Grilled Fish Tacos with Ginger Basil Crema

These tacos were pretty good but to be honest I could eat this sour cream sauce on just about anything. Maybe even tofu. It's a shame I'm not a real country girl or I'd shoot the raccoons destroying my yard at night and try it on them. But for now, fish tacos will do.

Grilled Fish Tacos with Ginger Crema Sauce
Serves 5.

Ingredients:
1 lime, zest and juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon coriander
2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
handful chopped basil
1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
2 smashed garlic cloves
1 jalapeño (deveined and seeded for less heat) roughly chopped
1 1/2 pounds mahi mahi
Extra limes for squeezing over after grilling

Plenty of tortillas, wrapped in foil and warmed in a low oven
Ginger Basil Crema, recipe follows
1 1/2 cups fresh Pico De Gallo (Chop a fresh tomato, jalapeno, small white onion, and giant handful fresh cilantro. Squeeze over the juice of 1 lime, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a minced garlic clove if desired.)

Directions:
Add the marinade ingredients - the lime juice, zest and lime carcass through the jalapeno to a large ziploc and squish around to make sure everything's well blended. Add in the mahi mahi, seal and refrigerate for 4 hours. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before grilling.

Set the heat to medium/high heat (around 400) and oil the grates. Remove the fish from the marinade shaking off any excess herbs or marinade bits and gently pat dry. Season with a little more salt and pepper and add to the grill - skin side down. Cook for about 10-12 minutes or until the fish flakes easily when probed with a fork. Let rest for 5 minutes, then slide a spatula between the skin and flesh to get the flesh away from it (no skin in my tacos, please.) Squeeze a lime wedge or 2 over the cooked fish, taste for salt/pepper adding more if necessary.

Serve in warm tortillas with pico de gallo and ginger basil crema, recipe follows.

Crema Sauce:
1/3 cup light sour cream
2 tablespoons light mayo
1/4 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, or more to taste
handful chopped, fresh basil
zest of half a lime
tiny pinch salt and pepper

Neely's Fish Tacos with Cilantro Chipotle Slaw

Perhaps today's historical significance deserves something more historical than fish tacos. But that's what we were eating last night when we found out. I still can't believe it.

Anyway, after watching the Neelys make this on Saturday, I wanted to make them that night. Unfortunately I decided to go for a run that afternoon forgetting it was 90 degrees out and by the time I got back had to lie down. Fish tacos were no longer in the cards but I still dreamt about them.

At Sunday brunch I fantasized about...fish tacos. So after an unhealthily expensive trip to Whole Foods for fresh halibut I finally had them for dinner. They lived up to my expectations and then some (marinate the fish longer than half an hour though!)

What is it about something hot off the grill drenched in lime juice? And salt? And cilantro? Pure lust.

One word of warning though. The chipotle in the cole slaw will actually get hotter the more it sits. So if you make it way ahead, maybe start with half a chipotle then taste before serving. You can always mince up more chipotle to add it in, but you can't take it out once it's in there!

Fish Tacos
Ingredients:
1 cup buttermilk
1 jalapeno, sliced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Juice and zest of 1 lime
handful roughly chopped cilantro
1 1/2 pounds center cut halibut, skinless
Olive oil, for greasing grates
3/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
Hefty grating freshly ground black pepper
Flour or corn tortillas
Olive oil, for grilling
Cabbage Slaw, recipe follows
Lime wedges, for serving
Fresh cilantro leaves, for serving

Directions:
Add buttermilk, jalapeno, smoked paprika, lime zest and juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper to a large resealable zip top bag. Add the halibut and let marinate for 1-2 hours.

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.

Once hot, brush the grill grate with some olive oil. Remove the fish from the marinade and gently pat dry with paper towels. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Add to the grill and cook 5-8 minutes, or until grill marks have appeared. Very carefully flip to the other side and cook another 5 or so minutes until cooked through. Remove to a plate and break the fish into chunks. Sprinkle with lime juice and a touch more salt.

Grill tortillas until warm and soft and they have a few charred marks.

To assemble the tacos, place a nice spoonful of the fish onto the center of a warmed tortilla. Top with the Cabbage Slaw. Garnish with lime wedges and cilantro leaves.

Cilantro Chipotle Cole Slaw:
1 (8 oz) package cole slaw cabbage mix
3 tablespoons minced red onion, or more to taste
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 chipotle, packed in adobo, finely minced (I use half of one)
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

Directions:
In a medium serving bowl, toss together the cole slaw mix, red onion, and cilantro. Set aside. In a separate (small) bowl, mix together the sour cream, minced chipotle, lime juice, honey, salt and pepper.

Add the dressing to the cole slaw mix and toss gently but thoroughly. Chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours before serving, using as a topping for your tacos.

