Small Town Summer: Fish and Shrimp Tacos

Now that I am in between working and school for a window of two weeks, I can make browse through magazines and books for recipes. While looking through the April 2011 issue of Better Homes and Garden at 9am, I found a fantastic recipe for Fish tacos that I just had to try. The recipe called for 1 lb. of Tilapia fillets, but alas I only had two pieces of fish so I decided to supplement shrimp for the rest.

Surprisingly, I loved the shrimp tacos even more than the tilapia. I realize now that I probably made the recipe harder on myself by breading each piece of fish and shrimp rather than tossing them in the flour. But it was so good it was worth the extra prep.

The fish and shrimp were so flavorful I almost could have eaten them by themselves but the tacos were still extremely delicious. The Chili Lime sauce that we tossed the shrimp in absolutely made the dish stand apart.

As always, I followed the recipe petty closely but added fresh cilantro and garlic powder to the sauce and cumin to the flour. For our tastes, this made the whole dish stand out.

We loved this dish so much that Aaron asked me to make in for both lunch and dinner. It was totally worth it.

Fish and Shrimp Tacos with Chili Lime Sauce:
8 small tacos (4 servings)
(Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens: April 2011)

Ingredients:

1 lb. of either Tilapia fillets or peeled Shrimp (or half and half)

3 Limes

1/3 Cup Mayonnaise (preferably light mayo)

1 tsp. Chili Powder

1/3 cup flour

8 small flour tortillas (6-7inch)

1 cup shredded cabbage

½ cup shredded carrots

1 jalapeño, finely minced

½ cup chopped cilantro

½ tsp. Cumin

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

Salt

1 clove minced garlic

Olive oil

Shredded Mexican cheese blend (optional)

Directions:

Cut fish into one inch pieces (if you are using shrimp just peel and de-vein)

For the Chili Lime sauce:

Juice two of the limes into a bowl, whisk in the mayonnaise and the chili powder.

Add ¼ cup of the chopped cilantro and the garlic salt to the mix, add salt to taste.

Use 1/3 cup of the sauce to toss the fish or shrimp in it. Keep the rest of the sauce for on top of the tacos.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tblsp. of olive oil with the minced garlic over medium heat.

In a bowl mix the flour, cumin and ½ teaspoon salt together.

Working in batches, batter each piece of the shrimp or fish evenly in the flour.

Place the fish in the heated pan, cooking for 2 to 4 minutes or until the fish flakes. The shrimp will appear firm and pink when ready. The battered fish will be golden brown and crispy. Add additional oil as needed.

Place the fish pieces on a paper towel to drain.

Microwave tortillas for 30 seconds in wrapped paper towels or place in oven at 375 degrees for five minutes.

Top each tortilla with the fish/shrimp cabbage, carrots, and diced jalapeños. Drizzle with the remaining Chili Lime Sauce. Top with cheese (optional.) Cut up the remaining lime into wedges and serve with the tacos.

Enjoy and watch them be devoured!

Stop by tomorrow for my birthday: August 18^th!

Love,

The College Cuisiner