Coleslaw attempt #1

Why is this called Coleslaw Attempt #1 ? Because when I decided to come up with a coleslaw recipe I figured it would take me more than one attempt...but I liked the first one so much I've never strayed from it. 

I have yet to meet a commercial coleslaw (or potato salad...or macaroni salad) that I like; all of them taste "off" to  me...like they were stored in a fridge that lost power, or something. Mine is a little different, but not so much that you wouldn't recognize it as coleslaw; it's a little lighter (thank you sour cream); a little tangier (thank you mustard); and a little less sweet. 

Side note - if you're short on time or not in the mood to chop, this amount of dressing is perfect for two of those 14 oz (ish) bags of cabbage already shredded up for you in the produce section (or halve the recipe and use one bag). It also works great with the various veggie / rainbow slaws that you can often find alongside. Feel free to add in other things you like, too...shredded green apple ? Finely diced bell peppers ? Chopped scallions ? Hey, it's your coleslaw...you do you ! 

Coleslaw attempt #1 

Slaw : 

1/2 small head green cabbage, shredded 

1/2 small head red cabbage, shredded

2 large carrots, shredded

Dressing : 

1 cup mayonnaise 

2 tablespoons sour cream

1/4 cup dijon mustard

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 

1 tsp celery seed

2 tsp sugar (adjust to taste) 

salt and white pepper , to taste 

Chopped fresh parsley (optional) 

Combine slaw ingredients in large bowl

Whisk together dressing ingredients ; toss with slaw , and adjust seasoning as needed 

Lighten Up : Poached Eggs with Caponata and Polenta

And now for something completely different...

Yes, even your intrepid blogger needs to lighten up from time to time. I firmly believe in the "all things in moderation" approach: paleo, gluten free, raw vegan diets are definitely not the thing for me... I love food way too much, and I never want to lose that. The problem (or my problem, anyway) is when you don't practice the "moderation" part; it becomes far too easy to slip from "curvaceous"  to "cowabunga".  The solution (again, this is just for me; I don't presume to know your life !) is to lean more towards the lighter side of the "all things" approach. And so, a new feature on this blog: food that is definitely worthy of the "Culinary Orgasm" title, but won't leave you lying on the couch gasping for air.

Eggs in custard cups are something I'm rather fond of; there's a fantastic recipe here for Baked Eggs with Creamy Leeks that I really love (end of one of my Irish entries : A Full Irish Breakfast, Culinary Orgasm Style ...this recipe can also easily be lightened by substituting pan spray for butter and fat free half-and-half for heavy cream. No one will be the wiser; part of the magic of leeks). Whilst perusing my fridge this morning my eye lit upon some leftover caponata and polenta; this, I thought, would be the perfect first entry for my new feature. After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day ! And it was perfect; indulgent and satisfying enough for a weekend breakfast, but light enough not to weigh me down for the rest of the day. (Bad pun not intended !)

Caponata  (a Sicilian eggplant dish, sort of a sweet and sour relish) is something that's readily available in stores, along with tubes of ready-made polenta. Look for both in the refrigerated section, usually near where you'd find hummus and/or fresh pastas (in my usual supermarket that's actually the same place). Caponata can also sometimes be found in jars, though the fresh kind is usually better. Both caponata and polenta can also easily be made at home; the caponata I used here is a lighter, less sweet version of my own making, I've included the recipe here, though I'm still in the process of tweaking it. Polenta cooking instructions are on the box; in order to slice it like I have here, you'll need to chill it in a loaf pan until firm enough to slice (preferably overnight). This is just the good ol' tube kind from the store. A few blackberries on the plate...and we have achieved Culinary Orgasm.

Poached Eggs with Caponata and Polenta

These can be baked in a water bath, per the leek recipe above; for one or two servings, the microwave actually works pretty well, so those are the directions I'm giving here.

For one serving :

1 egg
2 tablespoons caponata (purchased, or recipe below)
1 slice polenta, warmed (this can also be microwaved, but for extra polenta goodness sear the slices in a pan with pan spray until a little toasted on both sides)
Salt and pepper to taste
Pan spray

Spray a custard cup (or oven-safe mug, or small bowl) with pan spray. Spoon the caponata into the cup, then carefully crack the egg on top, Microwave until the egg is done to your liking; I suggest starting with 30 seconds, then adding time in 15 second intervals until its cooked just how you like it,

Slide the egg onto the slice of warmed polenta, and enjoy !



