FOODIE FRIDAY - Eat THESE up! YUM!

This week I'm living on the culinary edge people!

FISH HEADS FISH HEADS ROLY POLY FISH HEADS!

I made fish tacos!  And not just that...I made the corn tortillas too!  From scratch!

Alright.  Enough of my bragging.

This is a version of Art Smith's "The Best Fish Taco's".  If you haven't heard of him he cooked for Oprah at the highest point in his career.

So his recipes MUST be amazing right?

If you like fish and you like eating south of the border cuisine you will love these.  My kids devoured the corn tortillas.

Not so much the fish.

It's a process.

They love salmon, however, the jury's still out on tilapia.

BUT WAIT!  Before you get all Iron Chef up in your kitchen you must ensure you have the following:

Cast Iron Pan - 6 inches is perfect
Rolling Pin or Tortilla Press
Wooden tongs (metal just won't do here)

The TORTILLAS


First make sure you have the right ingredients...this is what you need:

I'm no professional foodie blogger.  Clearly.

On the bag it tells you how to make the dough.

It's simply 2 loose cups of Maseca, 1/4 tsp salt and 1 1/2 cups of warm water.  Mix for about 2 - 3 minutes to make a soft dough.  (My son had a great time doing this...just ensure hands are washed...you just don't know where your 3 year old's hands have been....or you do and that's another reason to insist that HANDS ARE WASHED!)

Divide into 12-16 golf ball sized balls (another way to get your child involved - Adrian became a pro) and cover with a moist cloth to make sure the dough does not dry out.

If you have a tortilla press you pretty much already rule.  But if you don't, you don't really need one, it's just a little more work.

Now don't get discouraged!  Hang out with me on the edge for a little!  I separated a medium sized baggie and placed one beneath and one above the dough ball, then used my good old fashioned rolling pin to roll it out all Little House in the Prairie like into a 6ish diameter (sort-of) circle.

Okay, this is when the dough starts getting a bit bi-polar on you so handle with care.  Carefully peel the plastic away from the flattened dough and then again on the other side.

Have your cast iron pan heated between high and medium.

Place the uncooked tortilla on the pan and wait for about 50 seconds.  Flip using the wooden tongs (only use wooden tongs - they can fall apart if you're not kind to them) and wait another 50 seconds. There should be some black spots (or fire spots as my 3 year old says).

Transfer upon completion, using your wooden tongs, onto a clean, moist cloth napkin or towel until chow time.  Make sure they are covered entirely.

One gorgeous looking tortilla if I do say so myself.

The SLAW


3 tbsp of mayo
Grated zest and juice of 1 lime
2 cups of green cabbage finely sliced (and diced if your so inclined)
2 green onions chopped, white and green parts
2 tbsp cilantro (or if you have the paste, which I do - 1 tbsp is good)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix the mayo, lime zest and juice in a medium bowl.  Add the green cabbage, green onion, cilantro, S & P and mix well.  Let it sit and marinate and move on the the fish!


The FISH 


1 lb of tilapia fillets (Art uses cod - I'm not a fan so I used tilapia) cut into 6 equal portions (I didn't cut it but it was fine)
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet (not the cast iron one!! - that one is for the tortillas) over medium heat until the oil is hot but not smoking.

Combine the seasonings and flour and coat the fish.  Shake off any excess.

Add to skillet and cook, turning once, until lightly browned.  About 6-8 minutes.

Transfer fish to plate.

You can break the fish up into smaller pieces with a fork on your corn tortilla.

I just put the plate of fish, tortillas and condiments all on the table for self serve.

You can serve with guacamole and tomatoes, hot sauce or salsa.  Whatever suits your fancy.

It seems a bit finicky but I assure you totally worth it if you have a bit of time.  I know we're all short on it but...such is life.

Now go!  COOK!  EAT!  ENJOY!

There you have it.  The finished product.  Mmmmm.