Bear's Favorite Fish Tacos

When we’re coming down with colds for some reason we crave soup and fish tacos. Strange, huh? This meal perked up sick Mike’s spirits a few weeks ago.

Tacos are inherently creative because of the many layers of ingredients. I’ll post exactly what I did and you can come up with variations. You could use white, yellow, or blue corn tortillas; lettuce instead of tortillas; white or whole wheat tortillas. There are many great salsas that would go with this fish -- salsa verde, roasted tomato, etc. You could also add sliced avocados. Make a simple guacamole out of finely minced chives, cilantro and jalapeno (remove seeds to reduce heat); add mashed avocado, lime juice and salt. It’s our favorite guacamole.

Ingredients:

2 tilapia filets, cut in half (approx. 1 lb.)

Spice rub: 1 tsp each ancho chili pepper, cumin, coriander, paprika, salt plus ½ tsp black pepper

Lime juice

Olive oil

Spelt tortillas (Trader Joe’s has some tasty ones)

Pico de gallo: 4 diced fresh tomatoes, 2 T minced leeks, minced cilantro, 1 minced jalapeno, lime juice, ev olive oil, salt.

Topping options: chopped lettuce or baby mixed greens, grated cheese (we used cheddar with chives and onions) or the raw Green Goddess dip or cilantro sauce (posted below)

Rinse the tilapia and pat dry. Rub in the spice mixture and some lime juice on both sides of the filets. Cover and marinate for 30-60 minutes.

Assemble the pico de gallo in a bowl. Add just enough oil to coat the tomatoes, herbs, and jalapeno and bring the flavors together. I personally like a lot of lime juice and salt. That creates a lot of sauce on the bottom that I strain out (so the tacos aren’t too mushy) and drink up. I had a friend who used to say “If I had a restaurant, salsa would be listed on the menu as a beverage.” I get it now.

Preheat the broiler. Put the top rack in the highest position closest to the broiler. Brush a cookie sheet with oil. Place the fish filets on the sheet and brush them with oil. Broil for approximately 6 minutes or until the fish is white and opaque (larger filets take more time).

Heat the tortillas in a dry skillet until soft and pliable. To assemble, put some cheese (if using) on the tortilla in a strip down the middle, some fish, the pico, mixed greens, and the herb dip (if using). Gobble!

Green Goddess Dip (Raw)

This recipe was requested by Pernilla and Marilyn – hope you guys like it! I’ve seen lots of recipes for Green Goddess dressing that use mayo, cottage cheese, sour cream, etc. This recipe is totally raw and uses soaked nuts. I have a series of variations below.

Ingredients:

1 handful each: fresh flat leaf parsley (leaves only), cilantro, dill (I like to also add basil in the summer)

1-2 T chives, green onions, or the green tops of leeks

½ cup raw cashews, soaked for 15-30 minutes (could also use raw walnuts, pine nuts, or a mix)

olive oil (perhaps 1 T)

lemon or lime juice (perhaps 1-2 T)

sea salt (to taste)

dash of paprika and ground coriander

Place all ingredients in blender or vitamix and blend until smooth. The blender may require a bit of water to make it smooth and creamy.

This does thicken some as it sits. I find it only keeps a couple days in the refrigerator but is best on the first day. It’s good as a dressing or dip for vegetables.

Variations:

Cilantro lime dip: add 1 jalapeno (seeds removed), lime juice, and only use cilantro. This is great mixed in with cooked brown rice for a version of cilantro rice.

Creamy avocado dip: Add avocados and some extra lime juice or liquid.

Tangy dressing: Add some white wine or brown rice vinegar.

Basil topping: Use only basil, pine nuts and/or walnuts, and if you’d like, add parmesan cheese. This is good on pasta too. I’ve even served it as a topping for a portabella mushroom frittata, quite delicious.

I hope you enjoy playing with this recipe!

Vegan Chocolate Mousse Pie

When winter comes, I think of warm soups; when spring comes, I think of fresh asparagus and baby greens; and when my mom comes to visit, I think of…chocolate. In preparation for her visit, here's a chocolate recipe, healthy style.

My friend Sarah in Chicago reminded me of this recipe, I’ve been making it for years. It is just as decadent as the egg-and-cream original recipes, and no one has ever guessed that I make it with tofu.

There are many crust options; graham crackers (plain, cinnamon, or chocolate), wheat free ginger cookies, nuts, I’ve even used cereal before. For an interesting raw crust, soak raw almonds (7 hrs) and dates (1/2 hr), strain them; grind the almonds (& cinnamon or vanilla if you like) in a food processor and add the dates one piece at a time until you get a gooey, malleable crust (ratio almonds to dates 2:1 or even fewer dates.)

Likewise for the filling, there are many variations. Mix in some natural peanut butter, a little espresso or kahlua, orange extract or orange peel, or spread a layer of raspberry jam on the bottom. Play around!

Ingredients:

2 boxes Mori-Nu Firm silken tofu

1 bag of semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (vegan choice is Tropical source)

soy, rice, or other non-dairy milk; vanilla, plain, or chocolate flavor is OK

1 box of Health Valley’s Oat Bran crackers

A few chopped almonds or pecans

a dash of cinnamon

1 T vanilla

any mild oil, coconut oil, or melted butter/margarine, 2 or 3 T.

