Tacos de Pescado

Fish tacos, a Baja-area Mexicali favorite, are an awesome (and healthy) alternative to the standard beef or chicken variety that we Arkansans are used to eating. Since the fish taco originated  in the Baja area, it doesn't adhere to the standard "tex-mex" flavor profile.  Instead, it contains a combination of  the fresh coastal flavors of the west coast. For some reason, however, the mere notion of substituting grilled fish for the usual taco meats causes some folks to draw back in horror.  I have trouble getting many of my friends to even try one.  I'm not sure why this is, but I think it's because people figure the fish is swapped in for the traditional meat and everything else is left as is. This is not so. Fish tacos have a flavor profile all their own due to multiple ingredients you just won't find on traditional tacos.

Good fish tacos always start with quality fish. I used cod, but mahi-mahi, tilapia, or even catfish work as well. The fish can be grilled or battered and fried based on your preference. I prefer fried, but grilled is still delicious and much healthier. Don't treat the fish like regular taco meat - overseasoning is not a good idea here. All one needs is salt, pepper, and some oil. After 3-4 minutes over med-high heat, your fish should have a crisp exterior and be flaky and tender on the inside.  The fish will provide a fresh "coastal" taste when combined with fresh pico de gallo, cabbage, and important fish taco ingredient #2 - the sauce. The baja sauce is crucial - good fish tacos become great when the sauce works in harmony with everything else on the taco. It should be tangy and light with a little bit of heat and typically starts with a mayo-yogurt and citrus juice base. I've included one recipe here, but try out other ingredients to make it your own. Adding chipotle would be a great start. 

I hope that this post will open up the minds and stomachs of those of you who currently shun the notion of a fish-filled tortilla. Give it a try. You'll be hooked (pun intended) after the first bite.

Baja Fish Tacos

Ingredients:

• 2lbs light, flaky fish fillets (mahi-mahi, cod, tilapia, etc.)
• salt, pepper, canola oil
• For pico de gallo: 
• 4 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped jalapeno peppers
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, lightly chopped
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• for baja sauce:
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced capers
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 10-12 tortillas (flour or corn)
• 3 cups shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix

In a large bowl, mix all pico ingredients together. Cover and set aside for one hour to let flavors combine. Mix ingredients for baja sauce together, cover and set aside for one hour to let flavors combine.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and place on middle rack. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until tortillas are soft.

Season fish fillets with salt and pepper and coat lightly with canola oil. Cook on the grill or a grill pan over medium high heat until fish is flaky and tender, 2-3 minutes per side. Cover fish and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Serve tacos family-style. Assemble starting with fish on the bottom, then pico de gallo, then cabbage, and top with baja sauce.

Easy Pot Roast

I'm back, and with me I bring another delicious dish from the slow cooker. During my weekly grocery run I found Boston butt (pork shoulder) at a deep discount at Kroger. I've used this cut before, but I've always prepared it BBQ-style. I wanted go with a more southern, "roast-style" flavor this time around, so I seasoned the shoulder with salt, pepper, and some McCormick's Montreal Steak seasoning and placed it in the fridge overnight. The next morning I put the shoulder into the slow cooker along with a couple of cups of beef broth, a little Worcestershire sauce, and some chopped veggies, set the heat to low, and let 'er cook all day while I was at work. When I got home I skimmed the fat out, threw the shoulder bone to the dog, pulled the meat out of the slow cooker and put it in a pan in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes to tighten the meat up a bit. While the meat was cooking I took some of the broth mixture from the cooker and made an au jous by boiling over high heat with some white wine, salt, and pepper until it had reduced by 3/4ths. Side note - if you have an immersion blender, you can add some of the fat and vegetables in with the broth and puree it smooth. It makes the au jous quite a bit tastier. I served the meat topped with the au jous and alongside mashed sweet potatoes. This was good stuff - real comfort food that was even better after a long day at work.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 8lb Pork shoulder
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Onion, sliced into quarters and separated
  
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 5 fingerling potatoes, halved
• salt & pepper
• McCormick's Montreal steak seasoning
• For mashed sweet potatoes:
• 3 sweet potatoes
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup milk 
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp nutmeg

Season exterior of pork shoulder with salt, pepper, and McCormick's seasoning, wrap with plastic and place in refrigerator overnight. The next day, place shoulder into slow cooker along with beef broth, Worcestershire, carrots, onions, and potatoes. Set cooker to low and allow to cook for 6-8 hours. Turn off and remove meat. Pull away loose fat and place in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. While meat is cooking, take 2 cups of leftover broth and bring to a boil along with 1/4 cup white wine, 1 tsp salt, and 2 tsp pepper. Allow to simmer until mixture has reduced by 3/4ths. Remove meat and serve topped with au jous.

Perfect Mashed Sweet Potatoes:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees Clean sweet potatoes, pierce with a fork all over, and cook for an hour or until insides of potatoes are soft. Remove potatoes from oven, peel off skin, and puree along with butter, milk, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Serve topped with butter and a dash of cinnamon.