Light + Simple Caponata 
(loosely based on a Weight Watchers version, not linkable - sorry !!)

Pan spray  
1 small uncooked red onion, chopped  
1 small eggplant, diced (small  cubes)
1 Tbsp capers, drained and chopped  
1 tsp minced garlic  
14 oz can fire roasted chopped tomatoes, undrained  
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano  (or 1 tsp dried)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried)
2 Tbsp vinegar  
1/4 cup water, if needed
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste


Spray a large sauté pan or a high-sided skillet with cooking spray. Set over medium heat, add onion, and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes, or until softened.  Add eggplant and continue cooking, stirring often, for 4 minutes, or until eggplant softens at edges. Stir in capers and garlic; cook for a few seconds, until fragrant.

Stir in tomatoes, oregano, basil and vinegar; add water if it seems dry. Bring to a full simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer slowly for 30 minutes, until slightly reduced and the eggplant is nice and soft.

This will make more than you need; caponata is tasty with all sorts of things. Serve it as a side dish, use it to top chicken or fish before baking, spread it on bread...whatever floats your boat !

The BEST Collard Greens EVER !

I promise, they are the BEST !

Honestly, I'm getting to the ribollita soon...but first, I have to talk about collard greens.

When I went to repost my New Years entry about black eyed peas today, I realized I had never finished the blog about the collard greens - and these definitely needed to join the blog. How they came about is sort of a funny story (aren't most of them ? I swear I can't do anything normal) - and of course, one I wanted to share. Such is the life of your intrepid blogger :)

Collard greens, for those who aren't familiar with them, are a dark green leafy vegetable related to cabbage, but tasting a little more spinach-like. (Collards are similar to kale - which is coming up in that ribollita post !). The leaves are pretty sturdy and stand up to a good amount of cooking; they are popular in the South as well as in Africa and South America. Collards, along with black eyed peas and cornbread are considered "good luck" foods eaten at New Years because all three resemble various sorts of money - start the New Year rolling in the stuff and it will come to you all year ! (that's the thought, anyway...).

These delicious greens used to always be the domain of the other foodie-in-residence here. I can't remember where we first had them - I know the local BBQ joint (Blue Ribbon) does a stellar job with them, and at some point we decided they had to be part of our own BBQ feasts. One day whilst such a feast was in the works my co-conspirator was suddenly called away - leaving me to prepare the collards. Having never made them on my own, I decided to check a few sources first...and I ended up with the infamous Paula Deen. (This was before she got herself in trouble, of course). I figured Paula would definitely know a little somethin' about greens; the challenge would be to use things found in my own kitchen and suited to my own style of cooking. Her recipe called for something called "House Seasoning", which I reasoned was some sort of seasoned salt - not something I would have on hand. I did have plenty of Knorr's Chicken Bouillon cubes, though (the only ones I will use; as long as you adjust for the salt they make a perfectly fine stock) - and I also had a little jar of Montreal Steak Seasoning, the hot variety (my sister having purchased it in error and bequeathed to me; I'd never even opened it. ) I looked at the side of the jar, and sure enough this stuff was basically...seasoned salt. (It's very easy to make your own Montreal Steak Seasoning, there are recipes all over the intranet...I found a nice one here )  Okay, I could definitely work with this...and the rest of the recipe I really, really liked. Paula's method of making the flavorful cooking liquid first, then taking the tough part of the stem off and chopping the leaves ("chiffonade", in fancy cookery terms) before adding them meant I wouldn't need to cook the greens to death and they'd taste like greens, not mush. And adding the little bit of butter would get the flavor to stick to the leaves....yeah, I was all over this. So I dove in and crossed my fingers....and after the first bite, it was decreed that henceforth I would be in charge of cooking all collard greens - a position I happily accepted, because these really were the best collard greens EVER.

