Welcome to week two of the Florida Citrus Feel Better Challenge! Cayla and Carol continue their quest for the title of Top Citrus Chef.
Citrus is good for the body, the soul and the taste buds. Vote and comment below for your second chance to WIN a $250 WaySpa gift certificate and some invigorating Body Shop products to help you feel better each day. Simply share your favourite ways to add citrus to your diet. For an additional ballot, share your own citrus recipe on the Florida Citrus Feel Better Recipe Swap. Don’t forget to read both Cayla and Carol’s recipe reviews, compare the pictures and then let us know whose dish looked best!
Visit the Florida: Feel Better Facebook page for more tips, recipes and daily smiles from the growers of Florida Citrus.
This week’s recipe is: Florida Grapefruit Fish Tacos with Grapefruit Avocado Drizzle
Tangy fresh flavours of Florida grapefruit juice make this taco memorable with each bite. Baked until golden for an added crunch and topped off with fresh lettuce and juicy tomatoes makes this recipe a family favourite.
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 green onion, minced
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tsp (10 mL) dried thyme leaves
2 tsp (10 mL) chili powder
1/4 cup (50 mL) Florida grapefruit juice
1 tsp (5 mL) liquid honey
4 small tilapia or catfish fillets, about 1 lb/450 g, cut into thick strips
Pinch each salt and pepper
3/4 cup (175 mL) dry seasoned breadcrumbs
4 small flour tortillas
1/2 cup (125 mL) shredded lettuce
1/3 cup (75 mL) diced tomato
2 tbsp (25 mL) chopped red onion
Grapefruit Avocado Drizzle:
Half avocado, chopped
One Florida grapefruit, segmented and diced
3 tbsp (45 mL) Florida grapefruit juice
1/2 tsp (2 mL) granulated sugar
Pinch salt
Directions:
1. In shallow dish, combine onions, garlic, thyme and chili powder; stir in Florida grapefruit juice and honey.
2. Add fish strips and turn to coat.
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roll in breadcrumbs.
4. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet and roast in 425 F (220 C) oven for about 15 minutes, turning once until golden brown and fish flakes when tested.
Grapefruit Avocado Drizzle:
1. In bowl, mash together avocado until smooth.
2. Stir in Florida grapefruit juice, half of the diced Florida grapefruit, sugar and salt until combined. Set aside.
3. Divide fish strips on one half of each of the tortillas.
4. Sprinkle with lettuce, tomato, onion and remaining diced Florida grapefruit.
5. Spoon Grapefruit Avocado Drizzle over top and fold over to serve.
6. Garnish with Florida grapefruit.
Recipe provided courtesy of the Florida Department of Citrus.
See what our Chef #1, Cayla of The UrbanMoms Kitchen, had to say:
I was really excited to try this recipe, not only because it was fish tacos (a dish I had been trying to master since tasting some amazing fish tacos last summer), but because the “fish” was tilapia. As a former picky-eater, eating fish is a relatively new thing for me…and something I am still (somewhat) intimidated to cook with.
When I first looked at the ingredients, I wasn’t sure how my kids would react. As stated above, I don’t make fish that often at home and since they view grapefruit as a “grown-up” fruit, it’s not a taste they are familiar with. One thing I do know though is that they love taking an active role in helping to prepare dinner. This meal fits the bill: they were able to be involved in all aspects of this meal, from breading the fish to assembling the tacos.
Eating a well-balanced family meal every night is something that is very important to me and my family. When they were babies, I read a study that showed a strong link between eating dinner together and the overall health and well-being of children. As my kids get older (and our nights get busier) we do find it harder and harder to find the time to sit down together. Luckily, we are all committed to making it work. Dinners like these fish tacos are great because not only are they healthy, they are also fun.
Preparing the fish was really easy! I really liked the honey because it balanced the heat of the jalapeno and it also created the perfect consistency for the marinade to stick to the fish. Instead of parchment paper, I used a silicon mat, a common substitution. It worked out great. The fish didn’t stick and it was crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside. One thing I did have to be aware of was the cooking time of the tilapia. Some pieces were thicker than others and thus, some pieces were done before others. I just removed them from the oven and kept them warm under foil.
