Blackened Fish Tostadas with Watermelon Salsa
Surprisingly refreshing and super easy to prepare, this recipe from the Dairy Good Cookbook (Andrews McMeel Publishing), will soon become a part of your favorite summertime meals. Since June is Dairy Month I wanted to celebrate with a tasty recipe that features a dairy product. The feta cheese added on top of the watermelon salsa in this dish is the dairy ingredient that adds a smooth, salty contrast to the sweet watermelon.
Just about any white-fleshed fish will work. I used tilapia, but you could just as easily use sole, cod, catfish or flounder. And as you probably know its so good to add fish at least once or twice a week for it’s high protein and low fat content. Salmon or trout with their higher fat content would also be excellent choices with this recipe and of course, the fat content of these fish is very good for our hearts.
Feta cheese is a frequent culinary partner to watermelon. It’s salty and firm which contrasts nicely with the sweet juiciness of the melon. You might also enjoy my Tomato and Watermelon Salad I posted a several years ago which calls for any soft white cheese like goat, mascarpone or ricotta cheeses.
Start with the watermelon salsa by combining diced watermelon cubes with chopped red onion, fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro. It’s that simple. Refrigerate this while you prepare the rest of the tostada.
Sprinkle a tablespoon of your favorite cajun spice blend on each side of fish fillets and then saute or grill the fish on both sides until cooked through. The assembly is simple: arrange shredded cabbage, chopped tomatoes and diced avocado on top of each tostada. then top with half of a fish fillet and about 1/4 cup of the watermelon salsa. Finish with a sprinkling of feta cheese. It’s so fresh, colorful and above all flavorful!
- Blackened Fish Tostadas with Watermelon Salsa
- 2 cups seedless watermelon, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
- 4 Tbsp cajun spice blend
- 4 (4-ounce) tilapia fillets
- 2 Tbsp canola oil
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 2 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled and cubed
- 8 corn tostadas
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- For the Salsa: Gently toss the watermelon, onion, lime juice and cilantro together in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving, up to 1 hour.
- For the Fish: Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the cajun spice blend evenly on both sides of each fillet. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add two fillets and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until cooked through. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining two fillets.
- For the Tostadas: Divide the cabbage, tomatoes and avocados among the eight tostadas. Top each tostada with half a fish fillet and about 1/4 cup of the watermelon salsa. Sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon of the feta cheese and serve immediately.
You might also enjoy:
Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Lime Coconut Cream Sauce
Baja Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa
