Fish: It's What's for Dinner

Sorry for the long break between posts. I had a short-lived but bad cold last week and didn't particularly feel like blogging.

Anywho....

My family has been eating more and more fish lately. And beans. And soy. And soup, since it's still cold here in DC at the end of March. Hello Mother Nature! Get with the program: it's spring for crying out loud!

But I digress.

Since I am still trying to bring some summer into our cold but deceptively sunny world, I have been trying to make warm-weather dinners. Big salads, veggie burgers and oven fries, grilled anything, and fish tacos, which I absolutely love. There is no way to eat a fish taco and not be transported to a warm locale, preferably a roadside shack on a beach somewhere in the Caribbean where the beer is cold, the view is amazing, and the locals are as colorful as the fish swimming in the reef.

Tequila-Lime Fish Tacos
Yield 4 servings

1 lb. mahi-mahi, cod, or tilapia
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons good tequila, preferably Patron
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoon Ancho chili powder
1 small serrano chile, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

8 flour tortillas

Garnishes:
Shredded white cabbage
Hot sauce
Crema or sour cream
Thinly sliced red onions
Chopped cilantro
Salsa (store-bought or homemade)

Preheat grill or broiler to medium-high heat. Place fish in a medium size dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Whisk together the oil, tequila, lime juice, chili powder, serrano chile, and cilantro in a medium bowl and pour over fish. Let marinate for 15-20 minutes.

Remove the fish from the marinade and place on hot grill or, if broiling, place fish on a foil-lined baking sheet and place in the oven under the broiler. Grill or broil the fish about 4 minutes on one side, flip, and cook another 30 seconds on the other side. Let rest for 5 minutes. Flake with a fork and place in a shallow serving dish or bowl.

Place tortillas on grill and warm for 20-30 seconds, or warm in a saute pan on the stove-top for about a minute over medium heat. Transfer tortillas to a dinner plate and keep warm with a (clean) kitchen towel or cloth napkin.

Serve fish, tortillas, and garnishes with some Corona and enjoy!