Summer is here in full force in Florida. The humidity has been high and the beach is very inviting.
I love summer because it is also the time when we get loads of wonderful, fresh picked/grown fruit ; Mangoes are big and juicy not fibrous, Pineapple from Costa Rica is sweet as honey, Georgia Peaches are dripping with sweet nectar. It’s all good.
The farmers in Florida are also busy harvesting some wonderful vegetables. I discovered a terrific farm store not far from home and have really enjoyed their fresh produce. There are fields of corn growing right down the street from them.
Yesterday I suggested my sister and mother meet me there. We had an all vegetable dinner last night with all the healthy choices we took home. It was a nice change.
Our meal consisted of:
Fresh spinach steamed in the microwave. We all admitted it was the freshest we have ever tasted.
Beet tops cooked then mixed with lemon and oil in the manner my grandmother used to make them.
Cucumbers cut in spears with a dill vinaigrette and a little feta cheese.
Baby Yukon gold potatoes with a little butter and fresh picked rosemary.
Macaroni salad with carrot, celery and green pepper.
Freshly baked Ciabatta bread sliced and toasted.
I have been trying to get my mother to make more healthy choices. She comes from the “add the butter” generation. Pizza, Bacon, and anything with cream or butter is her idea of “healthy”. Since moving here, I have exposed her to some other choices.
I suggested she buy some fish for dinner the other night. My sister had offered to cook dinner for them. My mother mentioned that the fish recipes she had found were very heavy with mayonnaise, cream or loads of butter. She wanted something less heavy (halleluiah!) and hoped for a preparation that included pineapple. She wasn’t sure which fish she would find at the fishmonger, so I thought back to my recent visit and guessed they would have Mahi Mahi.
The recipe I shared with her called for Mahi Mahi but being unable to get it they used a thick piece of Flounder. My sister particularly liked the recipe because it was darn easy to make. My mother loved it and said it was the best fish meal she had ever had.
The recipe included macadamia nuts, which are “not” low in fat, but you can always limit the amount but still include them. My sister added some sliced bananas and some fresh ginger to the recipe. She suggested that powdered ginger might have been a better choice. They made only ½ the recipe for the two of them and it was plenty.
Just thinking about this meal, I wish I would have been invited (actually I was but didn’t go…my loss!)
Here is the recipe. Unfortunately, I don’t know where I found it, so I can’t tell you where the recipe originated.
Toasted Macadamia Mahi Mahi
8 oz pineapple yogurt
2 tablespoons of Rum
2 Lbs Mahi Mahi (or Flounder if you can find a fresh, thick piece)
½ tsp salt
1 tablespoon of butter
¼ cup coconut, toasted
1 cup macadamia nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 banana sliced (optional)
Some powdered ginger (optional)
1. In a shallow baking dish, mix together yogurt and rum (and ginger if you want to try it).
2. Add fish and coat on all sides. Refrigerate covered for several hours or overnight
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle fish lightly with salt. Bake the fish for 25 minutes until the fish flakes when tested.
4. Toast the coconut and nuts by melting the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the coconut and nuts and stir until browned.
5. Remove to a serving platter and sprinkle with the coconut ,nuts and bananas if using. Serve.
This recipe would be great with some healthy Sweet Potato Fries http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/sweet-potato-fries-recipe/index.html
Enjoy!
