Fish Tacos w/ Cabbage Jalapeno Slaw and Chipotle Crema

Need I remind you I love mexican food?  Doubt it, because if you're following this at all, you will have most certainly seen that upwards of 85% of the recipes I feature are mexican.  Today, I tried my hand at fish tacos.  I've never actually had fish tacos ever before (I know, right?).  The thing is, I've just never been a huge fish fan - but as I've worked at both eating healthier and increasing my palate, my taste for fish has grown (enough, at least).  And after a solid few months of gorging myself in traditional fried and fat laden winter foods and a fair (almost daily) amount of baked goods - I've decided it's time to get back on track and this recipe was a start.  It took absolutely everything in me not to toss the fish in a beer batter and fry them up (although if you are not being health conscious, I would say go for it!), but at least in the end I ended up with a pretty delcious and healthy recipe that I would most certainly make again.  I paired the fish with a chipotle crema (similar to some other chipotle spreads I've made in the past) and with a cabbage jalapeno slaw, which added a nice texture contrast.  I served it with warm flour tortillas and optional garnishes of avocado and cheese.  (PS - I think I've mention it before, but if you are ever able to get your hands on Trader Joe's handmade tortillas - DO IT.  They will change your life...and the taste of your food, for the better.)  Enjoy!

Fish Tacos w/ Cabbage Jalapeno Slaw and Chipotle Crema
Serves 2-3 (about 4-6 tacos)

Chipotle Crema:
1/3 (dry) c. crema
2 chipotles (packed in adobo sauce)
1 Tbs adobo sauce
1 Tbs fresh lime juice
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 green onion, thinly sliced (both white and green parts)

Cabbage Jalapeno Slaw:
1 c. cabbage, thinly sliced
1/4 c. peeled and thinly sliced carrot
1 small jalapeno, thinly sliced

Fish:
3/4 lb. cod, pin bones removed and cut into 1in. x 2in. strips
1 Tbs olive oil
salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder

Make the chipotle crema: in a small bowl stir together the crema, chipotles, adobo sauce, lime juice, garlic and green onion.  Set aside.

Make the slaw: In a small/medium bowl, toss the cabbage together with the carrot and jalapeno.  *tip: when doing the carrot, I recommend using a veggie peeler and peeling some large strips (about 1/2 a carrot worth) and then cutting them into thin slices for a more preferred texture and look - but if your don't feel like being that tedious, grating them with a cheese grater should be just fine.

Make the fish: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Season both sides of the fish lightly with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder.  Place in skillet and cook 4-5 mins until starting to brown.  Flip, and cook the other side until done (about another 3-4 minutes).

Serve: Lay some slaw down on a warm tortilla, top with fish and crema.  Add additional garnsihed (i.e. avocado, cheese, etc) if you like.

Looking for a good drink to go with this?  Try my mango margaritas!  Today, I added a floater of triple sec on top....and it wasn't a bad thing!!