Family Favorite Smoky Tilapia Tacos + Cabbage Slaw and Lime Crema

These are the best!

They are simple and quick. Another thing to love about them.

I combined a couple of recipes - one from Cooking Light, Sept 2014, the other from here.

I've made the spice rub from the Spicy Fish Taco recipe, and can also say it is delicious. I've just never tried it with snapper, since tilapia is so gosh darn easy to find at Costco {wink}. 

I love the fish recipe and cooking technique from Cooking Light, but didn't care for the texture of the completed recipe - no crunch, just mush (it only calls for a mashed avocado topping).

Here's my slightly adjusted combined recipe:

Smoky Tilapia Tacos with Cabbage Slaw and Lime Crema

The thing that takes the most time for me is thawing the frozen tilapia. I'm not on the ball enough to get it in the refrigerator the night before, so I usually thaw it in my sink, covered with cold water, weighted with a casserole dish to keep it submerged, for about an hour. If you are organized enough to skip this step, you can seriously have dinner on the table in 20.

Spice rub:
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

5 tilapia fillets (easily feeds 5 to 6)

Preheat broiler to high.
Combine spice rub ingredients.
Brush fillets with oil, then sprinkle with spice mixture (both sides)
Place on baking sheet.
Broil 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Note: Broiling makes this a no-fuss dish. The tilapia cooks so fast, put it under the broiler just before you are ready to serve - literally 8 minutes before you are sitting down to the table to eat.

Cabbage slaw:
4 cups shredded cabbage (I use the coleslaw mix from the store - makes this super quick)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro (I didn't have this for my pictured tacos because my cilantro was slimy - gross!)
2 green onions (I also didn't have this because I had used all my green onion the night prior - seriously adds to the flavor of the slaw, so try not to leave it out!)
3 Tbs. distilled white vinegar
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. sugar

Toss all slaw ingredients together in a bowl.

Lime crema:
1/3 cup sour cream (I use light)
3 Tbs. mayonnaise (I never use light)
juice and zest of 1 lime
salt, to taste

Whisk ingredients together and season to taste with salt.

Warmed corn tortillas, for serving.
Note: I like to cook my tortillas directly on my ceramic cook-top burners. This technique is super fast if you use two burners at a time. I use a tortilla keeper (I found mine at Bed, Bath and Beyond for about $6) to keep them warm and soft. Corn tortillas are my fave.

Even my daughter who doesn't like fish, likes these tacos (she says it's a texture thing, so the cabbage slaw helps). I made them for a 14-year-old guest last night and she loved them. I ate leftovers for lunch and they were STILL delish (it helps if you know how to reheat meat/fish in the microwave - the trick is a lower cook power {I typically use cook-power 7} for a short period of time {a minute or less} - you can always add more time, but if you nuke it to death it will NEVER taste good).

Easy peasy lemon (or lime) squeezy. And oh-so good!

Teriyaki Delight

I have always saved recipes from magazines.  Due to my-favorite-pinboard-and-yours, Pinterest, I have less need for such things these days. Good thing, since magazines cost extra dinero, and usually only have a couple items of interest in them.

That being said, I have definitely subscribed to my share, resulting in binders full of recipes that are either tried-and-true, or yet-to-be-tested. The tried-and-failed recipes go directly in the garbage along with the tried-and-it-was-okay-but-I-can-live-without-it ones.

I mark the tried-and-true with either a smiley face sticker (we like it), or a heart sticker (we love it). This is one of my "love it" recipes.

(This is not necessarily the BEST representation, but it's all I have.)

Teriyaki Delight 
(Recipe from Family Fun, 2006)
Serves 6 to 8

Marinade:
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tbs. rice vinegar
2 tsp. minced fresh garlic
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
2 tsp. dark sesame oil

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (you HAVE to use thighs for good teriyaki)

Place chicken thighs in a gallon-size ziplock bag. Whisk together marinade ingredients and pour into bag with chicken. Press air out of the bag and seal it. Turn the bag to coat the chicken, then place in a bowl or on a plate and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (preferable overnight), turning the bag occasionally. Remove the meat from the refrigerator 20 minutes before grilling.

