Happy Whip It Up Wednesdays!
Today I’m so excited to share with you three amazing dishes my family and I enjoyed during our recent vacation in the beautiful Cayman Islands.
If you have never been to Grand Cayman, there is a road side fresh fish market located in George Town. From red snapper, Mahi Mahi, Grouper, Tilapia, Wahoo, Baracuda, and Conch we got to taste so many delicious fresh tasting local fish. Today I’m going share with you two of dishes we created using the local fish we purchased, in addition to a light and fresh veggie side dish that was the perfect complete to our seafood creations.
Chef Mike in the Kitch’
Let’s start with our 1st Fish Creation
White Fish Ceviche
If you already have my Cookin’ Clean & Lean Cookbook you’ll have seen a Shrimp & Scallop Ceviche Recipe on page 186. We prepared our Ceviche the same way; we just used all white fish (Mahi Mahi, Tilapia and Wahoo) instead of shrimp & scallops.
INGREDIENTS:
1lb (2cups) fresh Mahi Mahi
½ lb (1cup) fresh Tilapia
1/2 lb (1 cup) fresh Wahoo
(As per the cookbook, you can use 1lb fresh scallops and 1lb, peeled, uncooked shrimp)
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
2 tsps. fresh minced garlic
4 shallots, peeled and finally chopped
½ tsp. seas salt, finely coursed
Juice from a whole lime
4 Roma tomatoes, seeded & finely chopped
1 orange bell pepper, diced
½ cup fresh cilantro
2 tbsps. olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Place the chopped seafood in a large glass bowl, add jalapeno peppers, garlic, shallots, salt and lime juice, and toss.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 2 hours, allowing the shellfish to ‘cook’ in the lime juice.
Remove bowl from fridge. Using a strainer, drain half of the lime juice from the fish. Add tomatoes, diced pepper, cilantro and olive oil. Mix well, cover and refrigerate for an additional 30 minutes.
Serve alone or with whole-grain tortilla chips.
Our 2nd Fish Creation….
Fish Taco’s
This dish was Mike’s creation and it was a HUGE hit at the dinner table. The red cabbage slaw sent my taste buds soaring!!!
INGREDIENTS
1 pound firm white fish, such as tilapia, snapper, or cod (we used mahi mahi)
2 whole limes
2 tsps. fresh minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea Salt & Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 small head of green or red cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
6 to 8 soft (6-inch) corn tortillas
Avocado, chopped for garnish (optional)
Salsa for garnish (optional)
Sour cream, for garnish (optional)
Hot sauce, for garnish (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Place the fish in a baking dish and squeeze the juice from a whole lime over the fish.
Rub fish with garlic and olive oil, and then sprinkle with cumin and chili powder. Season with salt and pepper. Place in refrigerator and let marinate for at least 15 minutes.
Next to make the slaw, combine the cabbage, onion, and cilantro in a large bowl and squeeze the juice from a whole lime over the veggies. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, season with salt and pepper, toss to combine and set aside.
Warm the tortillas by heating a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tortilla at a time, flipping to warm both sides, about 5 minutes total. Wrap the warm tortillas in a clean dish towel and set aside while you prepare the fish.
Place the marinated fish on a large sheet of aluminum foil and place on an outdoor grill over medium-high heat. Cook until the fish is white and opaque on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip and grill until the other side is white and opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer the fish to a large plate.
Now to make your taco’s, break up some of the cooked fish, place it in a warm tortilla, and top with slaw and any optional toppings.
Absolutely delish!!!
Now to complete this dish my sister-in-law Cathy whipped up her famous Mexican Salsa to complete our meal.
Mexican Salsa
INGREDIENTS
1 red pepper, chopped
½ jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 cup frozen corned, thawed
1 can black beans, rinse and drained
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice and zest from one lime
INSTRUCTIONS
Place all ingredients in a bowl and toss.
Serve as a side dish, or as an appetizer served with whole-grain tortilla chips.
Spending vacation with a family that loves to cook, including the men, was a huge highlight of our trip.
Aunt Desiree & Uncle Adam prepping the limes
Baby Mackenzie helping to make the Fish Taco Slaw
Mike’s friend Jim (and our amazing host for 9 days), Daddy Mike, Baby Mackenzie, Aunt Desiree, Uncle Adam, Uncle Kirk, Grandma Newhook (Gloria) Aunt Cathy, Grandpa Newhook (Don), Mommy Courtney was taking the picture and cousin Lilah and Felicity where already asleep in bed.