Posts Tagged by tomato
Jerk Chicken Tacos with Sweet Mango Pepper Salsa
| June 5, 2012 | Filled under Main Dishes, Poultry, Sauces & Dips, Sides, Soup & Sandwiches, Southwestern, Vegetables |
*Jerk Alert* These are not your typical tacos. I heard about this amazingly unusual food truck in LA that does Korean BBQ tacos (think short rib tacos and kimchi quesadillas) and a lightbulb went off. Tacos, like pizza and sandwiches, can be topped with just about anything. So I started making tandoori chicken tacos with raita yogurt sauce with tomato and cucumber salsa. And then I combined spicy jerk chicken and some sweet mango salsa to create a tropical inspired taco. Sort of like going to Jamaica and Mexico all in one bite.
Juicy marinated meat baked off easily in the oven and fresh salsa on top of a soft corn tortilla is all kinds of yummy and is easy enough to whip up during the week. I buy my jerk seasoning in a jar and marinate overnight if possible, or in a pinch, just coat the chicken thighs in the sauce before baking. While the chicken is in the oven, I get my dice on and prepare the salsa and in about 30 minutes, dinner is done. A summer time meal that almost makes me feel like I’m on vacation. Almost.
PS – Jerk sauce can be super spicy so reduce or add as much as you like. Also, I fully admit that this is by no means the traditional way to cook jerk. But then again, this isn’t really a traditional taco. Keep calm and taco on.
Jerk Chicken Tacos with Sweet Mango Pepper Salsa (serves four)
Jerk Chicken
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat, rinsed and dried
- 1 Tbsp jerk chicken marinade (I used Grace brand)
- 1 tsp canola oil
Sweet Mango Pepper Salsa
- 1/2 large mango, finely diced
- 1/2 sweet pepper (yellow or red), finely diced
- 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
- 3 Tbsp red or Spanish onion, finely diced
- 3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- juice of half a lime
- pinch salt
Tacos & Garnishes
- Soft corn tortillas (2 to 3 per person)
- Corn tortilla chips
- Lime wedges
- Shredded lettuce
- Hot sauce
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. I a medium bowl, add chicken, jerk sauce, and oil and toss to evenly coat chicken. Marinate for 30 minutes up to overnight. Lay chicken flat in foil-lined baking dish and bake for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Let rest five minutes before slicing.
- While chicken is baking, prepare salsa and set aside. Heat a small frying pan to medium heat and add tortillas to warm through. Once tortillas is heated, store on a plate lined with clean dish towel and cover, or add to tortilla warmer. Continue until all tortillas are warmed. Serve chicken, salsa, and tortillas with lime wedges, shredded lettuce, corn chips, and hot sauces.
Mexican Salad with Honey Lime Dressing
| May 4, 2012 | Filled under Fish & Seafood, Main Dishes, Salads, Sides, Southwestern, Vegetables |
Happy Cinco de Mayo! The fifth of May is a day of celebration and reminds me of all the fun times I had living in Arizona, enjoying all the benefits of living in a mucho Mexican-influenced town. This salad is so fresh and flavourful, yet hearty and packed with protein to keep you full for hours. It’d be great at a summer barbecue or as a side to some fish tacos.
I’ve been packing this salad for lunch all week, served atop crisp romaine lettuce, topped with roasted tomatillo avocado salsa from my fave brand Mad Mexican, and some tortilla chips. If only I could enjoy a fresh margarita at my desk to wash this down. Sigh… dare to dream.
Recipe (Serves 6 to 8 )
Ingredients:
- 1 15 oz can black beans (preferably low sodium), rinsed
- 1 12 oz can whole kernal corn (preferably low sodium), rinsed
- 1 English cucumber, peeled and diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 large avocado or 2 small, cubed
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced
- 1/2 lb imitation king crab meat
- 3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped
- 4 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 Tbsp honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
Combine beans, corn, crab meat, and vegetables together. Whisk honey and lime, add to salad, and toss to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste, serve with tortilla chips and guacamole. To make vegetarian, omit king crab. To make vegan, replace honey with agave nectar or 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar.
Enjoy Cinco de Mayo with this salad. Or mustaches. You decide.
