Recipe: Fish tacos (on this page) Recipe: Tangy Boston clementine salad (on this page) Recipe: Mexican black beans and rice (on this page)
Recipes from "Eat Cheap But Eat Well," by Charles Mattocks. Reprinted with permission from Wiley.
It can be less expensive to buy some ready-made ingredients than to make them yourself; salsa verde is a case in point. Unless you want to make it up in large quantities from tomatillos, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño chiles, onions, and lime juice, just buy some to keep on hand. You can doctor it — in this case, we add mango — to make it your own or to pair it with different dishes; that makes it go further, too.
Similarly, mojo sauce is available bottled; I favor the Cuban version. If you get “mojomania” and want to make it yourself, it’s pretty simple: Mash 3 cloves garlic and blend with 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons chopped onion, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano, and a pinch of cumin. Then add the juice of 3 sour oranges (or the juice of 1 sweet orange plus the juice of 2 lemons and 3 limes). Run it all through a blender to form the sauce.
Several brands of yellow rice–and–black beans are available, making an easy all-in-one side dish to go with these tacos devised by my friend Rachael Johnson.
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Place the fish in a shallow pan and sprinkle it lightly with a little salt and pepper. Pour the mojo sauce over the fish and let sit to marinate for at least 30 minutes and no longer than an hour. (Marinating longer will actually cook the fish, so be careful.)
While the fish is marinating, combine the salsa verde, mango, corn, lime juice, and lemon juice in a medium-size bowl. Cover and set aside to let the flavors blend.
Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and place in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until warm.
When the fish is finished marinating, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish, discarding the marinade, and brown it lightly on each side. Lower the temperature to medium-low and cook until the fish begins to flake when poked with a fork, 3 to 5 minutes.
Place the tortillas on individual plates or on a serving platter and cover each with torn pieces of lettuce. Divide the fish equally and put it on top of the lettuce. Roll up the wraps tightly, securing if necessary with toothpicks. Serve with the rice and beans and the salsa as side dishes. Garnish the tacos with lemon and lime slices, if desired.
Makes 4 servings
Oh, my darling clementine — you may have a pretty name, but you can be replaced. Clementines are the smallest, sweetest variety of mandarin oranges, so if they’re not available, you can easily use mandarins or tangerines in this recipe. This also calls for Boston lettuce, which is a butterhead lettuce; you can use any lettuce from the soft-leafed butterhead family, including Buttercrunch and Bibb (and of course you won’t be breaking any culinary laws if you use any other kind of lettuce or greens you prefer). We also like to use cremini (baby portobello) mushrooms in this salad, but feel free to use any other kind of mushroom that’s handy or inexpensive, or whose flavor you prefer.
In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, cabbage, orange segments, mushrooms, and bell pepper. Toss well and arrange on individual serving plates.
In a small mixing bowl or a container with a tight-fitting lid, combine the oil, vinegar, mustard, and garlic. Mix or shake well to blend, then drizzle over each salad. Garnish with the sunflower seeds.
Beans and rice is a staple in many cultures — and it’s so good for you. Lots of protein, lots of fiber, and lots of good taste! For a nonvegetarian variation, instead of the green pepper you can cook an Italian sausage link in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes, slice it, and stir it into the cooked beans and rice.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until it’s fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until the pepper pieces are tender, about 3 minutes longer. Add the black beans, oregano, and Sazón seasoning. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes.
Serve the bean mixture over the hot rice.
Note: Sazón is a Latino-style seasoned salt made by Goya. You can approximate it by combining a teaspoon of salt with a pinch of ground coriander
© 2012 MSNBC Interactive
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