This month, as we head into spring and prepare ourselves for iced beverages of all kinds, Laura Buxenbaum was gracious enough to provide us with a recipe full of fresh flavors and healthy ingredients. As an ardent lover of fish tacos whenever I travel to San Diego, I am thrilled to now have a recipe I can prepare at home.
Also, is it me or does everyone else feel like a professional chef while preparing a meal that involves the word crema?
Ingredients:
Crema
- 2/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2/3 cup chopped fresh mango
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
Tacos
- 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
- 1 pound firm white fish (e.g. mahi mahi or tilapia)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 cup shredded red or green cabbage
- 1/2 cup finely chopped avocado
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
- 1/4 cup diced mango
Instructions
1. To make crema, combine first four ingredients in food processor or blender. Puree until smooth (yield: 1 cup).
2. Cut fish into 24 similar size pieces. Combine flour, salt, cumin and pepper flakes and toss with fish pieces to evenly coat. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish and cook for 4-6 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking time, or until fish is opaque throughout.
3. To make tacos, warm tortillas in a dry nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until they begin to brown. Pile together on a plate; cover and keep warm until ready to assemble. Place three pieces of fish in each tortilla. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of crema and top with cabbage. Then add 1 tablespoon each of avocado and mango. Drizzle another tablespoon of crema over each taco and top with 1/2 tablespoon thinly sliced scallion.
* The thick texture of Greek yogurt makes a good Mexican crema, particularly when it’s flavored with lime zest, cilantro, and fruits like mango or avocado.