Mexican Tortilla Soup with Shrimp
| February 2, 2012 | Filled under Fish & Seafood, Main Dishes, Snacks & Appetizers, Soup & Sandwiches, Southwestern, Vegetables |
This dish is hearty, deliciously satisfying, and super easy to make – it’s a variation of traditional Mexican tortilla chicken soup. Suprising, even though I lived in Arizona where Mexican food is amazing and bountiful, I didn’t make this soup until I got back to Canada. I guess it’s the cold dark winter months that’s got me craving a taste of sunny Scottsdale, which is warm and wonderful this time of year. Dear Scottsdale, I miss you. Send over some summer while I make this soup and remember the good times we had together.
PS – make this soup ahead of time and reheat mid-week with a grilled cheese sandwich or quesadilla for a fast comfort food dinner.
I happened to find some colourful carrots at the market over the weekend, but normally I would use regular carrots. And that may look like a lot of jalapeno, but this recipe makes quite a bit of soup and it adds a nice flavour and not a lot of heat. Also, when using canned tomatoes for this soup, get the crushed kind if possible. I only had whole tomatoes in my pantry, so I did a little puree after it was done to break up the big chunks.
Lately, I’ve started using organic chicken bouillon cubes – no msg. This recipe was based on Ina Garten’s ’Barefoot Contessa at Home’ cookbook and she’s got a great recipe for homemade chicken stock. If I had more time and freezer space, I would make buckets of homemade stock. But for now, these cubes are a life saver. PS – this brand has a ridiculously high amount of sodium, so maybe try one that has less or use less of it.
Not a fan of shrimp? Chicken is the traditional way to serve this soup and store-bought roasted chicken is a great way to easily switch it up. Just shred the chicken breast and add it in when the recipe calls for shrimp. Or throw in some canned black beans for a vegetarian option. Either way, it’s a belly warming delicious soup that will wipe your winter blues away without packing on the pounds.
Mexican Tortilla Soup with Shrimp (Serves 6 to 8 ) Adapted from Ina Garten’s barefoot contessa at home
Ingredients:
- 2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
- 1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
- 2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Liters/quarts water
- 2 organic chicken bouillon cubes
- 1 can whole tomatoes (28 oz can)
- 2 to 4 jalapeno peppers
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh coriander/cilantro
- 36 to 40 medium sized raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
To serve:
- 6 to 8 corn tortillas, cut into ½” strips
- 1 avocado
- Sour cream (optional)
- Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
- Corn tortilla chips (optional)
Directions:
- In a medium pot, bring water to boil and add chicken bouillon cubes to make stock. Set aside.
- In a large stock pot, heat olive oil and add onions, celery and carrots. Cook on medium low heat for 10 minutes or until onions start to brown. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add stock, canned tomatoes with juices, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, and ground black pepper. Add half the tortilla strips and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and lower heat to simmer covered for 25 minutes. Stir in chopped cilantro. Taste and add salt if needed.
- Before serving, add the shrimp to the soup. The shrimp will be cooked after two minutes or when shrimp pink. To serve, add cubed avocado and garnish with remaining tortilla strips and fresh coriander sprigs. Add a dollop of sour cream, grated cheddar cheese and broken corn tortilla chips if desired.
Roasted Tomato Chipotle Salsa
| January 9, 2012 | Filled under Sauces & Dips, Sides, Southwestern, Vegetables |
Do you make new year’s resolutions? I’ve been pretty much making the same resolutions every year for a while now: eat healthy/drink water, work out, save money, get organized, be happy. Simple, unoriginal, and challenging all the same. I love the idea that everyone gets a fresh start to set new goals and just be better. Which is kind of how I thought to take something as awesome as salsa, and give it a fresh new spin.
I love salsa – healthy, full of flavour, low in fat, and perfect for a snack with tortilla chips or as a condiment on a salad, fish, tacos, etc. There are so many great store-bought varieties to choose from but with my new years resolutions on my mind, I decided to try making an even healthier (and tastier) homemade salsa combining super sweet cherry tomatoes and smokey chipotle. Turns out it’s pretty simple and the flavours are so much brighter, fresher, and tastier than anything you find in a jar.
An added benefit to making your own salsa is being able to control the sodium levels (typically super high in jarred varieties) and the level of heat. I like my salsa with some heat, but not so spicy it makes your face melt. The smokey flavour of the chipotle adds a great depth of flavour without being overly hot.
