Fish tacos with mango salsa and green rice (arroz verde), May 2011
Mexican food is wonderful any time, but it’s especially appropriate around the Cinco de Mayo (Fifth of May) holiday. Cinco de Mayo marks the victory of outnumbered, poorly equipped Mexican forces over French fighters in the village of Puebla, 100 miles southeast of Mexico City, in 1862. It’s not Mexican Independence Day (that’s September 16th), and it’s not much of a holiday in Mexico except in Puebla, but in the United States it’s become a day to celebrate Mexican culture and heritage.
Serve the fish tacos with attractive, brightly flavored arroz verde (green rice) on the side. For convenient preparation, the fish and rice are baked in the oven. Also, you can make the mango salsa and slaw (thinly sliced cabbage tossed with a little lime juice or apple cider vinegar) several hours to one day ahead.
BAKED FISH TACO FILLING
Start to finish: 60 minutes (active time: 10 minutes)
Servings: 4
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound firm white fish fillets such as halibut or cod
8 corn tortillas
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a baking dish, combine lime juice, cumin, olive oil, and salt. Place fish in dish and gently turn to coat. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until fish flakes easily with a fork. Flake into a bowl, leaving any excess liquid in baking dish. Serve in corn tortillas warmed according to package directions with toppings such as mango salsa, cabbage slaw, cubed avocado and/or a dollop of sour cream.
Nutrition information per serving (fish and corn tortillas only; based on cod; values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 131 calories; 23 calories from fat; 3 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 56 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrate; 21 g protein; 1 g fiber; 225 mg sodium.
(Recipe adapted from “Low Fat Fish Tacos,” at About.com.)
PRINTABLE BAKED FISH TACO FILLING RECIPE
MANGO SALSA
Start to finish: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced
1/4 medium red onion, finely diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Can be made several hours to one day ahead and refrigerated.
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 39 calories; 2 calories from fat; 0 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrate; 0 g protein; 1 g fiber; 149 mg sodium.
(Recipe adapted from SimplyRecipes.com.)
ARROZ VERDE (GREEN RICE)
Start to finish: 90 minutes (active time: 15 minutes)
Servings: 4
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup cilantro, leaves and small stems, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, leaves and small stems, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup long-grain brown rice
2 cups water
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In oiled casserole dish with cover, combine all ingredients. Cook, covered, until rice is soft and liquid is mostly absorbed, 50 to 60 minutes, stirring after 30 or 40 minutes to distribute ingredients. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes. Stir to fluff rice just before serving.
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 178 calories; 12 calories from fat; 1 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 37 g carbohydrate; 4 g protein; 2 g fiber; 589 mg sodium.
(Recipe adapted from JDELVO’s “Arroz Verde,” at SparkPeople.com.)
PRINTABLE ARROZ VERDE (GREEN RICE) RECIPE
Link to this and other healthy and gluten-free posts at Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free and Gluten-Free Wednesdays at The Gluten-Free Homemaker.
I heart fish tacos! These look especially delicious!