10-Step Tacos

Tonight for dinner, I decided to make one of my favorite dishes: fish tacos. I'm sure you all have figured out by now I'm on a bit of a taco craze right now so it really shouldn't be that surprising. I was surprised by how easy and flavorful it was to make great fish tacos though so here's the recipe! I made this recipe for three people and we each had two tacos. The amount of fish worked out well but there was extra sauce. As for the other toppings, adjust accordingly for the size of your group.

All of the toppings waiting to be enjoyed: (clockwise from top left) Cotija cheese, avocado, cabbage, Panela cheese, Green Chile sauce.

Marinated red cabbage

1/2 cup Frontera Grill Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1 avocado
Cotija  cheese
Panela cheese
1 lb. Tilapia -feeds about 3-4 people
Red cabbage - I used about the four outer layers
1-2 T lime juice
Plate full of cornmeal
Sea Salt
Pepper
Cayenne
Canola Oil
Corn tortillas - I used 6
1 can black beans



1. The morning before you plan to serve the tacos, peel off and wash the cabbage you want to use. Then rip it into the size pieces desired, I hand-shredded the cabbage to about 1/4" wide and an inch long.

2. Put the cabbage in a freezer bag and pour as much lime juice as desired, about 1-2 T and a few grinds of sea salt. Seal the bag, shake it up, and put it in the fridge.

3. Also in the morning, mix the half cup of sour cream with the half cup of enchilada sauce, cover, and put in the fridge.

4. About 30 minutes before you want to eat, begin to season the fish. I simply flavored each piece with a little salt, pepper, and a dash of cayenne. Make sure to season both sides!

5. Then, dip the fish in the plate of cornmeal gently to give the fish a little breading which will add a nice texture to the tacos.

6. Cut the fish into strips around 1/2" by an inch or two long: it's not a science.

7. Heat a can of black beans according to the can directions, the stove or microwave works.

8. Prepare the toppings- this can be done ahead of time or while the fish cooks. Slice the avocado, bring the sauce out of the fridge, get the cabbage, and cut your cheeses. I grated the Cotija to go on top of the beans because it's sharp but sweet flavor. I cut slices of the Panela cheese to go in the tacos themselves. Panela is sort of like a Mexican Mozzarella: a soft cow's milk cheese with a mild flavor. Heat the tortillas in a microwavable dish, covered with plastic wrap in the microwave for 45 seconds on high heat.

9.  Put enough Canola Oil in a large skillet and heat on medium-high heat. When the oil's hot, drop in the fish. Depending how thick each piece is, it will take about 3-4 minutes per side. You know Tilapia is cooked when it flakes easily with a fork.

10. Assemble your taco, let your friends and family assemble theirs, serve with black beans topped with the Cotija cheese, and ENJOY!

Midterms (a convenient excuse)

I just wanted to take a minute to apologize to you all for my lack of postings recently. I'll blame midterms since it's easy to do so but now midterms are over and I'm heading back to St. Louis for spring break so you can look forward to MULTIPLE, yes I'm promising more than one entry, in the coming week! Thanks for your continued readership!

Food that get me through midterms? I can't stop snacking on Whole Foods Lemon Hummus with a local restaurant's tzatziki. One of my favorite things about Whole Foods is that they sell food products from local restaurants. I encourage you all to grab a dip they're featuring from an area restaurant next time you go into Whole Foods; they're usually more flavorful, taste handmade, use fresher ingredients, and give back to the local community. I also LOVED the "Good Guy" cupcake I had from Crumbs the other day it was the perfect pick-me-up after a long day of studying!

Far East Euphoria

This week, I finally had another great meal in my food truck challenge! After the weekend in New Orleans, my favorite city, celebrating Mardi Gras, I expected to come back to DC and write a blog about all the fried oysters, po boys, and hurricanes I had but instead, my Tuesday lunch blew them all out of the water. (That is not to play down how amazingly well I ate in New Orleans it just proves how incredible my food truck lunch was.) I decided to eat at Far East Taco Grille. Best. Decision. Ever. Ok maybe I'm being a little dramatic but hey, I'm allowed it's almost my birthday!
The truck is not particularly bright and colorful but for some reason it piqued my interest. The menu affords the diner many choices and extreme personalization of their far east soft taco experience. First, you choose whether you'd like flour or corn tortillas. Guests then choose from Powerful Steak, Bang Tang Chicken, Spicy Flying Pig (pork), and Sweet Sexy Tofu. I ordered three different meats but we'll get to my choices after I explain the whole menu. After settling on a meat, a sauce must be decided upon: spicy Salsa Roja, milder spicy mayo, #15 Sauce, the house specialty, and Spicy Pineapple. As if the choices weren't enough already, you then have to choose your slaw. These choices are kimchi-lime, spicy yellow corn, sweet chili romaine and grilled bean sprouts. Finally, each patron must chose a "finisher:" onion-lime relish or cheese-crema. With over 100 possible creation combinations, I did not take deciding what to order lightly. Also, I'm terribly indecisive so it was even more of a challenge but I managed and am very pleased with my decisions.

