Grilled Fish Tacos

Taco's are a staple in my house. My whole family loves them. They are usually pretty easy to make, often quick to make, cheap (which is a good thing), and they taste really good too. Plus when you pile on the veggies they're even good for you. I am planning on doing a whole month of taco recipes in June so if you love them as much as we do, you're in for treat that month.
Fish taco's are still a very popular dish around the country. They're aren't so new to the food scene as they once were, but they have some real staying power. I don't know if it's because of how tasty they are but there is something about a good fish taco that people just can't seem to pass up. I'm not the biggest fish person as I've mentioned a few times before, but if a fish taco is on the menu, (and if it's grilled instead of fried) you can find me chowing down on it. In fact, we just went out to a Mexican night at my favorite little local cafe. Pam, from Paradise Bakery makes some pretty darn good fish taco's! If you recall, I did an easy fish taco recipe awhile back that used fish sticks. While that one is pretty kid friendly for my picky eater, this recipe is just as easy to make and tastes incredible.

One Year Ago: Sausage and White Bean Ragu
Two Years Ago: Basil Pesto

What You Need:

1lb tilapia fillet (or any firm white fish)
juice from three limes (1/4 to 1/3 cup)
2 tbs veg oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground corriander
1 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper
Corn tortillas that have heated through
Pico De Gallo and other toppings

What To Do:

Combine the lime juice, oil, garlic and spices together in wide, shallow dish. Place your fish fillets into the mainade and turn to coat if needed. Let sit for at least 10 minutes but no more then 20 or the acid from the  lime juice will cook your fish and you'll end up with ceviche.
Meanwhile, preheat your grill (I did mine inside on a grill pan) over medium high heat. Once hot, give a spray with some non stick stuff or a quick spritz of oil. Grill your fillets for a couple of minutes on both sides. I had thinner fillets so they only took about 3 minutes on one side and maybe another minute or two on the other. It's cooked with your fish is opaque and doesn't feel so mushy. It should flake apart too.
Transfer your fillets to a plate and break it up into pieces. Fill your taco shells and top with your favorite things. Shredded cabbage or lettuce is pretty tradtional but I like just a little pico de gallo.

Clams with White Wine

I grew up eating clams. My parents would have summer family get togethers and there were always clams around. Dipped in melted butter or cocktail sauce, they were simple and delicious. As a grown up now, I still enjoy clams, and just because they hold such fond memories from my youth. Clams have a flavor you can’t get any where else. They taste well, clamy! I really can’t describe it any better. It’s a wonderful taste and texture and when pair with certain ingredients, clams really shine. This is a more grown up version of my childhood favorite, cooked in a broth with bacon, tons of garlic and white wine. When selecting clams, always ask to see the harvest tag. I know in New York and Pennsylvania, a harvest tag MUST accompany any bag of clams. There are some stores that won’t do this because they are trying to get rid of the old ones. Do not let them try and tell you when they received them in the store. You want to know the day they came out of the water. Do not let them show you just any old tag. You want to see it on the bag and you want the clams from that bag.  Any harvest date that is more than 7-10 days old, should not be purchased. Your clams should also be tightly closed. If they’re not, this means they’re dead and NOT good to eat.


What You Need:

4-5 slices of thick cut bacon, diced
8-10 cloves garlic, diced
1 c white wine
about 50 little neck clams (or your favorite type)
crusty bread for dipping into the juices


\What To Do:

Carefully dump the clams into a very large bowl that has been filled with cool water and a bit of flour. The flour will make the clams give up any sand they may have held onto. In a very large skillet, (needs to be big enough to hold all the clams with a tightly fitting lid) over medium heat, cook the diced bacon until rendered and crisp. Add in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Carefully add in the white wine. Remove the clams from their soak water by lifting them out. Any sand will have settled to the bottom and if you just dump the water out, you’re putting the sand back onto the clams. Add them to the broth you’ve created and put the lid on your skillet, making sure it’s closed. Steam the clams for roughly 10-15 minutes or until it looks like most of them have opened. If you have a clear glass lid, watch your clams pop open. It’s pretty neat! Once your clams are opened, transfer them to a large serving bowl and pour the broth containing the yummy garlic and bacon on top. As your eating this deliciousness, make sure to toss any clams that didn’t open. Do not try to cook them again or pry them open. Dip crusty bread into the broth for a great treat too.

Tilapia with Lemon and White Wine

Growing up I was never much of a fish person. While my dad loved to fish, and still does, the fish we ate was never appetizing. I remember these horrible salmon cakes my parents used to make. I also remember being forced to eat them and hating every second of it. Of course now, several years later, my mom will agree how horrible they were. As an adult I left the fish counter alone unless it was for shrimp. I know they say that fish is good for you, but I just could never get past the “fishy” taste. Finally I decided that I just needed to grin and bare it. It wasn’t going to kill me to eat fish every once in a while right? Each week when I did my grocery shopping, I tried a different fish. I finally decided that fresh tilapia was my favorite. It is a very mild white fish and takes on the flavors of what it’s cooked with. I’ve tried it a few ways now and keep coming back to this recipe. It’s a very quick and delicious was to enjoy fish.

