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Blackened Tilapia w/ Quinoa, Lettuce & Avocado Dip

Salad w/ Blackened Tilapia, Quinoa, & Avocado Dip

This blackened tilapia salad combines sweet potato, tomato, and lime quinoa with walnut avocado dip and cayenne, coriander, and smoked paprika tilapia. It's a quick and easy dish to toss together in a lazy afternoon as well as being a showstopper. The stunning tilapia is surprisingly easy to make, but packs a punch of flavor that is sure to impress.
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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

  • Skillet Preferably Cast Iron
  • Stovetop
  • Rice Cooker
  • Food Processor

Ingredients
  

Quinoa

  • 1 sweet potato diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 shallot minced
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • dash salt
  • dash pepper
  • dash cumin
  • dash coriander
  • 1 ½ c. quinoa
  • 3 c. water
  • 1 ½ tomatoes diced
  • 1/2 c. walnuts crushed

Avocado Dip

  • 3 avocados
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 3 limes juiced
  • 3/4 c. Greek yogurt
  • 1 c. walnuts
  • 2 tbsp. 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. quinoa
  • 1 filet tilapia fried
  • 1/4 c. lettuce chopped
  • 1/3 c. avocado dip
  • dash salt
  • dash pepper

Instructions
 

Cook Quinoa

  • Add all of the quinoa ingredients, except for the tomatoes and walnuts, into a rice cooker. I like to start with the larger vegetables and then add the smaller ingredients. Top with the spices and citrus juice. And then add the quinoa and water.
    This cooks the larger vegetables on the bottom, while dispersing the flavor profiles in the middle. Although with some mixing, this really doesn't matter all that much. Everything will eventually cook together!
  • Press the cook button on the rice cooker. It should take about 45 minutes to cook.
  • When the quinoa is fully cooked, let sit for 10 minutes, add the tomatoes and walnuts, and then fluff with a wooden spoon and serve.
    Do not use a fork or other metal utensil. It will scratch off the nonstick surface on the rice cooker. This will leach teflon into your food and cause future dishes to stick to the bottom.

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 quinoa in the center of a plate.
    This is a great recipe to make the components of ahead of time. Everything keeps well for a couple of days and can be assembled later on. If you've prepared it ahead of time, reheat. the quinoa in a skillet over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes and then flip. Cook on the other side for another 2-3 minutes, or until heated throughout.
  • Add filet of tilapia and top with avocado dip, shredded lettuce, and a dash of salt and pepper.
  • Serve immediately.

Tips, Tricks, & Notes