The chipotle I used comes canned in an adobo sauce which is basically some combination of paprika, oregano, salt, garlic, and vinegar. You can look for it in the Mexican aisle of your grocery store or specialty Hispanic food shops. This recipe only needs one or two (or three if you like it very hot) chipotle peppers, but you can freeze the leftovers in small containers and save for another time. Letting the salsa chill for an hour or so helps develop the flavours into such delicious-ness that you’ll have a hard time going back to the jarred variety. Next time I make this recipe, I will make a double batch to have on hand during the week.
PS – If you like my recipes/blog, feel free to ‘like’ my Facebook page or follow me on Twitter. I also love getting suggestions or requests, so don’t be shy about sending them along. Cheers to the new year 
Roasted Tomato Chipotle Salsa (serves 2)
Adapted from Greatest-Ever Mexican Recipes by Jane Milton
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 2” Spanish onion wedge (about ¼ of the onion) peeled
- 1 – 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 – 2 chipotle peppers (canned in adobo sauce) + 1 teaspoon of adobo sauce (use 1 pepper for milder version)
- Grated rind of ½ lemon
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro/coriander leaves
- Corn tortilla chips for dipping
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Add tomatoes, onion, and garlic to a foil-lined roasting pan. Add olive oil and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with sea salt and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until onion starts to brown.
- While tomatoes are roasting, add chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, lemon juice, and brown sugar to a food processor and puree. Set aside.
- Remove tomatoes, onions, and garlic from oven and let cool. Remove any blackened tomato skins and place tomatoes in a bowl. Remove onion from pan and remove any skin that may have toughened. Using a sharp knife, chop onions and garlic and add to a bowl and mix with tomatoes.
- Add chipotle puree and fresh cilantro and mix well until combined. Taste and add more salt if needed. Cover and chill at least one hour before serving with corn tortilla chips for dipping. Can be served warm or cold.
Goat Cheese Fundido
| October 27, 2011 | Filled under Sauces & Dips, Sides, Snacks & Appetizers, Southwestern, Vegetables |
It’s getting cold out and that means it’s time to stay inside a little more. More sofa nights, more friends coming over for dinner or drinks, plus a solid fall season of prime time TV. And time for more delicious cheesy appetizers. This one is very different from my last post, being a little spicy and savoury, but it’s no less satisfying. Enter the yummy goat cheese fundido.
I discovered this fundido (Spanish for ‘melted cheese’) at Elote Cafe up in Sedona. It’s basically a warm homemade salsa topped with goat cheese on top, baked, and served with corn chips or folded up into warm soft tortillas. A tasty and hearty appetizer perfect for cold nights and best served with an ice-cold Margarita or Mexican beer. It’s a delicious and comforting alternative to the standard 7 layer dip and much easier to make.
This is super easy to whip up too – the ingredients just get some saute action before being topped with goat cheese and baked. You can totally prepare this ahead of time before your guests arrive and just pop in the oven to serve. While it’s baking, lightly pan fry the corn tortillas and place in a kitchen towel-lined plate to keep warm. You can serve with some with some crispy corn tortilla chips too.
The jalapeno peppers add a nice bit of heat without being too spicy. Just remember to remove the seeds before adding. But if you want more fire, leave the seeds in. Either way, this fundido will be a huge hit like it was at my cousin Kim’s birthday fiesta. I only got a picture of it right before I served it and by the time I went back for more shots, it was gone-dido.
Recipe (served 4 as starter) Adapted from Elote Cafe Cookbook
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 3 cloves garlic, diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, de-seeded and sliced
- 1 cup chopped tomato
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 cup or 8 oz. goat cheese
- corn tortilla chips and soft corn tortillas for serving
Directions:
- In a medium non-stick saucepan or wok, heat oil on medium-high heat. Saute the onion, garlic, and jalapeno peppers until lightly browned, about 5 – 6 minutes. Add the tomato, salt and pepper and simmer until slightly thickened.
