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Salad w/ Blackened Tilapia, Avocado, & Vermicelli

Salad w/ Blackened Tilapia, Avocado, & Vermicelli

This Blackened Tilapia Salad consists of bell pepper, carrot, onion, garlic, tahini, tamari, peanut butter, vermicelli, scallion, and avocado.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course, Salad
Cuisine American, Mediterranean
Servings 1 serving

Equipment

  • Large Pot
  • Skillet Preferably Cast Iron
  • Stovetop

Ingredients
  

Vermicelli

  • 100 g. vermicelli
  • 3 carrots diced
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1/4 yellow onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tbsp. tamari
  • 3 tbsp. rice vinegar
  • 3 tbsp. peanut butter
  • 2 scallions

Avocado Dip

  • 6 avocados
  • 3 serranos
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 6 limes juiced
  • 2 c. walnuts
  • 1/4 c. olive oil
  • dash salt
  • dash pepper

Blackened Tilapia

  • 1 filet tilapia
  • 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp. coriander
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • dash salt
  • dash pepper

Tilapia Salad

  • 1/3 c. vermicelli salad
  • 1 filet tilapia fried
  • 1/3 c. avocado dip
  • dash salt
  • dash pepper

Instructions
 

Vermicelli

  • Add about 4 inches of water to a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook vermicelli according to the manufacturer's instructions.
    Vermicelli cooks very quickly. I tend to add the vermicelli and then immediately remove it from heat. Then, go on to prepare the produce. Merely sitting in the once boiling water is sufficient enough soften it enough to eat without overcooking.

Avocado Dip

  • Add all of the avocado dip ingredients to a food processor. Process for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides occasionally.

Blacken Tilapia

  • Let the tilapia rest until it reaches room temperature.I usually let it sit while the skillet preheats. However, for particularly large fillet's, you may need to remove the tilapia from the fridge a little while before you preheat the skillet. Exactly how long varies widely based on room temperature. Although 15-30 minutes is usually sufficient.
  • Preheat skillet on medium heat.
    I use a cast iron pan, but the same basic principle applies in any skillet. If you aren't using cast iron, just make sure to lightly oil the pan to prevent sticking.
  • Mix the spices together in a small dish or bowl.
  • Sprinkle spice mix evenly over the tilapia. You can also lay them out across a plate and roll the tilapia in it. The goal is simply to evenly coat the fish with a thin layer of spices. As long as the flesh doesn't directly touch the skillet, you have enough seasoning.
  • Add tilapia, one or two fillets at a time, to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the spices have begun to blacken and the tilapia begins to firm.
  • Flip the tilapia and cook another 2-3 minutes, or until the spices have begun to blacken and the tilapia flakes with a fork.
    If you have any question about whether your tilapia is cooked, official recommendations are to cook until an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. At this point the tilapia, much like a salmon, will begin to fall apart at the fat junctions and "flake" off of a fork. When you've done it enough times, you start to notice this particular type of firmness when the pieces ever-so-slightly begin to separate.

Assemble Salad

  • Place vermicelli in the center of a plate.
  • Add filet of tilapia and top with avocado dip, and a dash of salt and pepper.
  • Serve immediately.

Tips, Tricks, & Notes