Might Have Missed Monday: Fish Tacos with Honey-Cumin Slaw and Chipotle Mayo

Here's another recipe that you "might have missed" from my first year of blogging.  My family loves tacos.  I don't make fish as much as I'd like, probably because I try to limit my trips to the grocery store, and I only make fish the day I buy it.  Seeing these again though reminds me of how tasty they were.  I may have to make these again soon, since it's been over a year since I first made them.  I know the ingredient list is a little scary (i.e. long!).  And this does take a little time to prepare, with the breading and frying of the fish, prepping the mayo, making the sauce, etc.  However, it is really tasty!  I ended up brushing the honey-cumin sauce on the fish for the kids, but didn't give them the slaw or mayo. It definitely had too much a kick for them. They both ate all of their tacos and my daughter even asked, "Mmm, what's this tangy, sweet sauce?" I served this with yellow rice and frozen, steam-in-a-bag veggies.

Fish Tacos with Honey-Cumin Slaw and Chipotle Mayo

recipe from allrecipes.com by SCAREY76

Ingredients:
1 pound tilapia fillets, cut into chunks
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon adobo sauce from chipotle peppers
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups panko crumbs
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 cup vegetable oil for frying
2 cups 3 color coleslaw blend
1 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
8 (7 inch) flour tortillas, warmed

Directions:
1.Place the tilapia chunks in a flat dish and pour 1/2 cup lime juice over the fish. Cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

2.Meanwhile, make the honey-cumin sauce by whisking together 1/3 cup lime juice, honey, vegetable oil, and ground cumin a small bowl. Set aside until needed.

3.To make the chipotle mayonnaise dressing, place the mayonnaise, chilies, adobo sauce, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cayenne pepper together in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Cover, and refrigerate until needed.

4.To bread the fish, place the flour, eggs, and panko crumbs in three separate shallow dishes. Season the fish with salt and pepper to taste. Dip the fish pieces first in the four, coating evenly, and shaking off any excess. Dip next in the eggs, and last in the panko crumbs, patting the pieces to help the breadcrumbs hold. Set the fish aside on a plate.

5.To cook the breaded fish, pour 1 cup vegetable oil into a skillet to 1/4 inch deep. Heat the oil to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C) over medium heat. Cook the fish, turning until all sides are golden brown, and flesh is easily flaked with a fork. Drain on paper towels. Brush the fish with the honey-cumin sauce.

6.Mix the coleslaw and cilantro together in a bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup of the chipotle mayonnaise dressing, and pour the remaining dressing over the coleslaw mixture. Toss to coat evenly with the dressing.

7.Place the tortillas on a flat surface, and spread each with 1 tablespoon reserved chipotle mayonnaise dressing. Divide the fish between the tortillas. Top with the cilantro coleslaw.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!

This post is being shared at:
Totally Tasty Tuesdays @ Mandy's Recipe Box
Tasty Tuesdays @ 33 Shades of Green
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Wednesday Whatsits @ White Lights on Wednesdays

Fish Tacos with Fresh Salsa

My kids will usually eat anything in a tortilla.  I had not made fish in awhile and thought that fish tacos sounded good.  I liked that this used a tomatillo since I had thought about cooking with tomatillos for this month's Eating the Alphabet Challenge.  I wasn't that impressed with these, which is probably my fault.  I don't really like catfish and next time might try a different type of fish like tilapia.  I also didn't have Wondra (and actually never had heard of it before) so I used regular flour.  Bad idea....everything got kind of soggy.  The salsa was tasty though.  The tomatillos have a slightly bitter/sour taste and paired well with the tomatoes, onions, and lime juice.  The kids had just the fish in the tortilla.  My daughter really enjoyed it, while my son did not. I'm not opposed to fish tacos, just won't be making these again.  However, based on the reviews at foodnetwork, others have enjoyed these.

Fish Tacos with Fresh Salsa
recipe very slightly adapted from Food Network Magazine

Ingredients:
1 large tomatillo, husked, rinsed and chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
Kosher salt
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 1/4 pounds catfish fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup instant flour (such as Wondra) or cornstarch
8 small flour tortillas, warmed

Directions:
Make the salsa: Mix the tomatillo, tomato, onion, cilantro, and lime juice in a bowl and season with salt.

Heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil in a deep skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Season the fish with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, then toss with the flour in a bowl. Fry the fish in 2 batches, turning as needed, until golden brown and just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain; season with salt.

Fill the tortillas with the fish and salsa. Serve the tacos with lime wedges.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.



 

Caribbean Jerk Salmon Bowl

My kids like salmon and I felt like I had to redeem myself after the (canned) salmon cake disaster from a couple of weeks ago.  I first saw the picture of this recipe and it looked so good.  This was easy enough to make but taste-wise it was just so-so.  The kids weren't big fans and were mostly eating the pineapple and rice.  I even omitted the spicy components of the original recipe to make it kid-friendly.  I don't remember what kind of salmon I had bought but it wasn't the pink kind!  My husband came home and said he thought it was tuna (as in the canned kind!)  :(   Overall, this looked better than it tasted.