One other item to discuss before I get to the goods - smoked meat. The traditional meat to use with collard greens would be ham hocks, and indeed that is what Paula Deen calls for in her original recipe. While I love ham hocks, for some reason with these greens I love smoked turkey parts even more - something about the richness of poultry fat just enhances everything else going on here. My preference is to used smoked turkey tails, when I can find them at my local supermarket  (turkeys store a surprising amount of fat in their tails) - and yes, they really do have them occasionally at Stop + Shop. Easier to find are the smoked drumsticks or wings; my photo below is of a wild turkey drumstick that we smoked ourselves, because we really are that awesome. Lacking smoked turkey of any kind, you can definitely (and quite successfully) use ham hocks.

Recipe below photos - enjoy !



home-smoked wild turkey...oh yeah baby !  

wash the greens well

cut off the excess stem

stack...

roll...

and chop !
 

Collard Greens
based on a Paula Deen recipe - original here

2 smoked turkey tails OR 1 smoked turkey drumstick OR wing OR a ham  hock

2 tsp Montreal Steak Seasoning, hot  (see above)

2 tsp kosher salt 

2 Knorr's Chicken boullion cubes (or substitute chicken stock - see below)

1 large bunch collard greens

1 tablespoon butter

Tabasco sauce (or your favorite hot sauce), for serving

 

In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil and add smoked meat and seasonings. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 1 hour. (If not using the Knorr's, use 1 quart chicken stock and 1 quart water).

Wash the collard greens thoroughly. Remove the large stems that run down the center of the large leaves (a small knife helps quite a bit - see photo below. No need to stem the smaller leaves). Stack 6 to 8 leaves on top of one another, roll up, and slice into 1/2 to 1-ince thick slices. Place greens in pot with meat and add butter. Cook for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve with hot sauce, as a side dish to any sort of BBQ . Usually a little of the liquid is included with the greens while serving; some Southerners actually serve the cooking liquid (called "pot liquor") separately as a soup course...not really my thing, though it is perfectly tasty.

Pierogies with Potato, Mascarpone, and Caramelized Leek Filling

I love pierogies.

I had actually never had a pierogi until I met my husband (way back in my impressionable teenage years :) ) .  Potatoes in every conceivable guise from dumpling to latke to warm German salad, yes...pierogies, no. I had no idea those brilliant Eastern Europeans were stuffing delicious ravioli-type jewels with lovely fillings like like mashed potatoes and cheese, gently boiling and/or frying them, and carbo-loading to their heart's content. And lo, though I have been enjoying pierogies for many a year now, I've never actually tried to make these pillows of tastiness myself.

Until now.

Flash forward to Thanksgiving 2012. Since we never seem to be able to cook for the actual number of people we have, we had an absolute ton of Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Leeks left over (along with everything else !) We tried for days - truly, a valiant effort - but in the end, we just couldn't get through all those damn potatoes. The last of our turkey got turned into Turkey Tetrazzini and frozen for Turkey Barley Soup...and those dishes even make clever use of all the other vegetables and the gravy. But what to do with the delicious, delicious potatoes ? Shepherd's pie was out, and I really don't like frozen potatoes (they have a weird aftertaste). And, of course, my frugal Scots side rebelled against just throwing them out. And then it finally hit me - pierogies were basically filled with mashed potatoes, right ? Well, if regular pierogies were good, then ones stuffed with oh-my-god-to-die-for mashed potatoes would be AWESOME, right ? So what if I'd never made a pierogi in my life ? That's what the internet is for !

Oh, thank you thank you THANK YOU, internet. I found myself a great-looking, easy to follow pierogi dough recipe and set out to make myself some pierogi. I mixed and rolled, cut and stuffed, folded and crimped and froze. And a few days later, we were able to pull a bag of homemade pierogies from the freezer and cook them up. And readers, let me tell you...from now on, whenever I make mashed potatoes, I'm definitely making enough that I'll have leftovers for this fantastic, fantastic dish. These things were so easy...and so, so, SO good...,hopefully I'll never buy frozen ones again ! (No offense, Mrs. T).

