestershire sauce

- 5 tbs. Ketchup

- 1 tbs. A1 sauce

- salt and pepper to taste.

about 1 tsp. of salt, 

and 1/2 tsp. of pepper.

Fresh Mayo:

- 3 tbs. Mayonnaise 

- Zest of 1 lemon

- juice of 1/2 lemon

- 1 tsp. of chopped fresh Dill

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tbs. oil in a heavy bottom skillet. Add the onions and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the green and red bell peppers, jalapenos, and cilantro and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes.

2. On a medium low heat, In a separate skillet add remaining oil, and cook the roast beef. Add the sauces, let beef marinade while cooking. Turn the heat to low and cook for another 5 minutes, add beef and sauce to vegetables. 

3. Mix ingredients for mayo in a bowl and set aside. 

Dry-fry the tortillas, one at a time, for 30 seconds on each side in a separate skillet. Spread 1 tsp. of mayo in the center on each tortilla. Divide the vegetables between the tortillas, roll up, and serve. 

You can definitely take out the roast beef if you prefer the vegetarian version better, or you can even replace it with tofu.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment. 

Hope you enjoy.

"Homemade" Pizza

        Some of you may or may not know this about me, but I LOVE to cook, and bake. Another way for me to express myself. My wonderful Mother has planted the seed of ingredients, spices, and flavors in me as a little girl. Always with her in the kitchen either helping her with the food, or just cleaning and washing the dishes as she cooks. Which I very much thank her for.  Now after those few years of being right by her side, and having my own family, I've learned little secrets and ways of finer preparations. I would be happy to share techniques, experiences, and recipes here.

My type of cooking/baking is Russian/American/French/Italian. Lets just say I have a background of Russian , but I like to try many other styles as well. 

 

Please don't expect anything professional, or to be flabbergasted. All that I know is what I've learned form my mother, or just being self taught.

                        My Mother and I in the center, my older sister

                Snezhana on the left,and my sister Marina on the right.

"Homemade" Pizza:

 

Ingredients:

- 18oz. Cheese Flat Bread  (I found mine at Costco)

- 2 tbs. Mayonnaise

- 4-5 tbs. Marinara sauce

- 10-15  Olives of choice

- 20 Pepperonis

- 5-10 Cherry tomatoes

- 1 large Sweet onion

- 1 large Red bell pepper

- 1-2 cups Shredded Cheese of choice 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400dg F.

1. Slice onion, and bell pepper thinly. On medium high heat, saute the onions on a skillet with 1tbs. butter, about 5 min. Add the sliced bell pepper to the onions and continue sauteing for another 10 minutes. Until you get a nice golden color. Set aside.

2. Spread mayonnaise evenly over flat bread, spread marinara sauce evenly on top of the mayo. Sprinkle about 1/2 a cup of cheese over the marinara (cheese will act as glue for the pepperonis), add the pepperonis on top.

3. At this point go ahead and top the pizza with the sauteed onion/bell pepper. Slice the olives, and tomatoes. Add to the pizza. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. 

4. Place pizza on a baking sheet, and toast in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese forms a nice golden color.

Please feel free to try any vegetables or meat of choice, adding mushrooms, basil, spinach, artichokes, or even sun dried tomatoes(YUM!) would make a GREAT alternative.

Enjoy.

My mother would make a similar pizza like this during my childhood, growing up we would rarely go out to eat, so instead of buying a pizza she would create her own, which for me and my siblings was totally fine, we always loved her versions better anyway :) 

If you would like me to share more recipes please let me know so.