- Pre-heat oven to broil. Transfer the sauce into an oven-proof dish and crumble large chunks of the goat cheese on top of the dish. Place the dish in the oven and broil until the top is browned, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, pan fry the soft corn tortillas in a clean frying pan on medium heat. Place in a tortilla warmer or wrap in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
Tuscan Tomato Soup
| September 22, 2011 | Filled under Sides, Soup & Sandwiches, Vegetables |
I don’t know about you, but chilly rainy nights make me want to snuggle under the covers in my cozy and embarassingly ugly sweatpants. Mine are a men’s pair that have ratty hems and are huge. Like TLC’s ”don’t go chasing waterfalls” huge. Why? I was going through a fashion crisis phase in the late nineties ok? Maybe you have a pair like mine. Or maybe you don’t; because you ain’t no scrub. Too much? Did I take it too far? Because I ain’t too proud to beg. Sorry. I’ll stop now.
I got these sweatpants around the same time I was going away to university where a good chunk of my student diet consisted of the stereotypical canned soup. Now I know it’s not as good as homemade, and the sodium back then was through the roof, but there is still something magical about canned soup and its ability to comfort. So cheap, tasty, and satisfying, like TLC in a can (‘tender loving care’ not the R’nB group this time). Truthfully, I haven’t bought canned soup in years, probably because I overdosed on the stuff.
This soup is super easy and is only two steps: 1) roast the tomatoes, onions and garlic and 2) dump roasted veg in pot, add jarred roasted red peppers, stock, seasonings, boil, simmer, and blend. With minimal effort, you’ll end up with a massive amount of deeply flavoured and deeply satisfying soup that you can freeze and thaw faster than you can add water to a can of Campbell’s.
This recipe is adapted from Tyler Florence’s Roasted Tomato Soup recipe on Foodnetwork.com which had an impressive 264 reviews and 5 out of 5 stars at the time of posting. It’s near impossible to screw up, especially with tomatoes so in season right now. I added roasted red peppers to deepen the flavours since I omitted cream and the jarred kind is cheaper, easier, and faster than roasting your own peppers. This soup is so simple that your tummy and tastebuds will feel crazysexycool no matter what you are wearing.
Recipe Tuscan Tomato Soup (serves 8 to 10)
Ingredients:
- 3 lbs of tomatoes, cut into similar sizes
- 2 medium onions, cut into small pieces
- 8 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup roasted red peppers, store-bought/jarred
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 tablespoons Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks
- 1 tsp dried basil
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 tsp of sugar
- fresh basil leaves for garnish (optional)
Special Equipment: Immersion blender or blender
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a large baking sheet, add the tomatoes, onions and garlic. Add oil and toss so all the vegetables are evenly coated. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until edges of vegetables are browned and tomatoes are juicy.
2. Remove tomatoes, garlic, onion and liquid from the pan and transfer to a large pot. Add roasted red peppers, stock, bay leaves, butter and dried basil and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 25 minutes uncovered. Remove from heat and remove bay leaves and discard. Blend the soup using an immersion blender or regular blender. Add sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot and garnish with fresh basil leaves if using.
Fish Tacos with Guacamole and Pico de Gallo
| April 24, 2011 | Filled under Fish & Seafood, Main Dishes, Sauces & Dips, Snacks & Appetizers, Soup & Sandwiches, Southwestern |
Growing up in Toronto, my exposure to Mexican food was limited to A) Taco Bell (fries supreme anyone??), B) Old El Paso taco kits and C) Cancun resort food (spring break at a 3 star = pepto bismal appetizers).
Fish tacos are pretty easy to find on a lot of restaurant menus, especially here in the Southwest. For a while, I thought that in order to get them, I had to go out to eat . But I figured out how to make them and now my fast fish tacos are a go-to meal when I want a yummy and healthful meal, with minimal effort.
Authentic Mexican? Um no. Infinitely better than Taco Bell/Old El Paso/Cancun all-you-can-eat? Si.
A note about corn tortillas: living in Scottsdale, Arizona is amazing for authentic Mexican food. Ingredients like Mexican hot sauce and fresh corn tortillas are staples in grocery stores but definitely harder to find in Toronto. I know they carry the fresh corn tortillas at Whole Foods in Hazelton Lanes in Yorkville (not sure where else though).
I used blue corn tortillas from Trader Joe’s for these tacos here but like using white and yellow corn tortillas too. I don’t discriminate, just appreciate.
