This year spring has arrived with temperatures that feel more like summer, and suddenly I find myself craving light and fresh foods. Dishes that contain lots of vegetables, and food cooked on the grill are the things that seem to appeal to me. Yesterday while attempting to do a bit of much overdue yard work, I had a vision, not of a burning bush or a motherly figure, but of fish tacos, one of my favorite summer foods. So after the tools were put away, I mixed a pitcher of margaritas and began preparing the meal that I knew I had somehow been destined to make.

Mahi Mahi also known as Dorado, is a dolphin fish which is in no way, shape, or form related to the dolphins we think of as Flipper. The dolphin fish is a surface-dwelling ray-finned fish found in temperate, tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. The name Mahi-mahi is Hawaiian for very strong.

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Grilled Mahi-mahi Tacos

Flavorful yet light mahi-mahi is topped with fresh ingredients to make a most amazing grilled fish taco.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Hawaiian, Mexican

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

Fish

• 1 pound Mahi-mahi fillets
• 1 cup cabbage finely shredded
• 3 radish thinly sliced
• 1 avocado sliced
• 1 tomato chopped
• 8 small corn tortillas
• cilantro
• fresh lime
• vegetable oil
• Cajun spice

Sauce

• 3 tablespoons salsa
• 3 tablespoons ranch dressing
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 green onions finely sliced

Instructions

Fish

• Begin by slicing and preparing all of the vegetables.
• Lightly brush a piece of Mahi-mahi with oil and dust with Cajun spice.
• Place the fish on the grill over medium heat. Watch the color of the fish closely. After only a few minutes you will see the fish begin to turn an opaque white color.
• When the color reaches halfway through turn the fish and grill for another few minutes. (When grilling fish it is important to only turn it once. Repeatedly attempting to move the fish around on the grill will cause it to fall apart).
• Remove fish from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes.

Sauce

• Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Refrigerate left over.

Serve

• Flake fish into a corn tortilla and add cabbage, radish, avocado, and tomato. Drizzle with sauce and finish with some fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Notes

These tacos are excellent served with black bean and corn salad, and an icy cold margarita.

I pride myself on finding creative things to prepare with items that I find on sale.  I also focus on buying fruits and vegetables that are in season. For example, planning a dish that requires lots of fresh tomatoes in the dead of winter usually results in a pricey ticket at the checkout, as well as a disappointing flavorless dish at home. The other day on a trip to our local Sprouts Market I discovered avocados on sale 3/ $1.00, which got my attention since many times they are two dollars each, so I bagged a half a dozen of the precious black eggs and was on my way.The avocado or alligator pear is native to central Mexico. The earliest evidence of this fruit was found in a cave in Coxcatlán, Puebla, Mexico, and dates back to around 10,000 BC. The avocado also has a long history of cultivation in South America.  A water vessel shaped like an avocado was found in the ruins of the pre-Incan city of Chan Chan in Peru. Avocados are now found growing in most tropical regions as well as the Mediterranean.

As an appetizer:

There are many ways to enjoy the deliciously smooth flavor of the avocado, the most obvious or well know being guacamole.  There are of course many ways to prepare this. I like my guacamole rather simple, allowing the avocado to be the star of the show.  I select fruit that is dark in color but that is still firm enough to put on the grill. I begin by halving the fruit and removing the pits, brushing a light coat of olive oil over the exposed surface.  Avocados will turn brown rather quickly once opened, so oil the fruit soon after you cut it.  Lime juice can also used to prevent the discoloring, but since we are going to grill, I use the oil.  I place halves face down on the grill over medium flame, for about 5 minutes watching closely. You are looking  for nicely colored grill marks.  Cooking time varies depending on how hard the avocados were to begin with and the heat of your grill.  Not only does this process gives a subtle smokey flavor to the fruit, it also softens the fruit to the perfect consistency.

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Guacamole

A simple recipe for authentic guacamole. To me guacamole is about the avocado, so I keep it very simple. Pure avocado!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Christoph

Ingredients

• 2 large avocados
• 1 tablespoon puréed garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• salt to taste

Instructions

• Mash the avocados in a bowl with the puréed garlic, add lime juice, chili powder, and a light pinch of salt.
• That's it, pure and simple.

As a main course:

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Guacamole Soup

Served hot or cold, this creamy soup is an avocado lover’s dream come true.

Course Soup

Cuisine Mexican, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

chill 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Christoph

Ingredients

• 3 ½ cups chicken stock
• 1 avocado cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cups non fat sour cream
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• ½ teaspoons chili powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• paprika for garnish

Instructions

• Combine the stock, avocado, sour cream, onion, lemon juice, garlic, and chili powder in a blender. Process until puréed. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
• Chill for 45 minutes before serving cold, or slowly warm over medium heat.
• Garnish either way with a dab of sour cream and a pinch of paprika.

As a Dessert:

Jus Alpukat is an Indonesian shake that I had the pleasure of experiencing on a visit to Malaysia.  It consists of chunks of avocado, chocolate syrup and condensed milk.  Surprisingly delicious!

So you see, as a starter, main course, or dessert, the versatile avocado should not be considered just another dip in the crowd.