Fish Taco Bowls 2.0, by Diane

 

This weekend I was at the beach and got some blackened bass with peach salsa, with a side of corn and coleslaw. I don't know what possessed me to do this, but I decided to mix it all up into a bowl and it was soooo good I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since! I decided to create my own version with cod and mango salsa and it was so great! Plus it was a great meal prep recipe as it got better in the fridge each day, and was a cold dish to eat on hot days. Yum!

(I saw there was another recipe on the blog for fish taco bowls, so these are titled 2.0!)

Ingredients:

Fish (I chose frozen cod filets that I defrosted, next time I'd use fresh)

Seasoning (I used garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, salt, cumin and merken from Chile but you could use chili powder instead)

Avocado spray oil

Salsa: 2 mangos diced, 2 tomatoes diced, 1 can black beans, 1 can corn, 1 red onion diced, 1 bunch cilantro chopped, 1 lime juiced, salt

Red cabbage shredded

Dressing: 1 cup greek yogurt plain, 1 bunch cilantro with stems, 2 garlic cloves, salt and pepper, 1 lime juiced

Directions:

1. Make the salsa and dressings ahead of time and let them marry in the fridge. I did mine the night before. They get better this way!

2. Season the fish and spray with avocado oil on each side, then air fry at 350 for 15 min or until the fish is 145 internally and flaky. 

3. Serve in a bowl with cabbage, salsa, fish and dressing!

Rojak, by Diane

 

This was the side dish of our Indonesian lunch, and so so good! Rojak is one of my most favorite Indonesian and Malaysian dishes. It is a really unique combo of jicama, green mango, pineapple, and cucumber (this version had apple too) in a really flavorful sauce that is sweet and savory. The crunch of the veggies with the sweet savory sauce and peanut top is really addictive and extra refreshing in the summertime! I had no idea it was so easy to make, so this will be on repeat all summer as a light meal or fun snack! Recipe from my friend's Indonesian Street Food cookbook!

Ingredients:

1 medium jicama, peeled and cubed

1 medium green apple, peeled and cubed

1 green mango, peeled and cubed

3/4 pineapple, peeled and cubed

2 kirby cucumbers, chopped into bite size pieces

1 tbsp dried shrimp paste

3 tbsp sweet soy sauce

1.5 tbsp tamarind paste

1 fresh fresno chili

3 tbsp palm sugar (or sub dark brown)

1/2 cup skinned roasted ground peanuts

Directions:

1. Add all the fruits and veggies to a bowl and toss. Set aside. 

2. Start to make the sauce by placing the shrimp paste in a square of foil, folding inward to make a smaller square. Flatten the square with the palm of your hand. Roast this packet directly over gas flame for 1.5 minutes on each side until the paste begins to smoke and takes on a slightly burnt flavor. Open the packet and let cool.

3. Add soy sauce-sugar, plus the cooled shrimp paste, into a bowl and whisk until mixed.

4. Combine the sauce and fruits, top with peanuts and serve cold. Don't wait longer than 20 minutes to serve or else it becomes less crunchy!

Salmon with Mango Salsa, by Cheryl

With the weather getting a little warmer I decided to take a break from stews and hearty meals and bring in some summery food. This marinated salmon with mango salsa hit the spot! Light, healthy, easy, and delicious! I served it with Israeli couscous and sweet potato fries. The salsa and marinade was supposed to have mint in it, but my Whole Foods delivery left that out of my order. So I continued on without it. The recipe below shows it without the mint, but the link has the original recipe. Yum!

Ingredients:

4 salmon fillet pieces, about 6 ounces each

Salt

For marinade:

1/3 cup olive oil

Juice of one lemon

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground tumeric

1/2 tsp black pepper

Salt

For salsa:

2 mangos, diced

1/2 seedless cucumber

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions:

1) Season salmon with salt. Place in casserole dish deep enough for the marinade.

2) Make the marinade with the ingredients listed. Whisk. Pour marinade over salmon. Let sit for 20 minutes or cover and put in the fridge for 2 hours. 

3) Make the mango salsa and put aside. 

4) Preheat oven to 350. Place salmon on baking sheet skin side down and bake for 10 minutes. Serve with salsa and sides. 

Sticky Mango Chicken, by Diane

This recipe is from @thekitcheneer Instagram, and intrigued me because so many people on Whole30 loved it! I really love mango in Asian dishes, and it seemed pretty straightforward. This came out really sweet, so I wasn't a huge fan, but I think if you cut down the mango or cut the dates down/out it could work. I added coconut milk to this to try and lighten up the flavor, which helped a bit as well.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, diced
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp sesame oil
3 dates
1/2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
2 tbsp. almond butter
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper


Directions:

1. Saute the chicken with salt and pepper in the oil until cooked through.

2. While the chicken cooks, make the sauce by adding all remaining ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove and blend into a paste.

