taco tuesdayz: salmon tacos

since i grew up in sunny socal, tacos are basically a food group. and in our house, they are eaten in one form of or another a few times a week. so i decided to start diving deep into my taco recipes on the first taco tuesday of every month.

first up on the list is one of my favorite fish tacos. salmon makes a tasty, beautiful substitute to the usual white fish options used for fish tacos. the sauce is zesty and bright and the purple cabbage adds some delicious CRUNCH to each bite.

salmon tacos

serves: 2

prep time: 20 minutes

cook time: 10 minutes

total time: 30 minutes

ingredients: 8 oz wild salmon (i like the skin on, but if you are not comfortable cooking the skin to a crisp, ask your fish guy to remove the skin, remove it your self or purchase salmon with the skin already removed). .5 cup greek yogurt. .25 mayonnaise. 1 tsp kosher salt. .25 tsp fresh ground pepper. .5 tsp garlic powder. .5 tsp cumin. .25 tsp paprika. 2 lime. 1 clove garlic, minced. 3 tbs coconut oil. 1 shallot, thinly sliced. .25 tsp apple cider vinegar. .25 cup cilantro leaves. 1 cup thinly sliced purple cabbage. 6 small corn tortillas. large non-stick pan.

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start by patting your salmon down with paper towels. put it in the back of your refrigerator, uncovered to dry out the skin about while you prep your other ingredients. combine your shallots and the apple cider vinegar in a small bowl to make quick pickled shallots. zest one of your limes and juice it. slice the second lime into wedges and reserve for serving. combine all but .5 tsp of your salt in a small bowl to make your spice blend.

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then in a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, greek yogurt, .25 of the spice blend, the lime juice, the lime zest and the garlic clove. mix well to combine and set it aside. start heating your pan over medium high heat.

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while the pan is heating, season the fish with .5 tsp of salt and then rub it with the remaining spice blend.

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when the pan is hot, add in the coconut oil till it is shiny and hot. cook your salmon, skin side down first if you have skin on, until the skin is really crispy and you can see the fish is cooked a little more than half way through. flip the fish and continue cooking until you can see that is cooked through. remove the salmon and allow it to rest for 5 minutes.

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while the fish is resting, wipe out your pan and heat your tortillas for 30 seconds a side until they are nice and toasty. chop up your salmon.

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to assemble your tacos, spread some of your zesty sauce on the bottom of your taco.

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top with salmon, crunchy cabbage, pickled shallots, some cilantro leaves and a squeeze of fresh lime. serve hot and enjoy.

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xo, a

salmon tacos

serves: 2

prep time: 20 minutes

cook time: 10 minutes

total time: 30 minutes

ingredients: 8 oz wild salmon (i like the skin on, but if you are not comfortable cooking the skin to a crisp, ask your fish guy to remove the skin, remove it your self or purchase salmon with the skin already removed). .5 cup greek yogurt. .25 mayonnaise. 1 tsp kosher salt. .25 tsp fresh ground pepper. .5 tsp garlic powder. .5 tsp cumin. .25 tsp paprika. 2 lime. 1 clove garlic, minced. 3 tbs coconut oil. 1 shallot, thinly sliced. .25 tsp apple cider vinegar. .25 cup cilantro leaves. 1 cup thinly sliced purple cabbage. 6 small corn tortillas. large non-stick pan.

start by patting your salmon down with paper towels. put it in the back of your refrigerator, uncovered to dry out the skin about while you prep your other ingredients. combine your shallots and the apple cider vinegar in a small bowl to make quick pickled shallots. zest one of your limes and juice it. slice the second lime into wedges and reserve for serving. combine all but .5 tsp of your salt in a small bowl to make your spice blend. then in a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, greek yogurt, .25 of the spice blend, the lime juice, the lime zest and the garlic clove. mix well to combine and set it aside. start heating your pan over medium high heat. while the pan is heating, season the fish with .5 tsp of salt and then rub it with the remaining spice blend. when the pan is hot, add in the coconut oil till it is shiny and hot. cook your salmon, skin side down first if you have skin on, until the skin is really crispy and you can see the fish is cooked a little more than half way through. flip the fish and continue cooking until you can see that is cooked through. remove the salmon and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. while the fish is resting, wipe out your pan and heat your tortillas for 30 seconds a side until they are nice and toasty. chop up your salmon. to assemble your tacos, spread some of your zesty sauce on the bottom of your taco. top with salmon, crunchy cabbage, pickled shallots, some cilantro leaves and a squeeze of fresh lime. serve hot and enjoy.

friyay happy hour: fig & flower

i can no longer deny it. fall is up on us.

personally, i’m more of an endless summer kind of girl than the fall leaves, pumpkin spice latte kind. BUT the light is changing, it’s cooling down even in sunny southern california and today at the mall my mother saw ACTUAL CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS. we are still a month out from halloween for goodness sake!

my point is, whether i like it or not, autumn is here. but the silver lining to the changing of the season is the beautiful fall produce. figs being one of my all time seasonal favorites. you just can’t get them any other time of year. figs are wonderful for all kinds of sweet and savory dishes. but one of my favorite ways to indulge in fig season is with a cocktail.

fig & flower

serves: 1 cocktail

prep time: 2 minutes

active time: 1 minute

ingredients: 2 oz fig infused vodka (you can sub regular vodka if you don’t have any). 1 oz lemon juice. 1 oz creme de violette. 3 oz club soda. lemon twist. wedge of fresh fig for garnish, optional. 2 cups ice, divided. shaker.

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start by filling the shaker with half your ice. pour in the fig infused vodka, lemon juice and creme de violette. cover and shake well till everything is combined. about 30 seconds.

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fill your serving glass with the remaining ice and then pour in the contents of your shaker.

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top with club soda.

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garnish with lemon twist and fig wedge. serve and enjoy.

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xo, a

fig & flower

serves: 1 cocktail

prep time: 2 minutes

active time: 1 minute

ingredients: 2 oz fig infused vodka (you can sub regular vodka if you don’t have any). 1 oz lemon juice. 1 oz creme de violette. 3 oz club soda. lemon twist. wedge of fresh fig for garnish, optional. 2 cups ice, divided. shaker.

start by filling the shaker with half your ice. pour in the fig infused vodka, lemon juice and creme de violette. cover and shake well till everything is combined. about 30 seconds. fill your serving glass with the remaining ice and then pour in the contents of your shaker. top with club soda. garnish with lemon twist and fig wedge. serve and enjoy.