“Last year I wanted to surprise my mom with a gift on Mother's Day, but I didn't have money to buy her anything and my sister didn't want to sing a song with me, so I decided that making something that she would like to eat and that was healthy for her, would be the ideal gift,” says Bobby. “She is from the Dominican Republic and we live in Florida, so I thought why not prepare a dish that is Caribbean and Floridian! She also has high cholesterol, so I had to research the best foods to help reduce cholesterol levels. I thought what better way to honor her culture, our agriculture in Florida, and her good health!” - Bobby Sena, Age 12, Florida

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet plantain, peeled and sliced
• ¾ pound fresh tilapia fillets
• ½ lemon
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon adobe
• 1 medium kiwi, peeled and diced
• 2 cups fresh pineapple, diced
• 1 avocado, pitted and diced
• 1 mango, pitted and diced
• 1 tomatillo, peeled and diced
• 1 red tomato, diced
• ½ red onion, peeled and diced
• 4 whole-wheat flour tortillas
• 1 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella, or smoked provolone, Asiago, or Romano cheese
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• 8 strawberries, sliced

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the sweet plantain on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Let cool, then slice and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, place the tilapia in a large bowl and squeeze ½ lemon over the fillets. Add the garlic, balsamic vinegar, and adobo and stir to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes while you prepare the salsa.
3. In a large bowl, combine ½ the kiwi with the pineapple, avocado, mango, tomatillo, tomato, and red onion. Cover and chill in the refrigerator.
4. Place the tilapia fillets on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake for 20 minutes, or until a fork can easily flake the fish. Ten minutes into baking, wrap the tortillas in foil and bake on the same baking sheet for 10 minutes.
5. Let the fish cool for 2 minutes then flake the tilapia into pieces. Place some tilapia in the middle of each tortilla and top with cheese, salsa, and cilantro. Place on a dish with the plantains, sliced strawberries, and the remaining kiwi. Serve with milk and enjoy!

484 calories; 13g fat; 68g carbohydrates; 30g protein

Learn more:

• Check out highlights from the each Kids’ “State Dinner”
• View the 2015 Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids’ “State Dinner” Cookbook