Home ยป Fish Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Crema

Fish Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Crema

So I’m going to apply to be on The Next Food Network Star. J slash K, but seriously, leading cooking classes is beyond fun and the gals and I had a blast last night! I got to talk about farmed vs. wild salmon and all the health benefits of omega 3’s, how to add a lot of flavor to dishes without a lot of calories and fat, and why it’s so important to keep things fresh and exciting in your diet. If you don’t love what you’re eating at your next meal, how do you really feel about choosing healthy options for a lifetime?

Right. It aint…gunna…happen.

I’m on a huge fish kick lately, in case you hadn’t noticed. I’ve moved on (for the moment) from breakfast (i.e. baked doughnuts) and all things buffalo chicken-y. Though I made some amazing oats for breakfast yesterday, and Mr. Prevention was just day dreaming about Buffalo Chicken Dip last night…

There is something about summer, fish, and fresh fruits and vegetables that just calls my name…it’s what a crave. While the comfort foods of winter have come and gone, I am welcoming with open arms the colors, smells, and freshness of summer!

Back about 7 years ago, Mr. Prevention and I had just started dating. I had just finished my freshmen year of college and over the summer was living with my parents. Mark (he wasn’t Mr. P quite yet) had an internship in LA and wanted me to come visit. Being the very caring (read: over-protective, but in good, loving way) parents that they were, they forbid I go to LA to see Mark.

Welllll, that didn’t really stop me. I “went to the university (of Illinois) to celebrate my birthday with my good friend Megan”. It was a pretty believable white lie...I thought. I had some friends drop me off at Midway airport, and off I went to LA for a wonderful weekend with Mark. Of course, somehow, my mother knew – oops. Moms have a 6th sense, I’m tellin’ ya. Sorry, mom….

Anyways. That was the one and only time I’ve been to LA…which makes me think of fish tacos. Never before being in LA had I heard of such a thing. I love fish, and I love tacos…but together? I wasn’t quite so sure.

Obviously, that changed in one quick bite. I was sold. These suckers are goood. And while there are numerous ways to make fish tacos, they are many times deep-fried making them a not-so-hot choice. If you opt for a low-fat or fat-free cooking method, however, fish tacos are a brilliantly healthy choice. Here’s a great recipe to try, compliments of Cooking Light.

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Fish Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Crema slightly adapted from Cooking Light, December 2006

Crema:
1/4 cup (about 3) green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 Tbsp low-fat mayonnaise
3 Tbsp reduced-fat sour cream
1 tsp lime rind, grated
1 1/2 tsp fresh lime juice
pinch of salt
1 garlic clove, minced

Tacos:
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 lbs mahi mahi fillets
Cooking spray
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 cups cabbage, shredded

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F.

To prepare crema, combine the first 8 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

To prepare tacos, combine cumin and next 5 ingredients (through garlic powder) in a small bowl; sprinkle spice mixture evenly over both sides of fish. Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425 for 13-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Break fish into pieces with a fork. Heat tortillas according to package directions. Divide fish evenly among tortillas; top each with 1/4 cup cabbage and 1 tablespoon crema. Yield: 4 servings (2 tacos each).

Nutrition Information (per serving): 323 calories; 7 g. fat; 124 mg. cholesterol; 401 mg. sodium; 28.5 g. carbohydrate; 3.3 g. fiber; 35.5 g. protein

Result: Quick, simple, light, and summery! This is a dish that comes together in 20 minutes or less. While your fish is baking (or grilling – that’s an option, too!), you can prepare the crema and chop the cabbage. Feel free to use your fish of choice – the recipe called for red snapper, but I opted for the on-sale mahi mahi. And you can’t beat those nutrition stats! An ideal summer meal for seafood lovers! Enjoy!

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Question: Have you ever had fish tacos? What did you think?

P.S. I passed my drivers test (I was just as concerned about passing as some of you said you would be!)…now I just need plates! 😉

Be well,

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23 Comments

  1. marla {Family Fresh Cooking}
    June 15, 2011 / 6:55 am

    Nicole, these fish tacos look great! I am in New Orleans right now eating more fish that any gal could ever dream of ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Lauren
    June 15, 2011 / 7:01 am

    cracking up that you went to LA anyway. We blogged Freshman 15 today. Fish tacos are one of my favorite foods, this recipe looks amazing.

  3. Matt @ The Athlete's Plate
    June 15, 2011 / 8:14 am

    Great recipe!

