This post is dedicated to the ever talented and wise Todd Wilken: who is a self confessed lover of cats and fish tacos. We owe a debt of gratitude to Todd, Jeff and Craig for their tireless committment to ‘equipping the priesthood of all believers‘. You can subscribe to their podcasts on iTunes or listen directly from IssuesEtc.org. They faithfully proclaim the gospel every day through a variety of current issues and theological topics and have a highly qualified panel of guests. Todd posted a very funny facebook stream about fish tacos and it inspired me to write a little tutorial. So here ya go. Fish tacos ‘for the thinking christian’.
I first had fish tacos in Des Moines when Stevie and I were visiting Malachi, Savannah, Marcus and Nicholas. As we walked into the little dive by the water, I was skeptical. I like tacos and I love fish. But fish tacos? Really? But I’m a professing foodie so I’ll try almost anything. They were absolutely divine and I’ve been working on my fish taco skillz ever since. If you’re beginning to wonder whether or not this is a food blog, just know that I want to post a recipe everyday and often restrain myself. Everyday when I’m making dinner, I think, “Oh how my friends would love this recipe.” But then my children start whining about how hungry they are and beg me to stop taking photos of the food. Maybe I need a food blog. And maybe you need to try fish tacos.
Oh and give this a listen while you make them!
Here’s what you need:
Lime cilantro cole slaw
Seasoned black beans and rice
Beer battered and fried fish
Pico de gallo or homeade salsa
Lime Cilantro Cole Slaw:
Mix one bag of angel hair coleslaw with the zest and juice of one lime, a handful of cilantro chopped, one large tablespoon of miracle whip, 1/2 t. sugar, 1/2 t vinegar, and one large tablespoon of regular mayo or sour cream and salt to taste. Mix well and let sit until ready to use. Before you serve it, taste it and reseason if needed.
Seasoned Black Beans and Rice:
Drain two cans of black beans. To the drained beans, add salt to taste, 2 t. of ground cumin, 1 t. of garlic and herb seasoning, and 1 cup of cooked rice. Mix well. Top with 1 cup of cheddar cheese and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
Beer Battered Fish:
I use Paula Deens’ recipe for the fish. I buy frozen tilapia, thaw it and cut it into small-ish pieces. And I fry in peanut oil. It makes all the difference. Besides seasoning the fish before I dip it in the beer batter, I also sprinkle it with a little Lawry’s seasoned salt after it comes out of the fryer. Keep everyone out of the kitchen when the fish comes out or it’ll be all gone before you can assemble the tacos.
Homeade salsa {winter version}
Salsa is not quite as fun in the winter without fresh tomatoes. But here’s a pretty darn good version of fresh salsa without fresh tomatoes.
Drain one large (28 oz) can of Cento roma tomatoes. These are whole romas. Add them to your food processor or blender along with 1 seeded jalapeno (or less if you don’t like heat), 1 peeled avocado, 3 cloves of garlic peeled, the juice of two limes, 1/2 red onion, 1 T. honey, salt and pepper to taste, and a big handful of cilantro. I also added a little squirt of sriracha for more heat. Pulse until it’s well mixed.
You’re almost there. Take small soft taco tortillas and heat them gently in the microwave and then layer all your yummy ingredients; fish, black beans and rice, slaw and then salsa. Serve with your favorite beverage to your favorite people. And enjoy!
