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Strawberry-Tomato Salsa On Grilled Halibut and 3 Fun Side Dishes

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I always seem to get carried away at my Farmer’s Market. It all looks so good, especially this time of year, and I end up buying way more than I can eat in a week…or even two. So what was I thinking when I bought a beautiful 3-pack of “organic” strawberries when I’m growing them at home!!!
 
I didn’t stop there. I bought a huge piece of halibut because it looked so good. Luckily for me, my friend Denny called around 5 o’clock wondering if I wanted to go to the movies with him and Elyse. I passed on the movie and invited them for a last minute dinner with my Farmer’s Market haul. My favorite kind of meal–good friends, no plans, no planning, just what I decide to throw together at the last minute.
 
Seriously, I spoke to him at 5 and by the time they arrived at 6 I had all the side dishes ready to go.

Here’s what I put in the salsa. It was so simple. I had them taste when they got here and after adding a little more salt it was ready. (I took this photo before I made it and ended up using just the green onion, not the red).

 
INGREDIENTS FOR STRAWBERRY TOMATO SALSA
  • Strawberries, cut into pieces
  • Tomatoes, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 small handful cilantro, chopped
  • 1 Lime
  • 1 Jalapeno, chopped
  • 2 Green Onions, all of it, chopped
  • S & P to taste
Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and chill until ready to serve.

Side dish #1 Cucumber red onion salad.

I used my mandoline to slice both the red onion and the cucumber. Sprinkle with seasoned rice vinegar and just a drop of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Side dish #2–grilled zucchini with lemon and Parmesan cheese. I’m now harvesting more zucchini than I can eat and I’m trying to come up with new ways to cook them. I really liked this version. Just slice length-wise drizzle a little olive oil and season with Emeril original seasoning.

Place on a hot grill and cook until tender-firm, about 10 minutes. Turn occasionally. 
 
Side dish #3–grilled asparagus with lemon. I did the same with the asparagus. Just drizzle with oil and Emeril seasoning. It cooks a bit faster, about 5 minutes.
Remove zucchini when done and immediately squeeze lemon and grate fresh Parmesan cheese on top. It’s really good this way. 
I’m big on lemons this year–I squeeze them on everything–including the asparagus!

Now it’s time for the halibut.

Mix a little mayonnaise with sriracha or your favorite hot sauce. Lather on the halibut. This will keep it from sticking to the grill. 

Make sure your grill is very clean and very hot. You can even use a paper towel to rub the grates with a little olive oil–again to prevent sticking.

Cook fish for about 4 minutes a side, depending on the thickness. 

Now a confession…I didn’t pay attention to my own rules and my fish stuck a bit so I don’t have a pretty photo…but…no problem. That’s where the strawberry-tomato salsa comes to the rescue. 

Just cover your fish with the salsa if you have this problem and no one will know. 

See how good it looks. And you’d never know there was a sticking mishap.

Dinner’s almost ready. Set the table, pour the wine….

…and enjoy a really simple, easy and healthy meal. 

Remember, read it first at StuNews.

I have a lot of new friends and readers to welcome from all over the world. I realize how small our planet is when people so far away read my blog. Here’s a big Laguna Beach welcome to my newest readers in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Guatemala and Mongolia. Thanks for all your kind words!


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