Pineapple Cilantro Fish Fajitas

It's been a while since I've done a food post, but this Florribean recipe I made up definitely deserves a place on The Rainforest Garden. With the exception of the fish, you can grow the ingredients! I've pan fried tilapia and added a sauteed medley of peppers and pineapple to the mix, finishing off with a little lime, pomelo and cilantro. All in all, this easy recipe took somewhere between 10-15 minutes to make! Unfortunately, it was so good that it took a lot less time to eat. (feeds four)



First, here are the fresh ingredients I used.

2 Tilapia filets (about a pound, fresh or thawed)
2 Bell peppers (add some spicy ones to taste)
5 Pineapple chunks, fresh and sliced (you can buy them pre-cut)
1 Bag of fajita tortillas
1/2 Lime
Wok oil (or any other oil with a high flash point)
Pomelo (A large citrus with tiny loose segments)
Cilantro
Everglades seasoning (substitute with seasoned salt and thyme)
Basil
Cayenne pepper
1 tbsp Garlic, minced or fresh


And here's what I did!

1. Chop up the peppers in thin slivers, discarding the core and seeds. Chop the pineapple into thin strips.
2. Set the burner on medium-high. Coat a large skillet lightly with wok oil, adding a tbsp of the garlic and a couple shakes of basil.
3. When the garlic and basil start popping, add the peppers and pineapple to the pan, allowing to blacken. Stir and continue to cook until evenly cooked, but firm.
4. Remove peppers and pineapple, and keep warm in a bowl until serving time.

5. After adding more oil to the skillet, lay two tilapia fillets flat on the pan. Season the filets with cayenne pepper and Everglades Seasoning to taste, and flip when they've started to blacken.
6. After flipping the fillets seasoned side down, cover the skillet for 2-3 minutes for even cooking.

7. When the tilapia is cooked, flake off enough bite sized chunks to a bowl for serving.
8. Assemble your fajita! Top your fish, peppers and pineapple with cilantro, lettuce, pomelo segments, and a spritz of lime.

The tilapia melts in your mouth, against the crisp peppers. Those flavorful peppers are offset by the clash between the pineapple and salty everglade seasoning, and made fresh tasting with  the cilantro's understated coolness. Tangy lime juice and acidic pomelo bits bring it all together in perfect balance, leaving your mouth in a satisfied state of bliss! These fresh and complex flavors belong in an expensive restaurant, but for a much lower price. Oh, and did I mention that my little meal was healthy too? If you make this recipe, be sure to tell me how you liked it!

Some more tropical food goodness:
The Rainforest Garden: Some Thai Spices You Can Grow!
The Rainforest Garden: Tropical Starch Crops
A Thai Style Dinner!
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