Prepare charcoal fire or set a gas grill to medium/high, close the lid, and heat until hot, about 10 minutes. Remove chicken from the bag and discard marinade. Grill the thighs until they are no longer pink inside, about 5 minutes per side on a gas grill.

Transfer the thighs to a cutting board and let rest for about 5 minutes, then slice each piece at a diagonal. Sprinkle on toasted sesame seeds, if desired. Serve over rice.

Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf

My mom made meatloaf occasionally while I was growing up.  I always thought it was a tasty meal, and especially loved the ketchup sauce she put on top.  Whatever her recipe was, I remember that it had oatmeal in it.  I thought that was an unusual ingredient to put with hamburger, but I was not a complainer.  Seriously, I ate about everything (except breakfast, which I didn't care for until I was considerably older).

My family, on the other hand, has NOT been meatloaf fans of any sort.  I have tried at least a half-dozen recipes over the years, and finally resigned myself to the idea that I may not make another meatloaf until every last child has left my nest.  (I'm not even sure if Bill is a fan.)  Regardless, it is a dish I have craved on occasion, and, after perusing my long-ago-purchased-but-never-used Pioneer Woman cookbook, decided that I simply must try again.

May I just say, "Meatloaf success."

I think Mar and Shi found it palatable, and even finished off their entire servings.  That is saying a boatload. Bill called it a "gourmet meal."  (I know... meatloaf... gourmet?  But I'll take it!  I think the "Bacon-Wrapped" part is what got him.)

You can find the original recipe here, but I made a few teeny tiny changes, so I'll go ahead and post my updated recipe.  And my very own unprofessional pictures.

Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf (more descriptive than plain ol' "Meatloaf" I think)

1 cup milk
6 bread slices (food process until crumbs - which I didn't do and didn't care for visible bread chunks in my finished meatloaf)
2 pounds ground beef
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (don't use Parmesan/Romano blend; plain ol' Parmesan is the best.  Kraft is probably just dandy.)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley (I didn't have it, and Walmart didn't have it, so I skipped it, which was probably best so the kids didn't see green things.)
4 eggs, beaten
8 slices bacon (I used a thick-cut because that's what I had, I would recommend regular thin slices to get them crispier.)

Ketchup Sauce (YUM) - btw, I halved the sauce recipe*
1-1/2 cups ketchup
6 Tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
Dash or two of hot sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, pour the milk over the bread crumbs and allow to soak for several minutes.  Add the ground beef, Parmesan cheese, salt, seasoned salt, black pepper, and parsley (if using).  Pour in beaten eggs.  With clean hands, mix the ingredients until well combined.  Form into a loaf on a broiler pan lined with foil (best tip ever!)

*NOTE: This makes quite a large meatloaf, and since my family is ever-decreasing in size, I made TWO loaves from a single recipe, wrapped up one in Saran and foil, and popped that baby in the freezer for a rainy day.  

Lay bacon slices over the top, tucking the ends underneath the meatloaf.

For the Ketchup Sauce, put all ingredients in a small bowl and mix to combine.  I used a little more than a dash or two of hot sauce - like a glug or two - and thought it had the perfect amount of heat.  By glug I mean a forceful shake of the bottle while it's turned completely upside down.  Not a glug like from a gallon of milk.  Just to be clear.

Pour 1/3 of the Ketchup Sauce over the meatloaf and spread evenly.  Bake for 45 minutes, then spread on another 1/3 of the sauce.  Bake for an additional 15 minutes.  NOTE: I thought that since I was only cooking half of the meatloaf that it wouldn't require as much time.  I kept checking it and found that it took pretty much the full time.  I even meat-thermometered it, just to make sure it was good and done.

Serve with the remaining Ketchup Sauce.  And a side of mashed potatoes.  Real or instant, we're not picky here.