Dishing It Up!

by Victoria Mattson

Victoria Mattson is a local cook, confectionaire and writer. She offers healthy and nutritious recipes and food tips in each issue of North County Outlook. Phone (360) 658-9903 or e-mail victoria@northcountyoutlook.com.

Food magazines all seem to be focusing on the same headlines: Healthy in a Hurry! Fast Healthy Recipes! Easy Healthy Meals!

Thankfully, there is a lot of advice out there on how to supply nutritious, fast and easy meals to your families. One such healthy dinner recommendation is to add more fish to your diet. Having frozen fish on hand provides the basis for a great convenient meal.

Tacos are often thought of as a quick and easy meal to fix, but are not always so healthy. Substitute fish for the ground beef and cabbage for the cheese, and your quick, easy meal becomes a healthy one as well.

Fish Taco recipes originated in the Baja peninsula of Mexico, where traditionally the fish is dipped in beer batter, deep fried, and served in a corn tortilla. Many restaurants and recent recipes also recommend grilling firm Mahi Mahi filets to use in fish tacos. At Let's Dish!, we have been using frozen Alaska Pollock filets for the past two years and highly recommend the fish. A member of the cod family, Alaska Pollock is a mild tasting whitefish with a flaky texture.

Alaska Pollock is caught in the Bering Sea as well as the Gulf of Alaska and is the largest certified sustainable fishery in the world. According to The Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers, "the Alaska pollock fishery is one of the most consistently productive and stable fisheries in the world, due to the federal management system that has been regulating the fishery for over 30 years. For this reason, the Alaska pollock fishery is regarded as a model for ecosystem-based sustainable fisheries management." (Visit alaskapollock.org to learn more.)

Locally, you can obtain Alaska Pollock from Haggen's Marysville store. Right now it is available by special order. Lacey, the seafood manager, said she will happily maintain a stock of the frozen Pollock if there is an ongoing demand for it. So go to Haggen's and ask for it!

And if Pollock hasn't yet arrived, Haggen's Seafood also features a Crusted Tilapia with Coconut Mango, which goes great inside a fish taco. Bake or fry the fish and serve it inside a soft tortilla for a quick evening meal.

Gentle cooking is required for the flaky Alaska Pollock. The fish filets can either be baked or sautéed in a skillet, as in this recipe. Cooked from frozen, the filets shrink and generate liquid as they cook.



Whitefish Tacos



1 pound frozen Alaska Pollock filets

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon canola or other vegetable oil

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 corn or whole wheat flour tortillas

Garnish with sour cream, shredded cabbage, and salsa or fresh chopped tomatoes







Remove frozen filets and allow them to soften slightly while the spice mixture is being prepared.

In a medium bowl, mix together the lime juice and oil. Stir in the remaining spices.

Cut the fish filets into 3-inch pieces and add them to the spice bowl above. Turn the filets to coat with seasonings.

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the fish pieces along with the remaining spices from the bowl. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fish begins to flake apart, about 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, soften tortillas in the microwave or wrapped in foil in a warm oven.

Remove the fish to a platter for serving. The spice level is mild at this point. If you would like to increase the spice level, reduce the liquid left in the skillet by boiling it down for 2-3 minutes. Drizzle over fish.

Place 1/4 of the fish down the center of each of the 4 tortillas; add sour cream, shredded cabbage, and salsa. Fold tortilla in half and serve.

Makes 4 servings.



Victoria Mattson, co-owner of Let's Dish!, provides ready-to-cook meals for pick up or delivery. Phone 360-658-9903 or visit www.letsdish.com.