ode to the fish taco

It's cold here in the midwest.  And unless you've lived under a rock for the past couple months, you know that the east coast's (read: Boston's) snow totals this year are positively biblical.  So on a freezing February evening, one can dream about summer and make oneself a fish taco and some spicy cole slaw.  One almost always feels better doing so.  





Make the cole slaw first.  If you have time to make it in the morning, better yet, because the longer it sits the more pickled and spicier it gets.  I've blogged this cole slaw recipe before:  it bears repeating because it it really stinking good. Recipe below.




For the tacos, take a few fillets of tilapia. Cut  in half along the midline and then once across, so you have four pieces per fillet.  Dry them with some paper towel, salt them and let them sit for a few minutes.  Mix up a magic potion of cumin, corriander and paprika (for four fillets use 1/2 tsp paprika and 2tsp each the other) and coat each piece generously in this yumminess.  Put some flour on a plate and press each side of the fish into the flour and set aside.   Heat up some vegetable oil in a large fry pan on medium high.  When it's hot, add the fish and cook about 3 minutes per side, until it's cooked through and golden brown.  Take out of the oil and set aside. 

 Heat up a couple tortillas, cook up some brown rice or quinoa,  assemble the whole yummy mess on your tortilla, take a bite, and think about summer. 

I swear, it's coming.  Right?

Fish Tacos and Spicy Cole Slaw -  from Ten Dollar Dinners  by Melissa d’Arabian.
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
for the slaw
½    small red cabbage, halved and sliced crosswise into thin strips (about 3 cups sliced cabbage)
¼    red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
1    small jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced crosswise
2    tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro
1    lime
½    cup white vinegar
1    teaspoon sugar
1½    teaspoons kosher salt

for the tacos
2    6-ounce tilapia fillets
1    teaspoon kosher salt
1    teaspoon ground coriander
1    teaspoon ground cumin
¼    teaspoon sweet paprika
2    tablespoons all-purpose flour
2    tablespoons vegetable oil
8    6-inch fresh corn tortillas

To make the slaw: Place the cabbage, onion, jalapeño, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Slice the lime in half lengthwise and then cut one half into 4 wedges; set aside for serving. Juice the remaining lime half into a small bowl. Add the vinegar, sugar, and salt and whisk to dissolve, then pour the vinegar mixture over the cabbage mixture. Toss and squeeze with your hand to combine and set aside. Stir and squeeze the slaw every 5 to 10 minutes while you prepare the fish.

To make the tacos: Divide each tilapia fillet in half along its center seam (so you have 4 long pieces) and then halve crosswise so you have 8 pieces. Set the tilapia on a plate and blot dry with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides of the 8 pieces with the salt. Mix the coriander, cumin, and paprika together in a small bowl and sprinkle the spices over both sides of the fish, patting them on gently. Place the flour on a plate and lightly coat both sides of the fish in flour.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook until golden and crisp on both sides, 4 to 6 minutes total. Use a spatula to transfer the fish to a plate and set aside.
Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat and place a tortilla in the pan. Cook the tortilla until it’s warmed through and pliable, 30 seconds to 1 minute, turning it over midway through. Place the tortilla on a kitchen towel–lined plate and wrap loosely, folding the edges of the towel over the tortilla to keep it warm. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, stacking and covering them as you go. Place 1 piece of fish inside each tortilla, top with cabbage slaw, and serve with a lime wedge. 

To India, with Love

I am obsessed with Indian food lately. What's not to love?  Fragrant, exotic, spicy foods prepared with long marinades and slow cooking.  It's all so flavorful and gorgeous and delicious, I can't get enough.  We're lucky  to live close to Devon Ave., Chicago's amazing ten block stretch of mostly Indian restaurants and shops.  We took our kids there for the first time years ago and they were all positively wide eyed. It was like stepping into another world. And they loved the food. So when we go out as a family, Devon is a regular stop.

Recently, Doug and I saw the movie The Lunchbox.  Have you seen it?  Lovely, lovely little  film that takes place in Mumbai, in which the food plays a central role.  (And Tasneem, this season's gorgeous villain in Homeland, is the star!)  Then, the next night, we watched The One Hundred Foot Journey, another fantastic film, and another in which Indian food plays a central role.  Perhaps that's what started this kick, trying to make yummy Indian food that doesn't require too much time or expertise.

Last week I made a crock pot version of chicken tikka masala.  It might horrify a legit Indian food connoisseur, but my people and me? We loved it.  Garam masala is the key to it all and it can be found at any decent grocery store (and definitely at Village Market.) It smells like heaven.

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

15-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 medium onion, chopped

2cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoons garam masala (Indian spice blend)

kosher salt and black pepper

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8) (I used chicken breasts)

1/2 English cucumber, halved and thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup basmati or some other long-grain white rice

1/2 cup heavy cream 

In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, tomato paste, garam masala, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables, cover, and cook until the chicken is tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours (this will shorten total recipe time).

In a small bowl, toss the cucumber and cilantro with the lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.

Twenty minutes before serving, cook the rice according to the package directions.Just before serving, stir the cream into the chicken tikka masala. Serve over the rice with the cucumber relish.

THEN, as luck would have it, we had dinner at our friends George and Sarah's house Saturday night.  George and Sarah were both born in India. Theirs was an arranged marriage!  Seriously!  And they love eachother!  And both have PhDs!  And three lovely and brilliant daughters!   We have had many dinners at George and Sarah's over the years, and every so often they serve full on Indian, and this weekend was one of those lucky nights.  It was SPECTACULAR.

they served:

Butter Chicken Masala
Saag Aloo
Ghee Rice
Papads ( wafers made from Chick pea flour)

Pickle (insanely flavorful and spicy topping) 

(per Sarah:  the one thing found in common across all of the subcontinent, though the taste and materials can vary wildly)

To wrap up the Indian food experiment, I made Mark Bittman's "Chicken Curry in a hurry". 

It was very easy and quick and tasty.  I'll definitely make it again, but next time I'll pound out the chicken or cut it into cutlets to infuse it with more flavor and cook it faster.

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder, or to taste
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 to 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1 cup sour cream
• Minced fresh cilantro or parsley for garnish

• Put the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion, sprinkle with some salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium, sprinkle with about half the curry powder and continue to cook for a minute or two.
  
  
  
  2. Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle it with the remaining curry powder. Move the onion to one side of the skillet and add the chicken in one layer. Cook for about 2 minutes per side; transfer to a plate.
  
  
  
  
  3. Add the sour cream and stir constantly over mdeium-low heat until the mixture is nice and thick. Beturn the chicken to the skillet and cook for 2 more minutes, turning once.
  
  
  
  
  Garnish and serve with plenty of white rice.
  
  
  
  To India, with love.