A few notes on preparation : one, you definitely do not need to make the same mashed potatoes we did - your favorite recipe will be just fine, though I do recommend mixing in some mascarpone, cream or farmers cheese and a little bit of cooked onion before using for pierogi filling (as much as you like - nothing needs to be exact here ! ). Two, make sure you really stick with about a tablespoon of filling in each one of these - any more, and your pierogi will be too thick. Three, pierogies freeze extremely well (even though they contain potato) - the trick is to freeze them individually, spread out out on cookie sheets. Once they are completely frozen you can pile them all in a bag and they won't stick together. Just take out as many as you need - no need to defrost before cooking. And four, pierogis are great just boiled with butter and/or sour cream, but if you brown them on both sides in a little butter with some onion they're even better - definite Culinary Orgasm !

Pierogies with Potato, Mascarpone, and Caramelized Leek Filling

Each batch of dough makes about 12-15 pierogies, depending on size - can be very easily doubled

Dough
(adapted from About.com)

2 cups flour, plus extra for kneading and rolling dough

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup butter, softened and cut into small pieces

 

1 cup leftover Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Leeks (recipe follows), or your favorite mashed potatoes)

To prepare the pierogi dough, mix together the flour and salt. Beat the egg, then add all at once to the flour mixture. Add the 1/2 cup sour cream and the softened butter pieces and work until the dough loses most of its stickiness (about 5-7 minutes). You can use a food processor with a dough hook for this, but be careful not to overbeat (my Kitchen-Aid with dough hook took about 3 minutes to get it all together.)Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes or overnight; the dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Roll the pierogi dough on a floured board or countertop until 1/8" thick. Cut circles of dough (3 to 3 1/2 inches is ideal - we used biscuit cutters, but round cookie cutters or even a drinking glass would work well) . Place a small ball of filling (about a tablespoon) on each dough round and fold the dough over, forming a semi-circle. Press the edges together with the tines of a fork. The pierogi can be frozen at this point (see above), or cooked right away.

When you're ready to cook them, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and drop the pierogies in. Boil them gently for 8 - 10 minutes (a little longer if frozen), or until a tiny bit of the doughy part doesn't taste like raw dough. Drain them well, and either serve right away or brown them for a few minutes on each side in a frying pan with a bit of butter - and a little chopped onion, if you're game...

Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Leeks
(Makes more than you need for this recipe !)

2 leeks, cleaned and sliced into rings
1/2 stick butter
3 pounds baby potatoes (white or red), skin on and scrubbed
2/3 milk or half and half
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a good-sized saucepan, and add the leeks. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are golden brown. (If they seem to be drying out, add a splash of water or white wine). 

While the leeks are caramelizing, place potatoes in a large pot and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to a boil, drain, and add back to the pot with the mascarpone and milk or cream. Mash to desired consistency, and stir in the cooked leeks. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spicy Baked Beans with Chorizo

I have a confession to make.

I really don't like baked beans.

I know, it doesn't make sense to me either. I love beans. LOVE them.  White beans, black beans, frijoles...I make (and eat) beans all the time, and I never get tired of them. And I absolutely adore cassoulet, which is basically a French version of baked beans with plenty of meat. But there is something about regular baked beans that just turns me right off.

When I was a kid, summers with my relatives in Maine meant a lot of traditional New England fare - which of course included hot dogs and beans with brown bread on Saturdays. I would eat as much brown bread as I could get, and a hot dog or two was okay as long as there was plenty of mustard involved. But I could really never get the beans down - and I was not by any stretch of the imagination a picky eater. I loved absolutely everything else they threw at me. Fried mackerel ? Oh hells yes !  But the beans...too sweet, too mushy, and not much flavor...really, just nothing to redeem them, particularly if there was brown bread left that needed eating :) I would push the beans around on my plate, delaying as long as possible - then slip them to Sput (the dog) when no one was looking.

Wow, I feel much better getting that off my chest. Confession really is good for the soul !

It was only when I got older and more experienced that I realized that homemade baked beans could actually be pretty tasty. I still don't like the ones that try to replicate the canned flavor (to me, I can't imagine why anyone would try and replicate that !), but there are some baked beans that make for very tasty eating. It's taken me a while to find a recipe that I really love, though - and one that I wanted to share with my readers. This is definitely The One.

