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Dinner, Fish, Lactose Free, Mexican, Recipes, Sauces

The Best Ever Crispy Fish Tacos with Avocado Crema

December 25, 2014

Tacos are one of my favorite foods regardless of the filling. Corn tortillas fried briefly until crisp or warmed on a comal are simply delicious. I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t love Mexican cuisine.

We have lovely Mahi Mahi available at our local markets and it makes the best crispy fish tacos. You may substitute any other mild, white fish in this recipe. I purchased about 3/4 lb. Mahi Mahi and sliced it into 10 pieces. You could slice your fish into 8 pieces if you prefer. This is my special version of a baja fish taco.

What makes it uniquely good is the incorporation of some basic Japanese ingredients and technique. Dip the filets in a tempura batter mix, and dredge each piece in panko and you’re ready to go.

In just a few minutes you will have yourself a platter of crispy, fish filets. Sometimes I’m tempted to dip them in tartar sauce, but tacos are just too yummy to pass up.

The Best Ever Crispy Fish Tacos with Avocado Crema

Serves 4 – 5

Avocado Crema

1/2 large avocado

2 tablespoons sour cream (I use Green Valley Lactose Free Sour Cream)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

few sprigs of cilantro

An immersion blender works perfectly for this. Place all ingredients in a blending cup and blend for a few seconds until the ingredients are well combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Fish Tacos

Ingredients

3/4 pound fresh fish filet, sliced into 8 – 10 pieces

salt & pepper

4 tablespoons tempura batter mixed with just enough ice-cold water to create the consistency of thin pancake batter

1 cup panko flakes

canola oil for deep-frying and warming corn tortillas

8 – 10 corn tortillas

Preparation

Heat canola oil for deep-frying. Most suggest heating the oil to 360 degrees. I usually skip the temperature reading step and test the oil by drizzling a tiny amount of batter into the oil. If the batter crisps up nicely, I start frying! I use a small sauce pan, 7 – 8 inches wide and 3 1/2 inches in height, and add canola oil 2 inches up the side of the pan. A small Dutch Oven would work perfectly as well.

Place tempura batter in a wide bowl, add ice water and stir just until ingredients are combined. Remember to keep the batter light, and don’t over mix.

Place panko in a wide plate or shallow bowl. Season fish strips with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Dip fish pieces into tempura batter, letting excess batter drip off. Place fish into panko bowl and coat well.

Once oil is hot, fry half of the fish until nicely browned and crisp, about 1 minute. Keep in mind that you don’t want to over crowd the pan when frying. This will drop the oil temperature drastically and your fish fillets won’t brown quickly.

Drain on paper towel lined plate. Continue to fry the remaining filets. Warm tortillas in lightly oiled cast iron skillet or sauté pan on medium high heat. Cover with foil and keep warm.

I like to serve the fish with avocado crema, finely shredded cabbage, cilantro, hot sauce and pickled jalapeños. Delicious!

Fish, Lactose Free, Recipes

Tuna Conserva

July 28, 2014

It’s been so oppressively hot lately I just want to stay inside with the air conditioner set at high. Our usual trade winds have been absent and sorely missed. So the thought of turning on the oven to roast a chicken, which I love, or simmer a meat sauce for hours on end, is pretty much out of the question. So with the thought of a dish less dependent on a hot oven, I finally decided to try my hand at tuna conserva.

Tuna conserva is a classic dish found on many eclectic Italian menus. I’ve always wanted to make it, yet had never found quite the right recipe. I never imagined how good it could be! My mistake for taking so long. With a combination of the best elements from several recipes, I came up with my own version.

Good canned tuna in olive oil is a pantry staple in my kitchen. I love it in salad Nicoise, on toasted whole grain bread, or in a simple tuna sandwich. Homemade tuna conserva is a notch higher on the culinary scale. I love how the tuna turns out so tender and moist and flakes up beautifully. The herbs, lemon zest, crushed garlic and peppercorns lightly infuse the oil with a subtle and refreshing flavor.

Eat it alone with a sprinkling of Maldon sea salt, in a salad, on toast or pasta, tucked between good bread with a sliced hardboiled egg and briny olives or capers.

Tuna Conserva

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound sashimi grade ahi block, cut into 1-inch slices (about 5 pieces)

6 sprigs fresh thyme

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 sprigs fresh marjoram, optional

zest of 1 lemon, peeled with a vegetable peeler, without the white pith

1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

olive oil

Prepartion

Put the olive oil in a saucepan that will hold the fish snugly in a single layer. Add the thyme, garlic, marjoram, lemon zest, peppercorns and red pepper flakes and gradually warm on the stove top over low heat to 150° F for about 8 – 10 minutes (check the temperature with a kitchen thermometer).

