Cinnamon Spice Fish Tacos

White fish fillet coated with a spicy cayenne cinnamon spice mix, wrapped in a corn tortilla and topped with cool cabbage and creamy avocado sauce.

If we could, my husband and I would eat fish tacos all the time.  I love the combination of soft and spicy fish with crunchy cool cabbage and some kind of sauce.  I make fish tacos often, but I don't blog about them much because I can't wait to dive in and devour them (definitely no time for pictures).  I finally made myself stop and take a few pictures so this is my first fish taco recipe (I'll try to add more).

If I could, I'd eat fish tacos all the time. [Tweet this]

I made these tacos while we were trying to eat more anti-inflammatory foods so I decided to add some cinnamon (cinnamon, cayenne, and garlic are anti-inflammatory) to my usual fish taco spice mix.  I don't have a particular spice mix that I normally use, it depends on my mood.  Sometimes I like to keep it simple sometimes I go a little wild.  This one is somewhere in the middle with common spices most people have in their kitchen.  It turned out great.  The cayenne gives it some heat and cinnamon adds a sweet, warm, and cozy feel.

Sometimes I keep it simple sometimes I go wild (w/ my spices). [Tweet this]

Cinnamon Spice Fish Tacos

Cook time:  15-20 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients:

Cinnamon Spice Mix
Oil (canola or vegetable)
2 white fish fillets (I used tilapia)
4 corn tortillas
Cabbage, shredded
Cilantro
Limes (optional)
Jalapenos, sliced or diced (optional)
Avocado Lime Dressing or Avocado Sour Cream

*Cinnamon Spice Mix:  1 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, a few grinds of freshly cracked pepper, and a couple pinches of coarse salt.

Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, spread or sprayed with a little oil. (I just used my toaster oven since I wasn't making a lot)

Mix together Cinnamon Spice Mix.

Spread a layer of the spice mix on a plate and dredge your fish filets in it, thoroughly coating each side.  Then, lay the spiced fish on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes or until fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.

Meanwhile, shred the cabbage.  Toss it with some lime juice and oil (like a slaw) or leave it plain and prepare the tortillas.

Grill the tortillas a few seconds on both sides *see my trick on Tequila Lime Shrimp Tacos or heat them as described on the package.  If you don't grill the tortillas you may want to double up the tortillas for each taco.

To the tortillas add cabbage/slaw, fish, Avocado Lime Dressing or Avocado Sour Cream, and cilantro.

Makes 2 servings of 2 tacos.  Serve with rice and beans and vegetables.

Enjoy.

Other recipes mentioned in this post:

Tequila Lime Shrimp Tacos, Avocado Lime Dressing, my trick for tortillas

Avocado Sour Cream                                    -                           -

For more taco ideas check out my Taco Salad recipes:

Tequila Lime Chicken Taco Salad

Bean and Rice      Taco Salad         -

Pulled Pork Taco         Salad             -

Chorizo and Black Bean Taco Salad      -

Linked to:  Treasure Box, 2 Cup, Wake Up, Freedom, Full Plate, Foodie Friends

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Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken

Chicken and chickpeas slow cooked in a flavorful Moroccan spiced broth and served over brown rice.

My husband had a sore muscle.  Not just the kind you get from regular exercise (he's very active and not one to complain), but one like a tweak or a strain.  It was bothering him for a while so on top of resting, icing, and taking NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) he also wanted to eat anti-inflammatory foods.  This is where I came in and looked up some information online.  For an anti-inflammatory diet, foods low in saturated fat are good.  So are vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and spices.  Spices like cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, and chili pepper are all supposed to be anti-inflammatory.

Add plenty of spices for anti-inflammatory diet [Tweet this]

Moroccan dishes often include many spices so I looked up common Moroccan spices.  Then I made a Moroccan spice blend with plenty of spices said to have anti-inflammatory properties.  (It's a good thing I love spicy foods and Indian foods because I have a huge cabinet full of spices so I had everything on hand.)  This spice blend was the main inspiration for this dish.  I just added veggies, chicken, and a few other healthy ingredients then cooked it all in a slow cooker for a simple and nutritious meal.