This is another of my adaptations of a Cooking Light recipe (original here) . There's nothing wrong with Cooking Light recipes, though I know that it seems I adapt them all the time. What happens is I see something in the magazine or on the website that gets my wheels turning - but of course, my wheels turn a little differently than most :) Here, for example, I knew I wanted to use our bean pot (picture at top), which I loved the idea of when we got it but has ended up being mostly a decorative element since we received it as a gift many, many years ago. I also knew I wanted different spicing, including "blooming" the spice a little (basically toasting them in oil, which does beautiful things to them)...well, you see where this is going. And where it went !

One idea I kept (and loved) from the original was the use of chorizo instead of salt pork, which is the traditional flavoring for baked beans. There's nothing wrong with salt pork - I always have some around for chowder making, or to render for other nefarious pork fat schemes. But chorizo and beans...mmm, definitely a match made in heaven. Chorizo, for those unfamiliar with it, is a lovely Spanish sausage, redolent with rich pork and the warm flavor of paprika. There are two basic versions of chorizo - one is a dry sausage similar to a pepperoni, which can be eaten as is. The other is a fresh version (usually Mexican or Portuguese in origin), closer texture-wise to Italian sausage which must be cooked before eating. Most supermarkets carry the fresh version, but this recipe called for the dry one which I was able to find at Russo's.

The fresh version would probably work, but you'll want to cook it a little longer before proceeding with the recipe - and you should drain some of the fat before  moving on, as well. Love the pork fat and all, but you want to be able to taste the beans here too !

One last note I want to add here is about the spices. You'll notice that I swapped in dried spices for the fresh...no, I'm not crazy and yes, I absolutely love fresh spices and use them whenever I can. But for hours-long cooking with beans, I've found that the dried actually hold up much better than the fresh. I've also included two somewhat harder to find items - smoked salt and smoked paprika. My stash came from Christina's in Inman Square (sadly, no website) but I realize not everyone is as...insane as I am when it comes to kitchen stocking (though I have noticed that more supermarkets are stocking at least the smoked paprika). By all means, feel free to make this dish with regular salt and paprika (though the smoked stuff is really good and useful in all sorts of dishes). It will still be super yummy....definite Culinary Orgasm !

The rest of dinner, clockwise from left  - andouille, cornbread, beans, cucumber salad. Middle of plate : brisket 

Spicy Baked Beans with Chorizo  

1 pound dried Great Northern beans (2  1/2 cups)

1 dry-cured Spanish chorizo, diced (about 8 oz)
4 cups chopped onion
4 – 6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt (smoked, if you have it) 
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon regular paprika (swap in some hot paprika if you have it and you want things spicier)  
1 bay leaf  
1 ½ cups beer ( 12 oz)
1 ½ cups water , plus extra to cover beans if needed
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons ketchup  
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Soak beans overnight in accordance with package directions (or use quick-soak method on bag.) Drain; do not rinse.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chorizo; cook 4 minutes or until fat begins to render. Add onion and garlic; sauté 10 minutes or until tender. Add oregano, thyme, salt, cumin, paprika(s) and bay leaf; stir in with onions  and cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until you can really smell the spices. Add beans, beer and water - adding additional water if needed so the liquid just barely covers the beans - and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until beans are just tender.

Preheat oven to 300°. Stir brown sugar, tomato paste, molasses and ketchup into bean mixture.  Cover (or transfer to bean pot);  bake at 300° for 4 hours or until beans are very tender and sauce is thick. Remove from oven; stir in vinegar and serve.

Fish Tacos with Tequila-Lime Aioli and Auntie Jojo's Black Bean Salad

TACOS RULE !! *

I love fish. Growing up, whenever we ate out I almost always ordered fish...even as a kid at McDonald's, I was far more likely to be found with a Filet-O-Fish than I was with a Happy Meal. My little sister hated fish, so we never got to have it at home...so I ate it every chance I got. Even now, more often than not I tend to order fish when I go out. Old habits die hard, I guess - or I really do love fish that much !

