Remember when I said I have a hard time putting a recipe together correctly because I inevitably forget to buy a key ingredient (or 5)? (What??? You didn't read that post? Ouch! K. I think I'm over it.) Well, I'm actually becoming a bit more adept in the kitchen, in spite of myself. Last night I wanted to make something for dinner that my son could eat with us (I'm trying slowly to bridge the gap between his meals and ours, knowing my life will be much easier once that bridge is built and crossed.). My intent landed on Fish Tacos with Baked Sweet Potato "Fries".
The Monkey hasn't had much exposure to fish, so I knew I needed to make it tasty, but healthy. I also didn't have the energy or time to drag us both out to the store before dinnertime, so I had to make do with what I had on hand. Thankfully, my husband (a.k.a. the guy who does most of the grocery shopping) has been keeping lots of fresh fruits and vegetables here, so it was a pretty easy feat.
To glaze the fries, I mixed 1 TBSP of honey with the juice of 1 whole lime. It was dee-lish!
I cubed 1 1/2 sweet potatoes and tossed them in the glaze; spread them on a baking sheet that had been sprayed with cooking spray; salted; and baked them at 450 for about 45 minutes. (Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture, so you'll have to wait until the end of this post to see how they turned out. Keep reading...please?)
The fish we had that needed to be eaten of choice was flounder. (Living in the Midwest, we mostly eat previously frozen fish, unless we plan a special dinner or eat out at our favorite sushi restaurant, which has their supply flown in daily <queue irrational breakfast sushi craving>. So the flounder was simply pre-packaged and pre-frozen.) I thawed, washed and thoroughly dried the filets, dipped them in egg, and breaded them with crumbs I made from toasted Ezekiel 4:9 bread. I sprayed a baking pan with cooking spray and baked them at 350 for about 20 minutes.
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| Before putting them in the oven |
I made fresh Pico de Gallo from a variety of tomatoes, 1 jalapeño, 1/3 of a red onion, cilantro, and lime. I don't know how everyone else makes pico, but I start with the jalapeño, onion, and cilantro. I chop and mix those three ingredients and add tomatoes, lime, and salt to taste. Adding the tomatoes last, before the seasoning, keeps it very chunky--the way pico is intended to be, as opposed to salsa. I prefer to use cherry tomatoes, because they typically add the most color and flavor, but last night I used several different types.
*The above picture was taken with my iPhone. Not the best quality, but it's what I had readily available, and it did not require me to get up from my seat or delay my feast.
I chopped up some purple cabbage we had, microwaved some corn tortillas, and voila!
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This was a pretty quick and easy--if random--process. Next time I will use cod or another white fish, instead of flounder. The flavor was good, but for my taste, it could've been better with a different fish. Otherwise, the Monkey, the guy who does the grocery shopping, and I all agree this dinner is a keeper.
What "fly by the seat of your pants" meals have pleasantly surprised you and your family?
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