Citrus Garlic Fish Taco

During a recent visit to Florida, I dined at an upscale Mexican restaurant, De La Vega. I adore paella and was torn between this favorite dish and a seafood taco. I opted for the paella...a post for another time. I just couldn't get that darn fish taco out of my mind and being it's Lent, I thought it would be a perfect meatless Friday meal.

A traditional fish taco consists of a white fish, a type of Cole slaw and salsa. Many recipes call for fried fish and I've had the fish stuffed inside a crunchy corn taco shell instead of a soft flour tortilla. Both are terrific. But, I wanted something just a bit different...something refreshing....something with a clean taste. Citrus. But what? Lemon, Lime, Orange? I wanted the meal to be light.  First, I could afford to lose a few pounds (again) and I believe that a Friday Lenten meal should be on the "lean" side. I don't think that having fish on Friday means a decadent lobster dinner. To me that's not much of a sacrifice.

Slaw with walnuts & seasoned
 with Citrus N Garlic

I chose Catfish and rummaged through my cabinets and fridge for various ingredients. Cabbage for Cole slaw, sweet baby carrots, mayonnaise, honey, flour tortilla. It was missing the crunch of a corn taco shell, so I grabbed walnuts. So far so good. What about the spices, the seasonings...what to use, what to use?

Then it dawned on me. Kitchen Kick'n Seasonings! Tom of Tomarc's of Troy had kindly sent me Citrus N Garlic Kick after I featured his seasonings on my post, Pork Tenderloin With Maple BBQ Sauce. This seasoning had everything I wanted for my Citrus Fish Meal... Granulated Garlic, Orange Peel, Lemon Peel, Minced Garlic, Lime Powder, Chili Powder, Sugar, Basil, Black Pepper, Parsley, Rosemary, and other spices. What could be better in a Mexican dish than garlic, chili powder, orange, lemon, & lime! The thought of a cold, salty Margarita drifted through my mind. I bet a splash of tequila would add a unique flavor to this dish. I'll try that next time.

My catfish needed nothing more than Citrus N Garlic Kick, salt and a pat of butter. To double the wonderful citrus taste, I added the spices to the homemade Cole slaw...perfect. I couldn't have been happier with the end result, a refreshing, taste-bud poppin' recipe. Thanks, Tom, for your creative seasonings that affords chefs of every level endless cooking possibilities and a culinary delight.  This recipe satisfied my craving for a Fish Taco and kept my penitential observance of abstaining from meat simple.

Citrus Garlic Fish Taco
2 Catfish fillets
Citrus N Garlic Kick
4 pats of butter
salt
olive oil
2 flour tortillas

Cole Slaw:
1 cup shredded Savoy cabbage
5 baby carrots, slivered
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon Citrus N Garlic Kick
8 walnut pieces, chopped
Preheat oven at 400 degrees.  Drizzle olive oil into a baking dish. Sprinkle catfish with Citrus N Garlic seasoning, salt lightly and put 2 pats of butter on each fillet. Bake in baking dish for 20 minutes or until white and flaky.
In a small bowl, mix cabbage, carrots, honey, mayonnaise, Citrus N Garlic seasoning and walnuts.
Place baked fish on a flour tortilla, top with homemade Cole slaw. Serve with fresh tomatoes.

Remember To Make Memories At The Table

Pork Tenderloin With Maple BBQ Sauce

I cook pork tenderloin once a month. There's nothing easier nor more versatile than this cut of "the other white meat". Now that there's just my husband and me at the table each night it is the perfect portion size, too. I buy a package of two that weigh about a pound or so. Try and buy two that are similar in thickness and length so they cook evenly in the same time span. The meat is lean so there's no cutting away fat which means no waste and a healthier choice.
The ways to prepare a pork tenderloin are endless. But I always begin with the same few ingredients. Seasoning this meat is important as it has a mild flavor much like chicken, so be sure to season it well at the very start. I begin with a drizzle of olive oil at the bottom of my baking dish and set it aside. Sprinkle both sides of the pork tenderloins with garlic powder, onion powder, salt. pepper and a light coating of parsley. Place them in the pan and drizzle just a bit of olive oil over the tops of the tenderloins.
Sauces can be a simple onion and brown or pork gravy served over mashed potatoes or egg noodles.
Any fruit jam or jelly will add a wonderful sweetness to a pork tenderloin. Mix your favorite jam such as apricot, cherry, peach, blueberry, raspberry even orange marmalade with a 1/4 cup of juice (any flavor will do), a shake of garlic powder, a teaspoon of honey, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Mix well and heat in microwave for 1 minute. I serve my fruit sauces from a bowl with a small ladle, pouring it over the pork at the table.
A sauce that goes well with pork and one that I use on chicken and fish is honey, mustard and mayonnaise. 2 tablespoons of mayo, a teaspoon of mustard and a tablespoon of honey. Mix well and heat in microwave for a minute. Serve in the same way as the fruit sauce.
Of course, no sauce at all is needed. A delicious and simple preparation is pork seasoned with salt and pepper and any of your favorite herbs such as thyme and rosemary and baked to a golden color. Served over a bed of rice....yellow or white or mashed sweet potatoes is absolutely yummy.

Tonight I tried something a bit different. It came about because in September I went to a Garlic Festival (see post: The Stinking Rose Festival) and purchased a shaker bottle of Kitchen Kick'N Maple Garlic seasoning. The seasoning and many other varieties are made at Tomarc's of Troy (New York). On their website it says, 'Spice up your barbecues, sandwiches, roasts, fish, and veggies with our unique line of kick'n spices....Let Kitchen Kick'n bring out your "inner cook!" ' The site gives tips on spice storage & delicious recipes prepared with their homemade spices...they are low in salt and gluten free! A few of the seasonings that Kitchen Kick'n feature are Onion Luv'n Kick, Smoke'n Garlic Kick (hickory), Italian Boot'n Kick, Dragon Kick (with Chinese Five Spice), Citrus N' Garlic, Bloody Rub'N Kick (with horseradish powder) and many more. These seasonings will  really spice up your meal  and excite your taste buds.
For Kitchen Kick'n Spices, Recipes and more click here

Pork Tenderloin With Maple BBQ Sauce

2 Pork Tenderloins (approx. 1 lb)

Sauce: In a small bowl mix the ingredients below:
1 cup Sweet Baby Ray's Honey BBQ Sauce
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Kitchen Kick'n Maple Garlic seasoning

Sprinkle Tenderloins on both sides with:

salt
pepper
Maple Garlic Kitchen Kick'n Spice
onion powder
parsley
Then drizzle olive oil over the tops

Drizzle a baking pan with olive oil

Pre Heat oven to 400 degrees
Prepare sauce and set aside
Drizzle baking dish with olive oil and set aside
Season the Pork Tenderloins and place in baking dish
Bake for 30 minutes
Baste with sauce
Cook another 10-15 minutes.  Yields 2 servings.
You can cut pork in thin slices or just put one pork tenderloin on each plate.  Serve remaining sauce at the table.
I served this with baked polenta and a side of sauteed cabbage.

Remember To Make Memories At The Table