Fish Tacos

This is my version of a recent Food & Wine featured recipe for fish tacos with lime guacamole and cabbage slaw. I've spiced mine up slightly, and reduced the lime juice by half, cutting the lime flavor with the rice vinegar keeps the proper acidity balance, but doesn't over power the fish with too much lime. This is a great summertime recipe, everything is light and fresh tasting. The crisp and just slightly spiced fish goes well against the acidity and crunch of the slaw and the creamy texture of the guacamole. Cheese is an optional add, but is not necessary for these tacos.


Ingredients
1. 2 lbs tilapia filets - about 8 or 9 individual filets, can use the frozen pre-packaged filets - thaw in a bowl of cold water for 2 or 3 hours in the fridge
2. 10-20 small tortillas - warmed, either in a small pan over low heat or put them in the microwave for 30-45 seconds, covered with a slightly damp paper towel
3. 1 cup prepared guacamole - use fresh or organic if available, it's much better than the jar off the shelf
4. 1/4 large red or white onion - minced
5. 2 small wax peppers - or if you prefer spicy, 2 small poblano chilies - sliced/julienned
6. 2 medium tomatoes - thinly sliced
7. 1 small head of napa cabbage - shredded (about 4 cups)
8. Seasoning for napa slaw - 2 Tbsp EVOO or canola oil, 1 Tbsp lime juice, 1 Tbsp rice vinegar, 1/2 tsp seasoned salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1/4 tsp onion powder
9. Seasoning for fish - 2 tsp lemon-pepper blend, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp seasoned salt
10. Hot sauce - to taste

Directions
1. After thinly slicing the napa, peppers, and onion into long shredded strips - toss them all in a large salad bowl with the oil, lime juice, and rice vinegar, salt and pepper.
2. Wash the fish under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Brush the filets with a little bit of extra oil and sprinkle with the seasoning, both sides.
3. Either pan fry the fish on the stove top, or grill over medium-high heat. For this recipe the fish should be crispy but not dry. Flip as needed to avoid burning, and cook for about 10-12 minutes. After removing the fish from the pan or grill (if pan frying plan on cooking the fish in 2 or 3 batches), let rest for a few minutes, then slice length-wise into thin strips.
4. Assemble the tacos - 1 tsp of guacamole in each tortilla, top with 2-3 slices of fish, a slice of tomato, and a large spoonful of the napa slaw. Hot sauce to taste.

Easy Chicken Provencal

2 Tbsp. EVOO

2 Md. sweet onions - diced

6 cloves garlic - minced

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - halved

1 can fat free, low sodium chicken broth (16 oz.)

2-3 cans stewed tomatoes (30 ozs. total)

1 small celery heart - chopped

2 sprigs thyme - chopped, save stem

2 sprigs rosemary - chopped, save stem

1 tsp ground thyme

1 tsp ground rosemary

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 c. red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. paprika

Parsley - chopped, for color

In a large soup pot, heat 1 Tbsp. EVOO over medium-high heat.

Season the chicken breasts with the paprika, chopped sprigs of rosemary and thyme.

Add the seasoned chicken breasts to the bottom of the pot, searing until just solid white around the edges, turning once - about 5 minutes.

Remove the chicken and set aside, add the onions, celery, and peppers to the pot, along with 1 Tbsp. EVOO. Season with remaining spices.

Saute for 10 minutes, add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.  Deglaze the bottom of the pot with the red wine vinegar.

Add stewed tomatoes, broth and chicken breasts, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 60 minutes, stirring lightly every 15 minutes.

Serve in bowls with freshly toasted bread, a tomato-herb italian or asiago cheese bread works very well here.

Garlic-Wine Pasta with Shrimp

OK, so this one is pretty easy, I adapted this from a magazine article, but my wife and I have grown tired of tomato based sauce (it's really hell on my ulcer too).

You can do the prep work yourself, or simply buy the prepared, pre-cooked frozen shrimp, either way.  Personally, if you get larger shrimp, raw, and then peel, devein and cook them yourself, I think the taste is much better.

4-5 cups whole wheat pasta 

(I prefer rotini or penne, but the presentation looks a little nicer with angel hair or fettucini)

1 pound shrimp 

(10-12 or 15-20 count)

2 whole cloves garlic 

(finely chopped)

1 chopped whole scallion

(green and white)

1/2 - 3/4 cup white wine

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp. seasoned salt 

(or sea salt, or seafood seasoning blend, your choice)

1/2 red bell pepper

(diced)

2 Tbsp. butter

Cook pasta in boiling water according to instructions on box/package.

While pasta is cooking - heat EVOO in large skillet/fry pan over medium-medium high heat.

Add bell pepper and cook until just browned around the edges, about 2 minutes.

Add garlic and cook for another minute, stirring continually.

Add shrimp, crushed red pepper, scallions and 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt - cook for 2 minutes.

Add white wine and simmer for another 2 minutes, or at least until shrimp are opaque, add butter and stir until melted.

Drain pasta and return to empty pan, toss pasta in pan with shrimp and seasonings.

[On a totally different feel, you could add 1/2 tsp. of rosemary and substitute red wine for the white.] 

Surf & Turf Menu

I made this for some holiday or family get together, can't really remember which. No one complained, regardless of reason. While this 'menu' is admittedly a little more pricey, each of the recipes can easily be made seperately.

(I made this menu without a grill, obviously, everything here can easily be grilled, even the sweet potato fries if you put them in a foil packet)

Beef Tenderloin

1-2 lb. loin (or individual filets, 1-2” thick)
½ lb. proscuitto (or bacon, I prefer turkey bacon here)
2 c. brown sugar
1 c. soy (low Na)
1 Tbsp. Worchestshire

Marinade for 1-2 hrs.
Wrap loin in proscuitto/bacon, using toothpicks to pin ends in place
Wrap individual filets around the circumference
Sea salt and course ground black pepper

Roast for 20-40 min. @ 350 F – depending on desired doneness (I always like my beef more juicy, so I would usually roast for 20-25 minutes only)

For individual filets, with about 2 minutes remaining, place a small slice (~ ¼”) of butter on top of each filet (herbed butter works really well here! but plain is quite good too)


Crab Cakes

2 lb. crab (jumbo lump, backfin preferred)
½ c. oyster crackers (finely crushed)
1 large egg
½ tsp. Tabasco
2 tsp. seafood seasoning
1 tsp. Worchestshire
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. prepared spicy brown mustard
1 tbsp. mayo (light works fine)
½ tsp. chopped green onion (completely optional, I just like the little extra, plus the color)

Place on sheet or plate, drizzle with drawn (or clarified, your choice) butter
Broil on low for 8-10 min.


Roasted Sweet Potato Fries

1.5 lb. sweet potato (cut into wedges or strips)
3 tbsp. EVOO
1 tsp. Mrs. Dash
½ tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. white pepper

Coat sweet potatoes in EVOO and seasonings evenly
Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer
Roast for 40 min. @ 350 F


Basil and Garlic Sea Scallops

1-2 lbs. sea scallops
1 tsp. chopped, dried basil
1 tsp. chopped, dried oregano
½ tsp. garlic powder

Skewer 3-4 scallops together (use bamboo or wood skewers that have been soaked in cold water for at least an hour)

Drizzle with drawn butter and seasoning mixture
Fry (or grill, everything is really better on the grill) on medium-high heat until the edge just starts to get opaque (~30-45 seconds)
Flip and repeat
Bake for 5-7 min. @ 350 F