Macadamia Nut Mahi Mahi
Hawaiian Diet Part 3
Macadamia nut mahi-mahi combines
two favorites in the Hawaiian diet,
making for a nutritious and delectable
dish.
Mahi-mahi
On almost every fine dining menu in
Hawaii, mahi-mahi, or as spelled in
Hawaiian, "mahimahi," translates to “very strong” in Hawaiian. This has nothing to do with the taste though. It is the Hawaiian name for a fish well known in the sport fishing world: dolphinfish. This is not the dolphin mammal or in any way related to dolphins, porpoises, whales or any other cute, awesome or friendly mammal.
A Pacific ocean fish, it’s also known as the dorado and Hemingway fans will remember this fish from his classic The Old Man and the Sea (which coincidentally was filmed in Hawaii!)
While the mahi-mahi is not high in mercury it is ranked moderate and therefore while otherwise very healthy, it shouldn’t be eaten more than once a week or four to six times a month. This is a high protein, low fat food. A 3 ounce fillet contains 20 grams of protein, only a trace of saturated fat and only 93 calories. The mild flavor makes it a good option for those not crazy about fish. Hawaiian style mahimahi is sautéed in coconut milk and/or butter and crusted with chopped macadamia nuts, speaking of which…
Macadamia Nuts
These are not native to Hawaii – they are from Australia – but they are hugely popular in the Islands; in fact, Hilo’s big macadamia processing plant is a routine stop on Big Island tours. While high in fat, the mac nut (as it’s called in Hawaii) has the largest amount of the good-for-you monounsaturated fats (the kind that can lower cholesterol when eaten daily) of any nut.
These nuts are delicious eaten plain, salted or flavored. In Hawaii macadamia nuts are used in many dishes, such as macadamia nut pie, macadamia pancakes (with coconut syrup), chocolate coated mac nuts, the mahi-mahi mentioned above and more.
About 11 macadamia nuts provides 204 calories, 2.4 grams of protein and an assortments of vitamins and minerals including 104 mg potassium and 37 mg magnesium. Warning: macadamia nuts like a few other foods good for humans are toxic to dogs.
For more healthy Hawaiian diet foods that, by the way, go great with macadamia nut mahi-mahi, take a cruise through the Hawaiian Luau Party Ideas’ “Traditional Hawaiian Food” section.
© Copyright 2011 by Path2HealthyLiving
Macadamia Nut Mahi Mahi – Hawaiian Diet Part 3
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Photo of Roy's Macadamia Nut Mahi-Mahi with Lobster Sauce courtesy of Muy Yum at Flickr
