Coconut-Crusted Tilapia with Pomegranate Salsa
Serves 4
Adapted from How Sweet Eats
⅓ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 small or medium tomato, diced (or ~10 cherry tomatoes, finely diced (cut into eighths or smaller))
½ red onion, finely diced
½ cup pomegranate arils
½ cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
Juice of ½ lime
Juice of ½ orange
¼ teaspoon salt
1 pound tilapia filet (or 4x 4oz filets)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons coconut oil
Start by toasting the coconut. Add the shredded coconut to a saucepan and put it on the stove over low-medium heat. Cook until the coconut starts to turn golden brown, about 4-5 minutes, and stir occasionally, using a wooden spoon. Be aware that the coconut can go from golden brown to dark brown quickly, so make sure you don’t leave it on the stove for too long.
To make the salsa, add to a medium bowl the tomatoes, red onions, pomegranate arils, cilantro, lime, orange, and salt. Mix everything together until well incorporated.
Season the tilapia, on both sides, with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Heat a skillet over medium heat and, as the skillet is heating up, add the coconut oil. Once the coconut oil has melted, add the tilapia and cook until the edges are opaque, about 3-4 minutes.
Flip the fish and add half of the toasted coconut shreds to the upturned side of the fish. Cook until the fish is cooked through and is easily flaked with a fork, about 2-3 more minutes.
Remove the fish from the skillet and top with the remaining toasted coconut shreds to the fish.
When ready to eat, top the fish with the pomegranate salsa. If you’d like a side, a delicious option are baked purple sweet potatoes and you can find the recipe here: Roasted Purple Sweet Potatoes.
Enjoy!
