Grilled Salmon w/ Mango Avocado Salsa

When it comes to favorite summer condiments, salsa is top of the list. For many North Americans, salsa is almost considered a basic food group, and not just as a nutritious dipper for corn chips. Packed with garden-fresh fruits, herbs and vegetables that are easy to get your hands on, it’s as terrific a topping for chicken, beef, or seafood as it is a colorful add-in for pasta, rice and salad. Plus, it requires virtually no cooking, making it the perfect dish to throw together when summer heat and humidity make you feel like you’re melting.

The history of salsa sauce originated with the Inca people. Salsa, which has typically been a combination of chilies, tomatoes and other spices, can be traced to the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas. In recent years, the use of different fruits combined with vegetables makes for a spicy fruit salsa.

Modern North American cooking has become a fusion of traditions, flavors and dishes from virtually every part of the globe. The tradition of eating tomato-based salsa was likely regional until the practice of eating Mexican food spread throughout the continent. Exactly how mango salsa reached North America isn’t really known, but it was likely brought from the Caribbean by travelers. Modern North American salsas are still primarily tomato based, but many people appreciate the sweet, salty, sour and spicy combinations of flavors in a well-balanced mango salsa.

Versatility and adaptability are salsa’s biggest selling point. Chunky or finely diced, spicy or mild, crafted with fruit or vegetables, and sometimes both, salsa is unlimited with possibility.

The salsa that Brion & I are having with our salmon today is an interesting mix of avocado, mango, grape tomatoes & red onion marinated in lime juice. Should be good!

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Grilled Salmon w/ Mango Avocado Salsa
Instructions
Salmon
  1. In a small bowl, mix melted butter & all other salmon ingredients. Rub the spice mix all over salmon in foil ( mainly on the no-skin side but getting a little on the other side as well). Leave at room temperature while the grill heats up. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
Salsa
  1. In a bowl, combine salsa ingredients & refrigerate until salmon is ready.
Grilling
  1. Grill the salmon wrapped in foil for about 15 minutes or to your liking. Salmon should flake easily & not be overcooked.
  2. Serve hot on a bed of rice with the mango salsa on top.

Zesty Chicken Wraps

People in Mexico, the Mediterranean, and South Asia  have been eating wraps since around the 1900’s. The wrap in its Western form probably comes from California, as a generalization of the Mexican/Tex-Mex burrito and became popular in the 1990’s.

Wraps have become a popular option in sandwich shops and restaurants, and for good reason. Like all sandwiches, wraps are an outlet for culinary creativity. A wrap can be anything you want it to be – breakfast, lunch, dinner, even a snack!

Wraps offer the same flexibility and creative options as a sandwich, but in a more convenient format all rolled up in a tasty tortilla or flatbread. The usual flatbreads are wheat tortillas, lavash or pita; the filling may include cold sliced meat, poultry, or fish, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, guacamole, sautéed mushrooms, bacon, grilled onions, cheese, and a sauce, such as Ranch dressing or honey mustard.

They are the perfect on-the-go meal. Most wraps can be eaten one-handed, leaving the rest of you free to continue about your day. They’re the perfect meal solution for a busy schedule.

It is remarkably easy to create your own personalized wrap: choose a bread, pick your condiments, layer your fillings, decide whether you want to grill it or not and enjoy. Does it get any better than that!

I have to admit, I absolutely love wraps so I like to fit them in to our meals whenever I can. These zesty chicken wraps are so good !

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Zesty Chicken Wraps
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Lunch
Cuisine Mexican
Servings
Course Lunch
Cuisine Mexican
Servings
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Chicken
  1. In a large bowl, combine 2 Tbsp oil, lemon juice & seasonings; add chicken & turn to coat. Cover & refrigerate for 1-4 hours.
Filling
  1. In a heavy skillet, heat 2 Tbsp oil & sauté zucchini & onions until tender crisp. Remove & keep warm. Drain marinade from chicken & cook in the same skillet until no longer pink, about 5-6 minutes. Return zucchini/onion to pan, heat through.
Assembly
  1. Lightly spread 4 tortillas with a bit of guacamole or sour cream. Spoon filling down the center of tortillas. Add toppings saving a good bit of the cheese for sprinkling over them after they are rolled.
  2. Roll up & place on a microwave safe dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese & microwave only until cheese is melted. Top with sliced green onions & tiny grape tomatoes. Serve extra toppings on the side if you like.