I also love tacos. I remember tacos being the first meal I was ever allowed to cook in Maine, which was a huge deal (that was a house full of seriously good cooks, and the kids weren't really allowed in the kitchen).  Tacos are not only tasty and fairly healthy (well, except the cheese and sour cream), but they are great for feeding kids (and picky grownups). Fun to build your own food, and you can just put in what you like. Kid friendly, grown-up foodie approved !

Given my affection for all things fish and taco related, it seems amazing that I had never sampled the delight that is the fish taco until last year. Somehow fish and taco were two words that never went together in my head...sort of like bacon and chocolate. (Which actually do go together. But I digress :) ). After seeing a coworker order some really fantastic-looking fish tacos at one of our favorite lunch spots, I decided to take the plunge. Oh, yeah. Spicy bits of fish, the cooling crunch of cabbage, the silkiness and tang of the cream...that's some Culinary Orgasm right there.

Fish tacos originated in Baja California , and are very popular on the West Coast - though they are definitely working their way on to a lot of menus here in the Northeast. There are two popular varieties - one in which the fish is battered, fried and crunchy, and one where the fish is spiced and grilled or quickly pan-seared. Though we're definitely not afraid of the deep fryer around these parts, I decided to go with the non-battered version...even here at CO HQ, we do try to eat healthy at least once in a while. Shredded cabbage, a sour cream or crema (basically Mexican sour cream), and some sort of salsa round out the basic construction. The version you see here is one of my usual mashups - I did a lot of reading and incorporated bits of different recipes as well as my own ideas. This one is basically a  Bobby Flay / Alton Brown / Guy Fieri cover (the aioli is pretty much all Guy, and a brilliant idea). The only thing I really wish I had done differently is used a crunchy corn shell wrapped in a flour shell...I had them that way once, and it was by far the best presentation when using a non-battered fish component. (I did soft and soft, which was okay...but soft/hard would have been much better !) You can of course do just soft or just hard rather that doubling up - it's your party ! The doubling prevents the hard shell from disintegrating at first bite, which is my major problem with hard taco shells.

Black bean salad is a perfect accompaniment to tacos - my sister (the fish hating one) actually puts it in her tacos, which I have to admit is a pretty damn good idea. My much beloved sister-in-law who moved to Key West a few years ago sent us back this recipe, and it is truly a winner - easy to make, plenty of flavor, super cool and refreshing. Jojo specifies English cucumbers, which I do prefer myself - but the guys who live here are not fans of the English, so I use plain ol' American instead. I wish she would send herself back more often - I miss her all the time - but for now, I'll just eat this salad and think of her.

yummy fishes !

choose your weapon

Tequila-Lime Aioli

Black Bean Salad

* "Tacos Rule" is a Robot Chicken reference - see here or here . Yes, I know it's pretty dumb. So am I, sometimes :)


Fish Tacos

Fish :

1 1/2 lbs white flaky fish - tilapia or mahimahi work very well
2 T canola oil (plus extra for pan)
2 T tequila
juice and zest of 1 lime
1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp chipotle powder
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 clove garlic
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Garnishes :

Sour Cream or Tequila-Lime Aioli (recipe follows)
Prepared salsa of your choice
Shredded cabbage (I like the look and flavor of the red, but use whichever you like better)
Chopped red and green onions
Chopped cilantro
Lime wedges
8 - 10 hard taco shells, heated according to package directions
8 - 10 flour tortillas, heated

Tequila-Lime Aioli

8 oz sour cream OR crema OR Crème fraiche
juice and zest of 1 lime
2 T tequila
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
2 T cilantro

For fish - combine all ingredients except fish in blender, and blend well to make a marinade. Pour marinade over fish (large Ziploc works well) and marinate for 15 - 20 minutes. Heat a large pan (a griddle or grill pan works great) and brush with oil. Cook the fillets until just cooked through and opaque, about 4 minutes per side. Serve in taco shells wrapped in tortillas, and let everyone garnish accordingly.

Auntie Jojo's Black Bean Salad

1 large or 2 small cucumbers, peeled and chopped into cubes
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can kernel corn, drained and rinsed
1/2 c chopped red onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp cumin
juice of 2 limes (I throw a little of the zest in too)
chopped cilantro to taste

Mix all ingredients, and chill.