Cream of the Crop by Pink Olive

i LOVE tacos but i was never was a fan of fish tacos…. maybe because i never had a really good one. it wasn’t until i visited my friend in austin, texas for her wedding last year that i fell in love with… the fish taco.   now i dream about fish tacos and grab every chance i get to eat one and now i can make one…

i came across erin o’leary’s delicious blog and her taco recipe instantly grabbed my attention.  she is the founder of o-cookies.com and instructor at physique  57 so she knows what she is talking about.   my mouth is starting to water…. oh fish taco, i’m dreaming of you tonight.  or better yet, i’m packing this recipe for our trip to texas this weekend for labor day.  happy “fun-filled taco night every night” labor day weekend!!  hee-haw!  xoxo

Fish Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa and Black Bean and Corn Salad

Cooking spray

1 garlic clove, minced

fresh corn kernels (about 2 large ears)

6 (6-inch) corn tortillas

juice from one lime

1/2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 3/4 tsp ground cumin

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup red pepper, diced

1/4 cup red onion, diced

1 Tbsp jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

1/2 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped

1/2 (19-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 lb tilapia fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves

3/4 cup avocado, halved, pitted and sliced

Tomatillo Salsa, store-bought or homemade

To prepare salad, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add garlic; saute 30 seconds. Add corn; saute 8 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan; cool completely.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, 3/4 tsp cumin, and 1/4 tsp salt. Combine the corn, tomatoes, red peppers, onion, jalapeno pepper, fresh cilantro, oregano, and black beans. Drizzle juice mixture over the corn mixture, and toss gently to coat.

Heat the tortillas by wrapping in foil and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until heated through.

Sprinkle fish with 1/4 tsp of salt. Combine the rest of the salt, flour and 1 tsp cumin in a medium bowl; dredge fish in mixture and set aside. Heat vegetable oil in the large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, and add fish. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with fork.

Build your tacos by folding the tortillas in half and placing the fish down the center first, followed by slices of avocado and topping off with tomatilla salsa. You can pile on the black bean and corn salad or serve alongside. I used store-bought tomatilla salsa to save time. You can create your own by combining tomatillo peppers, onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, garlic, and jalapeno pepper.

Use leftover Black Bean and Corn Salad for lunch the next day! I piled salad in a warm corn tortilla, wrapped tightly and sliced into small bite-sized pieces. Top with tomatillo salsa. Enjoy!