A Quick Lunch of Fish Tacos

Tags

cilantro, corn, fish, lime, Mexican, seafood, tacos, tilapia, tortilla

Tonight is the Academy Awards ceremony. I confess I rarely watch and I have no plans to tonight. One video short caught my eye – Fresh Guacamole by PES.

I have no idea if it’s Oscar worthy but I think it’s fun. The only thing I would add to the guac is cilantro. I wonder what the illustrator would have chosen to represent it? Lego palm trees? Model train landscaping?

This next video, entitled What If Animals Ate Fast Food, is pretty cool too. I don’t think it’s nominated for anything but it made me laugh.

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I have never been one to eat boring food. Until recently, I didn’t even eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Not even as a kid (though now my palate appreciates the salty/sweet combo). When I am home and it is lunch time, I either eat leftovers or I create something quick and tasty. Pasta with pesto and various veggies. A sandwich on good bread, with quality meats and cheeses, loaded with flavor and veggies.

Food is as much about nourishment as it is about flavor and satisfaction. People overeat because what they eat is not very tasty. They compensate by eating more to fill the void. How many times have you found yourself reaching the bottom of a bowl of microwave popcorn and thinking “Jeez, I ate all that already?” Mindless eating at it’s finest.

These quick tacos take no more than 5 minutes hands on time and about 10 minutes baking time. The result is tasty and healthy. The cost to you is minimal.

Quick Fish Tacos

• 1 tilapia fillet
• Lemon pepper seasoning
• Salt
• Pam
• 2 corn tortillas
• 1/2 avocado
• Toppings – cilantro, onion, lime juice, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Spray the bottom of a small glass baking dish with Pam. Place the fillet in the pan. Sprinkle the desired amount of salt and lemon pepper seasoning on the fish. Spray top of fish with more Pam. Bake until fish is flaky (8 to 10 minutes).

Steam your two corn tortillas between two moistened paper towels for about 20 seconds in the microwave. Place half of the fillet in each tortilla. Top with your avocado and other desired toppings. I used cilantro, onion, and lime juice. Serves 1.

Fish Chowder

Tags

chowder, cod, cream, fish, gluten free, soup, tilapia

The hubby usually is not a soup fan. “It is not heavy enough,” he says. This chowder, however, did manage to get a stamp of approval.

Fish Chowder (a variation of this recipe from NPR)

• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 1/3 cup butter
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, microplaned
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 8 to 10 baby potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices or 1/2-inch dice
• 3 cups fish or shrimp stock
• 2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless fish fillets
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cook bacon in a heavy soup pot, over low heat, stirring, until beginning to crisp. Add the butter, onions, bay leaves, garlic, and thyme and cook, stirring, until the onions are tender but not browned.

Add the potatoes and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender. Remove the bay leaves and stir in the fish fillets and cream. Simmer (do not boil!) until the fish is cooked through and beginning to flake, 8 to 10 minutes. The fish will come apart in large chunks. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Garnish with the parsley. Serves 6.

Pan Fried Tilapia

Tags

fish, food, fried, Southern, tilapia

Many people batter their fish with heavy batters. Not our family. This cornmeal crust allows all the wonderful flavors and textures of a good white fish to shine through. No bulky, greasy batters for me.

Pan Fried Tilapia

• 6 fillets of tilapia or other delicate white fish
• 1 cup plain white cornmeal (NOT the mix!)
• Spices to taste (salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic, etc.)
• Oil for frying
• Cast Iron Skillet

On a plate, cover each side of the fish with a decent coating of the cornmeal and spices. Fry in hot oil until flaky. Serve with Black Pepper and Caper Tartar Sauce. Serves 4.

Grilled Tilapia with Jalapeno Pesto (and an Award!)

Tags

food, grilled, jalapeno, Mexican, pesto, summer, tilapia

First off, let me thank Adventures of a Cake Diva for nominating Annashortcakes for  the Inspiring Blog Award!

Two awards in a month! How lucky am I! I am so happy that this blog has reached others in a positive way. I hope I continue to be inspiring to you and I look forward to being inspired by you!

Award Rules:

1. Thank the person who nominated you. (see above)
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Nominate 15 other bloggers that you admire or inspire you.
4. Go leave a comment and let the people know you have nominated them.

