Grilled Mahi Mahi with Strawberry Pineapple Salsa

At least twice a week, we enjoy eating fish for dinner with the usual choices being, salmon, char or plaice. These fish varieties are easily available, heart healthy and sustainable choices. However, I do appreciate having some variety and like to switch up my routine. On those occasions I enjoy fish like Mahi Mahi, especially grilled Mahi Mahi.
Once I got over the confusion from its name, dolphinfish, I lost any queasiness about eating it. Rest assured, Mahi Mahi is a fish and not related to Dolphins the mammal. They are fast swimming migratory fish found around the world’s tropical, temperate, and subtropical oceans.
Seafood Watch recommendations for Mahi Mahi
Salsa for Grilled Mahi Mahi
Like many fish dinners, Mahi Mahi is easy to prepare, and does not take a lot of extra work to flavor it up. Because this recipe is paired with a fruit salsa, I kept the seasoning on the fish on the light side. Fruit salsa compliments the flavor of Mahi Mahi well and makes a light meal to enjoy during these hot summer evenings.
Pineapple is a reliable fruit choice for salsa, yet strawberries add a nice contrast with its bright berry flavor and vivid color. Unfortunately, fruit salsas should not be made in advance, but give yourself an outside work space near the grill and make it while you heat up the grill and cook the fish.
Surprisingly, even local farm fresh strawberries benefit from some extra sweetness and pineapple compliments the strawberries with the extra sweet kiss they need. So does adding some heat in the form of fresh chili pepper like jalapeño. Any fresh green chili pepper will work in the salsa, even poblano chilies if you want the salsa on the mild side.
One ingredient I think works well in the salsa is pickled red onion. The salsa needs a pop of acid and pickled vegetables supplies that perky note without the acid breaking down the strawberries and turning them to mush. You don’t need much, just a tablespoon of chopped pickled vegetable like pickled red onion or pepperoncini.
Switch it Up
This recipe is for grilled Mahi Mahi, but can easily adapt for stove top grilling, or baked in the oven.
If you cannot find Mahi Mahi, substitute it with grouper, trout, halibut, striped bass, or arctic char.
Use Grilled Mahi Mahi for Fish Tacos.
Originally, I wanted to make a strawberry avocado salsa, but my fresh local strawberries turned the avocado and the minced fruit into one big red mushy mess. However, if you still want avocado in the salsa, add it right before serving the grilled Mahi Mahi, or in slices on the side. You will be surprised how well avocado tastes with strawberries and it adds a nice creamy texture as well.

Grilled Mahi Mahi with Strawberry Salsa
Mahi Mahi is a delicious fish and perfect for cooking on the grill. Topped with fruit salsa made with pineapple and strawberries adds just the right amount of sweetness and spice for bright and flavorful meal. Feel free to adjust the ingredients in the salsa to suit your flavor preferences. If you do not want a spicy salsa, use poblano pepper instead of the jalapeño.
I like adding pickled onion to give the fruit some punch. Click on the link for my pickled onion recipe. Or, add just a small splash of red vinegar, or pickled jalapeño, or other pickled pepper.
The salsa recipe makes just over 2 cups (500 ml) and will supply more than what you need for 2-3 servings of grilled Mahi Mahi.
Makes 3- 5 oz (148 g) servings of grilled Mahi Mahi.
Ingredients
Mahi Mahi
- 1 lb Mahi Mahi filet
- Kosher Salt
- Herbs de Provence
- Sweet paprika
- 1/2 TB Canola oil
Salsa
- 6 oz /175 g Pineapple about 1 cup chopped
- 5 -6 oz / 190 g strawberries about 11 medium strawberries
- ½ Kirby cucumber (about 2 ¾ oz / 80 g)
- ½ -1 jalapeño pepper 38 g / 1 oz
- 2 green onions minced (white and light parts only)
- 1 TB pickled onions, finely chopped optional
- Small pinch of Kosher salt less than a 1/4 teaspoon
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 3 g basil leaves about 4-6 leaves depending on size
- 6 small mint leaves
- Squeeze of lemon juice from a quarter of a lemon optional
- ½ avocado optional
Instructions
Prepare the grill
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Prepare your grill according to manufactures directions.
