Beer-battered Fish Tacos

I'm always on the lookout for healthy taco recipes, and I have to say this one from Eatingwell.com really hits the spot. As always, I adapted it to suit my nutrition and ingredient preferences. The batter fell off the fish a little more than I would have liked, but I just scraped it up and piled it in the taco - same taste, right? I loved that I was able to use up some thawed tilapia that had been on sale at Whole Foods and was waiting in the freezer for a few weeks.

Note - I did not make the salsa; instead, I put together a simple taco sauce using organic sour cream and safflower mayo, adapted from this recipe on SoupAddict.com. I used pre-made salsa to top the tacos as well.

This recipe was a big hit in our house. Serve these babies piled high with shredded cabbage and enjoy with a side of black "refried" beans for a simple, healthy comfort food!

Ingredients:

Sauce:

1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt

1/2 cup safflower mayonnaise

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. coriander

1/2 tsp. dill

1/2 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. ground garlic

Cholula, to taste

Sea salt, to taste

Tacos:

3 T. whole wheat flour

1/8 tsp. ground cumin

1/8 tsp. sea salt

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste

1/3 cup beer (I only had Bud Light - surprise, surprise)

12 ounces tilapia fillet, cut crosswise into 1-inch wide strips

2 tsp. organic pasture butter

4 whole wheat tortillas, warmed

Jarred or fresh salsa

Shredded cabbage

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients for sauce and season with Cholula to taste. Cover and refrigerate. This sauce can be made 1-2 days in advance.

Combine flour, cumin, salt and cayenne in a medium bowl.

Whisk in beer to create a batter. (Can you tell I get really excited whenever I get to cook with beer - or wine, for that matter?)

Coat tilapia pieces in batter. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Letting excess batter drip back into the bowl, add the fish to the pan; cook until crispy and golden, 2-3 minutes per side.

Serve the fish in a tortilla topped with salsa, shredded cabbage, and the taco sauce.

(We also enjoyed it with Trader Joe's vegetable flaxseed chips and homemade guacamole!)

Enjoy!

*M*

Should You Take Fish Oils?

As promised, here is some more information on omega-3 fatty acids. I am a guest blogger on Get In Shape Arizona, a blog for EduFit Personal Training Studio, so please go to their site here to read more about these amazing - and essential - fats! Learn what they are, where you get them, and whether or not you should take them. Of course, talk to your doctor before starting a supplement regimen.

Additionally, please remember that while walnuts and flaxseeds have omega-3's, they are in a form that is not fully converted to EPA and DHA, the two essential omega-3 fatty acids. This does not mean that we should avoid walnuts and flaxseeds; recent studies suggest they still have great heart promoting benefits. The take home message is that fish and nuts, as long as you're not allergic to them, are both important parts of our diet. If you don't eat fish, then fish oil supplementation is recommended.

I personally take two fish oil supplements: Carlson Labs Norwegian Cod Liver Oil and Carlson's Very Finest Fish Oil, both of which can be purchased on Amazon.

I take 1 teaspoon of the cod liver oil with food in the morning. It tastes like lemon and doesn't have a fishy aftertaste. It also has vitamins D and A, along with essential fatty acids DHA and EPA.



I also take 2 capsules of Carlson's Very Finest Fish Oil, which is orange flavored, in the morning or at night with food. Both supplements together provide about 2,000 mg omega-3 fatty acids per day.

If you take any supplement, I highly recommend good quality fish oils and cod liver oil, such as Carlson's or Nordic Naturals. I personally aim to eat fatty fish 2-3 times per week and eat walnuts, flaxseeds, or almonds on a daily basis. These fish oil supplements help me cover my bases when I can't seem to get in enough wild salmon or mackerel.

*M*

Sablefish BBQ

I bought wild Alaskan sablefish (also known as black cod, though it's not technically cod) at the North Scottsdale Farmers Market on Saturday from Alaskan Pride Seafood. Sablefish is a very good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids have been highly publicized for their anti-inflammatory, disease preventing effects, and I will post later on them this week. Sablefish has about 2 grams (2,000 mg) of these super fats per serving, which is the same as taking 4 high quality fish oil pills. This is up to 50% more omega-3's per serving than salmon! I like purchasing fish from this vendor at the market because they use sustainable fishing practices, avoid farming, and offer fish that's lower in PCBs and mercury than conventional versions.

Because of its high oil content, sablefish has a buttery, rich taste and is highly prized in the Japanese fish market. It's about $20 per pound at the market, which is cheaper than wild Alaskan salmon. Since it is very flavorful on its own, I only seasoned it with sea salt and pepper.