The hot sauce is the secret ingredient here to keep the tacos somewhat authentic tasting – it’s smokey and delicious and I use copious amounts. D adds it to ketchup for a spicy ketchup-y dipping sauce for his grilled cheese sammies… so clever. Secret sauce no more. Go find it… Cholula and Tapatio are the best (Cholula ships to Canada!). Don’t you just love the dude on the Tapatio label? We use this one at home.
Fish tacos are typically garnished with shredded cabbage; I add a dollap of fresh guacamole (avocado dip) and/or pico de gallo (fresh condiment made from tomato and onion). To heat the tortillas, I pile them on a plate (max 5 at a time) and put a damp but not wet paper towel over them and microwave for about 30 – 45 seconds. Or if you have a tortilla warmer, use that instead (duh). Or you can individually heat them in a pan with a little spray oil.
You can use just about any firm white fish – I used sea bass here but have used halibut, cod, tilapia and trout in the past and all have been great. I really like the texture of the sea bass so that’s my preferred fish taco fish choice.
And of course, you don’t have to make all the condiments for the tacos. Store bought salsa or guacamole are great time saving options or you could just use a few slices of fresh avocado and/or tomato. That’s what makes this such a great meal – you can usually find enough of the basics to whip this up with just about anything you happen to have on hand.
PS – when cutting the jalapeno, de-seed them to reduce the heat factor as most of the heat is in the seeds. I also removed the white parts and dice the green, which adds flavour without too much heat. And don’t touch a jalapeno and then touch your eyes – your eyes will burn like crazy (trust me, I learned the hard way). Wear gloves or use a fork when handling jalapenos or any hot peppers.
PPS – I revised the recipe because I’ve started adding some tapioca powder or cornstarch to the spice mixture to coat the fish before pan frying. This gives the fish an amazing lightly crispy coating making these tacos even more delicious. Revised ingredients are underlined below.
Recipe (serves 2, about 5 – 6 tacos) ***Recipe revised***
Fast Fish Tacos
- 12 oz firm flesh white fish, cut into 1″ pieces (I used seabass for these ones)
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch or tapioca powder***
- Salt to taste
- 2 tsp canola oil, plus cooking spray or canola oil for the pan
- 1 lime
- 5 - 6 fresh corn tortillas
- Mexican hot sauce (optional)
- Coriander/cilantro leaves for garnish
- 1 to 2 cups finely sliced purple cabbage
Combine the fish, spices, cornstarch or tapioca powder, salt, and oil in a bowl and toss until fish is evenly coated. Heat a large non stick skillet to medium high heat and coat with cooking spray or canola oil. Add fish pieces to the pan without crowding – the fish should not touch the other pieces or the edge of the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes before flipping. Edges should start to crisp up. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until fish is cooked (depends on thickness of the fish). Remove from pan and squeeze fresh lime juice.
To heat corn tortillas by microwave, pile tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp but not wet paper towel and heat for 30 – 45 seconds. To heat on stove, spray a skillet with non-stick cookcing spray and warm tortillas until slightly crisp. Assemble and serve with sauces and garnishes of your choice.
Fresh Guacamole (serves 2)
- 1 medium ripe Hass avocados
- 1 Tbsp Spanish onion, finely diced
- 1 Tbsp finely minced coriander/cilantro
- 1 tsp fresh lime juice
- Pinch of cayenne or chili powder (optional)
- 1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced (optional)
- Salt to taste
Put all the ingredients into a bowl and mash. Serve chunky or smooth. Serve immediately.
Pico de Gallo (serves 2)
- 1 cup diced and de-seeded tomatoes (I used baby plum tomatos)
- 2 Tbsp Spanish onion, finely diced
- 1 jalapeno, de-seeded and finely diced (optional)
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- pinch of sugar
- Salt to taste
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
Growing up in Toronto, my exposure to Mexican food was limited to A) Taco Bell (fries supreme anyone??), B) Old El Paso taco kits and C) Cancun resort food (spring break at a 3 star = pepto bismal appetizers).
Fish tacos are pretty easy to find on a lot of restaurant menus, especially here in the Southwest. For a while, I thought that in order to get them, I had to go out to eat . But I figured out how to make them and now my fast fish tacos are a go-to meal when I want a yummy and healthful meal, with minimal effort.
Authentic Mexican? Um no. Infinitely better than Taco Bell/Old El Paso/Cancun all-you-can-eat? Si.