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While the coals are getting hot, sprinkle Kosher salt over both sides of the fish filet. Sprinkle the herbs de Provence and sweet paprika over the top of the filet in a light but even layer. Lightly coat the filet with canola oil and set in the refrigerator.
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When the coals and the grate in the grill are hot, oil the grill. Set the filet top side down on the grate. Cook for 5 minutes, then turn over and cook the other side for an additional 5 minutes. The fish is done when you touch the filet it springs back and with little resistance. Remove from the grill and add fresh black pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Garnish with the strawberry salsa.
Strawberry Salsa
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Make the salsa while the grill is heating up and when the fish is grilling. Cut up the pineapple into small bite size pieces less than an ½ inch (1 cm) in size. Add to a small bowl.
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Remove the stems and slice the strawberries in half and remove the core. Slice each half in thirds or quarters depending on size of strawberry. Add to the bowl with the pineapple.
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Cut the Kirby cucumber in half. Slice one half lengthwise in half and remove the seeds. Chop the cucumber into pieces similar in size to the pineapple and strawberries. Add to the bowl with the fruit.
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Depending on how much heat you want in your salsa, use a half of jalapeño pepper or a whole one. Slice the jalapeño in half and remove the stem, seeds and white pith. Leave some of the pith if you want it spicier. Mince the jalapeño and add to the fruit.
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Chop up the pickled onion, if using, and add to the bowl with the fruit. Add the minced green onions.
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Sprinkle the small pinch, less than a ¼ tsp, of Kosher salt over the prepared fruit and give a few grinds of black pepper over the fruit. Chiffonade the basil and cut up the mint leaves then add to the fruit. Mix everything together. Set aside.
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If you want to add avocado chop it into bite size pieces and add to the salsa just before serving.
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Add a squeeze of lemon juice just before serving. Best eaten immediately.
© 2018, Ginger Smith- Lemon Thyme and Ginger. All rights reserved.
Pesto Shrimp Pizza with Asparagus Ribbons

We are a family of shrimp and pizza lovers and came up with a great way to combine the two, shrimp pizza. Shrimp is an unexpected pizza topping but it works, especially paired with basil pesto and thinly sliced asparagus. Additionally, this pizza recipe was a great way to sneak in some extra vegetables into my vegetable leery children.
Pizza night started as a family tradition when my husband began baking bread and learning about making sour dough starter. It was his weekend night thing to do with our sons. His pizzas spoiled us forever for once you taste good quality homemade pizza dough and pizza it is hard to go back to the usual.
Even though Joe is still baking bread with a starter, we took a break from making pizza on a weekly basis because it is just the two of us living at home. However. I want to change that because homemade pizza not only tastes incredible, but it is fun to do. I find whenever we make pizza for a crowd, our guests, either friends or family, love pitching in or watching the pizzas being made. Everyone hangs out in the kitchen and it is just one big happy, loving mess.
Pizza Dough for Shrimp Pizza
I do not have a dough recipe prepared for my shrimp pizza. I am still developing my pizza dough recipe and testing others to find an easy recipe with a little sour flavor and gets nice and crispy. Plus, my husband’s recipe is in the family archives and needs extra time to re-develop.
If you want to try your hand at making pizza try, Jim Lahey’s No Knead Pizza Dough. Although you need to make this at least a day in advance, it is relatively easy to make. I tested this recipe a couple of times and found it reliable, light crust with some crisp crunch. It shapes nicely and cooks up evenly.
Fortunately, it is easy to purchase pizza dough either at your favorite grocery store or a local pizza parlor. Some pizza parlors sell their pizza dough, so it is worth asking. We have a local family market that makes pizza and sells fresh pizza dough which is great for last minute homemade pizza cravings.
Special Equipment for Making Shrimp Pizza or any Pizza
If you are going to start making pizza, even if you use store-bought pizza dough, there are a couple of pieces of equipment that make pizza making easier. First, if you can only buy one item, I recommend buying a pizza peel. With a peel in hand, sliding a freshly prepared pizza onto a pizza stone or pizza steel is a breeze. Without one, you need a baking sheet, like a large cookie sheet or rimmed sheet pan and prepare the pizza directly on the pan.