Caribbean Jerk Salmon Bowl
recipe slightly adapted from Pink Parsley

Ingredients:
1 lb salmon filet, skin on
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chile powder
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp brown sugar
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cooked rice
1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
juice of 1/2 lime
Pineapple Salsa (recipe below)

Directions:
Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the salmon on the foil. In a small bowl, combine all the spices with the oil to form a paste. Rub over the salmon, then broil the salmon until just cooked through, about 10 minutes. When it's cool enough to handle, break the salmon into bite-sized pieces, removing the skin as you go.

Meanwhile, stir together the rice and beans, lime juice, and season with salt and pepper.

To serve, divide the rice mixture evenly among bowls and top with salmon and pineapple salsa.

Pineapple Salsa
1/2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
kosher salt
juice of 1/2 lime

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Season with salt to taste, and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Family Rating: So-so.

Salmon Cakes with Sesame Sauce

When I read through the Sunday paper I always enjoy reading the USA weekend little booklet.  I usually just glance at the recipe that is printed near the back but when I saw this recipe, provided by Food Network chef Ellie Krieger I ripped it out and saved it.  I've cooked a couple of her recipes in the past and they are usually healthy and tasty.  Prior to making this recipe, although I'd seen canned salmon in the supermarket, I had never cooked with it.  And now I know why!  I saw the ingredient list, 2 15 oz. cans of salmon picked over for skin and bones.  Well, if like me, you have never seen what canned salmon looks like, it looks like a big mess of skin, bones, and fish.  While this recipe seemed quick an easy, I spent at least 15-20 minutes (probably more!) picking all of the skin and bones out of the salmon.  We all still found little tiny bones in our salmon cakes while eating too!  Taste wise, these were okay.  Honestly, I'd rather have a nice crab cake.  The kids at their cake though (even with my daughter complaining that it smelled and looked like tuna fish and she hates tuna fish!).  My son really liked the sauce and was dipping his veggies and his salmon cake in it.  Definitely a little disappointed with this recipe and will not be making again.....although I now realize why most salmon burger recipes and what not call for fresh salmon that gets chopped up in the food processor!

Salmon Cakes with Sesame Sauce
recipe slightly adapted from USA Weekend, May 10, 2012

Ingredients:
1 cup bread crumbs
Two 15-ounce cans salmon, drained and picked over for skin and bones
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
5 scallions (white and green parts)
½ cup canned water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 tsps. olive oil

Directions:
1.  In a large bowl, flake apart the salmon with a fork. Add the eggs and mix well. Finely chop 4 of the scallions and add to the bowl. Add the water chestnuts, pepper and the bread crumbs and mix well. Shape the mixture into 12 patties.

2. In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1½ tsps. of the oil over medium heat. Add 6 patties and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Transfer the cooked patties to a plate and cover with aluminum foil. Add the remaining 1½ tsps. oil to the pan and cook the rest of the cakes.Serve the cakes with the sauce on the side, garnished with scallion.

Sesame Sauce

Ingredients:
4 Tbs. mayonnaise
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce

Add the mayonnaise, sesame oil and soy sauce and whisk until smooth.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Sweet and Spicy Citrus Tilapia

Unfortunately, I don't often cook fish a lot.  If I'm going to make it, I have to buy it the day of, and somehow it's never on the menu the day I'm shopping.  I've decided that we needed to eat more fish though, especially since the kids like it and it's healthy!   I omitted the red pepper to make it kid-friendly.  Unfortunately, this recipe was disappointing.  I don't know if marinating it more would have helped.  It was just kind of bland.  This has not deterred me though from cooking more fish!

Sweet and Spicy Citrus Tilapia
from Cooking Light, August 2010

Ingredients:
4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
Cooking spray
1/2 cup fresh orange juice (about 1 orange)
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Preparation:
1. Arrange fish in a single layer in a shallow roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Combine orange juice and next 9 ingredients (through garlic); pour over fish. Let stand 15 minutes.

2. Preheat broiler.

3. Sprinkle fish with paprika; broil 15 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Drizzle sauce over fish.

Family Rating: So-so.

The Weekend Chef: Poached Salmon with Hollandaise Sauce

Last weekend we had our monthly supper club get-together.  The theme for this month was "sauces."  Since we were hosting the get-together at our house, we were responsible for the main/protein.  The Weekend Chef really wanted to make a hollandaise sauce and found this recipe.  It seemed pretty easy to make.  I don't eat eggs benedict, so I didn't recall ever having hollandaise sauce.  My husband's dish turned out great I realized that I'm just not a fan of the sauce.  Egg yolks and lemon....not two of my favorite ingredients!  Everyone else seemed to enjoy it though so if you're interested in trying a "classic" sauce you should definitely give this a try!

