During Lent we do fish on Fridays. In order to keep things interesting & (mostly) healthy, I planned out the menu for each week: Friday 2/24 - Fish Tacos w/ Pinto Beans & Rice Friday 3/2 - Seared Salmon w/ Farro Primavera Friday 3/9 - Fish Taco Repeat (we love them!) Friday 3/16 - Fish & Chips w/ Mushy Peas Friday 3/23 - Dinner Out @ Donna's Friday 3/30 - Dinner Out @ PF Chang's (my husband adores it) Friday 4/6 - TBD Since we'll be visiting with family
Up first, Fish Tacos! I got a little help from Trader Joes - fish & shredded cabbage - but the rest came together on a snap. Here's what I did:
Ingredients: For the slaw 1/2 cup of sour cream 1/4 cup of mayonnaise 1 lime, juiced 1 lemon, juiced 1 bag of shredded red cabbage, or 1/2 a head of red cabbage shredded 1 bunch of scallions, sliced 1 bunch of cilantro, washed (salad spinner works best) & chopped (stems too) salt & pepper
For the beans 3 cups of cooked pinto beans (2 cans) 1 shallot, diced 1/2 cup of frozen sweet corn chopped cilantro stems olive oil 1/2 cup of water 1 tbsp smoked sweet paprika salt & pepper brown rice (optional) garnish with: pickled jalapeños, hot sauce and/or cilantro
For the fish 1 package of you're fav frozen & breaded fish - we love trader joe's fish nuggets 1 package of tortillas, corn or small flour tortillas Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Method: Slaw First - mix sour cream, mayo & citrus juices in a large dish (preferably that has a lid) - mix in sliced scallions, half of the chopped cilantro - season with salt & pepper - toss in cabbage, coat the sauce evenly - chill in the fridge, can go over night but needs at least 20 mins
The Fish - preheat the oven to the package instructions {while the oven pre-heats & the fish bakes - move on to the beans} - on a baking sheet, with a wire rack insert, place the fish - cook the fish according to the package instructions - allow to cool for 3-5 mins, then wrap them In a tortilla, sprinkle some cheese & top with the slaw
Beans - in a medium pot (keep a lid handy) on medium/high heat, sauté the shallots in olive oil, 5 mins - stir in beans, cilantro stems, & corn - season with paprika, salt & pepper - add the water and bring to a simmer - put the lid on & reduce heat to low - check for seasoning & plate when ready to eat - garnish w/ cheese, pickled jalapeños, and/or rice (we used Trader Joes frozen brown rice - cooks in the microwave in 3 mins!)
This meal fed 2 hungry parents and 1 ravenous 4 year old boy. We serve his taco in a small flour tortilla, seems easier for him to hold & feed himself. There was a lot of slaw leftover, so if you want to double the meal, I'd just double the fish & beans. Have you tried meal planning? It seems to work in small spurts for me...