Also, get a long-handled and wide spatula, like ones used for outdoor grilling. They help to safely slide the pizza around in the oven and onto the pizza peel. We have two spatulas, one being so old we can’t bear to throw it away. It is the perfect size and shape for bread and pizza baking, so we tape it up with aluminum tape to secure it. It still works, and we have yet to find a good replacement. Unfortunately, they just don’t make this shape and size any more.
Bench scrapers are nice to divide the dough in half, or scrape the dough out of the bowl, but they are not necessary.
However, if you want to get serious about making pizza, investing in a baking stone or baking steel is worth it. I also use mine when I bake pies, tarts and galettes. If they are too expensive, place a rimmed baking sheet pan upside down in the oven when you are preheating it. The surface will get very hot and do a similar job as the baking stone or steel does. Place a baking pan with the pizza on top of the upside down sheet pan, the large hot surface area helps crisp up your pizza crust and even browning on the bottom crust.
Pesto Shrimp Pizza
To make Pesto Shrimp Pizza, use my basil pesto recipe and smear a few table spoons of pesto over the surface of the pizza. You can make the pesto with or without the cheese as both options taste great.
I lightly season the peeled shrimp with Kosher salt, ground garlic and red pepper flakes. Because there is no acid added to the shrimp, the shrimp can marinate in the seasoning without getting mealy and starting to cook. I prefer granulated garlic because minced fresh garlic easily burns when cooked under such hot temperatures. Burnt garlic gets very bitter and I do not want that flavor dominating the pesto and the shrimp.
Honesty, the most difficult thing to do is slice the asparagus spears into thin strips. Feel free to cut them any way you prefer. I like my pizza vegetables to easily bite into without pulling off half the toppings or the whole thing at once. With the asparagus sliced thin they cook up quickly and are easy to bite into. You may also want to cut the asparagus sliced in half across the middle depending on how big your pizza is.
Final Touches
Once the pizza is baked, squeeze lemon juice over the top and add some Romano cheese and other garnishes. My pickled red onions add a nice touch to this pizza as well.
This recipe makes one 10-inch (25.5 cm) pizza, which if you follow Jim Lahey’s pizza dough recipe is one of the four dough balls from his recipe, about 7 oz (350 g) each. A 10-inch (25/5 cm) pie is a reasonable size for two normal persons, athletes and teenage boys count this pizza size as one serving.
Most pizza dough you buy in the store is larger and usually makes around a 12-inch (30.5 cm) or larger pizza. If you are using a store-bought dough, you will need to increase the toppings accordingly. Though, that is the beauty of homemade pizza, the only thing you must pay attention to exact measurements is for making the dough, everything else is easily adjusted to suit your style.
Enjoy your homemade pizza and please share your photos with me on my Facebook page or Instagram @lemonthymeandgigner.

Pesto Shrimp Pizza
Pizza night in a lot of fun, especially when you make one with shrimp and pesto. Extra vegetables, like thinly sliced asparagus and chopped marinated artichoke hearts add textural contrast and flavor to the pesto and the shrimp. Makes on 10 inch (25.5 cm) pizza
Most store bough pizza dough makes a larger pizza pie, about 12 inches, 30.5 cm. Adjust the ingredients accordingly, so you have a nice sample of shrimp and vegetables and an even coating of pesto.
Ingredients
- Pizza Dough about 7 oz (200 g) for a 10 inch (25.5 cm) pizza see blog post for recommendations
- Basil Pesto sauce 3 TB (35 g) depending on size of pizza
- 9 large shrimp about 5-6 oz (150 - 175 g)
- 2 TB divided Extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp ground garlic
- Pinch of red pepper flakes.
- 6 asparagus spears
- 2 marinated artichoke hearts in oil
- Garnish with juice of half of lemon grated cheese, pickled red onion (optional), and fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
Prepare the toppings
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If using, follow the instructions for preheating your pizza stone or pizza steel. Preheat the oven at 500°F/ 250° C / Gas Mark 8 for one hour before baking the pizza.
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Take the pizza dough out of the refrigerator 1 hour before baking. Let is rest on the counter in the container.
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While the oven is preheating, prep the ingredients. Clean the shrimp and remove the shells and vein. Add the shrimp to a bowl then mix in a shy tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, ground dried garlic and red pepper flakes. Mix until the seasonings are well incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.
