Fish Tacos and Tortilla Soup

I have to admit for many years I refused to try a fish taco because I didn't think fish and Mexican food belonged together.  I knew that was a dumb argument and I didn't have a leg to stand on with it, so I eventually gave in a took a bite of Chris' fish taco a few years ago.  I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it.  Now, I still don't eat the fried fish tacos, but I do now and again order grilled fish tacos from restaurants. Of course this became a challenge to figure out how to make them at home. The first time I did   it ended up being a success and now Chris and I eat them fairly regularly. I keep adding to the taco each time I make it and so far Chris has loved all the additions. Below is our favorite so far.

I have also been trying to find a tortilla soup recipe that I really like.  I tried this recipe a few years back and we enjoyed it, so I decided to try making it again.  This time I added a few things at the end and again it was a success.  Boy am I on a roll! 

Fish Tacos

2 Tilapia loins
Tri-tip seasoning (salt, pepper, onion and garlic)
Olive oil
Corn tortillas (or tortilla of your choice)
Black beans (drained and heated, seasoned if you like)
Lettuce
Chipotle mayo (recipe to follow)

Brush fish with olive oil and sprinkle with the seasoning. Cook on the BBQ until fish is dry and flaky (about 20 minutes.)  

Once tilapia is done use two forks to shred it into smaller portions. Spoon black beans onto cooked tortilla and then put on the fish.  Last, top with lettuce and Chipotle mayo.

Tortilla Soup

1/8 cup olive oil
1 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced into quarters
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
3 small (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into small pieces (about 1¼ cups)
1 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1quart (4 cups) chicken broth
3/4 teaspoons salt
dash cayenne pepper (use less if you don't like heat)
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup shredded chicken

1. Heat olive oil in medium pot over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and green pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and just starting to brown, about 15 minutes. (Turn heat to medium-low if mixture is browning too quickly.)

2. Add cut corn tortillas, chili powder and cumin; continue to cook, stirring occasionally, a few minutes more. Add chicken stock, salt and cayenne pepper and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer with lid slightly ajar for about 20 minutes.

3. Blend the soup in a blender (if using a blender other than the vita-mix make sure to open the steam hole and cover it to avoid splatters) . You can also use a hand held blender to mix up the soup.

4. Stir in chicken and corn, then ladle soup into bowls and garnish as you like. (I like with tortilla chips!)

Chipotle Mayo

6 tablespoons mayonnaise 

2 teaspoons chopped chipotle chiles in adobo 

1 teaspoon minced garlic 

1/2 teaspoon cumin 

4 teaspoons fresh lime juice 

salt and pepper to taste

 

 1. Put all ingredients in a mini food processor and  blend until smooth. 

 

2. Transfer to a bowl or squeeze bottle, and refrigerate until needed.