Fish Tacos with Chili Lime Slaw

This recipe is a great dinner to make when you are at the end of your grocery window. All the ingredients last a long time in the refrigerator or freezer, but feel bright and fresh when combined.

I like to use frozen fish. Frozen fish is about all I can get in Kansas, even most of the “fresh fish” in my grocery store has been frozen. I find it less expensive to buy it in the freezer section. The bonus is that the pieces are usually individually wrapped and I can pull out as much or as little as I need.

Cabbage lasts a long time in the refrigerator. A fresh whole cabbage will last several weeks in the refrigerator making it a great vegetable to add to your grocery cart when are not shopping frequently. You could also use a bag of pre-cut coleslaw mix, but it won’t last as long in the refrigerator.

Sour cream or yogurt will last a very long time unopened in the refrigerator. I recommend using it within a week of opening.

I like corn tortillas for fish tacos. My favorite brand is sold frozen at health food stores. You can purchase fresh and freeze them. I almost always have flour and corn tortillas in my freezer.

Limes will last several weeks in the refrigerator too. The rest of the ingredients are pantry staples.

Fish Tacos with Chili Lime Slaw can be made start to finish in under 30 minutes making them a Manic Mom Meal. They taste fresh and bright and are great at the end of the grocery week.

Fish Tacos with Chili Lime Slaw

Chili Lime Slaw (Recipe Below)

Crispy Oven Fish (Recipe Below)

Tortillas (Flour or Corn both work great.)

Chili Lime Slaw

1/2 Cup Sour Cream (or substitute Plain Yogurt or Plain Greek Yogurt)

2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise

1 Lime (Zest and Juice)

1 teaspoon Chili Pepper

1/4 teaspoon Dried Chipotle Pepper (optional if you like extra spice)

1 teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt

4 Cups Thinly Sliced Cabbage (from 1/2 of a medium head) or 4 Cups Coleslaw Mix

Directions

Place Sliced Cabbage in a colander or fine mesh strainer. Sprinkle with salt and mix gently to distribute salt. Place colander or strainer over sink or bowl as a little water may drip. Set aside for 15 minutes. The cabbage will wilt slightly and exude a little water.

In a large bowl, mix sour cream (or yogurt) with mayonnaise, lime zest and juice, chili pepper and optional chipotle pepper. Add the cabbage after it has rested in the salt for 15 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

Crispy Oven Fish

1-1 ½ Pounds Fish (cod or tilapia work well I usually by frozen and thaw in the refrigerator overnight.)

1 ½ Cups Panko Bread Crumbs (I like whole wheat, or you can use gluten- free panko.)

1/3 Cup Flour (I use white whole wheat, or you can use arrowroot starch for gluten free.)

2 Eggs

1 Tablespoon Water

1 ½ Teaspoons Coarse Sea Salt (divided)

¼ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper (divided)

Cooking oil spray

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the eggs, panko, and flour in three separate shallow bowls. Add ½ teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper into both the flour bowl and the panko bowl. Sprinkle the last ½ teaspoon salt evenly over the fish. If necessary, cut the fish into individual portion sizes.

Place a cooling rack on a baking sheet.

The key to breading is to have one “wet hand” and one “dry hand.” One hand starts with the fish and also handles the egg; the other is used in the flour and panko. It will keep you from having a gummy mess all over your fingers. Bread the fish by dipping it in the flour, then the egg, then the panko. As each piece is breaded, place it on the prepared baking sheet.

Spray a light mist of oil over the breaded fish and place in the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven.

Serving Tacos

To serve fish tacos, top a tortilla with Chili Lime Slaw, and a piece of Crispy Oven Fish. I like to use half of a fish portion for each taco giving everyone two tacos.