It was a hot summer day with access to the best Mexican produce spots San Diego had offer. A close friend and I wanted make a quick and easy lunch that would ‘eat well’ outside by the pool. I had talked to other friends at work about the amazing combination of kiwi and lime … and paired with my obsession for incorporating tilapia into every summer recipe – I decided ‘heck’ what’s another day of flakey white fish, good company, and kiwi going to hurt?
Oh yea, and side note: I’m that difficult person ordering food when you know the waiter wants to scratch your eyeballs out just for asking …
“Is this meal gluten and dairy free?”
{yep, I’m that girl}
It even makes me want to scratch MY OWN eyeballs out …
So we were going to tackle this meal DF/ GF style, while also appeasing the taste buds of my carnivorous best man friend and his brother.
Great tip: Slip some jalapenos in a recipe to avoid it being ‘girl food’
So we went with (corn tortilla) tacos. Tacos are a safe bet to avoid gluten with all the guilt of eating carbohydrates in a bathing suit. Slip some slices of avocado next to the fish and add cabbage, Heeellllooooo Southern California.
Reaction(s)
“Oh my god, these are really f — ing good. These are restaurant good ” – Tim Prezio
“No one likes your dumb food, Rosemary” – Reno Prezio
Can you tell which one is my better friend?
{kiwi salsa}
5 kiwi(s), diced
1 green tomato, finely diced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 jalapeño, finely diced
2 limes, juiced
1/4 tbsp sugar
salt to taste
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp fresh cracked pepper
1 tbsp chile powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp oil (I used avocado, feel free to use whatever)
1 1/2 lbs tilapia, thawed if frozen
8-10 small “street taco” sized corn tortillas
2 avocados, sliced
3 cups shredded green cabbage
Combine the next five spices and pour onto a large, flat plate.
Using a paper towel, dry the excess liquid from outside of tilapia.
Place the fish firmly down on plate of seasoning and coat evenly. Turn over to ensure both sides are completely covered. (If needed pinch some seasoning with you hand and pat it into areas that did not coat well enough)
While the fish is cooking, use an available open flame on your stove to heat the tortillas. Keeping the flame on medium-low, place the the tortillas directly on the flame for a few seconds each side until the edges crisp and blacken a bit.
To assemble:
Start with the tortilla (duh)
Add tilapia first and lay avocado slices on top
Nestle some cabbage next to the avocado and generously pour the salsa over the top.