Moroccan spice blend with plenty of anti-inflammatory spices. [Tweet this]

This was not a miracle cure for my husband's pain.  I won't make any unbelievable claims.  We ate anti-inflammatory foods for a couple of weeks (we still include many in our regular meals) and maybe they helped or maybe they didn't.  I just think eating healthy and flavorful foods is never a bad thing.  Most importantly we really enjoyed this meal and will make it again (sore muscles or not).

Eating healthy & flavorful food is never bad. [Tweet this]

Moroccan Chicken

Cook time:  6 hours
Servings: 8

Moroccan Spice Mix:

1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp hot red chili powder (cayenne is fine)

Ingredients:

1 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 Tablespoons Moroccan Spice Mix
1 chicken, separated
1 bunch cilantro stems (reserve the leaves for garnish)
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can chickpeas
1 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup olives, chopped (optional)

First prepare the spice mix by stirring all the spice together in a small bowl.  This makes about 2 tablespoons of spice mix and I used it all in this recipe.  Set aside.

In a 5 quart slow cooker, add the vegetables and season with salt and pepper (I use coarse sea salt and use a few pinches, a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper)

Sprinkle on the spice mix and add the chicken (I bought a whole chicken and had the butcher separate it into 10 pieces--breast (each cut in half), legs, thighs, wings).  You could also use boneless skinless breasts or thighs, whatever you prefer.  Make sure to season the chicken with salt and pepper too (a few pinches).

Then make a spice bundle using cheesecloth.  Unfold a square of cheesecloth and place the cilantro stems, cinnamon stick, and star anise in the center.  Then tie the cloth up around them. This just makes them easier to fish out after cooking and imparting their flavor.  Toss this packet into the slow cooker.

Add the can of tomatoes, chickpeas, and 2 cups of water.  You can probably add the raisins and olives now, but I didn't think about it until the end of cooking.

Cook on low for 6 hours or until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.

Serve with brown rice and garnish with cilantro (I had roasted cauliflower and broccoli on the side--more vegetables never hurt).

Enjoy.

For more Moroccan and other dishes using anti-inflammatory spices check out:

Moroccan Raw Carrot Salad

Patta Gobhi Mattar (Cabbage & Peas)

Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry

Linked to:  2 cup, Treasure Box Lou Lou Girls, Tickle my Tastebuds, Wakeup, Whimsy, Full Plate, Freedom, Foodie Friends

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Patta Gobhi Mattar (Cabbage and Peas)

A spicy, vegetarian, Indian dish of cabbage, peas (I added some carrots to the mix), and warm spices.

I love Indian food and Indian flavors.  The complexity of the flavors is something indescribable.  Not only does this dish (and most Indian dishes) taste great, it is also very nutritious.  I like to have vegetarian meals regularly, and vegetables are usually much less expensive than meat.  This meal has no cholesterol (when you use oil instead of ghee) and lots of nutritious vegetables.  All of the spices are healthy too, I'm no expert but, I have read great things about chillies, garlic, ginger, and turmeric.  Even if they happen to not be as great for you as some websites say, they don't hurt and they taste great.

Patta Gobhi Mattar (Cabbage and Peas)

Ingredients:
Modified slightly from IndianFoodForever.com

1-2 Tbsp cooking oil or ghee
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp ginger, minced
1-2 jalapeno minced
1 small onion, sliced
1/2 large head cabbage, chopped
2 carrots, jullened
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp red chili
Salt to taste

Heat a large skillet with oil over medium high heat.  Add cumin seeds and let them sputter.

Then, add the ginger, garlic, and jalapeno (or chilli of choice you can remove the seeds or leave them in depending on how much heat you can handle.  I usually remove the seeds and control the heat with the chili powder because sometimes raw peppers can have different heat intensity).

Stir and cook until fragrant, about a minute.  Add the cabbage and carrots and spices (I used a lesser amount of ghost pepper masala instead of the red chili powder because I have a lot of it on hand--a friend brought some back from India for me and it is VERY spicy).

Stir and mix until just tender, then add peas.  Cover and reduce heat to low until peas are heated through.

Serve with rice and flat bread (cilantro and raita are nice too).  Makes about 3-4 servings.

