fish tacos

I’m a lazy food blogger – I don’t make dinner at ten in the morning to get that perfect morning light. I only occasionally make my family wait so I can snap a picture of whatever we’re eating to blog the recipe later. I made these fish tacos several weeks ago, but we were having friends over for dinner so they look a little sad when they were so delicious. I say all this just to remind you not to judge a book by its cover – and make these fish tacos soon!

Fish tacos
A Sara original – these are not complicated, but they do require several steps, so I’m trying to break them down accordingly

The fish:

2 pounds white fish (Earth Fare was having a great sale on Dover Sole a few weeks ago, which was delicious and what led to this meal from the beginning. Tilipia or Mahi Mahi would be other obvious choices)

I sauteed the fish in a little bit of olive oil and butter in a hot cast iron pan. I had planned to grill them, but it was raining that night. Sauteed was delicious, but I’m sure grilled would have been as good or better.

For the cabbage slaw:

1/2 head red cabbage, sliced
1/2 red onion, diced
A few “cubes” worth (3 tablespoons) of cilantro pesto
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice of one lime

After slicing the cabbage, I like to salt it and then put it in a colander for at least an hour. This helps to release some of the water that cabbage typically holds. Then assemble the cilantro pesto, olive oil, and lime and thoroughly mix your ingredients (I usually just put them in a small jar with a lid and shake vigorously). Pour the dressing over the cabbage and red onion and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes so the flavors meld together.

For the chipotle dressing:

1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 chipotle pepper from chipotle in adobo, minced
1 tbsp sauce from chipotle in adobo

Mix all of the ingredients thoroughly and set out as a condiment to be added to the tacos.

For the guacamole:

2 ripe avocados, peeled 1/4 cup small red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of one lime
1 jalapeno (adjust depending on how spicy you like it)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Mash the avocado and then add the remaining ingredients.

To serve, I just put out each separate “item,” and let people add for themselves. I served it with a black bean salad and green salad on the side. Once summer hits, I’ll add some homemade pico de gallo and sweet corn. These are, of course, so easy to modify based on what you have on hand (although I think the guac and chipotle dressing are staples for these at our house!).

I also have a secret to share: I used to make my own tortillas, which were delicious, but I happened upon the uncooked ones (you just cook/grill them at home for a few minutes on a side) at Costco with a simple and decent ingredient list once. I really can’t tell the difference in taste, mine weren’t really any healthier, and the Costco ones are much prettier, so until further notice, I’m throwing in the towel on homemade tortillas.