with Avocado & Grapefruit Salad

This recipe was developed for a corporate fitness challenge. “How many cardio-protective oils could I get on one plate?” As you can see, alot!

by Tina Martini, The Medicine Chef  

We have the Macadamia Nuts, (Harvard Medical says nuts increase longevity exponentially based on a thirty year study) Olive Oil, Avocado, and Coconut Oil. Here’s what I have always said, “if you don’t want to age, stay moist and supple.” Think of it as “good fat” replacing “bad fat” and sealing the water we drink to our tissue. 

Fish Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups raw Macadamia Nuts, Pulse in food processor to fine grind, not paste
• 4 6-8 oz. Mahi Mahi fillets, rinse and pat dry
• 1 Tbls. Coconut Oil

Salad Dressing Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 Tbls. Sherry Vinegar
• 2 Tbls. Honey
• 2 tsps. Grapefruit Juice
• 1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
• 3 Tbls. Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Salad ingredients:

• 2 cups Bibb or Boston Lettuce, washed and dried
• 2 large Pink Grapefruits, Banquet Cut and Supremed (we’ll get to this in a minute)
• 1 1/2 Avocados, peel and cut into 1/4′ slices
• 8 Radishes, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Make your dressing first, whisking vinegar and next three ingredients together.
2. Slowly drizzle Olive Oil in while whisking quickly. (Place a damp towel or washcloth under the bowl to keep it still.)
3. Season to taste. (Yes Chefs, you must taste at every level, every step.)
4. Chill dressing.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6. Prep the salad next.
7. Banquet Cut Grapefruit Sections
   1. With your razor sharp chef’s knife, remove top and bottom of Grapefruit.
   2. Starting at the top, remove peel and pith all the way around the fruit. It should be completely free of all white pith.
   3. Supreme – Working over a bowl, hold the Grapefruit in your hand, be careful. Slice the segments out whole, folding back the membrane with your thumb like the page of a book. Continue all the way around the fruit until all you have is the empty white membrane. Viola! Beautiful Grapefruit segments to give your plate that pro chef look.
8. Place prepped salad stuff in fridge until service. Your mise en place is ready, the mark of every successful chef. This means “everything in it’s place.” Now we’re ready to cook!
9. Prepare a baking sheet with Coconut Oil or parchment paper.
10. Pour ground nuts onto a plate.
11. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush Mahi fillets with Coconut Oil.
12. Roll the Mahi fillets in nuts and place fish on prepared sheet. Lightly press some of the nuts on top of the fillets so you have a nice crust on top.
13. Bake 12-15 minutes or until nuts are golden and fish is flaky.

Ready to take it to the plate Chef’s? This recipe makes great lettuce wraps, so decide if you want to leave the lettuce in “cups” or tear it in bite sized pieces and toss all salad ingredients together for a side salad. Your choice.

Phyto Facts:

Macadamia Nuts are high in Palmitoleic Acid. This phytonutrient speeds up fat metabolism and actually blocks the bodies ability to store fat. Avocados are high in Absisic Acid, an analog of vitamin A, one of the most powerful weapons against cancer in general. Radishes contain Isothiocyanates, helping the body to produce more cancer fighting enzymes, as well as preventing tooth decay. Here’s a great article detailing the many benefits of radishes.
*Even though Mahi Mahi is a large, surface dwelling fish, the latest report from the EPA shows very low levels of Mercury.

by Chef Tina Martini, “The Medicine Chef” @MedicineChef | Facebook Chef Martini is an experienced, well-versed television personality with a successful and proven track record. She holds a doctorate from Bastyr University in Naturopathy and a Nutrition degree from San Diego State University. She mixes cooking with nutrition, fitness and wellness!