One of my dearest friends is having a BABY!!!  I can’t even stand it I’m so excited!

The other day I sent out a plea to my Instagram friends for recipe inspiration and she was the first to chime in.  She and I share a serious love of tacos so I decided to get in the kitchen and create something special just for her (and baby of course).  Baby is apparently craving fish so what baby wants baby gets!!

I wish we lived closer so I could run over and make this for her right now!

As I was writing out this recipe I noticed it kind of looks complicated but trust me, it’s not.  This takes advantage of my pantry and if you use store bought salsa and guacamole (or just slice up an avocado) it comes together super fast.

If you don’t want to fry the fish you can still use the same spice mixture (no cracker meal) and grill or pan saute instead.

Baja Fish Taco Bowls

For slaw:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon sriracha (more or less depending on how spicy you like it)
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
2 green onions, sliced
1 cup carrots, shredded
3 cups cabbage, shredded
Salt & pepper

For veggies:
Olive oil
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
½ cup red onion, diced
1 clove garlic
½ teaspoon cumin
Salt & pepper

For fish:
Vegetable oil
1 lb. firm white fish fillets, thawed if frozen (I used cod)
1 cup cracker meal
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Dash of smoked paprika
Salt & pepper
Tajin*

To serve: Cooked brown rice, salsa (I make my own but store bought is fine), guacamole, cilantro, lime wedges

To make slaw, whisk together mayonnaise, sriracha, and sugar. Add a little water to thin it out if needed. Toss with cabbage, carrots, and green onions. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute until starting to brown. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add corn, black beans, and cumin. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until everything is tender. Remove to a bowl, set aside.

Wipe out skillet and return to stove top. Add about a half-inch of vegetable oil and heat for about 5 minutes. Test the oil with the end of a wooden spoon. If you see vigorous bubbles around it you’re all set!

While oil is heating, combine cracker meal, chili powder and next 4 ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Dip the fish fillets in a little water, dredge in the cracker meal. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Working in batches, add fish to pan. Be careful not to crowd the pan or the oil temperature will drop too much. Cook 1-2 minutes on the first side, then carefully flip. Cook another 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove fish to a paper towel lined plate to remove excess oil. Season with tajin. Repeat with remaining fish.

Assemble the bowls with rice on the bottom. Top with corn and black bean mixture, a good spoonful of slaw, the fried fish, cilantro, salsa and guacamole. Serve with a lime wedge.

*Tajin is a Mexican seasoning blend that includes chile peppers, lime and salt.  I find it in my grocery store near the jars of minced garlic.  If you can’t find it just finish the fish with a little salt and a squeeze of lime.

Source: Ruth’s Table, 2018.