Fish Tacos

After a week of spring cleaning, I was completely lazy on Friday and did next to nothing.  I felt like putting the girls to bed, having a nice in-home date night with my husband: ordering some food, watching our show we missed the night before.  Just relaxing.  But then I started looking at the different menus.  And the more I learn to cook, the less happy I am with take out food.  I was looking at Cactus Club, Earls, those kinds of places.  But as I added the prices in my head and anticipated the disappointing food...I changed my mind.  I decided to pick a recipe that was over a normal nightly dinner budget but still well under a take out amount.  One of my husband's favourite treats is fish tacos.  So that's what we did.  Unfortunately, the fish market was closed that day because it was moving.  And Thriftys only had Halibut fresh, everything else was frozen or previously frozen.  I was looking for Tilapia or cod- something cheaper than Halibut since it was going in a taco.  So here is a simple, lovely recipe for some fish tacos.  But I suggest using something cheaper than Halibut since it's being topped with salsa anyways.

Ingredients:

1 lb white fish
cajun seasoning (the recipe for my favourite is found HERE)
butter
small tortillas (6-8, depending on how much fish you put in each one)
shredded cabbage
Pico de Gallo
Sauce

Pico de Gallo
5 roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
handful of cilantro, chopped
half a jalapeno, finely diced (optional)
salt
1 lime, juiced

Sauce
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream (Greek yogurt is delicious as a substitute if you’re not a fan of sour cream)
1/2 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
1-2 limes, cut in half
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder
1 hot pepper of your choice, seeded and minced (jalapeno is what I used).
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped


Directions:

Whisk sauce ingredients together; put in fridge for at least an hour.

Combine your pico de gallo ingredients.  Add salt and lime juice to taste.  Set aside till ready to assemble tacos.

Pat your fish dry, and make sure the skin is removed.  I cut mine into fillet strips- you could also cook your fish whole and then cut it.  I dusted mine with cajun seasoning- you could choose whatever you like.  Dip your fillets in melted butter and then place in a hot pan, over medium heat.  Let them cook for a 3-5 minutes per side depending on thickness.  Cut one in half to observe the doneness if you're unsure.  It should be moist and completely opaque white.  Taste it even, you'll know if it's done.  Don't over cook your fish.

Assemble tacos: take a tortilla, add fish, cabbage, sauce and salsa (pico de gallo).  Enjoy!
I served along side some lime cilantro rice, recipe found HERE.  I haven't uploaded it to my blog yet because I keep forgetting to take a picture.  It is delicious though!

Salmon Cakes

(even my 7 month old daughter loves these)
http://www.cbc.ca/bestrecipes/2010/01/salmon-cakes.html

Ingredients:

2 large potatoes, peeled, diced, cooked
2 cans of salmon
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill or cilantro (original recipe calls for cilantro but last time I used dill, both are yummy)
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp each of hot sauce, lemon zest and black pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp oil


Directions:

Cook potatoes. In large bowl, mash potatoes until smooth; stir in onions, cilantro/dill, mustard, salt, lemon rind, pepper and hot pepper sauce and oil. Blend in egg. Fold in salmon. Let cool for 5 minutes.
Using hands, shape into eight 3/4-inch (2 cm) thick patties- you want to think baseball patties; they need to be thick so they don't fall apart when cooking.
In large nonstick skillet, heat a little oil over medium-high heat; cook 4 of the patties for about 5 minutes per side or until a nice golden crust forms. Repeat with remaining patties.

Serve with lemon wedges and either Lemon Garlic Aioli or Tartar Sauce.


Lemon Garlic Aioli

Ingredients:
-1/2 c mayo
-1 clove garlic, minced/grated
-1 tbsp oil
-1 tbsp lemon juice
-1/4 tsp salt
-dash hot sauce

Directions:
In bowl, whisk together mayo, garlic, oil, lemon juice, salt and hot pepper sauce.  You can refrigerate for up to 24 hrs.



Tartar Sauce

Ingredients:
-1/2 c mayo
-1 1/2 tbsp relish
-1 1/2 tbsp minced/grated onion
-1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
-salt and pepper to taste

Directions:-whisk everything together or put in a food processor and mix together
-TRY to refrigerate for at least one hour before serving

Shrimp Po' Boy Sandwich

For 2 Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• For the Po Boy:
• 2/3 cup Buttermilk
• 1/8 cup of your favorite Louisiana red hot sauce
• 4 tablespoon Creole/Cajun Spice (Cajun Spice Blend Recipe)
• about 12 jumbo shrimp/prawns
• 3/4 cup cornmeal
• 3/4 cup All-purpose flour
• Vegetable oil for frying
• Salt and pepper
• 2 Lengths of po'boy bread split lengthwise (6-8 inch lengths) -your favourite sub bun
• mayo/butter for toasting bread
• 1 Medium tomato (thinly sliced)
• Shredded lettuce (for garnish)
• sauce for sandwich (I've used the 2 following sauces- jalapeno aoili [http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Shrimp-Po-Boy-Emeril-Lagasse] and remoulade sauce [http://www.food.com/recipe/stans-place-shrimp-po-boy-127016]- both delicious!

