Mango And Cod Tacos

Fruit salsa is a great thing to have around for picnics and potlucks this time of year. Making a fruit salsa from scratch is really easy. It’s a great topping for salads which I eat all the time when the weather is warm. You can use fruit salsa as a chip dip and you can use it to top chicken, beef, fish or even tofu.  Don’t forget that fruit salsa can be really good on top of desserts too.  There are just a few variations that are necessary to remember depending on what you use the salsa for.  When it comes to savory dishes like on top of meat, I like to include vegetables like onion, shredded carrots and tomatoes. A salsa for red meat tastes great with lime and orange as a base.

Fruit salsas for meat seem to work best with fibrous and citrus type fruit like apple, pear, mango, papaya, or grapefruit. I believe that for fruit salsas that are eaten with chips, crackers or pita bread, you can use berries, citrus and other fruits like apple and pear. These are not hard and fast rules but you have to consider that if you put watermelon on a taco, it might really make the tortilla soggy. Consider the specific  dish you are making and think about what fruits and flavors might pair nicely and go from there.

Another rule to fruit salsa is not really a rule for salsa but a rule for any dish…raid the fridge first. If you have green onions and some diced mango, you don’t need to go out for red onion. That’s the beauty of a fruit salsa, they are a best as a condiment or a compliment and an accent to dishes. If you are going to add a fruit salsa to a dessert, berries are a really good choice. Often times certain sweeteners are added like stevia. Personally I like using brown rice syrup or agave nectar. They have a lower glycemic index so they don’t raise blood sugar quickly.

For the mango salsa I had today, I needed something to add flavor to boring flaky cod. I was not only looking for flavor but texture and color as well. What a better choice than bright yellow diced mango. I marinated it in natural lemon and orange juice and added some other items I had on hand which were red cabbage, rainbow carrot and green onion.  Since I added juice as a marinade, I didn’t add any additional sweetener.  I think herbs like cilantro really accent salsas too. Another item you will sometimes find in fruit salsa depending on the region and time of year is avocado. Dice up the flesh and mix in for almost like a creamy element. It’s another great accented texture too.

If you wanted to take things a step further, you could add some fish to cure in the citrus juice salsa and after a period of time, you would have what we call Ceviche. Typically ceviche has a spicy element to it like hot peppers and chili sauce but you can make it mild or off the charts flaming if you choose.

I heard a story on the news last week about a British farmer in England who has grown the world’s hottest pepper. This pepper is so hot that one bite could kill you. I was thinking to myself what the point would be because I couldn’t imagine the pepper would be edible. That is the truth. It turns out that this pepper is actually going to be used as an anesthetic for people who may not have the means for traditional chemical methods.  The pepper creates a numbing sensation when it is rubbed on skin. So don’t make a ceviche out of the dragon’s breath pepper or any pepper called reaper. It is great, however how science and food can come together in a way such as this. (http://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/2017/05/19/uk-man-says-hes-grown-worlds-hottest-chili-pepper.html)

Enjoy!

I also want to say that my thoughts and prayers are with the city of Manchester, England  tonight. I’ve been praying for the city and its people much of the day today.

The images in this post are my own. This post does contain a few affiliate links which help sustain this blog and pay for groceries.