Cooking in the Cold (part 2): Fish Tacos

In an attempt to stay warm and keep from remembering the fact that we are far away from our friends and loved ones, I decided to cook up some fish tacos. Our favorite burrito take out, La Taqueria in Park Slope, was our go-to for any meal we were not interested in cooking but totally craving. In hopes of bringing back memories, that was what I decided to make for dinner...

Fish Tacos with Garlic Black Beans, Lemon Cole Slaw and Ancho-Lime Crema
Makes plenty for 2 people with leftovers for later...

The FISH part:

1. Take a nice filet or 2 Talapia or other white flaky fish.
2. Marinate in lemon, herbs, s&p, garlic powder and any other flavor enhancers.
3. After marination, dredge in flour (whole wheat) or a combo of flour and cornmeal (for a nice crunch).
4. Fry up fish in 1/2 an inch of canola oil.
5. Flip when ready and dry out on paper towel. Keep warm in a 250 degree oven...

The BEANS part:

1. Crack open a can of black beans (or any other bean of your choice), drain beans but don't rinse.
2. In a small pot or deep pan, saute 3 cloves of garlic and 1/2 onion in some olive oil with seasonings to taste. Cumin, chili, garlic powder or adobo, s&p...
3. Once onions are soft and spices are fragrant, take about 1/4 of the beans and dump 'em into the pot and mash them into a saucy paste.
4. Add the rest of the can of beans to the pot with a little water.

The LEMONY SLAW part:
Easy.

1. Shred some red or white cabbage very thin. Sprinkle with a little salt to wilt.
2. After about 10 minutes, mix and soften the cabbage with your hands or with a more sanitary utensil.
3. If too salty, rinse under water and strain out in the sink.
4. Add lemon and/or lime juice (fresh is best). Add some olive oil, pepper, cumin seeds, vinegar and stir up.

The CREMA!

1. Soak 2 ancho chilis (Goya sells them dried in most grocery 'ethnic' aisles) in hot water. Cover with a plate. When reconstituted, remove seeds (if you want a milder chili) and put in a medium sized bowl or blender.
2. To the bowl, add 1 cup of plain yogurt or sour cream.
3. For a creamier version, add some mayonnaise.
4. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime and add some of the zest.
5. Season with s&p
6. If you have a hand mixer, blend it up in the bowl or in the blender.
   Voila. Crema!
   

Heat up some corn (or as we did - blue corn) tortillas in a warm pan.
assemble your tacos or eat 'em all in a big pile.
Serve with fresh salsa, pickled jalapeno slices and avocado.
Report back once you've made it and let me know what you think!

-miya