Cilantro Mango Marinade with Tilapia

I can't deny the convenience of bottled marinades but I find that many of them are loaded with tons of sugar. Like the high fructose corn syrup kind. Ten grams of sugar in a marinade? Please... just give me a brownie instead. You have to pick your battles ;). I have been playing around in the kitchen with different marinades and this Cilantro Mango marinade is darn near perfect! I tried it on tilapia, which I find to be a bland fish, so you really get the flavor of the marinade. I'm sure it would pair well with steak as well. You can also just use this marinade as a topping or dressing. 

Ingredients: 

Marinade

• 1 cup (loosely packed) chopped cilantro 
• Juice of 1/2 orange 
• Juice of 1/2 lime 
• 1 inch of ginger
• 1/2 mango (~1/2 cup) 

Optional

• 4 fillets of Tilapia 
• 1/2 avocado 
• 1 TBS of olive oil 

Directions:

1. Peel and grate the ginger. 
2. Place all marinade ingredients in a blender. Set blender to liquefy. May add water as needed if the consistency is too thick.
3. Place the tilapia in a zip lock freezer bag and pour in half of the marinade. Make sure each piece is coated. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
4. While the fish is marinating, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Add 1/2 of an avocado and 1 TBS of olive oil into the marinade mixture and blend until well combined. Set aside. 
6.  Coat the bottom of a pyrex cooking pan or cookie sheet covered in tin foil, with a light layer of olive oil or cooking spray. Place the fish on the pan and cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes. The fish should flake easily when done.
7. To serve, top with the avocado dressing. 

Nutrition Content:

Marinade

Serving Size: 1/4 cup    

• Calories: 23 cal
• Protein: 0 grams
• Fat: 0 grams
• Carbs: 6 grams
  • Fiber: 0.5 grams

Marinated fish with dressing

• Serving Size: 1 fillet     

• Calories: 144 cal
• Protein: 21 grams
• Fat: 6 grams
• Carbs: 8 grams
  • Fiber: 2 grams