Fish Tacos

Hamburgers, hot dogs, bratwurst - all delicious, if you ask me (especially with beer). It's not just the high fat content that makes them satisfying. It's the memories that punctuate each bite. When I chew into a hot dog, I can almost feel the thin elastic thread that kept hats on my head at childhood birthday parties. Hamburgers remind me of road trips. Bratwurst, street festivals.

Despite the good taste and memories, many of us need to cut down on meat. It's got too much saturated fat, too many calories. For a lighter option, consider cooking up these simple fish tacos. They're lower in fat than their meat-filled brethren, but still wonderfully flavorful. And, yes, good with beer.

FISH TACOS WITH CORN

2009 Cardamom Kitchen LLC All Rights Reserved

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 pound catfish fillets

1/4 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 1/2 cups diced tomatoes

2 chopped scallions

2 tablespoons cilantro, roughly chopped

12 corn tortillas
Feta to garnish (optional)

2 15.5 ounce cans of sweet corn

INSTRUCTIONS

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2) Cover a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Place the fish on the baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix together cumin, garlic powder, oregano, cayenne, black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon. Sprinkle over fish.

3) Bake the fish until it becomes opaque and flakes when poked with a fork (about 15 minutes).

4) Combine the tomatoes, scallions, and cilantro in a bowl. Toss together and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt.

5) Place corn with liquid in a small saute pan. Heat on low for 5 minutes. (Do not allow liquid to simmer or boil.) Drain water.

6) Place the baked fish in a small bowl and pull it apart with a fork.

7) Heat tortillas in the microwave or with a cast iron skillet. (Warm skillet on high heat. Place a tortilla on skillet. Cook until it warms and softens. Remove from heat. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.)

8) Fill each tortilla with fish and tomato mixture.

9) Sprinkle with feta and serve with a side of the corn.

Potato Masala

 

Millions of Americans love to sink a fork into the fluffy pleasure of mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving. (Sorry turkey. It's really all about the sides.) The rest of the year, potatoes are treated as a bother. Who takes time to cloak them in foil for baking? Or they are branded with a scarlet "C" - CARBS! However the real health risk may lie in the way they're commonly consumed - as sky-high mountains of fries or prairies of hash browns, loaded with grease? Egads!

As children, we ate baked potatoes once a week as a side dish with barbecued beef. It was my dad's contribution to family meals. My mom used them in potato masala. On occasion, she paired the masala with dosa (a sour crepe made of lentils and rice flour). However, we usually ate it with whole wheat flatbread. If you want to reignite your passion for potatoes, consider trying her Potato Masala recipe. It offers flavor, which we all crave, without all the grease.

POTATO MASALA

2009 Cardamom Kitchen LLC All Rights Reserved

Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/8 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 tablespoon urad dhal

2 cups diced onions

2 tablespoons minced ginger

1 small jalapeno, cut lengthwise

1 cup chopped tomato

3 cups thinly sliced Russet potatoes

3/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin seeds

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oil in a saute pan on low heat. Add the mustard seeds and cover. When mustard begins to pop, add the urad dhal. Cook until the urad dhal turns brown.

Increase the heat to medium. Add the onions, ginger, and jalapeno and stir. Cook until the onions become translucent.

Stir in the tomatoes and cook until they begin to soften.

Add the potatoes. Cook for 3 minutes.

Add the water, salt, and turmeric. Stir to combine.

Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove the jalapeno. Gently stir in the cilantro.

Spinach Thoran

 

I hosted some friends for lunch on Easter. Being a dessert lover, I prepared the menu in reverse order, beginning with egg-shaped mini chocolate cakes soaked with framboise eau-de-vie and drizzled with ganache.
 

For the main course, I made basmathi rice, spinach thoran (sauted spinach), and fish mappas (mild fish curry). I was a little worried about serving the thoran after one of my guests said that she tries to avoid spicy food! Turns out, I had no reason to fret. It was the star of the meal.
 

If you're looking for a flavorful way to make spinach (a superfood with lots of potassim), try my mom's recipe included below. A few tips:

• Twelve cups of spinach may sound like a lot, but it shrinks considerably when cooked.
• Dry out the spinach leaves before cooking them or you'll end up with a soggy dish.
• Increase the heat to medium high when you add the spinach, or again, you'll end up with soggy spinach.
• You'll develop the best flavor profile using fresh spinach. However, to save time, you can substitute the fresh spinach with three cups of frozen spinach that has been thawed. Start with the second step if you use frozen spinach. Substitute the fifth step with: "Add the thawed spinach and cook until it begins to loosen. Stir to blend the spinach and onion mixture."

SPINACH THORAN

2009 Cardamom Kitchen LLC All Rights Reserved

Serves 5 to 6

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 tablespoon urad dhal

1 cup finely sliced onion

2 dried red chilies

12 packed cups fresh spinach

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground cumin seeds

Dash of turmeric powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut

INSTRUCTIONS

Wash and drain the spinach. Set it aside to dry or pat the leaves with a paper towel to absorb excess water. Chop.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan on low heat. Add the mustard seeds and cover.

When the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the urad dhal. Cook until the dhal turns light brown.

Add the onions and red peppers. Increase heat to medium and cook until the onions are translucent.

Add the spinach. Increase the heat to medium high. Cover and cook until the leaves begin to wilt. Stir to blend the spinach and onion mixture.

Add the garlic powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, salt, and stir. Continue to cook until the spinach is completely wilted.