Season the fish with salt and pepper. Add the fish to the saucepan. The temperature of the oil will reduce slightly. You want to maintain a temperature of about 130° F. Confirm the temperature with a thermometer. It will take about 10 minutes for the tuna to be done. The fish should be just opaque throughout. Let the tuna cool in the oil.

Serve on salad, in a sandwich, on pasta, or on toasted hearty bread. I like to season the tuna conserva with flaky sea salt and a few grinds of pepper just before serving. Transfer any leftover tuna, oil, and herbs to a bowl, cover tightly and refrigerate. The tuna conserva will keep well for at least 4 days.

Dinner, Fish, Fruit, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Mango Salsa

July 2, 2014

Our mango tree (White Pirie) provides us with the sweetest fruit imaginable. These little, nondescript mangoes are a revelation to those who are not familiar with this particular variety. I have to give credit to my mom who told me how delicious this mango is, and, that I should plant a White Pirie tree in my yard. Now, more than 25 years later, this tree is the crown jewel of our garden.

This is a quick salsa that is particularly good with grilled fish. It goes especially well with Cajun style blackened fish: it’s really the perfect summer meal.

During the summer months when mangoes are in season, there are a number of ways I like to use them. Sorbet, jam, pickled and occasionally a nice mango crisp for dessert. This salsa recipe is one of the most delicious ways to enjoy this fruit.

Mango Salsa

2 generous servings

Ingredients

1 cup diced, sweet mango (ripe but not too soft)

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon finely chopped Maui onion

jalapeño to taste (I like to use our nacho jalapeños but feel free to use fresh jalapeños)

juice of 1/2 lime

Preparation

Combine mango, cilantro, onion and jalapeño in a medium bowl. Squeeze lime juice over and toss very gently to combine ingredients. Refrigerate until well chilled. Serve over fresh, grilled fish or chicken.

*Salsa is best made within a couple of hours before serving.

Dinner, Fish, Japanese, Lactose Free, Recipes

Furikake Seared Ahi

May 27, 2014

Every now and then I have a craving for ahi tuna, either as sashimi or seared. Although Hawaii has an abundance of fresh fish, it’s not always available at the markets. Most of the premium fish is sold to restaurants who then charge premium prices. But don’t get me wrong. You’ll never have to drag me out of the house to go out to dinner. I’m always available.

Our local Whole Foods market has a small seafood section that I normally don’t pay much attention to. Instead, I head to the meat department to check out their wonderful steaks. One day as I was shopping, I noticed beautiful sashimi grade ahi blocks at the seafood counter. I couldn’t resist buying one, even though I paid dearly for it. John sliced the ahi into perfect pieces and we enjoyed it sashimi-style with wasabi soy sauce. It was delicious. So now when I go to Whole Foods, I pay more attention as I walk by their seafood section. If I see beautiful ahi, I buy it.

In Hawaii, everyone has their favorite ways of preparing this luscious fish. Here is one of mine. I coat the ahi with a bit of canola oil, season it with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, then dredge it in furikake. There are no measurements for this simple dish, just a short list of ingredients.

Furikake? Delicious sprinkled over hot rice. My favorite furikake is simple. Seaweed, white and black sesame seeds and a bit of seasoning.

Furikake Seared Ahi

Serves 2

Ingredients

about 3/4 pound sashimi grade ahi block

canola oil

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

furikake

Kikkoman wasabi sauce or a mixture of wasabi paste and soy sauce

Preparation

Lightly coat the ahi with canola oil and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle a generous amount of furikake over the ahi, pressing gently to coat all 4 sides well.

Place a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 – 3 teaspoons of canola oil and swirl to coat the pan. Once the pan is hot and you see a few wisps of smoke, add the ahi block to the pan and sear about 1 minute per side, or until desired doneness is reached. The ahi should be rare in the center.

Remove ahi to a cutting board. Let rest for a few minutes then slice ahi into 1/3 inch thick pieces. Serve with wasabi sauce or wasabi soy sauce, a bowl of steaming rice and homemade takuan.

Beans, Dinner, Fish, Lactose Free, Recipes, Salad, Veggies

White Bean & Tuna Salad with Radicchio & Parsley Vinaigrette

April 15, 2014

When I was young we made tuna sandwiches on soft, white, bread. If you gently pressed down on the bread it would flatten and would not spring back! Is that why it was Wonder bread? Back then our options of canned tuna were quite limited, as was our selection of bread. These days there is a multitude of really good canned tuna available and though I prefer tuna packed in nothing but its own juices for sandwiches, tuna packed in olive oil is mandatory for this salad.

