The Best Fish Tacos

Fish:

2 pounds white fish, like tilapia, cod, rockfish or halibut
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon coarse, kosher salt, use a bit less if using table salt
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less to taste

Sauce:

½ cup sour cream

½ cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoons sriracha sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Tortillas + Toppings:

12 (6-inch) corn or flour tortillas

finely shredded cabbage

fresh cilantro

diced avocados

pico de gallo (see note)

Cotija or queso fresco cheese

lime wedges

Place fish in shallow dish or ziploc bag. Whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and cayenne. Pour the marinade over the fish and toss to coat all sides of the fish. Cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 30-45 minutes.

For the sauce, whisk together all the ingredients until well-combined. Refrigerate until ready to use. The sauce can be made several days in advance.

Cook the fish using a grill, air fryer, oven or stovetop. Timing will depend on the thickness of the fish and exact temperature. Keep a close eye on the fish and cook until it easily flakes with a fork and is no longer translucent/raw in the center. An instant-read thermometer should register 140 degrees F at the thickest part.

Grill: preheat a grill to medium-high, lightly oil the grates (or use a grill basket), and cook the fish for 2-3 minutes per side.

Air Fryer: preheat an air fryer to 370 degrees for 2-3 minutes. Lightly grease insert of air fryer. Add fish in a single layer and cook for 6-7 minutes.

Oven: preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking dish with aluminum foil and lightly grease with cooking spray. Add fish in a single layer and bake for 3-5 minutes per side.

Stovetop: heat 1-2 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the fish in a single layer (don't crowd the pan; may need to cook in batches), and cook for 3-4 minutes per side.

After cooking, season to taste with additional salt and pepper!

Serve the fish on warmed corn or flour tortillas piled high with toppings and drizzled with sauce.

Recipe and image from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Sheet Pan Lemon Garlic Shrimp & Asparagus

For Asparagus:
1 pound thin/medium asparagus, ends trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

For Shrimp:
1 pound medium or large uncooked shrimp (tail-off, peeled, and deveined), thawed if frozen
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8-1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice or more to taste
3 tablespoons butter, cubed

1/2 pound angel hair pasta (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta (if using) according to package directions while continuing with the recipe.

Line a baking sheet with foil. Add asparagus and drizzle with olive oil. Add garlic, salt, and pepper. Toss until evenly coated then arrange asparagus in a single layer. Roast for 4-6 minutes depending on thickness.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine shrimp, olive oil, garlic, salt, paprika, pepper, red pepper flakes, parsley, and lemon juice. Remove pan from the oven and move the asparagus to one side. Arrange the shrimp evenly on the other side of the pan. Dot asparagus and shrimp with the cubed butter.

Bake for 6 minutes or just until shrimp is opaque. Serve shrimp over pasta.

*We double the shrimp and pasta for our large family and bake on one extra-large baking sheet.

Adapted from carlsbadcravings.com

Stovetop Meat and Veggies in Sauce METHOD

This is a METHOD for a quick, healthy, and delicious stovetop meal. By method, I mean it is easy to customize and change it up! Choose your desired meat, then slice up your choice of vegetables, add a sauce, and you're on your way.

1. Start with your choice of meat: chicken, pork, beef, fish. You can use frozen chicken tenderloins, they defrost and cook through quickly. Avoid using overly-thick cuts of meat. Season both sides of meat with salt and pepper (or play around with other seasonings like lemon-pepper, fajita seasoning, etc). If desired you can add breading to your meat by dipping in egg then bread crumbs or just flour.

2. Slice up your vegetables: onions, mushrooms, green/red peppers, asparagus, carrots, green beans, zucchini, broccoli, etc, etc. Choose as many or as few veggies as you like.

3. Choose a liquid for your sauce: chicken, beef, or vegetable broth, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, etc. Pour 1/3 to 2/3 cup liquid into a glass measuring cup or bowl (use less liquid for a smaller pan, more for a bigger pan).

4. Choose an add-in for your sauce for a boost of flavor: minced/pressed garlic, grated ginger, minced onion, herbs, lemon zest, etc. Stir your add-in's into the prepared liquid. You can dress up your sauce as much as you like. (Ideas: Use this teriyaki marinade as a sauce. Add some maple syrup and garlic to balsamic vinegar. Chicken broth, garlic, and lemon zest would pair well with fish or chicken.) 

5. In a saute pan, heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil over medium heat. Once heated, add the meat. Place the vegetables over the meat, then pour the liquid over the meat and veggies. Sprinkle with a little salt and fresh ground pepper. Cover and cook until the meat is done on one side (the time will depend on the type and thickness of the meat, but anywhere from 5-10 minutes or so). Uncover and turn the meat. Continue cooking uncovered until the meat is cooked through (time and internal temperature will depend on the meat).

6. Remove the meat to a serving dish to rest. Continue cooking the vegetables in the liquid until the liquid has reduced at least by half and you have a nice sauce. Pour the vegetables and sauce over your meat and serve! 

You could easily serve this over cooked brown or white rice, but it's delicious on its own as well. Add a nice green salad and you have a complete meal!

Bang Bang Shrimp

5 Tbsp mayonnaise
3 Tbsp Thai sweet chili sauce
1 tsp sriracha (optional)
1 lb raw shrimp (shelled and deveined)
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp oil

In a bowl, combine mayo, sweet chili sauce, and sriracha. (I left out the sriracha, but add it if you want that spicy "bang," or add a little Tabasco.) Coat shrimp with cornstarch, tossing with hands to coat well. Heat a large skillet or wok on high. When hot, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and cook, tossing a few times until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan and combine with the sauce. Serve over white or brown rice (my preference), pasta, or lettuce. Serves 4.

recipe via skinnytaste.com

Favorite Fish - Quick and Easy

This is one of our favorite meals which I make every 2-3 weeks, but it's so simple that I'd hardly call it a recipe!

fish fillets (I love the frozen Tilapia from Costco, they're individually wrapped and so convenient)
butter
lemon pepper
salt

Defrost the fish. Remove it from the freezer and defrost in the fridge for 24 hrs., or do as I do and place the frozen fish (still in it's wrapper) in the sink and cover with cool water. They'll defrost in 10 minutes or so, but be sure they're thawed completely before cooking. When thawed, remove fish from wrapper. Butter both sides and sprinkle with lemon pepper and a little salt. Place in a non-stick pan and cook over medium heat, turning when browned. The fish will cook quickly (7-10 minutes) and is done when it is nice and flaky. Covering the pan while cooking helps it to cook more quickly. You could easily bake your fish in the oven or toaster oven as well.

Serve with cheesy garlic biscuits and veggies and you've got a quick and delicious meal!