Mango Cilantro Margaritas

These had a delicious flavor, but were REALLY strong. Next time we’ll reduce the amount of tequila in there a bit… or at least in mine. :)

Mango Cilantro Margaritas

Makes 2. Recipe from Bon Appetit.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 small mango, pitted, peeled, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup 100% blue agave silver tequila
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons Simple Syrup (1 cup sugar dissolved in 1 cup water and simmered for 3 minutes, then cooled)
1 tablespoon Cointreau or other orange liqueur
2 cups ice cubes, divided
Fresh cilantro sprigs (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS
Combine mango and cilantro leaves in medium bowl. Press firmly on solids with muddler or back of wooden spoon until mashed. Mix in tequila, lime juice, Simple Syrup, and Cointreau, then 1 cup ice. Stir to blend well. Strain into large glass measuring cup. Divide remaining ice between 2 tall glasses. Pour Margarita mixture over. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

Mixed Salad with Ginger Lime Cilantro Dressing

This was a side to our main meal, but due to a little mishap with the salt (ALWAYS taste before adding more salt!), the salad ended up being the best (and only edible) part of the meal. Who’da thunk?

Mixed Salad with Ginger Lime Cilantro Dressing

INGREDIENTS
Mixed greens
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Cucumber, sliced and halved

Dressing:
1 lime, juiced
2 Tbs peanut oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp fire oil (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS
Combine all dressing ingredients in bowl. Whisk well until combined. Drizzle over greens and salad.

Mahi-Mahi with Fresh Cilantro & Kiwi Chutney

Cilantro and Kiwi? What the…?

No. Seriously. Try it. It’s amazing.

It’s like salsa. But bright green. And spicy. And slightly sweet. And delicious.

We saved the leftovers and ate it on chips the next day.

Mom… you have to make this. I know you’ll like this one.

Mahi-Mahi with Fresh Cilantro & Kiwi Chutney

Makes 2 servings. Recipe from Bon Appetit.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup (packed) chopped fresh cilantro
1 large kiwi, peeled, cubed
1/4 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk*
1 large garlic clove, peeled
2 teaspoons chopped jalapeño chile
2 6- to 7-ounce mahi-mahi fillets
Ground cumin
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS
Coarsely puree first 5 ingredients in processor. Season chutney with salt and pepper. Sprinkle fish with salt, pepper, and cumin. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add fish. Sauté until just opaque in center, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plates; top with chutney.

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa and Cilantro Lime Sauce

I always love a good fish taco. And as good as our last recipe was, these were better. I love mangos. I love lime. I love cilantro. Combine them altogether in a sweet and spicy salsa on top of some good fish – delicious.

Maybe it’s because of some recent sketchy fish experiences we’ve had with frozen fish, but we’ve decided to treat ourselves to some nice fresh fish at Whole Foods. Rather than going for the boring old mahi or tilapia, we though we’d try something new we’d never heard of – Amberjack. It was firm enough that it didn’t fall apart, but still tender and flaky. It made for some delicious fish tacos, that’s for sure! If only Tennessee was closer to the coast so we could have really fresh seafood more often. :)

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa and Cilantro Lime Sauce

Makes 2 servings. Recipe from Culinate.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. flaky white fish, such as halibut, tilapia, sole, or snapper (we used Amberjack)
4 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. soy sauce

10 to 12 corn tortillas
3 cups shredded cabbage

For Lime Sauce:
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 cup low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped or pressed
Salt

For Mango Salsa:
1 bell pepper (red, yellow, and/or orange), deseeded and chopped into ¼-inch squares
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, deseeded and diced
2 just-ripe mangoes, peeled and chopped into ½-inch square chunks
1 handful cilantro, washed, dried, destemmed, and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS
Prepare the fish marinade by combining the fresh lime juice with the vegetable oil and soy sauce in a rectangular glass or ceramic dish. Add the fish, turn to coat, and leave to marinate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Prepare the chipotle-lime sauce by combining the mayonnaise, yogurt, sour cream, lime juice, chipotle chile, and chopped garlic in a bowl. Season to taste with salt.

Prepare mango salsa by mixing all ingredients together in a medium-large bowl and season to taste with salt.

Remove fish from the marinade and grill or sauté until cooked through. Warm the tortillas, either in the oven, microwave, or saute in oil. Set out individual bowls of the sauce, salsa, and shredded cabbage.

For each individual taco, place some of the fish (breaking off chunks of the cooked fillets) on a tortilla, drizzle with the chipotle-lime sauce, and top with cabbage and mango salsa.

Pan-Seared Flat Iron Steak with Spicy Cilantro Sauce

I’ve never had flat iron steak before. But our freezer now has a box of them (thanks Mom!) so we thought we’d seek out the best way to cook them. I guess it is similar to a flank steak (if you can’t find flat iron), but honestly it might be my favorite cut. It was incredibly tender, not chewy like some beef can be. Definitely not something you want to overcook, so watch it carefully.

The cilantro sauce was refreshing. Tangy. Slightly spicy. Delicious.

We served this with some roasted veggies, potatoes and brussels sprouts, which were also delicious when drizzled with the cilantro sauce.

A keeper for sure!

Pan-Seared Flat Iron Steak with Spicy Cilantro Sauce

Recipe from Whole Foods.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup roughly chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2 (10– to 12-ounce) flat iron steaks

DIRECTIONS
Combine the cilantro, garlic, 1/2 cup of the oil, lemon juice, cumin, chili powder and salt in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set sauce aside.

Sprinkle steaks on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add steaks and cook to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare or 4 to 5 minutes for medium.

Transfer steaks to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes before thinly slicing. Serve with sauce on the side.