Spicy Fish Tacos with Crunchy Slaw

I just couldn’t leave it alone.  I had to mess with ‘perfection.’ The whole family loved the fish tacos I made a few weeks ago. Feeling cocky after that big win, I decided to make this recipe again, with just a few changes — I added some zippy flavors to the fish and a crunchy slaw to top it off.

The slaw idea I had been thinking about since I first made this dish — I was having food flashbacks to Blue Ribbon BBQ, their wraps filled with savory meats and a surprising crunch from purple cabbage. I just had to try it with this new family favorite.

It was absolutely delicious, trust me — just don’t ask for corroboration from my treacherous kids or husband (kidding!). While I absolutely loved this version of fish tacos, I celebrated my victory alone.  It seems they just don’t like change, and swore the 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne I added was too much.  How very The Princess and the Pea of them.  They ate it, don’t get me wrong — they just didn’t love it. You win some, you lose some, right? I promised them all I’d make this the “right” way soon 🙂

On to the good stuff!  The recipe was essentially 3 parts:  the slaw, the guacamole, and the fish. Make the slaw and guac ahead of time and toss them in the fridge. Then you just need about 20 minutes to prep and cook the fish and you’re ready to eat! I served them in flour tortillas, but they are great in crunchy taco shells as well.

Spicy Fish Tacos with Crunchy Slaw
Serves 4

Crunchy Slaw (from Cooking Light):

4 c. thinly presliced green cabbage
1 c. chopped plum tomatoes
1/3 c. thinly sliced green onions
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of one lime
1 T. olive oil
1/4 t. salt

1) Toss all ingredients in a bowl, cover and chill.

Creamy Guacamole recipe here.

Fish mixture
1 lb. haddock, cod or tilapia
1 red pepper, seeded and cut into large chunks
1/2 Vidalia onion, cut into large chunks
2 T. olive oil
Juice of one lime
1 T. chili powder
1 t. salt
1 t. cumin
1/8 t. ground red pepper (cayenne)

1) Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add peppers and onions and saute for 3-4 minutes, until they begin to soften.
2) Add fish, lime juice, chili powder, salt, cayenne and cumin to pan.  Saute for 5-7 minutes, just until fish is cooked through. Remove from heat.
3) Spread about 1/4 c. guacamole along tortilla, layer approx 1/2 c. fish mixture, then top with 1/2 c. slaw.  Roll up and enjoy!