Poached Salmon with Hollandaise Sauce
allrecipes.com - by luna

Note:  This recipe is for 2 servings. 

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless salmon fillets

3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon hot water
1 cup butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Directions:
1.Find a high-sided pan large enough to accommodate both salmon fillets side-by-side, without too much excess room; a small skillet or medium-sized saucepan should do. Pour lemon juice and olive oil into the pan, along with enough water to bring the water level up to 3/4-inch. Season the water to taste with salt and pepper, then add the salmon. Pour in enough water to just cover the salmon.

2.Place the salmon over medium-high heat, and heat until the water is hot and steaming, but not simmering (165 degrees F (75 degrees C)); reduce heat if needed to keep the water at the proper temperature. Poach until the salmon turns opaque, and is firm to the touch; or to an internal temperature of 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). Proceed making the Hollandaise sauce while the salmon is poaching.

3.Pour a few inches of water into a saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat, then turn heat to medium-high and maintain water at a gentle boil. Place the egg yolks in a metal bowl, and whisk in hot water. Place the bowl over, but not touching, the boiling water. Whisk constantly until the yolks thicken, turn a light, opaque yellow, and double in volume. You may need to remove the bowl from the boiling water from time to time in order to keep from scrambling the yolks.

4.When the yolks have thickened and increased in volume, begin whisking in the butter, a cube at a time until it melts and incorporates into the hollandaise sauce. Wait for each cube to melt and incorporate before adding the next. Once all of the butter has been incorporated, remove from heat, whisk in the lemon juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

5.To serve, drain the poached salmon and place each piece onto a dinner plate. Generously ladle with the warm hollandaise sauce, and sprinkle with chives.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Fish Tacos with Honey-Cumin Slaw and Chipotle Mayo

This recipe wasn't originally on the menu.  I had some sour cream that I wanted to use and thought that fish tacos sounded good.  Only after making dinner last night did I realize that I didn't use the sour cream!  I did find another recipe though for later in the week to use that sour cream! The only changes I made to the recipe were that I omitted the cilantro (will eat it, but I'm not a huge fan) and didn't add the cayenne pepper to the mayo.  I tasted it and thought that it was spicy enough without. And of course, I thought that we had panko in the house, but when I went to cook I couldn't find it, so I used plain bread crumbs.  The fish still got a nice golden brown crust on it. (My husband later told me that we definitely had panko in the house....I guess I just didn't look hard enough!)  Even without those ingredients these tacos were delicious!  However, they were a bit time-consuming (all of the breading and frying of the fish and making two sauces!) and required a lot of clean-up (lots of dishes were used!).  I wouldn't categorize this as a quick weeknight dinner.  However, if you have a little time to make this, it is well worth it.

Fish Tacos with Honey-Cumin Slaw and Chipotle Mayo
allrecipes.com - by Scarey76

Ingredients:
1 pound tilapia fillets, cut into chunks
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon adobo sauce from chipotle peppers
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups panko crumbs
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 cup vegetable oil for frying
2 cups 3 color coleslaw blend
1 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
8 (7 inch) flour tortillas, warmed

Directions:
1.Place the tilapia chunks in a flat dish and pour 1/2 cup lime juice over the fish. Cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

2.Meanwhile, make the honey-cumin sauce by whisking together 1/3 cup lime juice, honey, vegetable oil, and ground cumin a small bowl. Set aside until needed.

3.To make the chipotle mayonnaise dressing, place the mayonnaise, chilies, adobo sauce, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cayenne pepper together in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Cover, and refrigerate until needed.

4.To bread the fish, place the flour, eggs, and panko crumbs in three separate shallow dishes. Season the fish with salt and pepper to taste. Dip the fish pieces first in the four, coating evenly, and shaking off any excess. Dip next in the eggs, and last in the panko crumbs, patting the pieces to help the breadcrumbs hold. Set the fish aside on a plate.

5.To cook the breaded fish, pour 1 cup vegetable oil into a skillet to 1/4 inch deep. Heat the oil to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C) over medium heat. Cook the fish, turning until all sides are golden brown, and flesh is easily flaked with a fork. Drain on paper towels. Brush the fish with the honey-cumin sauce.

6.Mix the coleslaw and cilantro together in a bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup of the chipotle mayonnaise dressing, and pour the remaining dressing over the coleslaw mixture. Toss to coat evenly with the dressing.

7.Place the tortillas on a flat surface, and spread each with 1 tablespoon reserved chipotle mayonnaise dressing. Divide the fish between the tortillas. Top with the cilantro coleslaw.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!  I brushed the honey-cumin sauce on the fish for the kids, but didn't give them the slaw or mayo.  It definitely had too much a kick for them.  They both ate all of their tacos and my daughter even asked, "Mmm, what's this tangy, sweet sauce?"  I served this with yellow rice and frozen, steam-in-a-bag veggies.