Grilled Fish Tacos + Cookbook Giveaway

February 28, 2011

I am an unapologetic taco lover. Love, love, love them. Always have since I was a kid. But here’s the thing – I’ve only ever had the traditional ground beef tacos. I’ve heard rave reviews of fish tacos and have been wanting to try them for some time, but obviously have fallen short. Until now. See, part of the thing is that I’m not a huge fish person. Shrimp, salmon, crab, sushi, all good. Also, cannot forget battered cod sandwiches, those are killer. And they should be in abundance soon with Lent right around the corner! But all those other types of fish? Trout, bass, snapper, etc? Meh, never appealed to me. Well, let me tell you. I am officially converted because this is, hands-down, one of the best meals I have made in a long, long time.

You can use red snapper or striped bass for this recipe. You rub down the fish fillet with a spicy herb mixture, let it marinade for a short time, and then grill it over high heat. Since there is still snow on the ground here, I used an indoor grill and had great results. Serving suggestions include shredded green cabbage, avocado, hot sauce, sour cream, pickled vegetables and some fresh lime juice. You can of course top them with whatever you’d like, but this combination of flavors is positively suburb. The fish is really mild and has a great smoky flavor from the rub; pair that with cabbage that’s a little salty, creamy avocado, tart pickled vegetables, a dash of hot sauce and cool sour cream and you have a seriously amazing taste buds dance party.

Back at the beginning of the year when I shared some of my favorite healthier recipes from the site, I also put a list of bestselling healthy cookbooks on the sidebar. Well, the editors at Whole Living saw that I had their book, Power Foods, on the list and asked if I’d like to check out a copy. I said sure, and have since really fallen in love with the book. Not only are there tons of great (healthy) recipes like this one, but they also go through 38 “power foods” that are great to include in your diet.

While it probably appears that I subsist primarily on butter, sugar and chocolate (with a side of cream cheese), that actually couldn’t be farther from the truth. I strive to eat mostly clean (nothing processed) meals the majority of the time – whole grains, fruits, vegetables (this is the hardest for me!), very little sugar, etc. So when the time comes to have a sweet treat I allow myself the indulgence, and then share the love with others. And since watching Food, Inc. a few months ago, I have been eating significantly less meat and poultry, so meal options like this one are great to have in my repertoire.

Since I loved this book so much, I want to share a copy of it with one of you! Details below on how to enter to win…

How to Enter

To enter to win a copy of the cookbook Power Foods, leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite healthy eating tip.

You can receive up to four additional entries to win by doing the following:

1. Subscribe to Brown Eyed Baker by either RSS or email. Come back and let me know you’ve subscribed in an additional comment.

2. Follow @browneyedbaker on Twitter. Come back and let me know you’ve followed in an additional comment.

3. Tweet the following about the giveaway: “RT @browneyedbaker: Cookbook Giveaway! Enter to win a copy of Power Foods: http://bit.ly/gJbHWs”. Come back and let me know you’ve Tweeted in an additional comment.

4. Become a fan of Brown Eyed Baker on Facebook. Come back and let me know you became a fan in an additional comment.

Deadline: Friday, March 4, 2011 at 11:59pm EST

Winner: The winner will be chosen at random using and emailed. If the winner does not respond within 24 hours, another winner will be selected.

Disclaimer: The cookbook is provided by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.

This giveaway is now CLOSED. Congratulations to commenter #24, Mariah!

Mariah won her chocolate by liking Brown Eyed Baker on Facebook: “Following you on Facebook too!”

And if you are curious, Mariah’s healthy eating tip: “My favorite healthy eating tip is substituting plain yogurt for mayonnaise in chicken or tuna salad. It tastes the same and is lower in fat than mayo =)”

Two years ago: Triple Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Three years ago: French Bread

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Grilled Fish Tacos

Yield: Makes 12 tacos

Prep Time: 20 minutes (active), 30 minutes to 2 hours (inactive)

Cook Time: 8 to 12 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Tacos:
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon chili powder
Coarse salt
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro, plus sprigs for garnish
2 pounds skin-on striped bass or red snapper fillets
5 cups shredded green cabbage (½ head)
Neutral-tasting oil, such as canola or safflower, for grill
12 corn tortillas
Lime wedges, avocado, sour cream, and hot sauce, for serving
Quick Pickled Vegetables, for serving (optional, below)

For the Quick Pickled Vegetables:
2½ cups apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons coarse salt
3 cups cold water
4 carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally ¼ inch thick
2 small red onions, halved and sliced into ¾-inch wedges
4 jalapeño chiles, quartered lengthwise; ribs and seeds removed

Directions:

1. To make the Quick Pickled Vegetables: Combine vinegar, sugar and salt in a saucepan with the water; bring to a boil over high heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Add carrots, onions, and jalapeños, and reduce heat to medium-high. Simmer until carrots are just tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Pour into a bowl; let cool completely before covering and refrigerating. (Pickles will keep up to 2 weeks. Recipe makes 1 quart.)

2. Stir together cumin, oregano, chili powder, and 2 teaspoons salt. Mix in the olive oil and cilantro. Use a sharp knife to make shallow slits about 1½ inches apart into the fish skin; transfer to a large dish and rub both sides with spice mixture. Refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

3. Toss together cabbage and 1½ teaspoons salt in a medium bowl. Let sit 30 minutes.

4. Heat grill (or grill pan) to high (if using a charcoal grill, coals are ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill for just 2 to 3 seconds); lightly oil grates. Place fish, skin side up, on grill. Cook, without moving fish, until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip, using two spatulas if necessary. Cook until fish flakes slightly when pressed in the center, 5 to 7 minutes more.

5. Transfer fish to a serving platter; let cool slightly, then shred with a fork into bite-size pieces. Garnish platter with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs. Serve warm or at room temperature (within 1 hour). Allow guests to assemble their own tacos, layering fish with cabbage, avocado, sour cream, hot sauce, pickled vegetables, and other toppings, as desired.

(Recipe reprinted from the book Power Foods by the editors of Whole Living magazine. Copyright © 2010 by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.)