2011, Recipes 42-44: Fish Tacos, Mexican Street Corn & Black Bean Dip

Fish Tacos 
Recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay 

• 1 pound white flaky fish, such as mahi mahi or orata (I used tilapia)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tablespoons ancho chili powder
• 1 jalapeno, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 8 flour tortillas

Garnish:

• Shredded white cabbage
• Hot sauce
• Crema or sour cream
• Thinly sliced red onion
• Thinly sliced green onion
• Chopped cilantro leaves
• Salsa

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Place fish in a medium size dish. Whisk together the oil, lime juice, ancho, jalapeno, and cilantro and pour over the fish. Let marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the fish from the marinade place onto a hot grill, flesh side down. Grill the fish for 4 minutes on the first side and then flip for 30 seconds and remove. Let rest for 5 minutes then flake the fish with a fork.

Place the tortillas on the grill and grill for 20 seconds. Divide the fish among the tortillas and garnish with any or all of the garnishes.

Results: Just okay. I loved the crunch of the cabbage but the fish calls for no salt but desperately needs it.  Once it was added, Rashan liked it, but it never recovered for me.  Maybe leftovers will be better.

Mexican Street Corn
Combined recipes from Rick Bayless and Budget Bytes 

• 6 ears fresh sweet corn, in their husks
• About 1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream mixed with a little milk or cream
• 1/3 cup crumbled Mexican queso anejo or queso fresco, or cheese like parmesan, feta or farmer’s cheese (I used cotija)
• About 1 tablespoon hot powdered chile 

About an hour before serving, place the ears of corn in a deep bowl, cover with cold water and weight with a plate to keep them submerged.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once the oven is warm, place the corn directly on the oven rack and bake for 35 minutes.
Once the corn is done roasting, carefully remove it from the oven with an oven mitt, clean kitchen towel, or tongs. Carefully peel back the husks and remove the corn silk. Slather the kernels with crema then dust with cotija. Pass the powdered chile for your guests to use to their own liking.  The husks can serve as a handle while eating.

Results: AWESOME!!!!!!! I had this at a restaurant in Mississippi and was OVER THE MOON!  I was so glad it was so simple.  Both of these recipes called for butter on the corn.  With the crema and the cotija, I just knew butter was going to be an unnecessary ingredient and I was right!  So delicious!  I actually didn't even use the powdered chile and it was great!  A squeeze of lime at the end!  Man I want this again right now!!

Black Bean Dip
Courtesy of GF in the City

• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained & rinsed 
• ½ cup salsa (I used tomatillo) 
• 1 ½ oz cotija cheese*
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• Juice of 1 lime (Optional: reserve zest for garnish)
• Kosher salt, if needed

Place the beans, salsa, 1 oz of the cheese, the cumin, and lime juice into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. For a chunky dip, pulse a few more times or until the desired texture is reached; for a smooth dip, process for a minute or two, until the consistency appears even. Taste and adjust for salt, if needed.
Transfer the dip to a bowl and garnish with the remaining ½ ounce of cheese and, optionally, a bit of zest from the lime. Serve with tortilla chips.

*You could also use chevre, feta, manouri, parmesan or ricotta salata. Depending on what you use, the final texture and flavor of your dip will vary slightly, but these would all produce great results.

Results: Simple & delicious!  Love all of the ingredients in this and was quite pleased w/the outcome.