Fish Tacos (Salad Style)

I had a  lone piece of frozen tilapia in my freezer that I have been meaning to use in a dish, but as aforementioned, I have a delicate relationship with fish. I went ahead this afternoon and took the fish out of the freezer to thaw to force me to use it in a yet to be determined dish. All afternoon, while I cleaned and played with my son, the little back part of  my brain that produces my dinner creations was whirring. What do I do with this fish, what do I do with this fish?

Well, that little part of my brain must have been rebelling, because my husband ended up being my inspiration...he said, what about fish tacos? He had just had fish tacos at a restaurant before Christmas, so fish tacos it was. But, as always, I wanted to mix it up. I decided to marry the idea of a taco salad with fish tacos. Voila! They.Were.Delicious.

Fish Taco Salad

Peanut oil for frying
1 pound mild, flaky fish fillets, cut into bite sized pieces (such as cod or tilapia)

3/4 cup pancake mix (I used a honey wheat pancake mix)

2 T Everything Rub (click here)

1/2 cup beer (a nice amber beer would be good)

4 whole wheat tortillas

Any lettuce mix you like (I used a spring mix)

1 tomato, diced

Cooking spray and a muffin tin for forming the tortilla bowls

Dressing:

1/2 cup sour cream

1 lime, juiced + zest

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed

To make the tortilla bowls, place the tortillas on a paper towel and microwave for 10 seconds to soften them up. Turn a 12 cup muffin pan over (bottom side facing up) and spray with cooking spray. Carefully wedge each tortilla between 4 cups to form a bowl shape. Spray each tortilla with cooking spray and cook 10-12 minutes in a preheated 350 deg F oven. When the edges just start to brown, they are perfect. (This is a great alternative to greasy, fried taco bowls and they are just as crunchy)

In a medium bowl, combine the pancake mix, rub, and beer until mostly smooth, then drop in the fish pieces and coat thoroughly. Heat oil in a large skillet (I did not deep fry these, I pan fried them in shallow oil and turned once during cooking).

Drop a few pieces of fish at a time in the hot oil and fry until crisp and golden brown. Remove with tongs and drain on a plate with a paper towel. Repeat in batches until all fish is cooked. Discard batter. (Note: my husband swiped the batter and coated some onion slices for impromptu onion rings!)

To make the dressing, in a small bowl, mix together the sour cream and fresh lime juice until consistency is slightly runny. Season with lime zest, oregano, cumin, and dill. Set aside.

To assemble, fill the bottom of the tortilla bowls with the lettuce mix and top with fish and diced tomato (throw on any other toppings you might like such as avocado slices or cilantro). Drizzle with dressing. Serve immediately.