Directions:

-Combine the buttermilk, hot sauce, and half of the cajun spices in a medium mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the shrimp and allow to marinate for up to 30 minutes, refrigerated.
-In a separate medium bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, and remaining cajun spices and stir to blend.
-Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy pot or deep-fryer until the temperature reaches 360° F. You can also shallow fry in a pan. Working in batches, remove the shrimp from the buttermilk marinade and transfer to the masa harina mixture. Dredge to coat, shaking to remove any excess breading. Cook the shrimp, in small batches, until golden brown and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to paper towels to drain. Season with salt and pepper or a little more of the cajun spice blend if you want to really make it spicy and delicious and set aside.  Repeat with the remaining shrimp.
-Spread the bottom and top halves of the bread with the melted butter or mayo and then put in a hot pan to toast up. Generously spread the top halves of the toasted bread with the Jalapeno Mayonnaise or Remoulade sauce. Divide the shrimp evenly among the bottom halves followed by the lettuce and tomatoes (add any other veggies). Place the top halves of the bread over the fillings and press lightly.  Cut each sandwich in half and serve immediately.

you can see two of the shrimp on the plate- this is what they should look like. served with onion rings.

Jambalaya

Michael Symon's recipe: http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Jambalaya-Michael-Symon

This recipe isn't hard but takes some time.  Spicy and delicious!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound Andouille Sausage or Polish Kielbasa (Sliced) - I used hot italian sausage
• 1/2 pound Chicken Thighs (Bone-In) -I used some drumsticks I had in the freezer
• 1/2 pound Shrimp (Peeled and Deveined with tails removed)
• 3 tablespoon Smoked Paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne
• Olive Oil
• 1 1/2 cup Onion (small diced)
• 1 cup Celery (Small Diced)
• 1 cup Green Bell Pepper (Small Diced)
• 3 Cloves Garlic (Minced)
• 1 Large Jalapeño (seeds and ribs removed and then minced)
• 1/4 teaspoon Chili Flakes
• 14 1/2 ounces Can Petite Diced Tomatoes
• 2 cup Chicken Stock
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 1/2 cup White Rice
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 Lemon (Juice and Zest)
• 1/2 cup Scallions (Sliced Finely)

Directions:

Place the chicken in a mixing bowl and place the shrimp in another mixing bowl. Mix together the smoked paprika and cayenne.  Add 1 tablespoon of this mixture to the chicken and 1 tablespoon to the shrimp along with some salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Set aside the chicken and refrigerate the shrimp, as it is not used until later. Set aside the rest of the spice mixture.

Place a Dutch oven (or big soup pot) over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil along with the sausage. Sear the sausage until it is golden brown, about 2 minutes.
-If you are using a raw sausage like I did, see Rachael Ray's trick to easily cooking sausage:
http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/back-basics-braised-sausage/

Remove the sausage to a plate, then add the chicken with another tablespoon of olive oil. When the chicken is seared on all sides, remove it to a plate.  

Then add 2 tablespoon of olive oil to the same pan. Add the onion, celery, and green pepper with a large pinch of salt and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, and then add the garlic and jalapeno.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for another 3 minutes.

Next add the rest of the smoked paprika mixture, the chili flakes, tomatoes, chicken stock, Worcestershire and rice. Add the sausage and chicken back to the pot. Stir and add the bay leaves. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. In the meantime, take your shrimp out of the refrigerator to take the chill off.

After 15 minutes, remove the lid and stir gently, then fold in the shrimp. Turn the heat off, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes. After ten minutes, add the lemon juice and zest and any additional salt and pepper if needed. Spoon into bowls and garnish with scallions.

South Indian Shrimp Curry

Great Recipe- almost made no changes- sometimes I just increase the seasonings cause I find it a little on the mild side.  In this recipe it is important to add your spices in the beginning, before the liquid, to cook out the grittiness.
http://www.mediterrasian.com/delicious_recipes_curry.htm

2 tablespoons canola or peanut oil

1 onion—chopped

2 cloves garlic—finely chopped

1 teaspoon finely grated ginger (I use 1 1/2 tsp)

2 teaspoons cumin (1 use 3 tsp)

1½ teaspoons tumeric (I use 2 tsp)

1 teaspoon paprika (I use 1 1/2 tsp)

½ teaspoon chili powder (I use 1 tsp)

1 cup canned tomatoes—chopped

1 cup coconut milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup basmati rice

16 large uncooked shrimp (prawns)—peeled

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and cook the onion for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, paprika and chili powder and cook, stirring, for a minute. Add the tomatoes, coconut milk and salt and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 8 minutes. While the curry simmers, cook the rice. Add the shrimp and cilantro to the curry, cover with a lid, and simmer for another 4 minutes, then stir in the lemon juice. Serve on a bed of rice with RAITA.


RAITA
http://www.mediterrasian.com/delicious_recipes_raita.htm

1 cup plain thick yogurt (Greek-style yogurt is best)

½ cup finely chopped cucumber—peeled and deseeded

1 clove garlic—minced (crushed)

2 teaspoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt Mix till combined.