tilapia tacos

I made these fish tacos as a welcome home dinner for my mom and brother who went away to D.C. and California (resp.) for a couple days.  I can't go wrong with tacos for my brother, and my mom appreciates anything I cook with fish.

I came across a great recipe for sustainable and mayo-free tilapia fish tacos - which looked delicious.  I knew they would be too dry for our taste, so I found another recipe that contained a chipotle crema and combined them.  So they didn't stay cream free, but they were really delicious.  A big part of this was that I was making everything - fresh ingredients, made the way I want with salt and spices that I controlled.


Also, since I'm on a mission to try to fatten up my skinny brother (in the best way possible), I thought I would make homemade guacamole to top the tacos with - and the best part is, you can eat the leftovers with chips! It takes some time to prep, but this recipe is actually very easy and everyone loved them. 

I N G R E D I E N T S

corn or flour tortillas
2 fillets, tilapia
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. olive oil
juice of 1 lime

1 cup low-fat sour cream

1 can chipotle in adobo sauce

1 cup chopped green onions/scallions

1 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
big handful chopped cilantro

1 avocado, mashed

juice of 1 lime
1/2 onion, finely chopped

D I R E C T I O N S

Once you rinse the fish & pat them dry, sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.  Let rest for a couple minutes.  Then, mix spices, olive oil and lime juice in a bowl.  Brush fillets on both sides with the mixture and let marinate at room temp. for 15-20 minutes (Credit: Blue Kitchen).

Meanwhile, mix the mashed avocado, lime juice, 1/4 cup chopped tomato, the 1/2 onion and a small handful cilantro.  Add salt & pepper to taste. Add more of other ingredients to taste as well. Set aside.  Then, take two tsps of the chipotle adobo (you can blend it, but I opened the can and literally just took the adobo sauce) and mix well with the sour cream.  Set aside. Put chopped tomatoes and scallions in their own bowls.

Either grill the fish a couple minutes on each side or saute on pan with olive oil, about 4 minutes on each side. Place in serving dish and cover with foil for a couple minutes.  Then, cut into separate pieces. Serve with slices of lime for people to squeeze onto fish if desired.

Heat up the tortillas and serve immediately. Now this is my favorite part - you make your own tacos!   This is how we made ours: take taco and add dollop of chipotle crema.  Add a couple pieces of fish.  Add some tomatoes, scallions, cilantro and a generous helping of guacamole. Close the taco. Take a bite... :)