My husband, the grill master, BBQ'd the fish, marinated portobello mushrooms, and pesticide-free corn (all purchased at the market). I prepared a quick salad of greens, heirloom tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and goat cheese. The tomatoes were grown in a French-inspired garden only 1 mile south of the market, and they were spectacular!

Delicious sablefish, thawed in the refrigerator:

Whole corn, pre-peeled:

Post peeling and cleaning:

Portobello mushrooms, marinated in organic cold-pressed olive oil from Queen Creek, sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and oregano:

Salad prior to goat cheese and dressing:

The fish is really easy. Place it on aluminum foil skin side down and season with sea salt and black pepper:

Place the fish and veggies on the grill and close the lid for 5 minutes:

You will know that the fish is ready to be turned when you can slide a spatula between the flesh and the skin and it peels off easily:

You might need a few utensils to flip the fish entirely:

You can simply turn the fish over, place it on the skin, and cook for another 2 minutes. This is what it all looked like when Greg brought it inside:

And here's the finished plate:

It was absolutely spectacular! The fish is pretty rich, so I could only finish half of it. The rest will be great atop a big salad for lunch this week.

*M*

Sunday Taco Night

Tonight's dinner was absolutely wonderful. Arizona is starting to get its first taste of 90 degree weather, which makes for superb evening temps and lazy dinners on the patio. I've never made grilled fish tacos, so I figured tonight was the night. (Thanks to Lauren and Terra for your suggestions on a marinade!)

As with most of my cooking ventures, I experiment with whatever is in my cupboard to find flavor combinations I like. For these tacos, I made a marinade of really high quality lemon-infused extra virgin olive oil (thanks to Greg's aunt Ana and uncle Steve), lime juice, cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, onions, salt and pepper. It sounds complicated, but all you have to do is see what spices you have at your disposal and start sprinkling. I didn't have cilantro, but I would have added that too.

Pour whatever marinade concoction you have over the fish. I used fresh talapia.

Chill the fish, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.

In the meantime, I made guacamole. My organic avocados were not quite fork "mush-able," so after cutting them in half, removing the pit (but don't throw it away!), scooping the flesh out with a spoon, and cutting it into chunks, I put it in my hand-held food processor (which is also an immersion blender).

Scooped and cut up:

In the processor:

This is becoming my new favorite kitchen tool, especially when I don't want to chop a whole lot.

Keep the pits to place in the guacamole if you're saving any. It will prevent it from browning.

Next, add chopped onion and tomato to taste. I like really chunky guac, so I'm not shy with the add-ins.

Now stir in the magic: lime juice, garlic (fresh or powdered), salt, and a bit of cholula or tobasco. Delicious!

I like to serve it with Trader Joe's vegetable flax-seed chips. Trust me, these chips have passed the taste test with even the most discriminating eaters (KIDS!), so I'm sure you'll like them. They're slightly healthier than regular tortilla chips because of the various vegetable powders and flaxseeds. Make sure to avoid the soy flaxseed chips, which TJ's also carries, since they have so much processed soy.

Now, while my wonderful hubby put the fish on the BBQ for about 4-5 minutes a side, I prepped the tortillas and fixins. I picked organic whole spelt tortillas (from Sprouts) because spelt is a little higher in protein than wheat and has a great texture. Additionally, I don't eat a lot of spelt, so they're good to add to the mix for some variety in taste and nutrients. These tortillas are thick yet soft, and they're durable enough for a big burrito or taco. If using corn tortillas, choose organic, as most conventional corn is genetically modified. Just wrap them in foil and heat in the toaster/convection oven. Without the foil, they get dried out.

I heated black beans in the toaster/convection oven and put diced tomatoes, a cabbage mix, salsa, guacamole, organic cheese, and a "crema" sauce in bowls. The "crema" is actually organic sour cream, lime juice, and cholula (not exactly authentic), but it's really good.

Once the fish was done grilling, I shredded it into small pieces, and the taco-building began. I couldn't even finish one taco because it was so big and full of goodness! We took our dinner out on the patio for some dining al fresco.

Here are two other family members (plus one temporary transplant) who also wanted tacos...too bad they just got a few black beans.

I think my little boy dog Waldo thought he could lick some guacamole off my face if he got close enough.

Sunday night dinners are a great time to regroup and relax before a big week. The best part? Leftovers for lunch tomorrow! Just bring a tortilla!

Here's to a happy, healthy week.

*M*