Fish Tacos and Red Cabbage Slaw

Pacific Dover with mango, jalapeño glaze and red cabbage slaw and avocado.

Today AJ kicked my butt with an intense lifting circuit. I haven't lifted in months, so this was pretty hard for me. I really need to start lifting more. All the ladies out there should start too, because we all have to be worried about osteoporosis as we age. Weight lifting strengthens bones as well as making your muscles strong. Also, muscle burns more calories than fat, so you can eat more!

So after my workout session I was ready for some protein. I was in the mood for fish tacos and despite the plethora of Mexican food options in San Francisco I felt like making these myself. I ran to the store and picked out some pacific dover fillets from Oregon. I have never eaten dover before, but its a white fish that I thought would work with tacos. I marinated the fillets (which were super thin btw) in a store-bought mango jalapeño dressing. Always keep your marinade time to a minimum with thin flaky fish. One time I left some fish fillets in for a couple hours and they basically disintegrated. Those acids will par-cook the fish, so be careful! I seared the fillets in a pan and finished them off in the oven. They were super flaky and some of the fillets came apart in the process. But with fish tacos it doesn't really matter, it's all going in a tortilla.

Red cabbage, carrot, and cilantro slaw with a citrus, garlic dressing.

To compliment my fish, I immediately thought of cabbage slaw. I have been eating a lot of red cabbage in salads. It is super crunchy and adds great texture. It also holds up well to vinegars and citrus, so I knew it go well with the fish. I added some grated carrot and chopped cilantro to the sliced cabbage. The dressing was a simple lime, orange, vinegar, oil, garlic, salt mixture. It was delightful with the fish. The finishing touch was slices of avocado. Mmm now that's a good meal.

Fish Tacos

Ingredients

- 1 lb white fish (dover, tilapia, red snapper)

- mango jalapeno marinade (or your favorite storebought)

- 2 tbsp canola oil

- quarter to one half head of red cabbage, sliced thinly

- 1 carrot, grated

- 2 handfuls cilantro, chopped

- 1/4 cup lime, orange juice

- 1/4 cup champagne vinegar

- 1/4-1/3 cup canola oil (depending on how vinegary you like it)

- 2 cloves garlic (minced)

- 1/4 tsp salt

4 flour tortillas

1 avocado, sliced

lime wedges

Place fish fillets in a glass pan with marinade just covering them. Let stand in fridge for 20 minutes. Start on cabbage slaw while the fish marinates. Mix citrus juice, vinegar, oil, garlic, and salt in a bowl. Place the cabbage, carrot, and cilantro in a large bowl. Pour dressing on top and mix well. Place in fridge until ready to eat.

For fish, heat oil in saute pan on medium high. Make sure to wipe away excess marinade from fillets. Place fillets in pan in batches (I put 3 at a time). They cook very quickly, so they only need about 60 seconds on each side. You can preheat the oven and keep the fillets warm while you finish the rest. Warm tortillas in microwave or toaster oven for 30 to 60 seconds. Serve fish on tortillas with slaw, avocado and lime juice (if you desire).

Salud!

Nopalito - San Francisco, CA

Ceviche - it was so tasty I forgot to take a pic-pre chowtime.

San Francisco , home of the burrito, produces some wonderful mexican cuisine. I haven't eaten at a ton of Mexican establishments in San Francisco. However, the places I have visited have served up super fresh, cheap, and most importantly tasty fish tacos, burritos, and quesadillas. Mexican cuisine has recently moved up on my list of favorite cuisines - and now Nopalito stands at the very top of that category.

Vegetable tamale

Nopalito, opened up a little over a year ago and is a self-proclaimed "sustainable, organic, Mexican kitchen." Nopalito's name is a nod to its sister restaurant, Nopa, and its Mexican cuisine (referring to the slices of cactus leaf used in traditional cooking). Cacti adorn the windows of the restaurant creating an inviting dessert feel. The restaurant celebrates "traditional cookery of Mexico, utilizing local, organic, and sustainable ingredients." You can order a couple small plates or a large plate as your meal. The prices are very affordable, so all you have to worry about is your appetite, not your wallet.

Nopal or Cactus

Some people think of Mexican cuisine as heavy, greasy food. But traditional Mexican food is anything but that, offering up fresh produce enhanced with minimal fat and lots of herbs and spices. Malia and I ordered up a couple items to share - ceviche de pescado y calamari, tamal de huitlacoche, and mole poblano con pollo. AJ ordered up the empanada de suadero and the taco de pescado al pastor.

Chicken with Mole Sauce

The tamal was earthy and substantial with a nice filling of black beans, greens, onions and jalapenos. The sweet corn played nicely with the earthy filling and the sour crema sauce. AJ enjoyed his super fresh taco al pescado. The fish was marinated in a bright mixture of cilantro, adobo, chile, and orange. Served up on hearty yellow corn tortillas this made for a nice start to the meal.

