baja fish tacos

cinco de mayo was just a few days ago… but who says you can’t keep the celebration going with some mexican-inspired menu faves? :)

fish tacos are one of my fave things to order on a sunny patio with a frozen lime margarita on the side. while i haven’t quite mastered the art of mixing a good frozen marg, i’m happy to say that fish tacos are easypeasy to make at home.

prep veggies:
- 2-3 sprigs of green onion (chopped)
- 2 roma tomatoes (rough chop)
- 1.5 cups organic mixed herb salad or greens
- 1/2 large haas avocado (halved, pitted, peeled, sliced)

prep fish:
- heat up large saucepan w/ 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (evoo) on high heat
- add green onion & tomatoes to pan
- reduce heat to medium, add 1 large fillet of fresh salmon to pan (already thawed, if previously frozen)
- season salmon fillet & tomatoes w/ 1/2 tsp ancho chile spice
- cook until salmon lightens slightly in colour on outside & opaque in center (but do not overcook)
- turn sides to cook evenly, about 3min per side
- remove from heat & set aside. allow salmon to cool for a few min.

assemble tacos:
- place 3 medium whole-grain tortillas on a plate
- divvy mixed greens on each tortilla
- add tomatoes, cooked salmon (flaked) & avocado to each tortilla
- season w/ ground black peppercorns
- top w/ queso fresco (grated) over taco fillings

food styling:
- fold tortillas into halves & place on a serving dish
- warm-up tacos in microwave for 15-20sec to melt the cheese
- pairs nicely w/ your fave chilled lime beer or frozen margarita

(tip: if fish tacos aren’t your cup of tea, swap out the salmon for stir-fry chicken. i also tried this taco recipe w/ chicken instead, and it works well w/ the chipotle seasoning & veggies.)

westcoast fish tacos

chances are, i won’t be ordering fish tacos when dining out anymore…

so i have one of the weird tendencies to order something that i wouldn’t typically cook on my own when eating out. you know, things like veal, rabbit, sashimi, or other adventurous foods. while i wouldn’t necessarily categorize fish tacos as ‘adventurous’, it’s one of those dishes that never really made it into my kitchen repertoire… until now. :)

prep fish:
- heat up large saucepan w/ 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (evoo) on high heat
- brown 1 large shallot (peeled, rough chop) w/ evoo
- reduce heat to medium, add 1 large fillet of wild sockeye salmon to pan (already thawed, if previously frozen)
- season salmon fillet w/ 1 tsp chipotle blend (combo of spices incl chipotle powder, ground paprika, cumin, coriander, granulated onion, garlic powder)
- cook until salmon lightens slightly in colour on outside & opaque in center (but do not overcook)
- turn sides to cook evenly, about 3min per side
- remove from heat & set aside. allow salmon to cool for a few min.

prep veggies:
- 1 large organic heirloom tomato (rough chop)
- 1/3 english cucumber (rough chop)
- 1.5 cups organic mixed greens
- 1 large haas avocado (halved, pitted, peeled, sliced)