Grilled Tilapia, Avocado-Orange Salad, Lime Vinaigrette

My condo HOA has finally used our money for something besides the lame "exercise" pool and repaving the parking lot...they bought us two huge fancy grills for us to use! I've never owned a grill besides the tiny propane one I take camping, but I love the flavor of grilled foods, so I'm eager to learn this skill. I made my first attempt last night with tilapia!

REVIEW: This was super easy, which worked for me since I wanted to start simple. The only problem I had was the tilapia sticking to the aluminum foil, which my helpful co-worker said can be solved by buying one of these. I thought the lime vinaigrette had good flavor, but it called for a whole cup of EVOO...isn't vinaigrette supposed to be light? I didn't use that much and used more lime juice but it still seemed heavy to me. The salad was a good side for the fish, and I added couscous to round out the meal.

RECIPE:

fish:

3-4 tilapia fillets

olive oil

1 tsp red pepper flakes

salt & pepper

avocado-orange salad:

1 14oz can mandarin oranges, drained

4 cups baby spinach

2 ripe avocados, pitted and sliced

1/4 cup crumbled feta or blue cheese

lime vinaigrette:

1 tsp lime zest

1 1/2 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp orange juice

1 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Combine lime vinaigrette ingredients into leak-proof container and shake well, then refrigerate. Season the tilapia filets with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, then drizzle with olive oil. Heat grill to medium-high heat and cook filets 4-5 minutes on each side. Really watch it (i.e. don't go play a round of flip cup after you throw them on) so you don't over cook this delicate fish! Combine the salad ingredients and toss with lime vinaigrette. Serve each filet with a generous side of salad and drizzle with more vinaigrette.