Goodbye, summer – hello, fall!
17 Sep
I picked up some cilantro, some yellow squash, red heirloom tomatoes and zucchini from my favorite place ever (the farmers market) the other day. =) I can’t wait to see what great autumn produce they have this week!
While reading Serious Eats, I had bookmarked this recipe for pico de gallo with Tilapia and thought I’d give it a shot. I ventured out to a Chinese grocery store in my ‘hood. It was about 9 pm, which clearly means that the fish is not as fresh as it would be earlier in the day. However, I decided to take my chances (I’m such a rebel) and chose to go anyway.
I did find some sort of white fish there but there were no visible signs in English. One of the workers told me it was flounder but he sounded very uncertain. So when I got home, I looked it up. It turns out, I accidentally got the right fish without even knowing it! Score!
Inspired by Serious Eats
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients:
2 tilapia fillets
1 tomato
1/3 of a medium onion
1/2 bunch of cilantro
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 lime
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Salt and pepper
Procedure:
1. Add tomatoes and onions to a bowl along with finely chopped cilantro. Add a few healthy pinches of salt, black pepper, garlic, and the juice of 1/3 of a whole lime. Add olive oil, and taste. Adjust for seasoning and allow to sit for at least 15 minutes, preferably longer, for the flavors to marinate.
2. Heat two large nonstick skillets over medium-high heat with enough olive oil to cover the bottom. When the oil is almost smoking, lay the fillet in the oil to coat, then turn over to cook opposite side.
3. Cook, without touching, for 3-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Remove from the heat and plate, topping with the pico de gallo. Squeeze a little lime juice, crack fresh pepper, and serve.
I always find it a challenge to cover fish with a flaky crust while grilling due to the fear of burning it. I’ve learned that if you make the pan super hot, then lower the temperature, you’re good to go.
(By the way, I LOVE my cast iron skillet. More on that later.)
In addition, I made a summer zucchini salad (tomatoes, yellow and green zucchini, olive oil, hint of Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper) and guacamole (1 avocado, cilantro, diced tomatoes, lime juice, salt and pepper), since I had a ripe avocado lying around. It was such an easy yet yummy meal.
What a great way to mark the end of summer!
