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Tukten’s Fish Tacos
The unseasonably warm weather has allowed us to get a jump on summer eating. For Andy and me, this means fresh fruits, veggies, and grilling! Fish tacos are one of my favorite Tukten dishes. So easy, so refreshing, so clean, and so delicious!
These fish tacos include corn tortillas, cotija cheese*, chopped red cabbage (or pre-chopped coleslaw mix), extra chopped jalapenos (if you want the extra heat), extra lime wedges to juice over the taco concoction, fish, and salsa. Oh – you’ll want a side of taco chips! There are only two things to “make”: the salsa and the fish.
* According to Cheese.com, cotija is “a Hispanic-style cheese, known as the “Parmesan of Mexico”. It was originally made with goat’s milk but today cow’s milk is preferred. This cheese is strongly flavored, firm and perfect for grating. It is used in Hispanic cooking, in a manner similar to the way Parmesan is used in Italian cooking. Cotija is commonly used to add a lively garnish to common dishes: simply sprinkle on top of refried beans, salads, chili or lasagna. In Mexico, it is also widely used to enhance the flavor of many savory dishes by mixing directly into the casserole or recipe. In the U.S. it is increasingly popular on pasta. See for yourself how much zestier any pasta or even simple macaroni and cheese will taste with a sprinkle of Cotija. It is typically shredded onto cooked foods, also in salads and with fruit.”
SALSA
Ingredients and Directions:
- one red onion, chopped
- two regular sized jalapenos chopped
- 3/4 of a pineapple cubed
- 1 mango cubed
- handful of cilantro, chopped
- the juice of 6 limes
- 2 large tomatoes chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
*Mix all of the above together and BAM! Salsa!*
Fish
Tilapia is one of the sturdiest grilling options but this time and in these pictures, you are looking at Dover Sole from Whole Paycheck Foods.
Directions
1. Coat the grill with oil to prevent sticking
2. Heat to low heat
3. Coat both side of the fish lightly with olive oil and then season with your favorite seasoning. Tukten likes to use La Plata Peak Latino Spice. Any Latin spice will do.
4. Slice three limes
5. If you have an upper level on your grill use it or use indirect heat by turning off some burners on your grill and do not place the fish directly over the flame.
6. Place fish on the grill and place several limes atop the fish and let cook for approx 3-4 min. Remove limes.
7. Using great care, (fish is flakey) flip your fish to the other side. Place new limes, if desired, and cook for another 3-4 min or until fish is cooked – it should be opaque white
Homemade Salsa!
It may not look very exciting, but it is! This salsa is fun to make because it is easy, yet, completely from scratch. It also looks complex, don’t you think? Obviously, you can put salsa on anything you choose, but…I purchased some tortilla chips from Chili’s (yes, they sell them by the bag) and the combination of their chip-genius and this salsa’s ridiculousness was pretty delish.
Ingredients:
12 roma tomatoes. These are great because they are sturdy and you don’t need to worry about removing the skin
3 yellow onions
15-20 Serrano peppers (caps removed). These peppers bring the HEAT! You can reduce the number of peppers or remove the seeds to dial down the heat
8-10 cloves of garlic (shelled)
1 tsp of salt
1 -2 bunches of cilantro
Directions
1. Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees
2. Halve the tomatoes and onions. Lay them cut-side up on a baking sheet (sprayed with cooking spray) along with the peppers and garlic.
3. Roast the contents of the baking sheet until the onions become translucent, the tomatoes appear soft, and peppers get a little char on them. This takes about an hour, but you should definitely keep an eye on it to determine whether more or less time is necessary.
4. After roasting, allow the baking sheet items to cool for about 10 minutes. Then, place these items in your food processor.
5. Add the salt and cilantro and grind it all together. This may take several batches.
6. Once “salsa consistency” is reached, transfer to a salsa friendly serving dish, stir and then salt to taste, if necessary.
Enjoy!
