Fish Tacos

We celebrated a family birthday recently and the guest of honor requested Fish Tacos. My husband, being the beef lover that his is, was very apprehensive at the thought of a fish taco, but guess who ended up eating three of them? Yep.

The fish I chose was cod, but any mild white fish will work - cod, tilapia, halibut, snapper, grouper, haddock, flounder, etc. I like to place the fish in the marinade for about an hour before cooking (longer is okay). That leaves plenty of time to make the cabbage slaw and prepare the toppings.

Fish Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw

makes about 8 tacos

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Fish:

• 2 pounds cod fillets, cut into 1/2-inch thick strips (*see notes below)

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 teaspoons old bay seasoning

• 1 teaspoon granulated onion powder

• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

• (optional) 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Slaw:

• 2 cups shredded red cabbage

• 1 cup corn kernels

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

• 1 tablespoon honey

• juice of one lime

• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely minced

• 1 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

• kosher salt and pepper to taste

Additional:

• 8-inch flour tortillas

• lime wedges

• chopped cilantro

• chopped tomatoes

• mexican crema or sour cream

• diced avocado or guacamole

• pickled red onions

• pico de gallo

Directions

To marinate the fish:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, old bay, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and optional cayenne.

2. Add fish strips and toss well to evenly coat; set aside for at least an hour.

To make the cabbage slaw:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, honey, and lime juice and add the cabbage, corn, jalapeno, and cilantro; toss well and add salt and pepper to taste.

To cook the fish:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

2. Cook fish strips in a single layer for a couple of minutes per side until cooked through, being careful not to crowd the pan; repeat until all fish is cooked. Alternatively, you can cook the fish on a parchment or silpat-lined half sheet pan in a 350F oven for 8-10 minutes.

To assemble the tacos:

1. Place 1/8th of the cabbage slaw in the center of an 8-inch flour tortilla and top with 1/8th of the cooked fish.

2. Garnish as desired.

Notes

• Any mild white fish can be used (cod, tilapia, halibut, snapper, grouper, haddock, flounder, etc).

• We like flour tortillas, but feel free to use corn tortillas if you prefer.

• The marinated fish and cabbage slaw make a wonderful combination, but each can stand on their own merits so consider serving them separately.

Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas

I love a good sheet pan dinner and these sheet pan shrimp fajitas rank high on my list of favorites.

For this recipe, you’re going to need 2 half sheet pans. One for the veggies and one for the shrimp. The reason is because they each cook for a different length of time. Also, the shrimp will release juices that could keep the veggies from roasting.

But before anything goes in the oven, you need to combine the seasoning mix and divide it between the shrimp and the veggies (seasoning mix listed in the recipe below).

When the shrimp come out of the oven, cut them into bite-size pieces.

Save any juices that release from the shrimp. I like to reduce them down in a skillet.

I reduce them by half or until the juices thicken a bit. The process will only take a few minutes. This is optional, but if you have any xanthan gum on hand, you whisk in 1/4 teaspoon as the juices reduce.

Now stir the roasted veggies and bite-size shrimp pieces into the reduced pan sauce and serve in your favorite tortillas. We like carb balance flour tortillas.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• professional half sheet pan https://amzn.to/3qdEKJb

• xanthan gum https://amzn.to/3qjbSzg

• carb balance flour tortillas https://amzn.to/3riTfNP

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Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitias

makes 6-8 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Fajita Seasoning Mix:

• 2 teaspoons chili powder

• 1 teaspoon fine salt

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion

• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin

• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Additional Ingredients:

• 2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed (see notes below)

• 1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips

• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into thin strips

• 1 orange bell pepper, sliced into thin strips

• 1 large onion (any color), sliced thin (with the grain - from pole to pole, not across)

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• seasoning mix (above), divided

• xanthan gum (optional)

• corn or flour tortillas

Garnish:

• sliced avocado or guacamole

• sour cream or crema

• lime wedges

• fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425F and arrange 2 oven racks in the upper-middle and lower-middle positions.

2. Prepare 2 half sheet pans with nonstick spray.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sliced peppers and onions with half of the olive oil and half of the fajita seasoning mix; arrange in an even layer on one of the half sheet pans and place in the oven on the top rack for 15 minutes.

4. While the peppers and onions are in the oven, use the same mixing bowl to combine the shrimp with the remaining olive oil and fajita seasoning mix; arrange in an even layer on the 2nd half sheet pan and set aside until needed.

5. After the peppers and onions have roasted for 15 minutes, remove from oven and toss well before returning to the oven (on the same rack); place the shrimp on the lower rack and roast for 10 minutes (or until cooked through and opaque).

6. When the shrimp are cooked, remove both the shrimp and the pepper mixture from the oven.

7. Allow the shrimp to cool for a few minutes until you can easily handle them; cut shrimp into bite-size pieces.

8. Pour the juices from the shrimp into a large skillet and bring to a boil; sprinkle with 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon xanthin gum and whisk until thickened; add shrimp/pepper mixture and stir to combine.

9. Serve on your favorite tortillas with your favorite garnish.

Note

• I used 11-15ct per pound shrimp, but feel free to use a smaller size - just reduce the cooking time accordingly. Shrimp are cooked once they turn opaque. Properly cooked shrimp should resemble the shape of the letter “C”. If shrimp are cooked until they resemble the shape of the letter “O”, they are overcooked. Overcooked shrimp are tough and rubbery so try to avoid that.