Chef’s Cookbook: Spicy Fruit Salad with Broiled Fish by Mark Elliotte, Arkansas Heart Hospital
Chef Mark Elliotte hails from the United Kingdom, but moved to America when he was three. He settled in Arkansas in 1965 and has had a hand in various kitchens around central Arkansas. Chef Elliotte served as the food and beverage director for the Arkansas National Guard, the executive chef at Best Impressions (now Canvas) at the Arkansas Arts Center and as the catering director at Pulaski Tech.
His current role at the Arkansas Heart Hospital allows him to help patients learn the science behind healthy food preparation. At AHH, Chef Elliotte prepares and teaches patients how to make meals using the Pritikin certified nutrition plan which focuses on increasing the daily intake of whole foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and decreasing packaged processed foods.
“I never knew I would be teaching people how to heal with food,” he says.
When asked about his favorite part of working at the AHH, Chef Elliotte says he enjoys taking a patient’s favorite dish and helping them make it healthier.
Rapid-fire Questions
Guilty pleasure food: Mexican
Celebrity chef: Graham Kerr
Go-to meal when you’re low on time: Stir-fry vegetables
Secret recipe he’ll never share: Barbecue rub
Favorite vegetable: Potato
Go-to kitchen gadget: Chef knife
Tea or coffee: Coffee
Favorite meal of the day: Dinner
Spicy Fruit Salad with Broiled Fish
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds assorted fruit,
peeled and pitted as necessary,
medium diced
2 small jalapeños, seeded
and white ribs removed, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh mint, chopped
fresh ground black pepper
to taste
12 oz. fish fillets or steaks,
cut into 4 equal pieces
lemon or lime wedges for serving
Instructions
1. Turn on broiler; the heat should be medium high and rack four inches from fire.
2. Toss the chopped fruit with the jalapeños, herbs and black pepper. Refrigerate if serving cold.
3. Spray broiler pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle fish with black pepper and broil, turning once until just done. Thin steaks will take less than 5 minutes, thick steaks will take about 8-10 minutes.
4. Put fruit on individual plates, top with fish and serve with lemon or lime wedges.