The Seven Things:

1. I grew up on a farm with a menagerie of animals, tobacco, hay, and a summer garden.
2. Quite opposite of the Cake Diva, I am much better at savory main dishes and sides rather than desserts.
3. I have recently starting reading non-fiction more than fiction.
4. I sleep at least 7 hours a night, otherwise you DO NOT want to be around me. Trust me.
5. I want to write a novel. I am just having troubles getting started. 🙂
6. The thoughts of having a baby scares me! I don’t know if I will be as good a mother as my future child deserves.
7. I am so annoyed that society has all these rules for what makes a woman beautiful. Good hair, white teeth, flawless skin, skinny with no cellulite. It is impossible to live up to these expectations. And even though I know real beauty is from within, I still kill it at the gym, whiten my teeth, and obsess over my pores. Being a girl is so hard!

My Inspirations:

Korena in the Kitchen (check out her Cherry Blossom Pie with Sourdough Crust), Cook Eat Live Vegetarian, The Canada Cheese Man, Griffin’s Grub, Cooking in Japan, Charlotte au Chocolat, While Chasing Kids, Frugal Feeding, Vogue Vegetarian, Frozen Moments, The Librarian Who Doesn’t Say SHHH, Go Lightly Gourmet, Fig Jam and Lime Cordial, The Southern Lady Cooks, and Sydney’s Kitchen

Now on to today’s recipe…. Grilled Tilapia with Jalapeno Pesto

With the exception of my “blow out” meal last week, I seem to be on a roll with these healthy meals. I love that I don’t feel deprived or starving after eating these dishes. This is proof that you can eat healthy and be satisfied.

One Year Ago: Mustard BBQ Sauce

Grilled Tilapia with Jalapeno Pesto

• 4 tilapia fillets
• 3 jalapeno peppers, charred on a grill or under a broiler
• 1 tbsp coarsely chopped cilantro
• 2 tbsp onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Prepare grill as your normally would. With gloves on, remove the seeds and membrane of the jalapenos. In a food processor or blender, combine the jalapenos, cilantro, onion, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Grill one side of the tilapia about 2 minutes. Flip over and spread a decent layer of the pesto over the fish. Finish grilling until flaky. Serves 4.

Lemon Garlic Tilapia

Tags

Dinner, easy, fish, lemon, quick, simple, Supper, tilapia

It seems like we don’t have enough fish in diets. I am trying to work on that. This recipe is a good addition because it is so simple and tasty.

Lemon Garlic Tilapia

• 4 tilapia fillets
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 2 clove garlic, finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Rinse tilapia fillets under cool water, and pat dry with paper towels. Place fillets in baking dish. Pour lemon juice over fillets, then drizzle butter on top. Sprinkle with garlic, parsley, and pepper. Bake in preheated oven until the fish is white and flakes when pulled apart with a fork, about 20 minutes.

Tilapia with Tomatillos

Tags

Mexican, seafood, Supper, tilapia, tomatillos

One of my new favorite ingredients are tomatillos. A member of the nightshade family, tomatillos are green fruits that look similar to tomatoes and are surrounded by a papery husk. When purchasing tomatillos, the fruit should be firm and bright green. Ripe tomatillos will keep in the fridge for approximately two weeks, though they stay fresher longer if the husks are removed.

Tomatillos are the stars of salse verdes. According to Gourmet Sleuth, “The Aztecs domesticated the tomatillo and the fruit dates back to at least 800 B.C.”  According to Burpee seed company, tomatillos can be grown in the continental US. Who knew? I think this may be a new addition to my small garden.

Tilapia with Tomatillos:

• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds tilapia, 4 fillets
• Coarse salt
• Ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lime, halved
• 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
• 1/2 jalapeno or serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 or 3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 8 to 10 tomatillos, husks peeled and diced
• 1/2 bottled pale beer- I used Corona Light and drank the other half 🙂
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves, a palmful, plus a few sprigs for garnish

Season fish with salt, pepper, cumin, paprika. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil, 1 turn of the pan. Heat an ovenproof serving plate in a warm oven. Saute fish 3 minutes on each side or until opaque. Squeeze the juice of 1/4 lime over the fish and carefully slide the fillets onto warm platter. Cover the fish to keep it warm. Return pan to heat and add remaining tablespoon of oil, 1 turn of the pan. Over medium high heat, quickly saute the red onion, jalapeno and the garlic. Saute a minute or so, add the diced tomatillos with seeds and juices. Season mixture with coarse salt and saute the mixture of vegetables 5 minutes. Add the beer and the juice of 1/2 lime and cilantro to the pan. Simmer sauce 5 minutes longer, then spoon hot sauce down over the fish filets. Garnish platter with a few extra sprigs of the cilantro.