Fish Tacos and Corn Salad

I was so inspired by the fish tacos we had at Cooking For Solutions on Friday night, that when I came across a Fish Taco recipe this morning, as I was planning our menu for the week, I knew I had to try them! I also discovered a Corn Salad recipe that went perfectly with the tacos. Below are both recipes along with some pictures of the process. 

Both recipes come from the cookbook "Everyday Food: Great Food Fast" from the Kitchens of Martha Stewart. I received it as a bridal shower present about a year ago and it is full of quick easy recipes with beautiful pictures. 

First, the Corn Salad. This recipe was super easy to make and was a big hit at dinner. For some reason I had forgotten that you can eat corn before it has been cooked but this salad definitely makes good use of that feature. Since corn is one of Woodley's favorite foods, I think this will become a summer staple at our house. 

Corn Salad 

From Everyday Food: Good Food Fast 

Martha Stewart 

4 Servings | 15 minute prep time

6 ears of corn, husks and silk removed

3 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise (1/2 cup)

2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

coarse salt and fresh ground pepper 

1. To remove the kernels, cut off the tip of each cob; stand the cob in a wide shallow bowl. With a sharp knife, slice downward to remove the kernels. 

2. To the bowl, add the scallions, vinegar, and oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. 

3. Toss to combine. Serve, or cover and refrigerate up to one day. 

{And there you have it! It's amazing that something so simple can taste so good!}

Fish Tacos 

From Everyday Food: Good Food Fast 

Martha Stewart 

Serves 4 | 45 minute prep time {I think it might take up to 60 minutes}

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream 

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 small red cabbage, thinly shredded (about 2 1/2 cups) 

4 scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)

1 jalapeño chile, halved lengthwise, one half minced {our family doesn't really care for spicy foods so I left out the chile}

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 pound tilapia fillets (or other firm white fish), cut into 16 equal strips

8 flour tortillas (6-inch) {I used 10 corn tortillas instead and they worked great!}

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves 

{I just love limes!}

1. In a large bowl, combine the sour cream and lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Transfer half the mixture to another container; set aside for serving. 

2. Toss the cabbage, scallions, and minced jalapeño with the remaining sour-cream mixture. Season again with salt and pepper. 

{As I was cutting up the cabbage I was reminded of the time, back in high school, when I volunteered as a science teacher at a local summer camp. I cooked a bunch of red cabbage with water to make an indicator dye and had lots of fun teaching the kids about acids and bases. It's amazing what you can do with a red cabbage!}

3. In a large, nonstick skillet, heat the oil and remaining jalapeño half over medium-high heat; swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper. 

{Since we don't use nonstick pans, and I know from experience that fish can do an amazing job of attaching itself to a cooking surface, I decided to try breading the tilapia to see if that would reduce it's sticking power. In a small bowl, I combined about 1/2 cup of cornmeal and added about a teaspoon of salt and a small amount of pepper. I dredged the tilapia in the cornmeal mixture and set them aside.}

4. In two batches (starting with any larger pieces), cook the fish until golden brown on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Discard the jalapeño. 

{I do think that the cornmeal cover helped keep the fish from sticking to the pan and it wasn't very noticeable in the tacos.}

5. Meanwhile, warm the tortillas according to the package instructions (or over a gas burner until blistered in spots, holding each with tons and waving it from side to side.)

{I heated our tortillas at 350 degrees in the oven on cookie sheets for about 5 minutes. It seemed to work well.}

6. To make the tacos, fill the tortillas with slaw, fish, and fresh cilantro leaves. Drizzle with the reserved sour-cream mixture. Serve immediately. 

{Our fish tacos turned out really well and I would definitely make them again. They were supposed to feed 4 people but I think it could also feed 5 if you have extra tortillas. There were 3 of us at dinner (Woodley, Steven, and I). We each had 2 tacos and there was enough left over to make 4 more which Woodley and I will enjoy for lunch tomorrow! Yum!}

~ElizabethRose