One of his suggestions was fish tacos, which made me balk, but after a little Googling I realized how easy they’d actually be. That is, until I forgot to pick up tortillas and decided that instead of running to the grocery store at the last minute I’d try making some of my own!

For the tortillas I queried my best friend, who suggested a very specific masa harina (tortilla flour) made by Quaker.

We’ve tried two other mixes in the past and they always ended up too thick, and tasted like pancakes.

The Quaker brand was perfect — they rolled out thin (and were very forgiving as far as the rolling pin goes), didn’t taste like pancakes, and one batch made the perfect amount of taco-sized tortillas.

My husband also had no problem rolling out larger tortillas for a batch of enchiladas I’ll make over the next couple of days.

For the fish tacos, I made up a batch of Baja Sauce. It made a ton so if I do it again I’m definitely cutting it in half, at least. I used jalapeno peppers from our container garden and I wish I’d put in a couple of more — the sour cream and mayo ended up taking over!

For the fish I used a package of frozen fish fillets. Yes, I could have tried battering and frying my own, but I can’t bring myself to trust the freshness of the fish here in my extremely land-locked desert city! The fillets were perfect and deliciously crispy. I cut each fillet in half length-wise, then chopped those into threes (for a total of six bite sized pieces per fillet).

I then slathered on some Baja Sauce on a tortilla, layered some crispy shredded cabbage on it, added the fish, a little more sauce, and some fresh chopped tomatoes (also from our garden!).

Needless to say, it was a hit! I probably should have bought another box of fish since the one I got only had ten small fillets, which gave us each two tacos. My husband would have loved to have taken some in to work for lunch today (we’ve got plenty of sauce and tortillas left!) and the kids and I wouldn’t have minded have some leftovers too, but we’ll know for next time!

Post from: Blisstree

Homemade Fish Tacos

Ok, so they taste better than they look.

Salt and pepper fish filets and then lightly dust in a mixture of flour and paprika. You’ll want to use a mild fish like grouper, tilapia and the like. I used triggerfish. You’ll also want to cut the fish in strips before flouring. Add a small dollop of oil to a frying pan and, when hot, sauté the fish until done.

Meanwhile, toast the corn tortillas. I hold each one with tongs over the open flame on my gas stovetop – a trick I learned from Cooking Light. Finally, toss together a simple slaw of shredded cabbage (I like the angel hair that comes in the bag) with a little finely chopped red onion. Toss with white wine vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper. Assemble tacos by placing some of the slaw down the center of the tortilla, add a strip or two of fish, and top with a thin slice of avocado. Rick likes to add a dash of hot sauce and for some reason I bought Pickapeppa Sauce instead of traditional hot sauce, but it worked just fine. Finally, devour and enjoy.

Photo, JWJourney

Post from: Blisstree

Simple Fish Tacos Even My Son Will Devour

During this research, Rick noticed that today is World Oceans Day. The day is part of the World Ocean Project and was designated by the United Nations in an effort to encourage individuals to evaluate their perspective of the ocean, learn about ocean creatures and habitats, and discover ways to become a better caretaker. There are several threats to our oceans – which ultimately threaten us. For one, global warming is causing rising sea levels, altered ocean currents, warming poles, and bleached coral reefs. By educating ourselves and our children, we can reverse those affects. And that is the premise of World Oceans Day. Even if we don’t live close to the ocean, we can still make an impact by making small modifications in our lifestyles, such as decreasing our carbon footprint and following a more “green” lifestyle.

This year’s theme is “one ocean, one climate, one future.” There are World Oceans Day events worldwide, but if you don’t live close to one you can checkout some of the online events and activities for adults and kids such as Habitat Heroes Ocean Day Treasure Hunt and World Ocean Day coloring sheets.

We began celebrating World Oceans Day early. Rick and Truman went to the pet store and bought two beta fish for Truman’s fish tanks. Truman dropped some of the seashells we collected on the beach into the fishes’ bowls.

I celebrated by focusing on the ocean’s wonderful bounty. I went to Snapper Grabbers fish market and bought trigger fish filets and jumbo shrimp, and served fish tacos for dinner.

Hope you have a glorious and “green” World Oceans Day!

Photo, JWJourney

Post from: Blisstree

June 8th is World Oceans Day