Shrimp Scampi Tacos with Cilantro

I have a soft spot for ugly beaches. Growing up in Houston, our summer vacations meant Galveston or Rockport, where the sun was bright, the air salty, and the water filled with tar. Red noses and black feet were the signatures of a day well spent and I racked up my share of both.

They definitely weren't the prettiest beaches. The sand was far from white and the ocean more brown than blue. But they were my beaches. And let me tell you - I have been in California many many times happy to trade their beautiful, fog covered coastline for a good old sunny Texas beach. California beaches are gorgeous - they just don't want anyone to know it!

Anyway, long preamble into a simple recipe and a new all time favorite. After a long, travel-filled work week, all we wanted was to have a margarita (or two) and enjoy dinner on the porch in this unbelievably balmy 70 degree weather. Kris wanted shrimp scampi. I wanted something to go with the margs. We both won. Hooray marriage!

Shrimp Scampi Tacos with Cilantro
* You can saute onions, peppers, or jalapeno with the shrimp if you like.

Ingredients:
16 fresh peeled and deveined shrimp - large in size
1 tablespoon butter, plus 2 additional tablespoons
salt and pepper, for seasoning
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish
Shredded cheddar cheese, optional
Several flour tortillas, wrapped tightly in aluminum foil and warmed in the oven on 250 for at least 10 minutes

Instructions:
Add 1 tablespoon of butter to a large, rimmed nonstick pan. Put the pan over medium heat and once the butter has melted, tilt the pan around to evenly coat the bottom and add the shrimp, giving each its own private space to cook in.

Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and let cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until you can see the sides of the shrimp becoming nice and pink. Use tongs to flip them to the other side, and cook another 2 minutes or just until the tails have become bright and there is no more translucency in the shrimp. Bring heat to medium high and add in the wine.

Let the wine bubble away for a minute or so just to burn off the alcohol, then stir in the last 2 tablespoons of butter and cilantro and reduce the heat to low. Stir the butter until it's melted and incorporated into the sauce. At this point, you can keep the shrimp on the lowest flame just to keep warm until serving - they'll hold for about 15 minutes just fine.

Or eat right away, spooning extra sauce into the tortillas along with the shrimp if desired. Garnish with additional cilantro and/or cheese and don't forget to pull the tails off first if you're wimp like me.

Spicy Turkey Tacos with Jalapeno, Sauteed Peppers, and Cilantro

Hi Loves. I will write more in-depth posts soon - I promise. In the meantime, Happy Spring to you and yours!

Spicy Turkey Tacos with Jalapeno, Sauteed Peppers, and Cilantro

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon canola or olive oil
1/4 cup minced onion
salt
pepper
1 yellow bell pepper, cored and cut into 1/4 inch thick strips
1 garlic clove, minced

additional dash or two of oil
1.3 lbs ground turkey (93% lean - not 99%))
pinch salt

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 jalapeno, minced and some seeds left (or 2 if you really like it hot)

Garnish with plenty of:
light sour cream
shredded cheddar
sliced avocado
fresh chopped cilantro

Instructions:
Wrap a big old mess of flour tortillas well in aluminum foil and place in a low oven to warm through (225 degrees or so) while you cook the taco filling.

For the filling, add a teaspoon of oil to a large nonstick pan and bring the heat to medium. Let the oil warm through for 30 seconds or so, then add the minced onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook for two minutes, stirring once or twice. Add in the bell pepper and garlic and saute for about 5-7 minutes, until the pepper begins to soften a little. Scoot the veggies over to one side of the pan and add a dash of oil or two to the clean space for the turkey. Add the meat to the clear space, braking up with your wooden spoon. Season with an additional pinch of salt, and once it's begun to brown, you can stir it around the pan, mixing it in with the veggies to help the meat along. As it cooks, season everything with the ground coriander, cumin, and paprika.

After the meat is almost all browned, add in the minced jalapeno - as much as you like. I like the jalapeno to have just enough time in the pan to be slightly mellowed by the heat, but not so much so that it loses its crunch. Once the meat is cooked through, taste the mixture for salt and pepper, making any adjustments needed.

Serve in warm flour tortillas with plenty of shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado and cilantro for garnish.

Slow Supper Sundays - Mexican Short Rib Tacos with Cilantro and Rosemary

Can I tell you what a comfort it is to have dinner all squared away it's before dinner time? Even as someone who likes to cook - I so often find myself running out of energy at the end of the day, especially on the weekends. I mean is it just me or how many times have you run to the grocery store at the end of the day all fired up to make something fantastic, but by the time you get home and unload bag after bag after bag, you begin to question your sanity at having thought you could attempt such an Olympian feat so late in the day? Making dinner suddenly seems comparable to volunteering for drugless childbirth or racing Lance Armstrong on a beach cruiser.

Well I've done this countless times, resigning my fate to the simplicity of takeout (and to being a complete sloth) after putting those evil little bags of produce and meat safely in the confines of the fridge where their presence can no longer upset me.