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Trim off the tough ends of each asparagus spear, about an inch and half from the bottom. Slice each spear lengthwise in half, then cut each half in half lengthwise. Place the asparagus on a plate and drizzle a light coating of olive oil , shy tablespoon, and a pinch of Kosher Salt over the asparagus and toss with our hands until the oil and salt are well incorporated. Set aside.
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Cut the artichoke heart wedges, in half lengthwise and rough chop. Set aside.
Assemble the pizza
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Sprinkle your pizza peel with flour and set aside. Or, if you do not own a pizza peel place a piece of parchment paper on a large rimmed baking sheet, large enough to hold a 10-inch (25.5 cm) pizza. Lightly spray the parchment paper with oil spray.
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Shape the dough. Sprinkle flour over your work surface so the dough does not stick and flour your hands. Pour out the dough and press down on the pizza dough with your fingertips to flatten and shape it into a circle. Drape the dough over the tops of both hands and stretch and shape the dough using gravity and your thumbs until the dough is about 10-inches (25.5 cm) in diameter. Don’t pull the dough but use both your thumbs to stretch out from the edge, not the center, and rotate the dough in a circle.
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Drape the pizza dough on your prepared peel or pan, slide the peel back and forth to make sure the dough does not stick to the peel.
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Spread the pesto evenly around the pizza leaving about an inch (2.5 cm) border. Sprinkle the asparagus evenly over the pizza, then the shrimp and finally add the artichoke hearts. While you are adding the toppings, repeat the slide test making sure the pizza dough is not sticking to the peel with the extra weight.
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Bring the peel over the oven and insert the peel towards the back of the baking steel or stone. Encourage the pizza to slide off the peel and onto your pizza stone or steel, by moving the peel back and forth until you can slide the peel out while the pizza slides off. Bake for 6 minutes or until the shrimp is cooked and the crust is golden brown. Optional, half way through the baking turn the pizza around, front to back for even browning. The BBQ spatulas are perfect for this job. Always be careful not to touch the baking stone or steel. They are seriously hot, and you can get a nasty burn.
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Remove the pizza from the oven by using long BBQ spatula, careful not to touch the steel or stone, and slide it onto the pizza peel.
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Slide the pizza onto a metal serving platter or cutting board. Squeeze the lemon juice over the pizza then lightly sprinkle grated Romano cheese. Scatter a few slices of pickled red onion and grind fresh black pepper over the pizza. Cut into equal size wedges and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Most store bough pizza dough makes a larger pizza pie, about 12 inches, 30.5 cm. Adjust the ingredients accordingly so you have a nice sample of shrimp and vegetables and an even coating of pesto.
© 2018, Ginger Smith- Lemon Thyme and Ginger. All rights reserved.
Fried Rice with Salmon and Brussels Sprouts

I love it when everything just falls into place without extra planning or trips to the store. When a spontaneous idea and a refrigerator packed with leftover food from the holidays fit together perfectly like pieces in a puzzle. Today, as I stared into the obis of my stuffed refrigerator an idea for tonight’s dinner just fell into place. As my eyes traveled from the stacks of containers filled with rice to the other remains of our holiday meal it dawned on me, I could make fried rice. I have plenty of rice and salmon, now all I need is cabbage.
Searching through the maze of leftovers was like looking for a misplaced set of keys. “I know it’s in here somewhere”. That one missing thing which is usually right in front of your nose but, you can’t find it anywhere. Fortunately, without emptying my whole refrigerator I found what I was looking for staring right back at me, was a container full of roasted Brussels sprouts. Ah ha, Brussels sprouts are members of the cabbage family, right? Yes. Whoop whoop, no need to run to the store, I’ve got everything I need all in one place. A dinner of fried rice solves four problems at the same time: use up some of the rice, use up some of the Christmas Eve dinner leftovers, clear out space in my refrigerator, and make tonight’s dinner. Fried rice made with poached salmon and roasted Brussels sprouts for the win.