The ceviche was the highlight of the meal - quite possibly the best I have ever eaten. The seafood was incredibly fresh, and the calamari were so tender. Often times calamari are chewy or rubbery, but these were prepared exquisitely, bringing out the sweetness of the flesh. The lime juice, cilantro, and tomatillo complimented the sweet fish with a nice acidity. The smooth, creamy avocado slices were the perfect addition. I loved how these were served with warm, salty, corn chips. This dish exemplified the simple, clean flavors of Mexican cuisine.

The mole poblano con pollo was excellent as well. A chicken leg is served on the bone, with a rich mole poblano sauce. The mole was warm and spicy - made with toasted chiles, cinnamon, chocolate, nuts, sesame seeds, and onion. The mole sauce combined the sweet and savory elements well.

The food at Nopa is exceptional, and I would highly recommend checking the place out. While they don't take reservations, try to get to the restaurant early, as they get especially busy on Friday and Saturday nights.

Nopales (Cactus) Tacos

Nopales and sweet potato tacos with avocado and salsa.

When I head to my local farmer's market, I often try and find one item that I have never tried before. A couple of weeks ago I spotted nopales, aka prickly pear cactus. A common staple in Mexican cuisine, I had always wanted to try it. Our farmer told us that these cactus had already been removed of their spines, and were ready to eat. Apparently raw nopales are an excellent addition to salads.

I wasn't sure how I was going to use my cactus, until I saw Kim O'Donnel's recipe for sweet potato tacos. Surely cactus would be a great addition to any taco. Alright, I know what you're thinking - sweet potatos and cactus? How could those exotic flavors pair well together. Truth be told, I wasn't sure either, but I am all about trying new things.

These tacos are great topped with some fresh salsa.

I tweaked the recipe slightly, mashing up my sweet potatoes with some salt and a little garlic. I spread the sweet potato mash on corn tortillas, topped them with sauteed nopales, avocado, and fresh salsa. These tacos were packed with flavor. The nopales were amazingly tangy, almost like eating a fleshy lime. The smooth, almost creamy texture of the nopales worked well with the sweet potatoes. I made my own salsa with tomatoes, onions, jalapeno, cilantro, and garlic. The freshness and brightness of these tacos is just wonderful.

AJ loves nopales tacos!

Going in for the kill!

Fresh Salsa

1 large tomato, diced

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4-1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 jalapeno, diced

salt and pepper to taste

Mix ingredients in a bowl. For a more pureed version, blend in food processor.

La Barrenada - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz Beach

AJ's family came to visit this past week. They stayed in Santa Cruz, giving us an excuse to head to the beach! While it was a tad too breezy to lay out on the sand, we did enjoy walking down the boardwalk. We stopped at La Barrenda, a taqueria and seafood joint, for lunch. I had yet to try fish tacos since I arrived in California, and knew I would be able to satisfy that craving at La Barrenda!

Outside La Barrenda

Order at the counter

The restaurant is a casual eatery, and food is ordered at the counter. The walls were brightly painted, adding to the festive atmosphere. There are a plethora of options, ranging from chicken tacos to seafood soup. A variety of beers and sodas are offered, as well as margaritas. Dishes are brought to the table by the friendly staff.

Fish tacos

I ordered two fish tacos a la carte. If you order the platter they come with rice and beans. After I placed my order I was a little worried about whether the fish would be fried. I prefer my fish sans batter, so that I can taste the freshness of the flavors. These tacos were exactly what I wanted. The tilapia tasted like it had been caught that day. The light and flaky fish is served in chunks on two corn tortillas with lettuce, cilantro, and a red sauce. The red sauce was deliciously spicy and refreshing. I could taste the onions, garlic, and peppers. A fresh squeeze of lime juice and you're good to go.

Bean burrito

AJ stuck to his vegetarian diet and ordered up the supreme vegetarian burrito. This burrito is filled with rice, pinto beans, guacamole, and sour cream. While nothing special, the burrito was fresh and certainly filled up his empty stomach.

Jeremy is excited for his enchiladas.

Enchiladas with rice and beans.

Heather and Jeremy shared the enchilada platter served with rice and beans. The fare was much better than the burgers and fried food on the boardwalk. Don't get me wrong there is a place for fried dough in my diet, but when I'm at the beach I tend to crave seafood. The prices weren't bad either.

A margarita to complete the meal.

Nothing like a cold margarita to finish the meal. The staff even sent an extra glass filled with the extra margarita. How's that for service?

La Barrenada (by the boardwalk)

Santa Cruz, CA