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