Fish Taco Salad

From fish-'n-chips to fish sandwiches or fish tacos...those are often my picks on a fast food menu.  Just yesterday we sat in the sunshine on the dock at Steveston and enjoyed fish 'n chips.  That is fish as at best!

Here is a new favorite way to enjoy fish this summer...and so simple to make up at home.  And healthier than 'fish and chips' as well.  This is the 'fast food version'...but you can easily step it up a notch by using fresh fish of your choice...grilled to perfection!

Salad:

• 4 frozen cod fillets, breaded
• 5 cups mixed lettuce greens
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 sweet bell pepper (red or yellow), chopped
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 avocados, sliced
• Tortilla strips

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip dressing
• 2 teaspoons lime zest 
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced cilantro or parley
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives

Method:

1. Prepare dressing by combining all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisking well. Chill until ready to serve.
2. Line baking pan with foil or parchment paper and bake fillets at 400° F for 20 minutes or according to package instructions.
3. Combine mixed greens and cabbage and divide evenly between four large salad plates or bowls.
4. Top each plate with peppers, red onion, chopped tomatoes and avocado slices.  
5. To serve, place a filet of fish on top of each salad and drizzle with dressing. 
6. Garnish with tortilla strips, if desired.

* The dressing will keep well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It will also thicken up as it chills...so you may want to thin it down with additional milk or buttermilk.

Breakfast Cupcakes

If you enjoy having quiche or omelets on occasion...here's a crustless quiche that is made in a muffin pan. Though my recipe called for a crust made of shredded hashbrowns and baked until golden...I decided to stir the hashbrowns in with the rest of the ingredients (just like Betty's farmer sausage quiche in the original Mennonite Girls Can Cook cookbook)....and it worked like a charm!

• 6 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk (or half and half)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 12 slices bacon, crisply fried and crumbled
• 3/4 cup of finely chopped sweet peppers (red, green or yellow)*
• 1/4 cup minced red onion or chopped onion greens
• 1 1/2 cups frozen hashbrowns (defrost slightly to eliminate large chunks)
• 1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded (or your favorite cheese blend)

*Substitute veggies as to preference. Mushrooms and spinach are also great additions.

1. Heat oven to 350°F. 
2. Generously oil 12 muffin cups.
3. Best eggs slightly; add milk and seasonings and blend well.
4. Stir in remaining ingredients.
5. Spoon egg mixture into prepared muffin cups.
6. Bake until golden brown or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean...about 15 minutes.
7. Cool several minutes...then carefully run a knife around the outside of each muffin to loosen. 
8. Lift onto plate with a fork. 

These are great fresh from the oven...or re-heated the following day.