To Make the Crust:

In blender or food processor, crumble the crackers, a few chopped almonds, and a dash of cinnamon; process until finely ground (in shifts if necessary). Pour this into a 9” pie pan, and mix it together with the melted butter or oil. Use enough oil/butter to make the crumbs come together. Press the crust on the bottom and around the sides of the pie pan. If you are using oil, you may want to bake the crust at 350 just for a few minutes so the oil has a chance to cook and bind the crust together.

To Make the Filling:

I prefer to use a blender (in batches) or a VitaMix for the creamiest texture. Add to your blender: crumbled tofu, vanilla, and enough milk to make it process smoothly. Blend until creamy and lump free. In a double boiler or small sauce pan, melt the chocolate chips with some soy milk until you have a smooth, thick chocolate sauce. Add this chocolate sauce to the tofu and blend until creamy. Taste – add honey or more chocolate if needed. If you use a good quality chocolate, it should be rich enough without adding anything more.

Pour the chocolate mousse into the room temperature crust. Refrigerate for at least three hours, or over night. It will become firm and easy to cut!

This is a great pie for Valentine’s Day.

Black Bean-Parsnip-Kale-Chicken Soup

a.k.a. Maureen's Birthday Soup

“Fridge & pantry soups” are the best – whatever you got, you throw in the pot. I don’t normally bother writing these down, but Maureen asked me so kindly for the recipe, I am giving in. Now we’ll see if I can remember what I did. It happened so fast – I think I put this whole thing together in 15 minutes (we were short on time).

Ingredients:

¾ cup chopped leeks (green tops are fine)

1 stalk of celery, diced

cumin and paprika (perhaps a tsp each)

1 bay leaf

1 medium or large chopped carrot

2 peeled and chopped parsnips

3-4 cups stock (I think… just make sure there’s enough liquid to cook everything)

½ bunch of kale, washed, de-stemmed, chopped (we had purple kale on hand – fun!)

1 can of black beans, strained and rinsed

6 chicken breast tenderloins (or 1-2 chicken breasts cut into strips)

Dash of cinnamon

Black pepper

½-3/4 cup dried corn, peas, carrots, and bell pepper (or use frozen)

In a good sized soup pot, sauté the leeks, celery, and bay leaf in a bit of oil. Add the carrot, parsnip and stir for two minutes. Add the cumin and paprika, stirring until they release their flavor. Add all the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer until chicken and parsnips are cooked through. Slurp up!

More About Parsnips

I’ve loved getting calls and emails from you guys about what you’re cooking and your variations on some of the recipes on this blog. Thank you! Love it! Keep it coming!

Some of you have asked me about parsnips – what are they anyway? They look like a white carrot (not to be confused with actual white carrots) but they have a sweet flavor that hints of cinnamon or nutmeg. The carb-fiber ratio is similar to a potato.

Marilyn shared the Carrot Parsnip Soup recipe with her family and her mom, Connie, emailed this recipe back which I think is so fun:

Another Parsnip variation you might enjoy as a side dish with pork:
1 apple, cored and sectioned. Don't bother to peel.
1 parsnip, peeled and sliced ~ 1/4"
1 mild onion, peeled and sliced

Spray a small skillet with Pam, add veggies, cover and cook over a low heat until the parsnips are tender. The onions can caramelize a little but don't let them burn. Stir occasionally.

Original idea from Laura Ingalls Wilder book " Farmer Boy" but we added the parsnip.

***

Thanks, Connie!

For Christmas Marilyn made parsnips sautéed in butter and olive oil with sliced persimmons (add the persimmons halfway through cooking the parsnips) and just a dusting of sugar. I believe she popped it in the oven for a few minutes to roast it a bit. Another fun variation!

Keep the comments coming! Love you all!

Paula’s Butternut Squash Curry Soup

This is a great way to use up leftover butternut squash. I’m posting the original recipe, which has raw squash, but I’ve also used leftover roasted squash. Both work well; the latter is smoother, creamier.

Many of you know my friend Paula passed away some time ago after a long fight with cancer. She adored this soup and made it often. I’m grateful that she shared the recipe with me.

Ingredients:

Grind in coffee grinder:

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp turmeric

2 small dried chilies (use mild chilies or omit as needed)

15 blanched almonds (I have used roasted almonds; it’s ok, blanched is better)

1 large chopped onion

2 teaspoons fresh ginger

2-3 cups vegetable stock

4 cups chopped butternut squash

1 14oz can light coconut milk

6 small handfuls of spinach (I used a mix of spinach and kale; note kale takes longer to cook)

lime juice and salt to taste

Saute the onion until translucent. Add the fresh ginger, spice mixture and sauté just a minute more. Add the vegetable stock and simmer for five minutes. Add the raw squash and simmer for 5 minutes more. (If using roasted squash, you don’t need the extra cooking time.)

Add the coconut milk and continue to simmer until the squash is mushy. Add the spinach and stir until the spinach wilts. Taste the soup; add lime and salt as needed. This is warm and comforting, great with a side salad or a fun appetizer.