Fish Tacos (hehe)

I'm having some trouble uploading the photos for this one.... so I'm not sure how this post is going to come out. But in the meantime, the photos are grainy because it was definitely dinner time when we had this. Enough with the explanations!! On to the post!!!

I rarely (read once, when I made Alton's Ramen recipe from I'm Just Here for the Food V.2.0) make fish. But I'd been really wanting to make fish tacos ever since I found this post on making tortillas on One Particular Kitchen. Wow! I said. That looks amazing! I said. And Easy! I finished.

And it was! This was one of the easiest meals I ever made. I whipped up a marinade for my tilapia (the only white fish I found at whole foods for some reason. I wanted mahi-mahi, but alas. That's okay, tilapia is a'ight) consisting basically of cilantro, a bit of Serrano pepper, olive oil, and lime juice (and some other stuff but you can look at the recipe for that). It made the fish taste flavourful but not overpowering-- and the fish, of course, was fresh enough (Thank you Whole Foods) that it didn't have that fishiness to it. Which is good, because that really turns me off to fish.

I was actually allergic to seafood growing up. I would get a minor rash if I held it and feel like throwing up if I ate it. Somewhere during my teen years or after I turned 18 or something it stopped-- I remember holding a shrimp in High School as a Freshman and getting a really itchy red rash on my hand/arm. I then ate shrimp in college and was fine and never looked back. I like shrimp. I like some fish. I love lobster (mmm, especially in bisque form).

But this is about fish tacos.

When I move out to California I had decided it was something I had to try. My first introduction was through like... uhh, Rubios Tacos? I think. And they were alright-- I mean, it is fast food fish tacos.

But yeah, seeing the post definitely struck my interest. It's been tough getting Jeff to want to eat fish at home. He's not a huuuuge fish fan (though a big shrimp fan) and making fish at home has always made me nervous. But after this I think I might do it more often.

So this actually came to be a myriad of recipes. It was the flour tortillas from the aforementioned post, my own sort of marinade for the fish, and then strawberry salsa from Raw Epicurean as well as a spicyish cilantro dressing which made a nice flavor for my tacos, Jeff didn't use any.
The strawberry salsa was excellent. Really, I didn't expect the strawberries to replace the usual tomato so effectively. Surpriiiise!! I think that the strawberry salsa may have even been my favourite.

And the tortillas, they were surprisingly simple to make. It's really just mix and make. Anyway I think I'll stop rambling now. I'm not sure what else to say about them other than SO GOOD EAT THEM NOW. Also, healthy! Probably one of our healthiest dinners in awhile.


Strawberry Salsa
Recipe halved from Raw Epicurean

1 cup chopped strawberries
1/4 c chopped onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp lime juice
1/8 tsp sea salt

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Gently would be good. Done! This can be made in advance, but I think it's best fresh.

Cilantro Dressing
Recipe derived from Raw Epicurean

1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 serrano chile pepper, minced
1/8 tsp salt

Combine in blender and puree until thoroughly mixed.

Marinated Tilapia for Fish Tacos

1/8 c olive oil
1 lime juiced
sea salt and pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 serrano pepper, chopped

Combine the olive oil, lime juice, paprika, cumin, and serrano chile. Rub the tilapia filets with salt and pepper then allow to sit in the marinade for at least 20 minutes. Heat a pan on medium heat and spray with nonstick spray. Cook fish for a few minutes on each side, until starting to brown and the fish becomes flaky.

Fresh Tortillas
Recipe halved from One Particular Kitchen who got it elsewhere

1 1/8 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/4 + 1/8 cup hot milk

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and vegetable oil. Mix in the hot milk and mix until thoroughly combined. Keep mixing/kneading for 5-6 minutes until tender. Separate into 6 sections and flatten into discs. Roll these discs out until extremely thin. Fry on a very hot pan, for only 30 seconds each side. Keep on a warm plate (warmed by steam is very good because it keeps them moist). Serve.


To assemble your fish tacos.... take your tortillas. Take your fish. Take some lettuce, cheese (we used cheddar), avocado, and top with strawberry salsa and a bit of cilantro. Add some sour cream for good measure. Consume.

Comments

Scuttles said…
Wow, I definitely want to try this out! If only I could find a good market. Damned impossible to get certain fresh herbs around here ffffff.
Anonymous said…
Ooh I love your take on this! Looks great! And mahi is impossible to find right now out here too. Lame.
Stephanesia said…
Wow! Thanks for dropping by! Well I'm glad that Mahi isn't only hidden on this coast. What's up with that?!
Very lame.
What fish did you use for yours??
Anonymous said…
Erm... some kinda snapper? The Yankee went on a fishing trip down to Gulf Shores and returned with a ridiculous amount of fish. We divided it up into ziploc bags for the freezer... and failed to label any of it. Ha! How's that for helpful?

And what is UP with the mahi thing anyway? It's my favorite, too.