Then I discovered my awesomely 70's hand me down crock pot and in turn, the idea of making things early in the day that simmer and bubble away while I get on with my life. I know what you're thinking - what if you prepare something in the morning that you're not in the mood for anymore by the eve? Well, that's the beauty of food potpouri - it does a mean seduction number on your appetite. I could probably eat a hog's head if it bubbled away with the lovely scent of garlic and rosemary all day... The truth is - the salivary glands of a human aren't any smarter than those of a dog.

This is a lovely recipe for short ribs. You could probably up the cumin if you wanted, but I like these to have a medley of mellow Mexican flavors versus punching you in the palette. You'll also notice I commit a horrendous foodie crime in that I snip away the tough, fatty membranes that cling to the ribs after they've separated from the bone. I am no fat free fanatic, believe me, but I find that short ribs are an indulgence enough without adding bits of mystery meat to the equation. It's up to you wether you want to do this or not, but if not, you'll need to add the step of skimming away the pooled grease from the top of the pot before stirring in your final cilantro and rosemary and serving. And to be fair - if you aim to eat at 7:30/8:00 pm - you'll need to start this at 2:30 in the afternoon. I find it a nice recipe to do if I have tinkering to do around the house in the meantime, as it's not one you'd want to lock your doors and leave to its own devices. The thing about short ribs is, you need to stir them once in a while not only to make sure the bottom of the pan isn't burning but also so that every part of the ribs has contact with the cooking liquid. This will ensure tender short ribs versus flavorful but tough ribs.

Here's to filling your house with plenty of saliva inducing scents!

* PS - the best part of making short ribs is waiting for them to fall off the bone so you can pluck those little puppies from the pot. There is NOTHING more satisfying than seeing those little remains floating in the pan, knowing you've conquered the short rib. I'm not a sportsman by any stretch, but I imagine this being as rewarding as crossing the goal line with football in hand. TOUCHDOWN!!!!

Mexican Short Rib Tacos with Cilantro and Rosemary
Serves 6.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons diced pancetta (Italian bacon) or regular bacon
4 pounds bone-in short ribs, cut into about 5-inch ribs so that you can pan fry them easily
salt and pepper for ribs
2 heaping cups chopped onions (preferably Vidalia or Spanish)
3/4 cup finely chopped celery
heaping 1/2 cup finely chopped peeled carrots
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or 1 small cinnamon stick
1 small dried ancho chili
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 3/4 cups dry red wine (preferably rioja, merlot, or zinfandel)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz can) diced tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon double concentrated tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
l large handful of cilantro, rinsed (no need to chop just throw them in whole)

1 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, or more if desired

12 flour or corn tortillas, wrapped in foil and put in a low oven for 10 minutes to heat through
2 1/2 cups shredded cheese, for tacos (optional)

Instructions:
Heat heavy large pot over medium heat and add oil. Without waiting for the oil to get hot, add the pancetta and sauté until crisp - about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper a large aluminum-lined baking sheet (this will also hold your ribs after you've browned them.)

Speaking of ribs, sprinkle all sides of the ribs with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown ribs in drippings (you'll likely need another small slug of oil) in pot over medium-high heat until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. DO NOT overcrowd them or they'll steam versus brown - they shouldn't touch one another in the pan.

Transfer to your baking sheet alongside the pancetta. Add the onions, celery, carrots and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to the pan and saute, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, make a small clearing for your seasonings, then add the cumin, cinnamon, and ancho chili to this spot and allow to 'toast' for 1 minute before stirring in to incorporate with the veggies. Cook another 10 minutes, allowing to get nice and cooked down. Add the garlic, stirring in and cook another 5 minutes or until the veggies look pretty defeated.

Carefully pour in the wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil, uncovered, until the liquid is reduced by half (about 8 minutes.)

Carefully add the broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, bay leaf, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, stirring in well. Return the pancetta and ribs to pot, immerse in the handful of fresh cilantro stalks, and cover partially, simmering on low/medium heat for 2 hours - stirring halfway through to check the bottom for sticking. Be CAREFUL not to allow to boil - you want a gentle hissing sound from your pot versus a bubbling witches' caldron.

After two hours, you should see that some, if not all of the ribs have separated from the bones. Fish out any bones that have and discard, then test any that haven't by pushing the tips of your cooking tongs against them to see if they'll separate. If they give somewhat easily, help them along to separate and discard. If any are still clinging for dear life - don't force them. They should be more giving in 20 minutes or so when you can try again. Be sure and stir the ribs around so that every side of them has been moistened by the cooking liquid.

After the bones are all removed, you can perform 'surgery' using your tongues and a pair of cooking shears or sharp, clean scissors to remove the fatty/tough muscular membranes clinging to the ribs from where the bones were attached.