3. Combine the sauce with the drained chicken, and serve over riced cauliflower.

Mango Avocado Salsa, by Cheryl

What a great salsa! I made this with shrimp tacos and it added the perfect amount of sweetness and spice to an already delicious dish. Yum!

Ingredients (recipe from here):

1 avocado, pitted and diced
1 lime, juiced
1 mango, pitted and diced
1 small onion, chopped
1 habanero pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
salt to taste

Directions:

Place the avocado in a serving bowl and mix with lime juice. Mix in everything else.

Seared Scallops with Mango Puree, by Cheryl

I was fully planning on buying some wild caught cod today when I walked into Wegmans, but I came across these delicious fresh scallops just a few feet down that I couldn't resist. I had just put some frozen mango chunks into my cart so I thought a nice mango puree would go nice with the scallops. I got the mango recipe from here and seared the scallops in butter and garlic. Honestly, the scallops were so good on their own that I didn't use the mango sauce on them that much. But it really went well with the couscous and zucchini! Yum!

Ingredients:

Scallops
butter
garlic
Israeli couscous (or other side)
Spinach, zucchini, or other veggie

For Mango Puree:

1 cup mango
1/4 fresh orange juice (I juiced half an apple and used that)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
salt and pepper

Directions:

1) For the mango sauce combine the first 5 ingredients in a food processor and mix until combined. Stir in salt and pepper to taste.

2) For the scallops I put some butter and garlic in a pan on medium-high heat. Sear the scallops (make sure they're not touching each other) for about 1.5 minutes on each side. Serve with some sides!

Banana, Mango, and Spinach Smoothie, by Cheryl

This has been my go to smoothie in the mornings! It's sweet from the mangoes and gives me a green boost from the spinach. An added bonus is that Julia loves this smoothie as well... I usually end up splitting it with her because she always wants more. Paired with an egg muffin from the previous recipe and it gives me the energy I need for a great morning workout, or a typical morning of chasing after Julia. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut water
1 banana
1 cup frozen mango
chia seeds flax seeds
2 cups spinach (I've made it with kale as well)

Directions:

1) Pour coconut water and chia seeds into blender. Let sit for a couple of minutes in order for the chia seeds to absorb the water.

2) Add the rest of the ingredients and blend well.

Carribean Jerk Tacos with Mango Salsa and Picked Red Onions, by Diane

This was one of the best lunches I've had in a long time! It uses one of my all time favorite go-to's, Crockpot Jerk Chicken, in an entirely new way. The pickled red onions, the best taco topper IMO, were so easy to make and I was excited that they were in this recipe. And the mango salsa gave it an extra island kick!

I made two changes to the original recipe here. The first is that I swapped out the yogurt sauce for some spiked coconut milk that I added into the chicken. The second is that I am allergic to peaches (the original recipe has a peach mango salsa) and so I bought my favorite mango salsa that Giant sells- less time = no complaints!

Original Recipe here: portandfin.com/jerk-chicken-tacos-with-peach-mango-salsa-pickled-red-onions/

Ingredients:

For the Chicken:

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap)
1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup soy sauce
10 peppercorns
5 medium garlic cloves, smashed
3 medium scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups cilantro (about 1 bunch), coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, sliced into 1/4-inch coins
1 Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, sliced into rounds

For the Salsa:

2 peaches, peeled and chopped
1 mango, peeled, cored and chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
½ bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 lime, juiced
⅛ tsp salt

For the Onions:

1 medium red onion, halved and sliced thinly
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
10 peppercorns
1 tbsp sugar
water

1 can coconut milk
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
Corn tortillas

Directions:

1. Combine the first 4 spices of the chicken ingredients in a small bowl. Coat the chicken all over with the rub and set in the bottom of the crockpot. Place the remaining chicken ingredients in a medium nonreactive bowl and whisk to combine. Pour over the chicken, cover, and cook on low, turning the chicken pieces every few hours, until the meat is falling off the bone, about 5 to 8 hours.
2. While the chicken cooks, place the onion ingredients into a mason jar through sugar, then add water until all the onions are covered. Set aside.
3. Chop all the salsa ingredients and combine in a bowl, set aside.
4. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite-sized pieces (discarding the ginger) and place back in the slow cooker with the sauce until ready to serve. Combine the coconut milk, chili powder, and cumin in a bowl and add to the chicken. 
5. Place all ingredients into a corn tortilla and enjoy!