What You Need:

1lb of tilapia filets
1 tbs veg oil
1 tsp butter
1 tsp of garlic powder
1/2 c flour
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 c white wine
salt and pepper

What To Do:

Heat a large, flat bottom skillet (I like to use my cast iron one) over medium high heat. Meanwhile, season both sides of the filets with salt, pepper and the garlic powder. Dredge in the flour and set aside until your pan is hot. Add the oil to the pan and then your fish filets. Cook for about 3 minutes or so, or until it’s lightly browned on the bottom. Flip the the fillets over and add in the white wine. Cook for about a minute or two or until the white wine has reduced down by 2/3rd. Depending on the thickness of your fillets, they should be cooked through by now, so remove them from the pan to a serving platter. Add the lemon juice and butter to the pan and whisk it together with the reduced white wine. Pour it over the fish and serve.

Easy Fish Tacos

Fish tacos have been the latest food craze in America. Everyone has their own version of making them, some with crunchy and spicy toppings, and other with sweeter salsa style toppings. There really is no right or wrong way to make a fish taco. I keep mine very simple by using store bought, frozen and breaded fish. I don’t often by prepackaged and prepared foods but when it comes to fish, location is everything. I can’t get really fresh where I live, so I normally opt for the frozen variety. Using frozen fish sticks also makes things easier and quicker. One last thing, I didn’t buy those minced up and pasted together fish sticks. I bought real haddock filets that were cut into planks and breaded. It makes all the difference in the world!

What You Need:


1 box frozen fish stick/filets
8 corn tortillas
Pico De Gallo
Chunky Guacamole
Chipotle Mayo
Lime slaw or regular shredded cabbage

What To Do:

Have the topping prepared before cooking your fish. Cook your fish according to package directions. While the fish is cooking, warm the tortillas. If you have a gas stove, turn a burner on medium low heat.

Place a corn tortilla over the flame, after about 30 seconds give it a flip to the other side. I usually flip my tortilla twice. Once both sides have some marks on them and the tortilla is warmed through, transfer to a plate that is lined with a kitchen towel. Cover the tortilla with the towel to keep it warm. Continue until the rest of the tortillas are warmed through. If using an electric oven, wrap the stack of tortillas in foil and place in the oven with the fish. In about 10 minutes, they should be heated through. Transfer them to a plate as described above.
 
To assemble a taco, smear a little bit of the chipotle mayo on the corn tortilla, then place a piece of fish, some slaw, pico de gallo and guacamole. Fold up and enjoy!

Enjoying fish tacos with family!

Coconut Shrimp

Shrimp is by far my favorite kind of seafood. I love it every way I've ever had it by one of my favorites is coconut shrimp. Sort of sweet, crunch, and just all around good, I bake mine to keep it more on the healthy side. It's pretty easy to make with just a handful of ingredients, that makes it a favorite in my house. I'm sure that once you give it a try it will become a favorite in your house too.

What You Need:

1 lb shrimp

2 egg white

1 c corn flakes

1/4 c panko bread crumbs

1/2 c coconut

1 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper  

What To Do:

Whip the egg whites together with some salt and pepper, and the garlic powder. You want them nice and frothy. In a food processor, place the corn flakes, panko and coconut and pulse it a few times until you have a nice crumbly coating. Coat the shrimp in the egg whites, and then into your crumb mixture, pressing it onto the shrimp so that it sticks. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and into a preheat 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. 

 

Shrimp and Zucchini Stir Fry

I saw the idea for this dish not that long ago. I believe it was something Rachel Ray was doing but her's was a take on Shrimp Scampi. I have been trying to work in some healthy meals for my family and me. I love all the things that are bad for you, but when I made this dish, I really didn't miss any of it. Juicy shrimp, garlic, ginger, it's so good!

What You Need:

1tbs almond oil
1lb shrimp (I use the 30 count), peeled and de-viend
2 or 3 small zucchini
2 cloves garlic
1/2 inch piece of ginger
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 c white wine
salt and pepper
2 cups cooked brown rice


What To Do:

Grate the garlic cloves and ginger into 1/2 tbs of the almost oil and set aside. Slice the zucchini into thin coins and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat your wok over high heat until very very hot. Drizzle in half the oil, and add the shrimp so that it's mostly in a single layer. Season with a bit of salt and pepper and look cook for about a minute. Add in the remain 1 tbs of oil with the garlic and ginger and give a stir, then add in the zucchini. Continue cooking for another minute, then add in the lemon juice and white wine. Finish cooking, stirring often until the shrimp is cooked through. Serve over rice.