I chose to have all three of my tacos on flour tortillas because I prefer them over corn. For my first taco, I chanced it with the bang tang chicken, #15 sauce, spicy corn and cheese-crema. This first taco was hands-down my favorite. The chicken was juicy and packed a nice grilled flavor while the #15 sauce, which they describe  as sweet and mild, was unreal! It was a light juicy red colored sauce that was sweet almost like a sweet BBQ sauce but then had a big kick. The corn initially seemed like a balancing factor to the spice because of its texture but then had a strong adobe, chipotle flavor! The #15 sauce spice was sweet with a vinegary spiced flavor as an aftertaste while the corn had a more southwestern bite. The cheese sauce was the ultimate finish with its richer, mild texture, subtle sweetness of the cream, and tartness of the cheese. Wow. Next time I go, I'm definitely ordering three of these!
My second taco was my second favorite made up of steak, salsa roja, kimchi lime and onion-lime relish. The steak was also juicy and flavorful but what made this taco was the slaw and finish. The salsa had the spice and fresh flavor of a traditional red salsa. The kimchi lime slaw had an awesome crunch from the fresh cabbage and the lime flavor was so fresh it tasted like someone had picked limes from a tree that morning and marinated my kimchi in them. The onion-lime relish was a great accompaniment which paired ideally with the lime slaw. I loved this taco for its refreshing, sharp, flavors and how well they paired with the heavy steak protein.
For me, the third taco wasn't as much of a hit but with 100 other possible combinations, it won't deter me from returning to the food truck. My third taco was filled with the pork, spicy pineapple, sweet chili romaine and onion-lime relish. The chili romaine was good and added a nice crunch but the spicy pineapple consisted of almost no pineapple and the pork wasn't really to my liking.
Far East Taco Grille was a delicious lunch and for eight bucks, it can't be beat in terms of value! I definitely recoomend a visit to this food truck if you're in DC!

Superbowl II

As the big game approaches, I thought I'd share a few more tips about making your Superbowl great. Firstly, don't go overboard. This isn't a chance to show off your great new furniture and your fabulous life to everyone you've ever met and their plus one. It's a football game: invite a FEW of your friends and keep it casual, it will be way more fun. If you don't want to just stick to the status quo and order pizza, or you're worried about waiting four hours for your delivery, fear not. If you're sick of listening to everyone fight over their topping choices this fun, easy take on individual pizzas is for you!

Economy-Friendly DIY Personal Pizza

Pre made pizza dough (one bag for every two people)
Jar of pizza sauce (one jar will probably make 4-6 mini pizzas)
Mozzarella Cheese
Optional:
Parmesan cheese
Goat cheese
Feta cheese
Olives
Pepperoni
Salami
Bacon
Pineapple
Peppers
Artichokes
Tomatoes
Basil
Chicken

Cut each bag of premade pizza dough, I like Trader Joe's whole wheat dough, in half and knead or roll it out into a circle. Arrange the jar of pizza sauce, cheese, and any other toppings you buy in bowls. When guests arrive, before the game starts, ask each to to spread as much sauce as they like and their choice of toppings on their personal pizza. Ask them to go enjoy the game. When it seems like people are getting hungry, pop the pizzas in the oven according to the directions on the dough and enjoy a pizza that pleases everyone!

How to Have a Super Superbowl Part I

Everyone knows Superbowl Sunday is all about the snacks, the beer, potential halftime show drama (think Janet Jackson) and the commercials. Oh and I guess football. And since this year's matchup happens to be between two of the most commercialized teams in the NFL, I decided to also sell out and share some Superbowl recipes and ideas.

So first off, some ideas. 1. This is a big deal. It only happens once a year. Don't go buy another 30-pack of Natty or Coors: live a little! I suggest Shock Top because it's light enough to drink throughout the game and packs a strong flavor usually only available in darker brews. Plus, the sunny flavors will keep everyone at your party amicable despite the score. Trust me, you'll be happy you did. 2. Don't tell your guests to just bring something: delegate. Tell Suzy to bring pita chips, Mark to bring tortilla chips and Amy to bring her brownies everyone loves. Not being specific and telling people exactly what to bring will result in a Superbowl party complete with four bags of chips and five flavorless, unoriginal ranch-from-a-pack dips. And that just sounds tragic! One thing I'll be making for the Superbowl is my 7-layer dip. It's so good, so easy, and has a little something for everyone!

Ingredients:
One container of Lite Sour Cream
One package of taco seasoning
Guacamole - I use two bags (one box) of frozen guacamole but one refrigerator container of Wholly Guacamole would work too
One can of refried beans
One small can of olives
4-6 scallions, depending on your flavor preference
Shredded Mexican or Cheddar cheese
Grape or cherry tomatoes, halved or regular tomatoes, diced

The night before you plan to eat the dip, combine the whole container of sour cream with the package of taco seasoning and stir well so that it is evenly mixed. Place it covered, in an air-tight container, in the refrigerator overnight. The day of the party, get out some type of shallow baking dish. I usually use a 1/2 thick, 8" round glass baking dish. First, layer the beans evenly on the bottom of the dish so they coat the entire dish. Then, spread a layer of the guacamole evenly on top of the beans. Next, double check the that the sour cream is well mixed and give it a quick stir if needed. Then spread the whole mixture evenly on top of the guacamole. Add a layer of shredded cheese so the spiced spur cream is covered. Then sprinkle the top with tomatoes, olives and scallions to flavor. Cover with foil and pop it in the fridge until you're ready to eat. It's that simple and so delicious!