A note about corn tortillas: living in Scottsdale, Arizona is amazing for authentic Mexican food. Ingredients like Mexican hot sauce and fresh corn tortillas are staples in grocery stores but definitely harder to find in Toronto. I know they carry the fresh corn tortillas at Whole Foods in Hazelton Lanes in Yorkville (not sure where else though).
I used blue corn tortillas from Trader Joe’s for these tacos here but like using white and yellow corn tortillas too. I don’t discriminate, just appreciate.
The hot sauce is the secret ingredient here to keep the tacos somewhat authentic tasting – it’s smokey and delicious and I use copious amounts. D adds it to ketchup for a spicy ketchup-y dipping sauce for his grilled cheese sammies… so clever. Secret sauce no more. Go find it… Cholula and Tapatio are the best (Cholula ships to Canada!). Don’t you just love the dude on the Tapatio label? We use this one at home.
Fish tacos are typically garnished with shredded cabbage; I add a dollap of fresh guacamole (avocado dip) and/or pico de gallo (fresh condiment made from tomato and onion). To heat the tortillas, I pile them on a plate (max 5 at a time) and put a damp but not wet paper towel over them and microwave for about 30 – 45 seconds. Or if you have a tortilla warmer, use that instead (duh). Or you can individually heat them in a pan with a little spray oil.
You can use just about any firm white fish – I used sea bass here but have used halibut, cod, tilapia and trout in the past and all have been great. I really like the texture of the sea bass so that’s my preferred fish taco fish choice.
And of course, you don’t have to make all the condiments for the tacos. Store bought salsa or guacamole are great time saving options or you could just use a few slices of fresh avocado and/or tomato. That’s what makes this such a great meal – you can usually find enough of the basics to whip this up with just about anything you happen to have on hand.
PS – when cutting the jalapeno, de-seed them to reduce the heat factor as most of the heat is in the seeds. I also removed the white parts and dice the green, which adds flavour without too much heat. And don’t touch a jalapeno and then touch your eyes – your eyes will burn like crazy (trust me, I learned the hard way). Wear gloves or use a fork when handling jalapenos or any hot peppers.
PPS – I revised the recipe because I’ve started adding some tapioca powder or cornstarch to the spice mixture to coat the fish before pan frying. This gives the fish an amazing lightly crispy coating making these tacos even more delicious. Revised ingredients are underlined below.
Recipe (serves 2, about 5 – 6 tacos) ***Recipe revised***
Fast Fish Tacos
- 12 oz firm flesh white fish, cut into 1″ pieces (I used seabass for these ones)
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch or tapioca powder***
- Salt to taste
- 2 tsp canola oil, plus cooking spray or canola oil for the pan
- 1 lime
- 5 - 6 fresh corn tortillas
- Mexican hot sauce (optional)
- Coriander/cilantro leaves for garnish
- 1 to 2 cups finely sliced purple cabbage
Combine the fish, spices, cornstarch or tapioca powder, salt, and oil in a bowl and toss until fish is evenly coated. Heat a large non stick skillet to medium high heat and coat with cooking spray or canola oil. Add fish pieces to the pan without crowding – the fish should not touch the other pieces or the edge of the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes before flipping. Edges should start to crisp up. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until fish is cooked (depends on thickness of the fish). Remove from pan and squeeze fresh lime juice.
To heat corn tortillas by microwave, pile tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp but not wet paper towel and heat for 30 – 45 seconds. To heat on stove, spray a skillet with non-stick cookcing spray and warm tortillas until slightly crisp. Assemble and serve with sauces and garnishes of your choice.
Fresh Guacamole (serves 2)
- 1 medium ripe Hass avocados
- 1 Tbsp Spanish onion, finely diced
- 1 Tbsp finely minced coriander/cilantro
- 1 tsp fresh lime juice
- Pinch of cayenne or chili powder (optional)
- 1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced (optional)
- Salt to taste
Put all the ingredients into a bowl and mash. Serve chunky or smooth. Serve immediately.
Pico de Gallo (serves 2)
- 1 cup diced and de-seeded tomatoes (I used baby plum tomatos)
- 2 Tbsp Spanish onion, finely diced
- 1 jalapeno, de-seeded and finely diced (optional)
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- pinch of sugar
- Salt to taste
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
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