Power food: Pan Seared Red Snapper with Tomatillo Salsa, Sautéed Vegetables and Spanish Rice

By Chef Edgar Alvarez

Gear up for some power food this summer with this Latin dish that’s sure to inspire good feelings and good health among all who join in on the feast.

Chef Edgar prepared this meal recently on . Scroll down for a great tutorial.

Pan Seared Red Snapper with Tomatillo Salsa, Sautéed Vegetables and Spanish Rice

How to make the Snapper

  • 4 fresh red snapper filets, 7 oz. each, cleaned
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Canola oil for sautéing

Season snapper with salt and pepper. Heat oil in pan until it begins to smoke slightly. Place snapper in hot sauté pan skin side down and sear until golden brown on both sides. This should take about 3 minutes per side.

Tomatillo Salsa

  • 8 tomatillos, husked and rinsed with cool water
  • 2 roasted red peppers, cleaned and seeded
  • 1 roasted jalapeño pepper
  • 2 ½” slices grilled red onions
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Place tomatillos on a hot grill. Cook for 2 minutes until slightly charred. Remove from grill. Cool slightly. Quarter tomatillos and place in a bowl. Dice red peppers, grilled red onions and jalapenos. Place in bowl with tomatillos. Add roughly chopped cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spanish Rice

  • 2 cups steamed rice
  • 1 diced red pepper
  • 2 plum tomatoes, diced
  • 1 small Spanish onion finely diced
  • Canola oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

In a sauté pan heated with oil, cook onions and peppers until completely soft. Remove from heat. In a bowl, combine steamed rice with the tomato mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe serves 4.

About Chef Edgar Alvarez

Chef Edgar grew up in Guatemala, and the thing that is etched in his memory is the scene of his grandmother, aunts and mother preparing a meal at his grandmother’s ranch outside the city.

“It was an all-day affair, for we were a giant family and when breakfast ended, all the women in the family would go off to the market to buy the freshest produce, meat and fish for lunch and dinner,” he says. “They did not have much to spend, but la comida was always full of love and flavor.”

Edgar brings his love for family and food to his own restaurant, Philadelphia’s Avenida, which is quickly becoming the go-to spot for fabulous Latin American cuisine in a family-friendly environment. To make a reservation, visit www.avenidarestaurant.com.

Have questions? Send Chef Edgar an email.