When I travel to San Francisco I stock up on As Do Mar tuna from Portugal or Ortiz tuna from Spain. Wild Planet tuna in olive oil is also very good and is readily available at most markets such as Mana Foods on Maui. If you can’t find any of these tunas in your market, consider buying them on-line from Amazon.

This is a beautiful salad full of bright colors and a vibrant parsley vinaigrette.

The parsley vinaigrette is so simple to make. Throw all the ingredients in to a blender and shortly you’ll have this gorgeous dressing.

White Bean & Tuna Salad with Radicchio & Parsley Vinaigrette

Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine

Serves 2

Parsley Vinaigrette

2 cups (packed) flat-leaf parsley

1/2 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, crushed

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Pulse parsley, oil, lemon juice, vinegar and garlic in a blender. I used my immersion blender. I tried using my food processor the first time however it didn’t puree the ingredients as well as the blender did. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Salad

2 ounces radicchio, leaves torn (about 1/2 medium head of radicchio)

1 cup canned white beans, rinsed (S&W white beans are a good choice)

1 large celery stalk, sliced thinly on an extreme diagonal

1 jar (4.5 ounce) Wild Planet tuna in olive oil, drained and broken into large pieces (or other good-quality olive oil packed, canned tuna)

Preparation

Place radicchio in a medium bowl, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of parsley vinaigrette and toss to coat. Season radicchio to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving platter, spreading out in an even layer.

Combine 2 tablespoons parsley vinaigrette, white beans, and celery in the same bowl you used for the radicchio, toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange bean mixture on top of radicchio. Top salad with tuna and drizzle some vinaigrette over.

***Serve leftover vinaigrette over fish, grilled vegetables or double the salad ingredients to serve 4.

Fish, Fruit, Recipes

Slow-Roasted Salmon with Blood Oranges, Lemon, Fennel & Dill

February 18, 2014

I’ll be honest. Salmon is not one of my favorite foods. Occasionally I enjoy chunky smoked salmon on John’s hearty 9-grain bread, toasted and slathered with mayonnaise and lots of capers or salmon grilled with Granny’s Teriyaki sauce. Other than those two preparations, I will usually take a pass on salmon, that is, until I received the January issue of Bon Appétit. A beautiful dish of slow-roasted salmon with fennel, blood oranges, lemon and chiles caught my attention immediately.

The beautiful crimson color of a blood orange.

Thinly sliced fennel slow-roasted with the salmon and citrus imparts a lightly sweet, springtime flavor to the dish.

The salmon sits on the fennel, citrus, chile and dill and olive oil is poured over. Into the oven it goes, for 30 minutes.

We sopped up some of the flavorful olive oil on pieces of bread. The fennel still had a bit of crunch to it and the oranges and lemon were meltingly soft and sweet. It was divine. My opinion of salmon may need adjusting!

Slow-Roasted Salmon with Fennel, Citrus, and Chiles

Adapted from Bon Appetit ~ January 2014

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1 blood or navel orange, very thinly sliced, seeds removed

1 Meyer or regular lemon, very thinly sliced, seeds removed

1 red Fresno chile or jalapeño, with seeds, thinly sliced

4 sprigs dill, plus more for serving

Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper

1 1/2 pounds skinless salmon fillet, preferably center-cut

3/4 cup olive oil

Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 275°.

Toss fennel, orange slices, lemon slices, chile and 4 dill sprigs in a shallow 3-quart baking dish. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Season salmon with kosher salt and place on top of fennel mixture. Pour oil over.

Roast until salmon is just cooked through (the tip of a knife will slide through easily and flesh will be slightly opaque), 30 – 40 minutes.

Transfer salmon to a platter, breaking it into large pieces as you go. Spoon fennel mixture and oil from baking dish over; discard dill sprigs. Season with flaky sea salt and pepper and top with fresh dill sprigs.

***I highly recommend Maldon sea salt. Their soft and flaky crystals are unlike any other salt.

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The Best Ever Crispy Fish Tacos with Avocado Crema

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Tuna Conserva

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Mango Salsa

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Furikake Seared Ahi

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White Bean & Tuna Salad with Radicchio & Parsley Vinaigrette

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Slow-Roasted Salmon with Blood Oranges, Lemon, Fennel & Dill

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