This recipe is lightly based on an old recipe in Silver Palette New Basics Cookbook, Fried Rice with Shrimp. I used it as a foundation along with one in Smoke and Pickles by Edward Lee. My recipe builds on the concept of making a substantial meal from ingredients that by themselves are too small. One 8-ounce piece of salmon isn’t big enough to feed a family. However, when you combine it with ingredients like rice and vegetables, it makes a full meal with plenty to go around. My family loves fried rice and always orders it when we eat out for Chinese food. Why not make it at home and use up some of the leftovers? It is too good to save for takeout.
I made fried rice with salmon because that is what I have, but if you have tons of turkey, ham, pork, chicken, or goose from Christmas dinner you can’t go wrong mixing any of those foods with fried rice. You can also switch up the vegetables. Instead of cabbage or Brussels sprouts use, broccoli, asparagus, peas, sugar snap peas, kale, green beans, or Swiss chard. You can make it with prepared food, or entirely from scratch. Heat up, or cook each ingredient separately in a wok or skillet, then toss everything together with a soy sauce and sherry seasoning.
A nice garnish with the salmon fried rice is removing the skin off the salmon and frying it. You get very crispy salmon skin pieces to mix in with the soft rice. It is a nice contrast and tastes great. I cut the skin into strips then fried it in peanut oil. You could fry the skin whole then break it into smaller pieces if you wish. Just cook it till it is dark brown and very crispy then sprinkle some salt over the crackly skin when you are done.

Fried Rice with Salmon and Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- 5 TB peanut oil or canola oil divided
- 2- inch piece of fresh ginger root peeled and minced
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/3 lb 8 large shrimp, cut into thirds (optional)
- Kosher Salt to taste
- 8 oz 201 g cooked salmon
- 1 onion thinly sliced into half-moon pieces
- 7 oz 201 g cooked Brussels sprouts, slivered (or 1/2 half a head of Napa cabbage, thinly sliced)
- 1-2 medium carrots 2.25 oz / 61 g julienne
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 3 cups 14.5 oz / 412 g cooked rice
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup sherry or vermouth
- 1/2 tsp hot sauce
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 TB sherry vinegar
- Garnish with fried salmon skin or chopped peanuts, sliced scallions, or sesame seeds
Instructions
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Heat 2 TB peanut oil or canola oil in a large skillet, set at medium high. Add the half of the minced ginger and minced garlic and sauté until soft, but not brown. Add the prepared shrimp and cook until just done. The shrimp will no longer be translucent, and are tender when pierced with a fork, about 5 minutes. Remove the shrimp to a plate and reserve. Add the salmon and sear on the top and bottom sides of the salmon of a couple of minutes. Remove the salmon and reserve.
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Add 2 TB of peanut oil or canola oil to the pan and heat. When warm add sliced onion and cook until soften, but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining garlic and ginger and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add carrots and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the cooked Brussels sprouts (or fresh Napa cabbage) and cook until warmed through. If you are cooking fresh vegetables cook until soft but retains some of the bright green color, about 10 minutes. Season the vegetables with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
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If using peas add them to the vegetables and cook until heated through. Remove the vegetables from the pan and keep warm.
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Combine the soy sauce, vermouth or sherry, and hot sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
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Wipe out the pan and add the last tablespoon of oil and heat up. Add the rice and cook until warmed through.
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Break apart the salmon to large flaky pieces and add to the rice. Add the vegetables, shrimp and soy/sherry or vermouth mixture and toss to coat. Cook until the rice mixture is hot.
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Make a well in the center of the rice and pour the eggs into the well. Cook undisturbed for about one minute then stir the eggs with a fork to encourage the eggs to make small curds. Mix the eggs with rice and vegetables until cooked through.
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Turn off the heat and add the sherry vinegar. Stir.
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Garnish with your favorite garnishes, like sliced scallions, parsley, basil, chopped salted peanuts or pistachios, salmon skin cracklings, or sesame seeds.
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Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
To make the fried salmon skin, add 2-3 tablespoons of oil to a skillet or wok and heat on medium high. Add the skin to the hot skillet and cook undisturbed for a couple of minutes. Stir to cook the skin on all sides and not burn. When crisp and brown, remove the skin using a slotted spoon and place on paper towels. Sprinkle with a small pinch of Kosher salt.
© 2017 – 2018, Ginger Smith- Lemon Thyme and Ginger. All rights reserved.