Cod and other white fish are the perfect summer staples to keep in your freezer. They are a rich source of lean protein, cook quickly, and can be incorporated into a wide variety of dishes. In this cod recipe, I’m topping the fish with a mouthwatering strawberry kiwi mango salsa. Be sure to grab this taste of summer while fresh strawberries are still in season!
I dreamed up the idea for a strawberry kiwi mango salsa when I was on my fruit salsa kick last autumn. By the way, if you’ve never tried topping your chicken, pork, or fish with fruit salsa, I highly recommend it. The combinations that you can create are out of this world!
If you missed out on all of the deliciousness, here are a few of my favorite fruit salsa posts:
- Sweet and Spicy Cherry Peach Salsa
- Award-Winning Peach and Pineapple Salsa
- Pear Cranberry Salsa with Ginger and Orange
By the time I posted the pear cranberry salsa, local berries were no longer in season. I knew it would be better to wait until the following summer to try a strawberry kiwi mango salsa.
This was going to be a simple recipe where each ingredient would get a chance to shine. Obtaining the freshest strawberries possible would be important to get the best (i.e., most delicious) results.
I made a note to myself to give the strawberry kiwi mango salsa a whirl in June. Well, we’re finally here, and let me tell you that this is worth the wait.
Don’t settle for those winter strawberries that are completely white in the middle. They are not what you want to use here. You need ripe, juicy strawberries that were grown locally to you for this one. Trust me!
Nope, it’s not really a fruit salad!
When I served this cod recipe up, one of my family members remarked that this looks like a fruit salad. I agree that it does, but the jalapeno adds some heat to the sweet fruits. If you are expecting an entirely sweet condiment, the hot pepper and squeeze of tart citrus will provide a surprise!
This recipe makes an extremely generous portion of fruit salsa per serving. That’s a good thing though because it is excellent on both the cod and on the brown rice.
If you are a novice cook, this cod recipe is a great one for you. If your fish breaks apart in the pan, it doesn’t matter because it will be covered with salsa when plated.
(I may only be mentioning this because my fish fillets broke into pieces while cooking. Haha)
Since the fruit salsa (obviously) provides fruit, adding a glass of milk will mean all of your food groups are covered. Like many people, I often skip fruit at dinner because it doesn’t fit well into the meal. This cod recipe makes it easy to get some fruit in there!
That said, you don’t necessarily need to try and fit all five food groups into each and every meal. I often have fruit and yogurt for snacks. This helps fill some of the gaps in my diet that may not be covered by my meals.
I have one more thing to mention before I get to the recipe. If you don’t care for the combination of strawberry, kiwi, and mango, use the fruits that you like instead! Just about any fruit can be made into a delicious salsa that can be a fabulous enhancement to your meals.
And now for the disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The calorie information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don’t sweat the numbers too much.
For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to this post. Let’s get cooking!
Cod Recipe (Served with Strawberry Kiwi Mango Salsa)
Ingredients
For the strawberry kiwi mango salsa:
- 2 c diced strawberries
- 1 medium peeled and chopped Champagne mango
- 2 medium kiwi, peeled and diced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped (can substitute Fresno pepper)
- 2 T orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 t orange zest
For the meal:
- 1 lb cod, approximately 1" thick piece (or other white fish)
- 1 c brown rice, dry
- 3 lbs zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
- 4 T avocado oil, divided (or other oil of choice)
- ¼ c cilantro, finely chopped (for garnish)
- smoked salt, to taste
Instructions
- Cook your brown rice on the stovetop according to package directions. It will take approximately 45 minutes, so let it cook while you work on the rest of the dish.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Put your zucchini in a large metal baking pan and drizzle with 3 T of the oil. Sprinkle with the smoked salt.
- Roast the zucchini in the oven for 40 minutes, flipping and stirring halfway through. Work on the rest of the dish while the zucchini cooks.
- Mix all of the "for the strawberry kiwi mango salsa" ingredients together in a large bowl. The salsa looks best if you cut the fruits into small, uniform pieces. Let the flavors of the salsa meld in the refrigerator while you cook the fish.
- Heat the last 1 T of your oil in a cast-iron pan over medium-low heat. Add the cod and cook for 5 minutes. Flip it and cook for a few more minutes, until the fish turns opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Don't worry if your fish breaks into pieces; it will be covered up by the fruit salsa!
- To serve: Divide the cooked rice and roasted zucchini evenly between four serving plates. Partially top the rice on each plate with ¼ of the cod. Top the fish with ¼ of the strawberry mango kiwi salsa. Garnish with the cilantro.
Notes
This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). Meals like this one provide an excellent example of a way to create a high-volume, low-calorie meal with lean protein. The substantial portions of zucchini and fruit salsa mean you get a lot of food for very few calories. If you are a volume eater like I am, I highly recommend filling your plate with an abundance of fruits and non-starchy veggies (cooked in minimal oil). This practice will help you to feel full and aids in adding phytonutrients, fiber, vitamins, and minerals to your diet. All of the colors on your plate from plant foods look beautiful too! Even if you are not a professional chef, you can assemble lovely looking meals when you use a rainbow of fruits and veggies. For a higher calorie meal, I’d cut back on the zucchini and double up on the brown rice. It’s not too difficult to adjust meals to meet the energy needs of your different family members. There’s usually no need to cook each person a separate meal! (Though as with everything in nutrition, exceptions do exist to the rule. For example, a person with severe allergies or who is strictly following a medical nutrition therapy may need a different meal.)
Nutrition
If you are looking for sustainable seafood options when shopping, don’t miss the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch List. They are a great resource if you’d like to learn more about environmentally-friendly seafood choices.
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Do you like fruit salsa? If so, what are some of your favorite fruit combinations to use?
As always, please drop me a comment and rating if you try this cod recipe! I’d love to hear how it went.
The vibrant colors hint at the explosion of flavors even the fruit really can't contain. All the more so, Summer, as you waited for just the perfect moment, peak season and all, to highlight their excellence.
In fact, much as I love seafood, I'd be tempted to luxuriate merely in your intensely refreshing medley, providing as it does a ticket from the swelter. As you know, we in the Northeast have endured a string of sib-par summers of late, but not this year.
No, not this year. Bring on your magical concoction!
Ah, so glad you liked it! I was considering entering this one in a salsa contest in the fall. I think the main thing standing in my way is that I may not be able to get the perfectly ripe strawberries by then.
I remember that the judge tastes the salsas alone, without any chips or other accoutrements/accompaniments. If this is the one I end up entering, I hope that they decide it works by itself as well!
Good luck, Summer! If those judges are half as impressed as I am, you're bringing home a trophy for sure.
As you mention, though, the key ingredient is a puzzle. Sure, strawberries are available in autumn, but they insult both the berry and the taster. Try growing your own? Majorly cool, but even "everbearings" have dropped out by early August.
C'mon, Summer, we're two foodies! Between the two of us, we should be able to find a solution. Seriously, we need to be Americans, not American'ts!
American'ts, eh? Hahaha I happen to have Alpine strawberries growing on a large portion of our property in place of the lawn. I don't tend to them and it appears the weather this year was too dry for them to thrive on their own. Even if they did well, you're right, they'd be ready far before I needed them. Oh well.
What I could do is try taking some of those out-of-season berries and cutting away much of the white core. It would be a trick to the eyes- the berries would look more like the fully red in-season ones. I have a feeling they wouldn't quite measure up taste-wise. Still, if I really want to use the recipe for the autumn contest, it might have to do!