Fish Tacos - a light and nutritious summer meal

Nothing speaks summer like having light, easy meals that require little or no cooking. But let's face it, often we get tired of grilling outside, especially on those very hot, sweltering days with no breeze, or worse, the days when the wind picks up to over 30 MPH in the evening, and then the fire does not stay on in the grill. For those days when you're hungry and don't want to spend a few hours preparing a meal, or let's face it, when nobody feels like cooking and you just want an easy no cook meal, tacos are the perfect choice. Depending on the protein used a bit of cooking might be required, but otherwise it's mostly chop, heat and serve. Crack open a frosty beer or pour a glass of your favorite summer wine, and feast on these fish tacos. The options are limited and I also make a variation for a quick and easy weekend breakfast (served without the beer of course). 

INGREDIENTS
 
Taco filling

• 2-2 oz piece raw fish, skinned, bones & skin removed, sliced thin or diced
• ½ cup peppers seeded & sliced (either sweet or hot peppers)
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (use for sautéing vegetables and cooking fish)

 
Fish rub

• 1 tbsp chili powder
• ½ tsp cumin
• 1 Tb fresh lime juice
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp olive oil

 
Taco toppings

• ½ cup chopped green leaf lettuce or cabbage
• 2 Tb  white or Mexican cheese
• 1 green onion sliced
• 1 Tb sour cream mixed  + 2 Tb unflavored Greek yogurt mixed
• 2 Tb tomatillo salsa (OK to substitute red or your favorite salsa)
• 2 small  (7")corn tortillas, warmed (or substitute 2 whole wheat tortillas)

 
DIRECTIONS

1.  In a medium non-stick skillet add EVOO and heat. Add the chopped peppers, sauté until soft.
2. In the meantime, combine the remaining oil, chili powder, cumin, lime juice, and pepper in a small bowl.  Rub the spice mixture over both pieces of the fish
3.  Place fish in skillet and cook until done (fish should flake with a fork and the color should be opaque, the juices, milky white)
4. Remove from heat. Break up each fish into pieces (one piece per taco)

TO SERVE:
Fill each tortilla with serving 3 ounces fish, ¼ cup lettuce, 1 tbsp cheese, ½ of the chopped scallion, 1 tbsp sour cream, and 1 tbsp salsa.
 
Nutrition 1 Taco
377 calories, 30g protein, 28g carbohydrates, 16  fat, 3g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 58mg cholesterol, 133mg calcium, 452mg sodium, 463mg potassium, 2506 International Units Vitamin A.
 
VARIATIONS
You may use any  type of protein you prefer for the filling. Choose from shrimp, crab, lobster, beef, chicken, pork, beans or tofu - there’s no limit to what you can do with this recipe. I often use leftover meats or fish, or buy fresh salmon for a completely different taste. When using salmon I add fresh dill to the rub. When using salmon I also add chopped cucumbers to the taco. For a breakfast taco use half the fish and add one scrambled egg per taco.
 
SERVING IDEAS

• Serve with Black Bean, Corn and Roasted Peppers sides
• For crunchy tacos cook tortillas in vegetable oil until crisp
• For a brunch taco use half the fish or meat portion and add one scrambled egg each
• Chopped cilantro and red salsa are always a good addition to any taco
  

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