Fish Tacos with Tangy Slaw and Tomatillo Salsa

Fish Tacos

The other day I asked Ben what he wanted me to make for dinner.  I made it clear that I wanted to make something quick and easy.  His response, "fish tacos."  Well I'm glad he has the confidence in my culinary skills to think that I can whip up fresh fish tacos in no time, and that we would have all the available ingredients.  That night we ate dinner out.  However, I did make fish tacos for him this week.  It was not a hard task by any means, but it takes a bit longer than 30 minutes to prepare.  Next time I make these I'm going to make the slaw and salsa in the afternoon.  That way all I have to do is marinate the fish and cook when we are ready to eat. These tacos were a light and refreshing spring meal.

Tomatillo Salsa

 Need 

1lb. tomatillos washed and husked
1 large shallot or 1 small onion quartered
3 gloves garlic
1 T. Olive oil
1 small can organic green chillies
juice of 1 lime
2 t. chili powder
Salt & Pepper
Cilantro

Prepare

Preheat oven to 400.

Spread the tomatillos, garlic, and shallot on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle with a small amount of olive oil and pinch of salt.  Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the tomatillos are extremely soft.

Once the main ingredients are roasted, place them into a food processor (juices and all).  Combine all ingredients and pulse until the salsa is mixed, but still chunky.  Since I'm not a huge cilantro fan, I added a small amount.  If cilantro is your vice, go crazy and add as much as you would like.  This recipe will make more salsa than you need, but it is a great salsa to enjoy with tortilla chips.

 Salsa in the food processor

 Tangy Slaw 

Need

1/2 bag of premade coleslaw (or you can shred you own)
3 T. sour cream
1 t. celery salt
2 T. Olive Oil
juice of 1/2 lime
1 capful vinegar
1 scallion chopped
2 T. juice from pickled jalapenos 
Sea Salt
Pepper

Prepare

Combine above ingredients and mix.  Add salt and pepper according to your taste.  Personally, I think a peppery coleslaw is best.

Finished coleslaw

 Fish Marinade

Need

1 lb. cod (or other white fish)
2 T. taco seasoning (I had some already made: chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper)
4 T. olive oil
juice of 1 lime
1 t. fresh cilantro chopped

Prepare

Prepare marinade in a bowl by whisking together ingredients above.  Cut the fish filets into small pieces appropriate for taco shells.  I cut mine into  1-2 inch long strips.  Place the fish into the bowl, cover, and refrigerate.  Marinate no longer than 30 minutes.  Fish is a very delicate protein.  If it marinates longer, the acid breaks down the protein too much and you could end up with mush.

Using a flat top pan, heat a small amount of olive oil on medium heat.  Add the fish to the pan and cook roughly 3 minutes a side.  Fish does not need to cook very long.  To make sure the fish is cooked, take a fork and peel away the layers.  You will know it is cooked through when the fish flakes away.  Using a tong, place the fish to a platter.  

Cook 3 minutes a side

Ready for the tortilla

We assembled our tacos: fish, slaw, salsa, and topped with a few pickled jalapenos.  Instead of chips and salsa I sauteed fresh corn and green peppers in a small amount of ghee. 

 You can cut out more carbs by omitting the flour shell and replacing it with a lettuce wrap. 

Pecan Crusted Catfish and Sweet Potato Wedges

Lent has inspired me to venture into the seafood world. I usually make fish on the grill because it's easy: marinate, grill, and serve. Although the weather has been telling us it's grilling season, we have not fired up the grill just yet. The other night I made a "breaded" catfish and served it with sweet potato wedges. You could use the same recipe for a different white fish like cod or use it for chicken breasts. Of course it is no fish n' chips or fried fish basket, but it still taste good!


Need for Fish

1 1/2 c. pecans
1 t. dried thyme
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. garlic salt
1 t. pepper
2 pinches cayenne pepper
4 small catfish filets
2 eggs beaten
Olive Oil

Need for Sweet Potatoes

3 sweet potatoes (to serve 4 people)
1 t. chili powder
1 t. sea salt
1 t. black pepper
olive oil
pinch of cinnamon

Prepare

Preheat oven to 425.

Potatoes

Wash and cut the sweet potatoes. Transfer the sweet potatoes to a foiled cookie sheet. Drizzle a decent amount of olive oil on the potatoes. Using your hands make sure each potato has some. Sprinkle on the chili powder, sea salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Bake for 40 minutes. Flip the potatoes once after 20 minutes.










You can cut the potatoes however you want. I cut them into wedges, which required a longer cooking time. If your potatoes are smaller, reduce cooking time. For a crispier potato arrange the potatoes facing up on the skins. This method does not require flipping.

Catfish

1. Using a food processor finely grind up the pecans and transfer to a shallow dish.
2. Add the seasonings ( thyme, oregano, garlic salt, pepper, cayenne) to the dish and mix.
3. In a large frying pan or flat top pan heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil on medium high heat.
4. Create an assembly line to bread the fish. The pecan mixture, two beaten eggs, and catfish.
5. When the oil is hot, bread the filets. Dip one filet at a time in the egg mixture then coat with pecan mixture in the shallow dish. Transfer the filet to the hot oiled pan.















6. Cook on medium-high heat for about 4-5 minutes a side. My catfish filets were extremely large, so they took about 6 minutes a side. I flipped them over when I could see the sides of the filets turning white. You may want to add more olive oil to the pan as the filets cook.

Serve the catfish with sweet potato wedges and your favorite vegetable!