The GAIA Health Blog

Some Healthy Food Fun:    The Wanderlust Food Diaries (of a chronic daydreamer)

"Cool Meditations"
(a.k.a., If I ever have to choose a honeymoon spot)
Frenchman's Lookout Villa, British Virgin Islands

On the Menu Tropical Style Grilled Mahi Mahi Burgers
Music The "Cool Meditations" by the band "Third World"

"I'm headed to the countryside, where the air is fresh and sweet....I wanna get some Cool Meditations"
    --the band Third World (from the song "Cool Meditations")

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I never recovered from my trip to the Virgin Islands in 2011...............

I still love to go back and read the article I wrote in 2012, called "My Island, Scrub Island", the private Island where I stayed, as well as my article called
"Breezin' My Perfect Caribbean Breakfast" with some great shots of my suite on Scrub Island, and the fun article on my Quest for Organic Produce in the BVI.

The surreal feeling when sitting out on Governor's point on Scrub Island, when the breeze literally spoke to me and said "Here will be your home"

I loved my stay on the brand spanking new Scrub Island and all it's modern-ism, but there always has been something about the Old Colonial charm of the Caribbean that has intrigued me also. As my plane flew in low to Beef Island Airport on East End Tortola, I flew right over Frenchman's Lookout at what felt like 150 feet, to the point where I could literally see the chaise lounges in the picture on this post.

I have been familiar with Frenchman's Lookout Villa from my endless reading of websites and such, and it's Colonial charms challenged and contested that true "Modern Man" within me.

Frenchman's sits alone and majestic on Tortola's West end. And gazing upon the charm and serenity of its hillside location, so "handsomely situated", I told myself, since Frenchman's Lookout is a rental property, next time I come down here, be it by myself, or if I ever have to choose a honeymoon spot, or whatever, I'm gonna stay there!!!!

I made this recipe my last time in the BVI, and I know it seems somewhat "complicated". But, I wanted to post it because down in the Virgin Islands, when you take your time, shop for organic ingredients at Good Moon Organic Farm on Tortola, you're in the moment, and just enjoy the art and passion of preparing food".

As I lay out my "Wanderlusting" thoughts in this "tropical photo shoot", if my stay at Frenchman's were a honeymoon excursion, I can imagine my lovely "dreaded lady", like the ones in this post, taking a mid-morning walk by herself after some great romance, while I'm taking a couple of hours to prepare an "artful lunch".

......the perfect way to prepare these awesome Grilled Mahi Mahi Burgers.

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Tropical Style Grilled Mahi-Mahi Burgers

(A complicated recipe maybe, but relax, unwind, listen to a little "Cool Meditations" Reggae, and enjoy the art of food preparation)

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Grilled Mahi-Mahi Burgers
(with Chipolte-Lime Avocado Lime Spread & Coleslaw)

coleslaw ingredients

1 organic carrot, julienne cut
1 pinch black pepper
1 pinch Pink Himalayan Salt
1 tablespoon Coconut Palm Sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice from organic lemon
1-1/2 teaspoon coconut oil
2-1/2 cups shredded organic cabbage (1/4 head)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar

Mahi-Mahi Burgers Ingredients

1 cup organic celery, finely diced
1 cup organic green bell pepper, finely diced
1 tablespoon organic paprika
1 tablespoon Pink Himalayan Salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1-1/2 pounds mahi-mahi, diced (1/2-inch)
1/2 cup fresh organic parsley, chopped
1/2 cup homemade mayonnaise recipe here
1/2 cup  grass fed butter (1 stick)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
2 cups organic onions, finely diced
2 pasture raised eggs, lightly scrambled
2-1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
4 cloves organic garlic, minced
4 teaspoons lemon juice from organic lemon
8 Kaiser rolls, or other quality bread cut in half

chipotle-lime avocado spread ingredients

1 pinch of black pepper
1 pinch of Pink Himalayan Salt
1/4 cup sour cream from grass fed milk
2 organic avocados, pits and skin removed
2 tablespoons organic cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice from organic lime
2 tablespoons organic red onion, minced
3 chipotle chiles, in abobo sauce

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add in the onions, green pepper and celery and sauté for 5 minutes, until onions are translucent and starting to brown. Add in the parsley, garlic, salt, paprika, curry powder, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Cook for an additional 4 minutes until the mixture is browned. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the diced mahi-mahi, bread crumbs, mayonnaise, scrambled eggs and lemon juice. Add in the sautéed vegetables and mix well. Then, hand form eight mahi-mahi burger patties and place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. In a small bowl combine all of the chipotle-lime avocado spread ingredients. (The original recipe called for Worcestershire Sauce, but I'm not a fan of its ingredients). Stir vigorously to mash the avocado and combine the mixture. Refrigerate until needed.

In a medium bowl combine the all of the coleslaw ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate until needed. Start grill, if temperature controlled, preheat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush the cooking grates with coconut oil and place the mahi-mahi burgers over direct heat and cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until well browned. Remove the patties from the grill and set aside. Lightly butter the face of the Kaiser rolls and place them over direct heat with the grill lid open. Cook for 30 seconds or until the face is light brown and toasted. Dress each Kaiser roll with chipotle-lime avocado spread and coleslaw, add on a mahi-mahi patty and enjoy, ya-mon!

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I remember in that exciting moment when flying over Frenchman's Lookout upon right before my plane landing on Tortola, and that it led me with the ultimate metaphor about my longing to live in the British Virgin Islands.

As I said before, the plane flew in so low, it seemed like I could literally reach out and touch Frenchman's Lookout Villa. That has been my inspiration and motivation for my desire for tropical life ever since....

.......like I can almost reach out and touch it

~stay healthy~

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"Sail Forth. Steer for the deep waters only. Reckless O soul, exploring. I with thee and thou with me. For we are bound where mariner has not yet dared go. And we will risk the ship, ourselves, and all." --Walt Whitman

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