How To: Boil Shrimp

Few things are harder to cook right then shell fish. Most have internally thermometers, turning a bring red when done but shrimp are a little different. Yes they turn red, but they also become opaque, and go from being perfectly cooked to over cooked in mere seconds. They also tend to lack in flavor. By salting the water and adding in some lemon juice and lemons you can punch up the flavor a bit. You can add in dried chilies or even whole spices like peppercorns or coriander seeds.

What You Need:

lots of boiling water
salt
lemons
shrimp

What To Do:

Bring a lot pot of water to a boil. Once it's at a roiling boiling add in salt. You want fairly salty water, it should taste like the sea. Cut a lemon or two in half, squeeze the juice into the water and then add the lemons themselves into the water as well. If you water isn't boiling still, wait for it come back up to a full boil before putting in your shrimp. You'll notice that they sink to the bottom and start to change red almost immediately. Once the shrimp become opaque, start to just barely curl and float to the top, they're done. If you serving them cold, shock them in ice water as soon as you pull them out of the boiling water to stop the cooking. If you're eating them as part as a dish, pull them out a little before they're done and toss them with whatever your serving them with to finish the cooking.

Tilapia Al Forno

Fish is something all Americans should be eating more of, but if you're like my family, fish isn't something we eat very often. I'm not the hugest fan of the taste so I'm always looking for a way to almost cover the taste up without covering it cocktail sauce. Cooking fish fillets al forno is something I can handle. I still taste the fish underneath but the crunch from the panko, the flavor from the garlic powder, and the fruitiness from the extra virgin olive oil, make this a fish dish I can handle!

What You Need:

4 (6oz) tilapia fillets

1/3 c olive oil

1 c panko bread crumbs

Salt and pepper

½ tsp garlic powder

What To Do:

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Season each of the fillets with salt and pepper and place on the back sheet.

In a small bowl, mix together the panko with the garlic powder and olive oil. Divide the panko among the four fillets so that the crumbs form a crust on top of each of them.

Bake 8-12 minutes for until the fillets reach 130 degrees. Let rest for 2 minutes before serving.

Bacon Wrapped Scallops

Fish has never really been my thing. When I was younger my family would throw huge get together's in the summer time with tons of steamed clams and shrimp cocktails and I would eat them with no problem. While my family still has get together's, clams don't grace the table often. In the summer time it's fish fry's made with trout or bass and in the winter it's bacon wrapped scallops. I will not eat scallops any other way. The salty smoky flavor from the bacon permeates the delicate flesh and taste of the scallops. They make the perfect and elegant appetizer for any dinner party. You can use either bay scallops which are smaller, about 100 per pound and sweeter in taste, or the big sea scallops which have a chewier taste. Bay scallops  generally come from the east coast and have a very short season, but are less expensive then sea scallops whose season runs from fall to spring.

What you need:

Approx 1 lb of sea scallops, or 1/2 lb bay scallops
Approx 1 lb of sliced bacon
Salt and Pepper


What to do:

If you are using the larger sea scallops cut them in half. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Cut the bacon in half or into thirds depending on the size of scallops and wrap one piece around a scallop. Use a tooth pick to secure if needed. Place under a broiler until the bacon is crisp and the scallop is cooked through. Just a few mins should do it.

H A P P Y  C O O K I N G !!

After a long weekend.....

I needed something quick and easy to fix for supper. We were away for the labor day weekend and I was exhausted when when we got home. I knew I had shrimp in the freezer that I needed to use up and I've had this recipe sitting around for a while and decided it would be perfect.

Spicy Shrimp with Coconut Rice

The Ingredients:

1 1/2 c long grain rice

3 cups water

2 tbs olive oil

1lb 16-20 count jumbo shrimp; peeled, deviened and tails left on

3 cloves garlic, minced

juice of 1 lime

1 (14oz) can coconut milk

1 tsp red chili pwd

salt and pepper

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan add rice, water and 1tbs of olive oil and set over high heat. Once it boils, lower heat to the lowest possible position, cover and just barely simmer for 15mins. Resist the urge to stir it at all or remove the lid. Once the 15 mins is up turn the burner off and set the rice aside until you need it.

While the rice is cooking, peel and devien the shrimp. You can buy shrimp already to go if you want to spend a little more money to save a little bit of time but I had all the shrimp peeled and deviened by the time my rice was done.

In a bowl combine the shrimp, garlic and lime juice.

Add the last tbs of oil to a lrg sautee pan over med high heat. Once the pan is hot add in the shrimp and cook for just 1 min. Add in the red chili powder and half the can of coconut milk and cook just a min longer. Shrimp cooks incredible quick and is easy to over cook. So once you seem them become pink and just start to curl then they are done. They shouldn't completely curl up, if they do, then they are probably overcooked.





Stir the remaining 1/2 can of coconut milk into the rice and serve the shrimp over it. Add a salad to make a complete meal.