Fish Taco Fiesta

Mexican night is always a hit at my house. Especially when it's taco bar style. My son was obsessed with fish tacos when he was 4/5. I decided to resurrect them recently, even though our taco night has been chicken based in more recent years. My son loved them, once again. Yay!

The chipotle crema I serve with fish tacos is absolutely a must. Chipotle in adobo seems to last forever stored in the fridge. You can find a can of them in your Mexican aisle at the grocery. The crema adds so much flavor to the fish. I love it!

Any white fish will do, but we usually go with cod. I serve with a variety of toppings, black beans and rice. My black bean recipe is below. It's so delish!

Fish tacos:

Marinade:

(From closetcooking.com)

2 lbs. cod filets

2 Tbsp. chili powder

2 tsp. cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Juice of 1-2 limes

(Makes 8 servings)

Whisk chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, oil and lime juice together to make marinade. Rub all over cod filets. Marinate filets for 20 minutes.

Preheat grill pan over medium high heat. In batches, grill cod five minutes per side. Remove to a covered dish. Repeat until all of the cod is grilled. Using forks, flake the fish. 

Chipotle Crema:

(From mylifeasamrs.com)

2/3 cup 1/2 and 1/2

3 Tbsp. sour cream

1 chipotle in adobo sauce

Juice of 1/2 lime

Salt and pepper

Add all ingredients into a blender. Puree on high until well combined. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. 

To serve and assemble:

Tortilla shells, soft or hard

Prepared fish (recipe above)

Chipotle Crema (recipe above)

Pico de Gallo salsa

Shredded lettuce

Chopped jalapeno

Chopped scallions

Mexican blend shredded cheese

Lime wedges

Place 1/3 cup fish on top of a warmed taco shell. Top with 1 Tbsp. crema and your favorite toppings and salsas. Serve with rice and beans. For my black bean recipe, see below.

Black Beans
1 1 lb., 13 oz. can of Goya black beans, drained and rinsed in a colander
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. hot pepper sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lime, optional

In a pan over medium heat, add oil. Once oil is heated, add jalapeno, garlic and onion. Saute for about 4 to 5 minutes. Add beans, cumin, hot pepper sauce and salt and pepper. Cook for about five more minutes. Add cilantro and lime juice. Cook for another minute.

Peach Salsa

Peaches may not be your first choice when making salsa. Tomatoes usually hold that honor.

But, I must say this is a surprising win of a combination. My Peach Salsa recipe is bright and refreshing. When you find yourself with more peaches than you can handle, this is a nice little recipe to have up your sleeve.

I served mine with chips, but I do think it would pair nicely with grilled fish or a lime chicken.

Peach Salsa
(Makes 2 cups)

3 ripe peaches
1/4 red onion, minced
1/2 jalapeno, minced
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare an ice bath in a medium bowl. Fill it with water and ice. Set aside.

With a small paring knife, cut a tiny "X" into the top of the peach.

Bring a medium saucepan filled with water to boil.  Once the water boils, gently place the prepared peaches into the boiling water. Boil for 3-5 minutes so that skin loosens. Using a spider ladle, remove peaches from boiling water and place immediate in ice bath. Let sit for five minutes. Peel the peaches. Dice the peaches.

In a medium bowl, combine peaches, onion, jalapeno, lime juice, cilantro and salt and pepper. Gently stir.

Eat immediately if need be, but it's great to let the flavors blend together for about an hour. You can serve at room temperature or chilled with tortilla chips or with fish or chicken.

Dippy Trip

This is not the glammest of recipes to kick off the revitalization of the most amazing food blog to ever hit the blogosphere. But it will do. Especially since the Super Bowl is right around the corner. And you so need a rockin dip to serve to your gaggles of guests  - or your husband and kid since it is a school night. Let’s be real.

This 1-2-3 Mexican Dip is sans avocado and/or guac. I know. I’m so 1987. Avocado is only like THE super food of the decade. But you see,  avocado would force the Jersey Girl to haul her ass to an ER stat due to the food allergies that exist in my world. I think anaphylactic shock would be a MAJOR buzz kill in the midst of a football party, no?

This dip recipe was gifted to me in the form of a wedding present from my big sis Michele. She gave me a cookbook entitled: "Bride and Groom First and Forever Cookbook" as part of my bridal shower extravaganza, during which I was a nervous wreck, needing to throw up for hours and hyperventilating in the bathroom during it. Good times. I handle attention so well. Obvi.

Nonetheless, this cookbook has been a lasting addition to my collection.

There is no way in hell that this recipe is good for you or your diet. But if you are forced to watch football, I say, “Who the eff cares?”  And I say this while gazing lovingly into a gigantic glass of wine and shopping for shoes online trying to block out all NFL commentary, action, timeouts or shenanigans.

When you make this for a party you will not have a drop left. Trust.

Enjoy!

1-2-3 Mexican Dip

By: Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Whiteford

From "Bride and Groom First and Forever Cookbook"

Serves 10 to 12

1 can (16 ounces) refried beans

1 ½ medium salsa

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

¾ tsp. ground oregano

¾ cup sour cream

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup finely chopped red onion

1/3 cup fresh cilantro

1 tsp. onion powder

1 small red pepper, seeded, deribbed and chopped

1 cup (2 ounces) grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese

1 fresh jalapeno chile, cut into rounds (about 20)

Tortilla chips for serving

Combine the refried beans, ¼ cup of the salsa, the chili powder, cumin and oregano in a medium bowl. Spread evenly over the bottom of a 9-inch round ceramic casserole dish (at least 2 inches deep) or an 8-by-8-by-2 ¼ -inch glass baking dish.

Combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, red onion, cilantro and onion powder in a small bowl. Spread over the beans mixture.

Combine the bell pepper and the remaining 1 ¼ cups salsa in a small bowl. Gently spread over the sour cream mixture, being careful to not mix the layers. Top with the cheese and jalapeno and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips.

Do Ahead: This dip can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated.

Fiesta with Friends

Recently, the Husband and I threw a dinner party in the middle of the week.

The theme was Mexican meets Phillies lose to the Yankees in the World Series.

Thanks to the mac daddy slow cooker that my Aunt Lorraine gave me a few Christmases ago, I was able to cook a pork roast all day long while teaching my fab piano students. Then, I shredded the pork and we made awesome tacos out of them.

My friend Tom insists they were burritos.

Here’s what the reliable (sarcasm) source Wikipedia had to say about the matter:

A taco (pronounced /ˈtɑːkoʊ/) is a traditional Mexican dish composed of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling. A taco can be made with a variety of fillings, including beef, chicken, seafood, vegetables and cheese, allowing for great versatility and variety. A taco is generally eaten without utensils and is often accompanied by garnishes such as salsa, cilantro, tomatoes, onions and lettuce.

A burrito (pronounced /bəˈriːdoʊ/ in the US but actually correctly pronounced /buˈriːtoʊ/), or taco de harina, is a type of food found in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine. It consists of a flour tortilla wrapped or folded around a filling. The flour tortilla is usually lightly grilled or steamed, to soften it and make it more pliable. In Mexico, refried beans, Mexican rice, or meat are usually the only fillings and the tortilla is smaller in size. In the United States, however, fillings generally include a combination of ingredients such as Mexican rice, beans, lettuce, salsa, meat, avocado, cheese, and sour cream.

I’m no expert. All I know is the taco/burrito concoctions were delish.

My guests made their own taco/burritos. My toppings included salsa, cheese, shredded lettuce, scallions, diced red pepper and sour cream.

And Tom needed a bottle of freakin’ taco sauce. He’s lucky I let him in the house. He’s a Yankees fan. Need I say more?

Suprisingly, I actually had a bottle of taco sauce. It’s probably from 2004 or something. Tom is still alive so I guess it was OK.

Despite the Phillies’ loss, my peeps had a great time. I think. I hope. Well, I don’t really know, but usually if you’re hangin’ at Casa di Leiser you’re having fun. It’s part of the house rules.

I do have to say I’m proud of myself for staying so chill regarding the mid-week dinner party. I usually don’t host in the middle of week, because, well my husband and I work until like 9 p.m. every night. I mean, who wants to go to a dinner party at 9 p.m.?

No one, that’s who.

In addition, I am a bit Monica Gellar when throwing a soiree. I make a lot of lists; I cook way too much food; I clean my house about 20 times; I set everything up in advance; I make sure to empty the dishwasher; I lie awake at night making mental checklists. And, then I just drink a bottle of wine and leave the fun my guests surely will have up to Fate or God or whatever you believe in.

Below are some photos as well as my recipes for fresh salsa and Mexican pulled pork. The salsa recipe is from my sister, Michele. She makes awesome salsa. It is best to make the salsa in the middle of the summer when Jersey tomatoes rock and you can lounge by a pool with a cocktail, but I made due with the tomatoes I can get in November. They’re probably from Chile or Florida or a hothouse. I’m sure the slow cooking movement is judging me right now. Oh well.

And maybe you’ll get ’em next year, Philadelphia!

Yumminess on a plate: A pulled pork burrito with black beans.

The Jersey Girl's Husband Mark took it upon himself to handle party decor.

Matt and Nancy. So cute!

Tom and Lisa. Super cute and parents-to-be. Yay!

The Husband is full of optimism, Mexican food and beer.

The Cooking and Style Goddess, moi,

with my trusty slow cooker. Do not compare me

to Sandra Lee. Shudder.

The taco fixins.

The salsa was a hit.

Charlie Manuel looking pensive. Maybe he's contemplating

what to say at the press conference.

Salsa
2 lbs. tomatoes, diced
1 jalapeno, finely diced
½ sweet or red onion, diced
4-5 scallions, sliced
3 Tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
Juice of 2 to 4 limes
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Serve with your fav tortilla chips or with meat or chicken. Salsa also tastes great with eggs or on a burger.

Mexican Pulled Pork
1 6-pound boneless pork shoulder blade roast
12 big cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. coriander
1 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper
2 cups beef broth

To serve: Tortillas, shredded lettuce, scallions, red peppers, cheese, sour cream, salsa.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl to make a rub. Mix well. Once combined, rub mixture all over the roast.

Place roast in slow cooker.

Pour broth over roast. Put lid on slow cooker

Cook on high-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours.

Black Beans
1 1 lb., 13 oz. can of Goya black beans, drained and rinsed in a colander
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. hot pepper sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lime, optional

In a pan over medium heat, add oil. Once oil is heated, add jalapeno, garlic and onion. Saute for about 4 to 5 minutes. Add beans, cumin, hot pepper sauce and salt and pepper. Cook for about five more minutes. Add cilantro and lime juice. Cook for another minute.