At this stage, simmer about 1 1/2 hours longer on low with the lid off, stirring occasionally until rib meat is tender and easily flaked with a fork. Once you've gently separated the meat out with two forks into a quasi shredded meat stew, stir in your final chopped fresh cilantro and rosemary.

Serve in warm flour tortillas with cheese sprinkled over, if desire.

A new take on tacos.

We ate this last night. I am now kicking myself because there were no leftovers. You can sub 2 regular hothouse tomatoes for the Zebra Stripes, but the Zebras' distinct flavor give the taco mixture a mellow twang - almost like that of slow cooked tomatillos. I love the fact that the fried bacon gives a little crunch when you bite into them. You won't even miss the cheese!

More back-dated posts coming soon...


Crispy Bacon, Chicken and Heirloom Tomato Tacos
Serves 2 hungry people

Ingredients:
6 corn or whole wheat tortillas, double wrapped in aluminum foil

5 slices bacon (preferably Applegate Farms brand), snipped into 1/2 inch chunks
2 chicken breasts (about 3/4 lb), cubed into 3/4 inch chunks
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
pinch ground dried coriander
fresh grated nutmeg
red pepper flakes, to taste

4 Zebra Stripe Heirloom tomatos, diced
pinch sea or kosher salt
pepper
1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar

Fresh thyme - about 1/8-1/4 teaspoon freshly picked leaves.

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 225 and place the aluminum protected tortillas inside to heat through.

Meanwhile, heat up a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add a small splash of olive oil, then the bacon, stirring around to disperse. Fry, stirring every so often for 5-8 minutes, until the edges have curled up and they've become nice and crispy. Use a slotted spoon or spider to transfer them to a holding plate.

Drain off the majority of the bacon fat, reserving in a heat proof bowl or glass. Add the chopped shallots to the pan, lowering the heat a little if they're spitting too much. Sprinkle over with salt and pepper, and cook until softened and translucent - about 4 minutes. Transfer them to a separate holding plate or chunk of aluminum foil, then put the pan back on over the heat and add a tablespoon of the reserved bacon fat.

Now add the chicken to the pan. Season with a little salt and pepper (and red pepper flakes, if desired), ground coriander and grated nutmeg. Cook stirring frequently for about 7 minutes, until cooked through and the edges have browned a little.

In a small bowl, mix the diced tomatoes with a bit of salt, pepper and the balsamic vinegar, then add them - juices and all - to the cooked chicken. Return the bacon and shallots to the pan stirring to incorporate, and let simmer away stirring frequently so that the tomato juice and balsamic reduce down - about 5 minutes. Just before serving, stir in the fresh thyme.

The mixture is ready when the tomatoes have broken down a bit and the entire mixture is no longer soupy looking, but rather the consistency of a thick sauce or stew.

Serve immediately on hot tortillas.

Taco Night

I feel bad for ripping on the now cooling trend of 'quick and easy' cooking. Call it a karmic bitch slap, but this week I am craving home cooked meals yet strapped for time between work and getting ready for our Halloween party. So, while I'll never be a Rachael Ray fan, I finally get the point. The good news is it's forcing me to make and post some of my favorite, simplest recipes I normally would deem too simple for the blog. I call these kinds of recipes 'assembly line' cooking - more of a suggestion really than a recipe (but if I don't write something down I forget about it all together...so there you go.)

Of these, tonight's is one of my and Kris's favorites - soft beef tacos. Again, just like last night's egg dinner, it requires less than 5 ingredients! And it's something I would just as happily eat with a glass of wine on a Friday night dinner to celebrate putting the week behind me as I would for for Sunday lunch.

The reason it works so well is, I think, because the few ingredients here work in such sharp contrast to each other. You want the sharpest white cheddar you can get your hands on to stand out against the sweet crunch of sauteed shallots (I prefer a good amount of diced shallots to dance with my ground beef, but add them as you like. And of course you could add in some cilantro, chopped jalapenos or other things, but to me this recipe is for the nights when even the thought of cleaning up after dinner is enough to make you cry, so simpler is better.) Pillowy white tortillas bring it all together, and that's dinner.

Soft Beef Tacos:

1 pound ground beef (preferably grass fed)
3 medium shallots, diced
1/2 cup hand shredded SHARPEST white cheddar
1 package best quality soft flour tortillas, wrapped in foil and heated in the oven on 250 for ten minutes
Canola oil
Salt and pepper/Red pepper flakes


Add a splash of canola oil to a medium skillet and shallots over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper and saute for a few minutes until they begin to turn opaque. Add in your ground beef, breaking up with your spoon and season with more salt and pepper (I like to add a pinch of red pepper flakes too.)

Cook for 10-12 minutes, until no longer pink. Meanwhile, grate up your cheddar to have at the ready.

Pull out your warmed tortillas, assemble, and eat.