Sweet and Spicy Swai Fillets with Citrus Salsa Recipe
I just discovered a new-to-me variety of fish. Swai. Are you familiar with it? Swai is a very mild, meaty white fish that is farm raised primarily in Asia and is very reasonably priced. It is the perfect choice for Sweet and Spicy Swai Fillets with Citrus Salsa.
As I have mentioned many times in the past, I don't make fish at home enough. I am so happy to find a fish variety that we like and that won't break the budget!
What is Swai? Similar to tilapia, but much more mild, with the texture and shape of catfish. Delicious. I don't know if it's available fresh, but I have seen it frozen in many markets. I bought the frozen fillets I used in this recipe from Target-Simply Balanced brand. A bag of 24 oz. of fillets cost me around $7.00. They are individually wrapped, so they are quick and easy to defrost in a pan of cool water. There are 5 to 6 fillets per bag. They are boneless and skinless. A 4 oz. serving of Swai is 100 calories, 2g total fat, 0g carbs, 21g protein, and 0g fiber. The best part? NO FISHY SMELL...none what-so-ever!!
When I received my assignments for Allrecipes Allstars this month, it involved fish, specifically salmon. When I priced salmon at the store, I had major sticker shock. With the never-ending winter from Hell we have had this year and my most recent gas bill, I knew salmon was not in the budget and I would be subbing another kind of fish. I settled on Swai.
The recipes I was asked to review are sponsored by Mazola® Corn Oil on Allrecipes.com. ( I was sent a bottle of Mazola® Corn Oil in exchange for this honest review. All opinions expressed are mine. The original recipe for this dish, and others using Mazola® Corn Oil, can be found HERE.)
I'll be honest, while we loved the rub on the fish and I loved the easy preparation and cooking method, we weren't crazy about the grapefruit called for in the salsa. If you a fan of grapefruit, you may like it, but next time I make this dish (and there will be a next time because it's so healthy and easy) I will replace the grapefruit with mandarin oranges. You will still get a nice citrus "pop" from the salsa, but without the bitterness which can be often found in grapefruit. There also seems to be a conflict for many people with their medications and grapefruit consumption. Go with mandarin oranges instead.
This is a great, heart healthy recipe for Lent, or anytime of the year when you want to enjoy seafood. Learn more about Mazola® Corn Oil and a heart healthy lifestyle HERE.
Sweet and Spicy Swai with Citrus Salsa
By Renee's Kitchen Adventures
Published 03/05/2014
Ingredients
- 1 tsp. paprika (I used smoked)
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. dried leaf thyme
- 1/4 fresh ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (or to your liking)
- 1 tsp. firmly packed brown sugar
- 4-4oz. Swai fillets, defrosted if frozen
- 2 tsp. Mazola® Corn Oil
- 1 cup grapefruit sections, coarsely chopped OR 1-11oz. can of mandarin oranges, drained and coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped green onion
- 1/4 cup chopped red pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed, finely diced
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
In small bowl, combine the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, thyme, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and brown sugar.
Coat the Swai fillets with the Mazola® corn oil. Evenly sprinkle all surfaces of the fish with the spice rub. Place in shallow baking pan with sides.
Bake for 10 -12 minutes, or until fish flakes easily. (adjust bake time if using bigger fillets)
While fish is baking, prepare the salsa by combining the grapefruit or mandarin oranges, green onion, red pepper, cilantro, and jalapeno pepper in a small bowl.
Serve salsa on top of or on the side of the Swai.
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 00:10
Cook time: 11:12
Tags: seafood, fish, Swai, citrus, meatless, Lent, easy, weightwatchersfriendlyrecipe
Servings - 4 Serving size - 4 oz. Swai fillet with 1/4 of salsa PP per serving - 4P+
Calories - 140.6, Total Fat - 4.3g, Carb. - 12.5g, Protein - 15.5g, Fiber - 0.9g
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Weekend Potluck @ The Country Cook