Paleo Fish Tacos

TLSP has been doing a lot of talking recently about how we should go about maintaining this site, as well as how best to provide value to our readers.  In so doing, Lyssa suggested that we upload more recipes.  She pointed out that a lot of people aren’t used to cooking fish and meat, etc. or even cooking at all.  What better way to help our readers incorporate a Paleo lifestyle than to provide them with simple (relatively speaking), nutritious, and of course PALEO recipes.  In that vein, I’ve decided to share this delicious fish taco recipe that I made for dinner last night.

This is one of my favorite dishes, and even more so now, as it was my boyfriend, Jeremy’s, first foray into fish in over eighteen years.  Until last night, Jeremy had been a lacto-ovo-vegetarian since the age of 13.  To say it’s been difficult to cater to both of our dietary restrictions is an understatement, so I couldn’t be happier that Jeremy has decided to add fish (an excellent source of protein and good fats) to his diet.  Probably a little selfish, I know, but one can only come up with so many permutations of eggs and vegetables for breakfast, lunch, and dinner…giving little thought to the danger of a decidedly NON-diversified diet.

Without more adieu, here is a Paleo version of the Food Network’s Tyler Florence Fish Tacos.  Florence battered and fried his version–to avoid the flour I simply baked my fish as-is in the oven.  Finished with salad, mango salsa, and an adobo mayo; the result was absolutely delicious!

If you prefer, you can substitute halibut for the mahi mahi.  I tend to lean toward whichever is wild and/or on sale. As my luck would have it, wild-caught mahi mahi is on SALE at Whole Foods this week for $9.99/pound!

Paleo Ultimate Fish Tacos

1. 2 pounds mahi mahi (skinned, boned, and cleaned)
2. Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3. 1/2 head savoy cabbage, finely shredded (I just used red cabbage)
4. 1 bunch cilantro
5. 3 limes, cut into wedges for garnish

Pink Chile Mayonnaise

1. 1 cup mayonnaise (make sure that it is free of soybean oil and trans fats–you could also make your own)
2. 3 chipotles in adobo, plus 2 tablespoons of the adobo sauce
3. 1/2 lemon, juiced
4. Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mango Salsa

1. 1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced (about 1 cup)
2. 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
3. 1 jalapeno chile, minced (include ribs and seeds for a hotter taste if desired)
4. 1 small cucumber
5. 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
6. 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
7. Salt and pepper to taste

Fish. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, and season fish with salt and pepper.  Place on an ungreased baking sheet, and cook for approximately 13 minutes.

Pink Chile Mayonnaise. Dice adobes until very fine–almost a paste.  Add to mayonnaise, and stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  (Note:  the original recipe called for 1 cup sour cream as well, but I simply omitted it.  If I had raw sour cream on hand, I wouldn’t be afraid to add that to the recipe.  Just remember that such things are not Paleo, so they should usually be avoided.  My personal philosophy, however, allows limited quantities of RAW dairy such as butter and sour cream.)

Mango Salsa. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, I combined the red cabbage with some spring lettuce and then tossed it with a quickly put-together dressing of grapeseed oil, lime juice, cilantro, and adobo sauce.  I broke the fish down into smaller pieces, and then piled it on top of the salad.  To finish, I topped with mango salsa and some of the pink chile mayonnaise.

If you prefer something more ‘taco-like’, I suggest serving the tacos with cabbage leaves or perhaps iceberg lettuce.