Fiery Fish Tacos

I used to have a roommate who was terrified by fish. She couldn’t stand their bulging eyeballs and the shimmer of scales along its wet, slimy body. I imagine that she had nightmares about fish in the way some of us are terrified in our sleep by zombies, wild dogs . . . or clowns. However, she was okay with fish in stick form, though I never saw her eat any.

Fish don’t terrify me, but for the longest time I was afraid…of preparing fish. I was forever overcooking it, poking and prodding at it well beyond the “done when flakey” stage. However, I plunge forward with intrepidity because fish is not only delicious, it is also healthy.

Fish tacos were not first and foremost in my thoughts when I went in search of a fish recipes. The first time I became aware of them was when I lived in Tucson, Arizona, but back then it always sounded repulsive to me. What the heck is a fish doing in a taco? Staging a coup? Asking for directions? It seemed to me, wrong. But I believe in second chances and fish taco, I am sorry. I was wrong, terribly so. You deserve so much better.

Homemade crunch salsa for the fiery fish tacos

This is yet another recipe I found at Allrecipes.com and adjusted for my own tastes and for the availability of items in my fridge.

Fiery Fish Tacos

INGREDIENTS
SALSA

* 1 cup corn (I use defrosted frozen corn and it works like a charm)
* 1/2 cup diced red onion
* 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
* 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
* 1 teaspoon of lime juice
* fresh cracked pepper to taste

FISH

* 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
* 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
* 2 tablespoons salt
* 6 (4 ounce) fillets tilapia
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 12 tortillas (flour or corn)

TOPPINGS

* Sliced fresh avocado
* Sour cream
* Tomato salsa
* Shredded cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl, mix together corn, red onion, red bell pepper, and cilantro. Stir in lime juice and cracked pepper.
2. In a small bowl, combine cayenne pepper, ground black pepper, and salt. Brush each fillet with olive oil, and sprinkle with spices.
3. Heat up a frying pan on high and cook the fish for 3 minutes per side.
4. On the tortilla, top with fish, salsa, and any other toppings of your choice. Fold it up and eat it like a taco, or roll it up and eat it like a burrito. Either way: delicious and healthy!

Fiery fish tacos with all the toppings

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Tags: Fish, Mexican, salsa, tacos, tilapia