    The best fish tacos that I’ve ever had were in Newport Beach, CA. I can’t remember the name of the place, but they were phenomenal.

  4. Kierstan @ Life {and running} in Iowa
    June 15, 2011 / 8:42 am

    Haha – I think we have all told our parents a smallish lie like that! Mine was, “Mom, a bunch of us are going camping. Yes, the BF if going, but there are going to be a ton of people, so don’t worry.” And then the day that we left – “Crap, well everyone else canceled, so looks like it will just me me and the BF. But we already made reservations, so – see ya!”

    Crap – if I ever had kids, all these things are going to come back and bite me in the butt. Karma….

  5. Samantha Angela
    June 15, 2011 / 9:05 am

    I’ve never had fish tacos but I feel the same way about fish tacos as you did: I love fish and I love tacos, but together? I don’t know. Maybe that’s a Midwestern opinion.

  6. Tricia
    June 15, 2011 / 9:26 am

    Oh yum, this looks fantastic! I’ve been craving fish tacos lately. I do have a question for you though — I’m in the Columbus area, too, and I’m wondering where you think is the best place to get fresh fish? I was thinking Whole Foods?

  7. FoodFitnessFreshair
    June 15, 2011 / 9:42 am

    Yum! I love fish tacos, and those look awesome. I’m whipping up soon myself with salmon. They always remind me of summer.

  8. Molly Jean
    June 15, 2011 / 10:39 am

    Mmm that crema sounds divine!

  9. Janet
    June 15, 2011 / 2:10 pm

    These look great! I like fish tacos, but am always leary of ordering them; I worry they won’t be good or the fish will be poor quality. Anyway, my husband was just telling me that we never eat fish at home anymore, so I am going to have to put these on our menu!

  10. Courtney
    June 15, 2011 / 4:37 pm

    Yum! Haha, I was terrified for my driving test, especially because my parents didn’t think I would pass! Thankfully I did, but I’m still not a very good driver :O

  11. Liz
    June 15, 2011 / 5:29 pm

    I had amazing fish tacos in Austin, TX and I still dream about them!!! I can’t wait to try this recipe. ๐Ÿ™‚

  12. Jenny (Fit Girl Foodie)
    June 15, 2011 / 6:38 pm

    Those fish tacos look delish especially with the sauce. Yummy ๐Ÿ˜›

  13. Roz
    June 15, 2011 / 7:16 pm

    I LOVE fish tacos, and your recipe looks great. Congrats on the licence!!!!!!

  14. Kristen (swanky dietitian)
    June 15, 2011 / 7:44 pm

    This looks delicious!
    I would love to do cooking demos! They seem like so much fun!

  15. Andrea@WellnessNotes
    June 15, 2011 / 8:28 pm

    I love fish tacos, and yours look delicious! Doing cooking demos looks like so much fun!

    And yes, parents know EVERYTHING. Well, at least that’s what I’m telling my kids… ๐Ÿ˜‰

  16. Dana @ Budget RD
    June 15, 2011 / 9:23 pm

    “If you don

  17. Rebecca @ How the Cookies Crumble
    June 16, 2011 / 2:31 pm

    I love fish tacos!! These look great!

  18. Mo'Betta
    June 16, 2011 / 7:22 pm

    These look amazing! And yes, I love fish tacos. The first time i had them was in Hawaii on our honeymoon…I thought ‘weird’, but one bite and i was “hooked” ๐Ÿ˜‰

  19. Cara
    June 19, 2011 / 10:18 pm

    Gorgeous shot of the spices! We love fish tacos too (not fried, of course), such a quick and easy dinner. I opt for TJ’s peach salsa to make them even simpler!

  20. Pingback: Tilapia Tacos with Yogurt Cilantro Crema & Fresh Guacamole
  21. Melissa
    January 31, 2012 / 11:31 am

    I made these last night and they were so good! I will definitely make these again. The lime cilantro crema is delicious!

    • Nicole, RD
      Author
      January 31, 2012 / 10:34 pm

      Melissa: I have got to make this recipe again. You’re right…that crema is to die for! ๐Ÿ™‚

  22. Anne S.
    February 8, 2012 / 10:59 pm

    I made these tacos tonight. My first recipe from the site. My husband who is always open to new and different food, has always claimed to “hate” fish tacos. Well, he loved these! Will put these tacos in my rotation for sure.

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