The meals we serve in our house are definitely a product of the heavy Mexican influence in Texas. One of my two year old daughter's first words was "quesadilla" - no lie. Because of how much I love Mexican food, my favorite spice to cook with is cumin. I love when it gets warmed up and makes the whole house smell like something good is going on in the kitchen. These two recipes both incorporate cumin. Fish tacos are so easy to make and are always impressive to serve. This time, we used trout that my husband caught on a fishing trip, but you can use just about any white fish with a sturdy texture. Even my 8 year old loved them! It was a great way to have a grown up dinner that included fish that kids would happy to eat as well.
Grilled Fish Tacos:
Put 1 lb. white meat boned fish fillets into a Ziploc with the following marinade and let sit for 15-20 minutes:
Whisk 1/4 cup Canola oil, the juice of one lime, a couple of teaspoons of cumin, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves, one teaspoon of Kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
Grill the fish until done and flaky, about 5-6 minutes. Let it sit for a few minutes and then flake with a fork. Tip: Grill the fish on aluminum foil and the smaller pieces won't fall through the grates.
Mexican Cole Slaw:
Use one bag ready mix cole slaw with the dressing included. Pour 3/4 of the dressing packet in the bottom of a mixing bowl. To the ready made dressing, add a scoop of your favorite fresh salsa, juice from 1/2 lime, 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. Kosher salt, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1/8 cup chopped green onions, and chili powder to taste (I just used a pinch). Whisk the dressing and add in the cabbage slaw mixture. Stir together and let sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. *If you love spice, you could add chopped fresh jalapeno to this. I didn't because I was serving my kids.
To assemble the tacos:
Warm tortillas and on top of each place grilled fish, Mexican Cole Slaw, sliced avocado, and thinly sliced purple onion. My kids also like a small amount of shredded cheese on their fish tacos. Really they like cheese on just about everything.
The grilled fish marinade comes from Bobby Flay on www.foodnetwork.com and I just changed it a little. The Mexican Cole Slaw is my invention :o)