I prepared the rest of the ingredients while the fish was baking, making this a true 30 minute meal. I did find it a bit hard to smush the avocado, but that was my fault; it wasn’t ripe enough! Next time I will ask the grocer to help me find a good one. Other than that, the rest of the ingredients are pretty much chop and go.
When it came time to eat, my children helped me set up the ingredients on our lazy Susan. They had a lot of fun putting together their tacos and really liked that this meal let them choose how much of each ingredient they wanted. Here is what they thought:
Billy: I like the fish best; it’s crunchy.
Maya: I didn’t think I liked grapefruit but I do. Can I drink some grapefruit juice now?
Husband: It’s good. And filling. Also, I like the fruit part; it makes it refreshing.
Overall, this meal was easy, fun and a lot less scary to prepare than I thought. I like that my kids have been introduced to eating grapefruit for more than breakfast and look forward to having it again.
See what our Chef #2, Carol, UrbanMoms staffer, had to say:
Do you make New Year resolutions? After years of making promises to myself that I clearly couldn’t keep I decided to end this futile ritual. I certainly don’t miss feeling guilty and disappointed after falling short year after year. I finally decided that it was time to make a lifestyle change rather than looking for a quick fix. Working out has become part of my daily routine as natural to me as waking up and showering. As I get older I am grateful to be fit and active. I feel better emotionally and physically and can keep up with the stresses of everyday life.
Being active and making healthy food choices go hand in hand. I try to incorporate as much fish, nuts, fruits and vegetables in my family’s diet as possible. Adding citrus to a recipe is a simple way to boost the nutrition in any meal. One serving of Florida grapefruit (one whole grapefruit) or one 250 mL glass of 100% orange juice or grapefruit juice contains more than a full day’s supply of vitamin C. Vitamin C is one of the most powerful antiox
idants and neutralizes free radicals to help fight cell and tissue damage that could lead to diseases including cancer and heart disease and helps the body fight infection.
I also make it a priority to serve my family fish. It is a good source of protein, low in saturated fat and filled with omega-3 fatty acids which are good for the heart and brain. While my husband and I love fish, finding recipes that my kids enjoy is more of a challenge. I was really excited when The Florida Department of Citrus asked me to test a fish taco recipe. The Florida Grapefruit Fish Tacos with Grapefruit Avocado Drizzle has healthy ingredients that I want my kids to eat daily. My kids absolutely love tacos so this recipe was very promising. The simple step-by-step instructions also made this easy to prepare.
The fish required a simple grapefruit spice marinade and then a quick roll in breadcrumbs before being cooked in the oven. The avocado grapefruit drizzle also came together rather quickly. The grapefruit added a nice zip to the drizzle and tasted great. After shredding the lettuce, dicing the tomatoes and red onion, the tacos were ready to assemble. Eating is always so much more fun when the whole family is involved in the preparation. My girls love eating tacos because they enjoy putting them together.
So, how did it taste? Here is my family’s feedback:
Husband: Great flavour, really enjoy the avocado drizzle and crunch from the lettuce.
Carol: These fish tacos are great. I don’t miss the sour cream and cheese that normally accompany our tacos. The avocado adds a real richness to the tacos that was so delicious.
Nicky: Is there really fish in this taco? It tastes really good.
Rachel: I had lots of fun helping my mom prepare this meal. I love to cook and this recipe was really easy. The tacos taste good, to tell you the truth the fish tastes like chicken.
Overall, we enjoyed the tacos. It is great to find an alternative to the deep fried fish sticks that my kids enjoy. The fish and grapefruit added a nice zip to our regular taco meal. Being creative and finding new ways to incorporate foods that taste good and are good for you makes me feel great.
TO ENTER THE CONTEST share your favourite ways to add citrus to your diet. This week it’s even easier to earn an additional ballot. Simply add your favourite citrus
recipes to the Florida Citrus Feel Better Recipe Swap application. The new “easy-upload” feature allows you to share your recipe with ease.
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