Enjoy and good luck with your Superbowl preparations!

Food Truck Feast

Today for lunch I decided to mix it up and venture to one of the many food trucks that have become ever-present around DC and particularly, GWU's campus. In the spirit of trying new things, I settled on  Kimchi BBQ Taco: a brightly colored truck that enticed with its flavorful aroma. Despite the colorful and elaborately decorated outside, the operation is simple: a grill, two people preparing the food, and bomb-ass sauces.
For the tacos and burritos, the main draw, guests have the choice between bologi beef, spicy pork, spicy chicken, or tofu for their protein and a choice of six kimchis. I chose the bologi beef because it seemed the classic choice and sweet-and-sour kimchi because it intrigued me the most. I definitely chose well! I was served three large tortillas overflowing with beef, kimchi, corn, lettuce and then had the choice of homemade sauces to pour on top. In the adventurous spirit, without tasting the sauces, I poured Kimchi BBQ Taco's "spicier spicy mayonnaise" "sweetened sriracha" and a sweet hoison sauce over all three. The dish initially struck me because of the color. There were vibrant pinks from the mayonnaise, reddish-orange form the kimshi, light orange from the sweet sauce, green from the lettuce, yellow of the corn, and brown from the bologi all set against unassuming tortillas in a deceptively simple Styrofoam box. My first bite was a delicious explosion of flavors. The first was a the acidity and crunch of the kimchi (For those that don't know, kimchi is basically Korean pickled cabbage). The sweet-and-sour flavor of the kimchi was not overpowering because I first tasted the crunch and freshness of the cabbage, then the sweet flavor, and finally the kick. By time the kick of the kimchi settled in I was absorbing the calming tastes of lettuce and corn. The real wow factor was the bologi beef: prepared on a grill and doused in the hoisin sauce giving the meat a sweet and perfectly cooked flavor. The final bite was the tortilla which by this point had soaked up the sweet hoisin sauce, spicy mustard, the sweet-and-sour vinegar from the kimchi and the juice from the meat making even the tortilla awesome and full of flavor.
This was a truly great and unique lunch and I enjoyed every last bite of the dynamite tacos dripping down my chin. And it was all from a food truck! I'm definitely going to try more of these trucks, I'm thinking once a week? And obviously an accompanying blog entry to leave you all hungry!

Ellie's Easy Ceviche

Since I've been home for winter break, I've been cooking a lot and I wanted to share with you all something delicious I made this week. I know ceviche sounds complicated or in the very least, may scare you off because of concerns about the seafood not fully cooking but I assure you, it's very easy! For starters, I used Costco frozen, raw, tail-on shrimp and let the defrost in the refrigerator overnight , then made a citrus marinade for the shrimp which is what cooks them and left them in the marinade for another night in the fridge. Finally, a made an avocado salad that I mixed the shrimp into and enjoyed! This dish is a great snack from the bowl or an excellent cocktail party treat with tortilla chips. It's so easy and really delicious! I hope you enjoy it as much my family and I did!

For the marinade:
8-12 tail on shrimp
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
Lemon juice
Orange juice
Soy sauce

Once the shrimp are thawed, remove the tails and cut each shrimp into bite size pieces: I was basically cutting each shrimp into fourths. Place the shrimp in a quart size ziploc freezer bag and add in the chopped garlic. Then pour in around 1/4-1/3 cup lemon juice depending on your acidity preferences and then add orange juice until the bag is roughy 3/4 full of liquid. Add a splash of soy sauce, shake, and place in the fridge for 24 hours.

Avocado salad:
2 large avocados
medium red onion finely chopped to taste
Approx. 1 1/2 T. Lemon juice (based on your taste preference)
2 t. Lime juice
1 t. Soy sauce
1 t. Sugar
A few dashes Sea salt
1 T. Orange juice

Cut the avocado into various sized pieces and put them in a small bowl. Pour on some of the lemon juice to keep the avocado fresh while you work. Add the chopped red onion, more lemon juice, lime juice, and soy sauce. Then add the sugar and salt. Taste the mixture and feel free to add more of any of the ingredients, it's not a science at all and totally about your tastes. Cover the mixture very tightly with almost no air reaching it to keep the avocado from browning. I use a piece of plastic wrap touching the salad and then a Tupperware lid on the bowl itself. Leave the mix in the fridge for about an hour to allow all the flavors to come together. Taste the salad. Then, drain the shrimp reserving the marinade. Gently stir in the shrimp and add some of the remaining marinade to taste, I added about half. Enjoy!