Monday, March 12, 2012

10-Step Tacos

Tonight for dinner, I decided to make one of my favorite dishes: fish tacos. I'm sure you all have figured out by now I'm on a bit of a taco craze right now so it really shouldn't be that surprising. I was surprised by how easy and flavorful it was to make great fish tacos though so here's the recipe! I made this recipe for three people and we each had two tacos. The amount of fish worked out well but there was extra sauce. As for the other toppings, adjust accordingly for the size of your group.
All of the toppings waiting to be enjoyed: (clockwise from top left) Cotija cheese, avocado, cabbage, Panela cheese, Green Chile sauce.





Marinated red cabbage
1/2 cup Frontera Grill Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1 avocado
Cotija  cheese
Panela cheese
1 lb. Tilapia -feeds about 3-4 people
Red cabbage - I used about the four outer layers
1-2 T lime juice
Plate full of cornmeal
Sea Salt
Pepper
Cayenne
Canola Oil
Corn tortillas - I used 6
1 can black beans



1. The morning before you plan to serve the tacos, peel off and wash the cabbage you want to use. Then rip it into the size pieces desired, I hand-shredded the cabbage to about 1/4" wide and an inch long.

2. Put the cabbage in a freezer bag and pour as much lime juice as desired, about 1-2 T and a few grinds of sea salt. Seal the bag, shake it up, and put it in the fridge.

3. Also in the morning, mix the half cup of sour cream with the half cup of enchilada sauce, cover, and put in the fridge.

4. About 30 minutes before you want to eat, begin to season the fish. I simply flavored each piece with a little salt, pepper, and a dash of cayenne. Make sure to season both sides!

5. Then, dip the fish in the plate of cornmeal gently to give the fish a little breading which will add a nice texture to the tacos.

6. Cut the fish into strips around 1/2" by an inch or two long: it's not a science.

7. Heat a can of black beans according to the can directions, the stove or microwave works.

8. Prepare the toppings- this can be done ahead of time or while the fish cooks. Slice the avocado, bring the sauce out of the fridge, get the cabbage, and cut your cheeses. I grated the Cotija to go on top of the beans because it's sharp but sweet flavor. I cut slices of the Panela cheese to go in the tacos themselves. Panela is sort of like a Mexican Mozzarella: a soft cow's milk cheese with a mild flavor. Heat the tortillas in a microwavable dish, covered with plastic wrap in the microwave for 45 seconds on high heat.

9.  Put enough Canola Oil in a large skillet and heat on medium-high heat. When the oil's hot, drop in the fish. Depending how thick each piece is, it will take about 3-4 minutes per side. You know Tilapia is cooked when it flakes easily with a fork.

10. Assemble your taco, let your friends and family assemble theirs, serve with black beans topped with the Cotija cheese, and ENJOY!



Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Midterms (a convenient excuse)

I just wanted to take a minute to apologize to you all for my lack of postings recently. I'll blame midterms since it's easy to do so but now midterms are over and I'm heading back to St. Louis for spring break so you can look forward to MULTIPLE, yes I'm promising more than one entry, in the coming week! Thanks for your continued readership!

Food that get me through midterms? I can't stop snacking on Whole Foods Lemon Hummus with a local restaurant's tzatziki. One of my favorite things about Whole Foods is that they sell food products from local restaurants. I encourage you all to grab a dip they're featuring from an area restaurant next time you go into Whole Foods; they're usually more flavorful, taste handmade, use fresher ingredients, and give back to the local community. I also LOVED the "Good Guy" cupcake I had from Crumbs the other day it was the perfect pick-me-up after a long day of studying!