Grilled Tilapia Bowls with Spicy Avocado Drizzle

 

I tried a new healthy recipe last night – grilled tilapia bowls with spicy avocado drizzle.  The original recipe was inspired by Chipotle’s burrito bowls, but with all healthy ingredients. 

It called for 3 cups cooked quinoa – but since we just ate lots of quinoa the other day in our stuffed acorn squash, I reduced it to about 1 ½ cups cooked (since quinoa quadruples in size when cooked, it only took 1/3 cup uncooked). 

I also doubled the original fish amount from two to four filets just so we could have leftovers for fish sandwiches another day. 

The avocado cream made WAY more than it took to drizzle over the fish, but the spicy sauce is so delicious, I think it’s worth making the extra and saving the rest as a chip dip. 

Lance claims that this is one of the best meals I've ever cooked - which is a huge compliment.  I'll definitely make it again!

Grilled Tilapia Bowls with Spicy Avocado Drizzle (adapted from Joyful Healthy Eats)

Ingredients:

Spicy Avocado Drizzle:

·        1-6 oz container plain Greek yogurt

·        Juice of one lime

·        1 large avocado

·        1 garlic clove

·        1 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed

·        Salt and pepper

Seasoning:

·        2 t chili powder

·        2 t smoked paprika

·        2 t cumin

·        2 t garlic powder

·        1 t salt

·        ½ t pepper

Other Ingredients:

·        4 large tilapia filets

·        1/3 cups uncooked quinoa

·        1-15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

·        1-15 oz can whole kernel corn, drained

·        Drizzle of olive oil

·        ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

·        1 medium tomato, diced

 

Directions:

1.  In a food processor, add the yogurt, lime juice, avocado, garlic clove, jalepeno, salt, and pepper.  Blend until smooth, then place in the refrigerator. (I was excited to use my new citrus juicer for the first time!)

 

 

 

2. Put the 1/3 cup quinoa and 2/3 cup water on the stovetop and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cover the pot. 

3. Meanwhile, mix the chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

 

 

4. Rinse and pat dry tilapia filets, then rub both sides with the seasoning.  You should have some leftover – put that to the side. 

 

4. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil, then add the canned corn.  Add the remaining spice mixture to the corn, then turn down the heat to medium-low and let the corn get slightly blackened. You can also add the black beans and diced tomato to the skillet if you’d prefer them warm (the original recipe kept them cold, but I heated mine for a few minutes).   

 

5. In a large greased pan, cook the tilapia about 3-5 minutes on each side.  You could finish the cooking on the pan, but I finished it on the George Foreman to give the fish grill marks (I would have cooked the whole thing on the grill, but ours doesn’t have temperature controls). 

 

 

6. Remove from the grill and set aside. 

7. Assemble your bowls, placing quinoa at the bottom, adding the black beans, tomato, corn, cilantro, and tilapia. 

 

8. Top with the spicy avocado sauce.  If you want a light drizzle, you can pour your sauce into a Ziploc bag, cut a small hole in the corner, then use it to drizzle over the dish. 

tbt Rolls n’ Bowls – Gainesville, FL

I could eat sushi for 3 meals a day, so for this “throwback Thursday” I’m writing about Rolls n’ Bowls in Gainesville, Florida (R.I.P).  When I was in college at UF, it was my go-to restaurant any time I went out to eat.  The concept was genius – a casual sushi spot where diners could customize their rolls (or bowls) with their preferred ingredients – like a Subway for sushi.  They were owned by a more formal sushi restaurant downtown called Dragonfly. 

My favorite dish was the Spicy Tuna bowl – with generous chunks of tuna, avocado, roe, and sesame seeds served over rice.  I would get it with a mix of the spicy mayo & eel sauce.  It was such a simple meal but it had quality ingredients that were so fresh it didn’t need anything else added.  They also served specialty dessert wontons coated with powdered sugar that changed with the seasons – pumpkin, key lime, and chocolate raspberry. 

The design was clean and modern to reflect the Japanese style, and they were all about sustainability.  Back in 2010 when I graduated college, they were 1 of only 4 restaurants in Florida that were Certified Green by the Green Restaurant Association - helping reduce environmental impact by water efficiency, waste reduction, and using sustainable building materials.  They even used biodegradable cups made of corn instead of Styrofoam or plastic.   

One of the most exciting things about visiting Gainesville after graduating was my trip to Rolls n' Bowls.  Sadly, they closed their doors back in 2012, temporarily changing to a “new and improved” restaurant called Yume Ume that just wasn’t the same.  They certainly had the fan base…not sure what caused them to go under, but it’s unfortunate. 

Crossing my fingers that one day they’ll be back!  And maybe this time in Tampa…