FoodSAZm: National Tequila Day

According to my sources, yesterday was National Tequila Day...a holiday that should obviously be celebrated much like Cinco De Mayo.....with Mexican food and Booze. So I decided on fish tacos as the main dish but I wanted some sort of appetizer that wasn't my usual guacamole. I had bought some Plantains this weekend (they were on sale for 40 cents each!!!), and I wanted to make a Black Bean Dip to go alongside them. So a night in Mexico was in full effect! First we are going to start off with a San Diego Style Fish Taco Sauce. You want to make this first because it needs to refrigerate for at least an hour before you serve it.

San Diego Fish Taco Sauce

(yields 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup Low Fat Sour Cream

1/4 cup Low Fat Mayonnaise

1/2 Lime

1/4 tsp Cumin

1/4 tsp Coriander

1/4 tsp Dill

1/4 tsp Oregano

1/2 tsp minced Capers

Pinch Cayenne

1 tbsp Cilantro

> In a bowl, whisk together your Sour Cream and Mayo.

> Start juicing your lime into the mayo/sour cream mixture - you want it the consistency of a pourable dressing. If you find it's still too thick, add more lime. Whisk that together and add in all the spices. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Plantains with Black Bean Dip

2 Plantains

Olive Oil

Pepper

Garlic Salt

1 15 oz. Can Black Beans (drained and rinsed)

1/4 cup diced Onion

2 Garlic Cloves

Juice of 1/2 Lime

1 tsp Cumin

Pinch Cayenne

Handful Cilantro

> Peel your plantains, then using a mandolin (or a knife if you don't have one) cut them into semi-thin slices (almost like a thicker potato chip).

> On a greased cookie sheet, spread out the plantain chips and drizzle lightly with Olive Oil, Pepper and Garlic Salt.

> Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 16 minutes. Flip the chips over and bake for another 7 minutes, then set the oven to HI Broil and cook for 4 more minutes (this browns them nicely). Justin and I like ours on the less-crispy side so if you like yours crispier, just cook them for longer (also this is all a matter of your oven - it's best to keep your eye on them while they're cooking to make sure they are the desired consistency you like).

> In a food processor, combine the beans, onion, garlic, cumin, lime, cayenne and cilantro and puree until a smooth Hummus-like consistency.

This is an awesome snack or appetizer and is so simple to make. Plus, by baking the chips instead of frying them, this is actually quite healthy.

Every taco needs a slaw - something crunchy for your palate, so I made a quick, easy taco slaw that works perfectly with the soft texture of the fish.

Taco Slaw
1 cup chopped Red Cabbage
Handful Chopped Cilantro
1/4 cup Diced Red Bell Pepper
Salt & Pepper
1/2 Tomato diced
1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

>Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir together.

> For the fish, I used a Halibut (you want a nice light white fish for fish tacos). I seasoned them conservatively with lemon juice and pepper and then grilled them for about 3 minutes on each side.