So I had this intense craving for freshness in the form of salsa, you know, the crunchy kind where when you eat some you can’t stop saying “mmmm”. Also I was craving fish tacos, but not the fried kind, the grilled kind. So although this sounds a bit labor intensive, it’s really a snap to make, and you’ll love how you feel after your dinner. Satisfied, joyful and not too full. It’s the kind of dinner that will energize you rather than weigh you down.

At the market look for a nice firm, fresh fish. I was on the hunt for some tilapia, but settled on some lovely filet of sole. My mother was a sole lover when I was a kid. She breaded the little filets and fried them very gently in Crisco. While we are not going to fry this fish, we are going to be gentle. We will grill the fish on a grill pan (not on an outside grill…the fish will fall apart, and into the bottom of the bbq, to your dismay), but if you don’t have one, you can use a skillet.

Here’s a tip: TJ Maxx always has grill pans, big and small, and they won’t set you back much. It’s worth the investment, and you can use it all year round!

The ingredients for this dish are available all the time, but you know tomato season is coming, right? The perfect excuse to make this salsa. Oh, and get some beer. Chill it well, and drink one while you make this yumminess. Corona is a perfect match, but I also love Negra Modelo.

Grilled Fish Tacos

1 cup white onion, chopped
½ bunch cilantro, well washed and chopped
¼ cup olive oil
juice of 2 limes
juice of 1 orange
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons tequila
2 pound fresh fish (sole, tilapia, catfish, etc.)
kosher salt
fresh black pepper

Into a glass baking dish add all of the ingredients, and season well with salt and pepper. Gently moosh the fish around to get it covered with the marinade. Cover and put in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. Half an hour would be perfect.

Heat a grill pan on high heat. Spray with cooking spray and grill the fish quickly, about a minute on each side, or until opaque. Remove, place on a platter or in a pretty bowl and flake. Serve immediately with warm corn tortillas topped with shredded green cabbage, crema, cheese and limes. Serve with beans, fresh salsa and chips.

Serve withs:
Cooked Spanish rice
Crumbled queso
Warm Black Beans
1 small head green cabbage, shredded
Crema Mexicana (it’s in the cheese section at the market)
Chopped cilantro
Corn tortillas
Limes cut into wedges

Fresh Salsa

1 pound small tomatoes (I used the box of red, yellow and green striped from Trader Joe’s), cut into quarters
4 tomatoes on the vine, diced
1 white onion, diced
1 English cucumber, diced
½ bunch cilantro, well washed
2 avocados, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
juice of 2 limes
3 tablespoons tequila
kosher salt
fresh black pepper
drizzle of olive oil

Lime tortilla chips

Place everything but the chips in a medium sized pretty bowl, and stir gently. Let it sit at room temperature while you grill the fish. Serve on top of tacos, and serve on the side with chips.

Tip: This also makes an excellent salad. Just pile everything on a plate, and lose the corn tortillas. Serve with chips. So delicious!

Serves 4 amigos