Enjoy.

Linked to:  2 Cup, Lou Lou Girls, Teach Me, Tasty Tues, Tickle my Tastebuds, Freedom, foodie friends

Original post 2/20/2013 (50 views, 6 pins) re-posted with updated pictures and minor editing.

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Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry

A flavorful vegetarian curry made with cauliflower, chickpeas, and spices.

This is a curry I improvised based on a few other Indian recipes and what I had in my refrigerator/freezer.  I had plenty of leftover cauliflower from another dinner and I didn't feel like going to the store so I used what I had on hand to make a very good, and nutritious, complete meal.

Delicious and #nutitious Cauliflower & Chickpea #Curry  [Tweet this]

I wanted to have some protein in this curry so I added chickpeas.  When I have free time I like to cook an entire bag of beans and then freeze them in 1-2 cup portions.  This is cheaper than buying canned beans and you don't have to worry about too much salt.  Usually, I don't add any salt to the beans.  So I always have beans ready to add to any meal.

Chickpeas add #protein to #vegan Cauliflower&ChickpeaCurry  [Tweet this]

Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry

Cook time:  15-20 minutes
Servings:  4

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 Tbsp garlic, minced
2 Tbsp ginger, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 large tomato, diced
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 Tbsp coriander
1/8 tsp ghost pepper masala, or red chili powder to taste
12 dried curry leaves, crushed
1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 4 cups)
1/2 C water
1 tsp tamarind concentrate (optional)
2 C chickpeas, thawed
1 C coconut milk
cilantro

In a large skillet, heat the oil (any high heat oil is fine), over medium high heat, until shimmery.  Add the cumin seeds and stir until they sputter.  Then, add the ginger and garlic and fry until fragrant (all of this should take less than a minute).

Add the onion, stirring frequently, until softened then add the tomatoes.  Stir and let the tomatoes cook down just a little (just a minute or two).  Season with some salt.

Add the spices and stir and mix them with the onions and tomatoes and cook for a few more seconds until the spices become fragrant.  Add the cauliflower and water and tamarind paste, if you are using (plain water will work fine the tamarind adds more flavor and a slight sourness or you can use vegetable broth).

Cover and allow to steam for up to 10 minutes until the cauliflower is tender (I like mine to be more crisp so I didn't let it steam that long).  Add the chickpeas and coconut milk and stir until heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning as required (add more salt or chili as needed).

Makes about 4 servings.  Serve over rice garnished with cilantro.  I had Aloo Paratha (a potato filled flat bread) on the side but any flatbread would be great.

Enjoy.

Linked to:  Empty Your Archive

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Moroccan Raw Carrot Salad

A delicious and colorful carrot slaw with bold flavors.

I believe this original recipe comes from the book Olive Trees and Honey by Gil Marks, but I found it here.  This recipe quickly became a favorite.  It is crunchy and sweet and spicy with warm flavors.  I make this salad all the time.

The main reason I bought a food processor was for this salad.  You can use coarsely grated carrots, but I prefer julienned, and it is so much quicker and easier to cut them with a food processor.  For years when I made this salad I would have to purchase a bag of juliened carrots, for slaw, because my knife skills are not good enough to do it by hand.  So when I finally decided to get a food processor I made sure to get one that had a julienne blade.  Just a couple of minutes and I have all the julienned carrots I need.

Ingredients:

4 cups carrots, julienned
1/4 cup olive oil
3-4 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp harissa (or cayenne), optional

Place the carrots in a large bowl.


In a smaller bowl mix the oil, lime juice, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, garlic and harissa (I've used all kinds of hot sauces, cayenne, and I've even used a habanero--blended to a puree with the liquids--they all taste great).

Pour the dressing over the carrots and mix until thoroughly coated.  Lastly, stir in the chopped cilantro.  Often I make the salad in a large seal-able container and just shake it to combine (with the lid on of course).

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or over night to allow the flavors to meld (the longer it sits the better it tastes).  Serve cold or at room temperature (I prefer it cold).

makes 5-6 servings.

This salad is great with sandwiches, burgers, and barbeque (just about everything).  Try it instead of your usual slaw.

Enjoy.

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