June Improv Challenge: Fish and Avocado

As a young girl I'd go fishing often with my daddy. He's pictured here with his three grandsons.

We'd catch rainbow trout, gar, and catfish mostly. Catfish however, was always my favorite. So when we were given this month's  ingredients of fish and avocado for the Improv Cooking Challenge I decided to make a blackened catfish and pair it with an avocado lime salsa.

This is the blackening spice mixture  I used. It is my absolute favorite, the smoked paprika is the star ingredient in my humble opinion. I ALWAYS make sure to have it on hand. You can find the recipe for it HERE.

Generously coat your catfish fillets with  the blackening spice. I tend to be a little heavy handed, but a couple teaspoons blackening spice per fillet should be enough.

Coated and ready to fry. Don't they look Purdy? Now cook them low and slow. About ten minutes each side is all they need. Just enough time to whip up the avocado lime salsa.

Just a few simple ingredients are all you'll need for the avocado salsa. Thanks to my son the "Chef" for giving me some tips on the salsa and for allowing me to "tweak" his recipe a bit. 

~Avocado Salsa~

1 avocado

1/4 cup red onion chopped

Juice from 2 key limes

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

Salt to taste

1 seeded and finely chopped Serrano Pepper (I omitted the pepper, because there was already enough heat and flavor from the blackening spice)

~~~~~~~~~

Scoop out the avocado and mash it up. I used my molcajete; but a potato masher or plain old fork will get the job done too.

Add the lime juice and salt to taste. Mix in the cilantro and red onion and your salsa is ready for that yummy blackened fish that is making the whole house smell like heaven. Plate it up...

...and watch it disappear.

Check out the other tasty dishes from this month's Improv Cooking Challenge.

An InLinkz Link-up

Spice It Up!!!

Here in Cammie's Kitchen we use a lot of spice. And when I say a lot, I mean A LOT. Like we should probably own stock in the spice industry a lot. Yeah we love our spice. 

One of our favorite ways to "spice it up" is with a spice combo for blackening chicken or fish. I found a recipe that I absolutely love and just have to have on hand All. The. Time. I think it's the smoked papricka that puts it over the top. You could follow the recipe and make a single use portion, but it's so easy to make bunch to keep on hand; so go ahead and do it. You can thank me later. 

The Best Blackening Spice

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (cut in half if you prefer less spicy)
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients together and store in a cool, dry place. Will stay fresh for three months if sealed well.
2. To use: coat whatever meat or fish you’re using with extra-virgin olive oil, just enough to coat, then coat liberally with spice mix. Grill, broil, roast or saute as desired.
   

http://www.thewickednoodle.com/blackening-spice/