PAN-GRILLED TILAPIA WITH PICKLED MANGO

It is no secret that having fish at least once a week can lower our cholesterol level, and can help with our blood pressure. However, choosing what we cook and eat is our own prerogative. If you like fish, or if you feel like eating healthy, here is a recipe that is easy to prepare. Note: You can buy fish already cleaned at the grocery store.

Ingredients:
1 medium-sized tilapia Â? gutted, scaled and cleaned
1 thumb-sized fresh ginger Â? peeled and finely chopped
1 shallot Â? finely chopped (or 1 tablespoon finely chopped regular onion)
1/2 stalk celery Â? finely chopped
4 pieces large mushrooms Â? finely chopped
2 small pieces sun-dried tomatoes Â? coarsely chopped salt and pepper

Methods:
1. In a Teflon pan, over medium heat, sauté ginger and shallots for about a minute.
2. Add the celery, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes and sauté for a minute or two. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a plate. This is your stuffing.
3. Make one deep score on each side of the tilapia at its thickest parts, then lightly sprinkle both sides of the fish with salt Â? only if desired.
4. Pat-dry the tilapia with paper towel and insert the stuffing inside the empty stomach of the tilapia. Secure the gutted stomach with toothpicks if needed.
5. Wipe clean the same pan with paper towel and apply cooking spray and pan grill the tilapia over medium heat until both sides are cooked. Serve with pickled mango as a condiment.
Pickled Mango:
1 large green or firm yellow-green mango Â? peeled and sliced thinly into serving pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 fresh hot pepper Â? chopped (optional)

Combine the above ingredients in a bowl, then cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for at least half an hour (keeping it overnight in the refrigerator is preferred)
Household Hints:
1. When frying, I always use splatter screens. But I noticed that these get dirty/burned after only several uses. Cleaning them is not easy or next to impossible. I solved the problem by wrapping one side of the splatter screen with aluminum foil. By also making a small hole the size of a nickel in the middle of the foil, you can let the heat escape to allow for even cooking. Sit the splatter screen with the aluminum foil in the bottom. After frying discard the foil.
2. When baking pies, tarts or lasagna using oven-proof porcelains, always spray the inside of the porcelain pan with cooking spray. This makes slicing or transferring the baked item to another serving plate a lot easier and with less or no mess. You can also use this technique when making gelatins. The hardened gel will not stick and will slide out easier.
EditorÂ?s note: Mrs. Evelyn S. Bunoan is Owner/Master Chef, Philippine Oriental Market & Deli (with more than 25 years of service to the Filipino-American community) - 3610 Lee Highway, Arlington, Virginia; (703)528-0300; Master Chef (French cuisine), Le Cordon Bleu, London, UK; recipe creator, improviser, and food stylist and writer; kitchen-tested and mastered more than 300 recipes.