FRONT BURNER: Lazy Fish Tacos save time for siesta

Lazy Woman Fish Tacos
Lazy Woman Fish Tacos

Some people eat fish on Fridays for religious reasons.

I eat fish on Thursdays for marital reasons.

Aside from salmon croquettes smothered in cheese sauce and the occasional tuna melt, my husband doesn't eat fish.

On Thursday evenings, however, I get the house to myself which means I can cook anything I want for dinner.

So I cook fish.

Nothing fancy.

Just a filet seasoned with whatever I have on hand, roasted on a sheet pan and served with a salad or steamed vegetables. My favorite is mahi mahi, but sometimes I opt for tuna, salmon or tilapia. (Despite what you may have read on Facebook and other websites, tilapia is real fish. It is not dangerous to eat. It does not live in and eat waste. And it is environmentally sustainable when farmed responsibly. For more information about the pros and cons of tilapia, visit arkansasonline.com/123tilapia.)

Often it isn't even that fancy.

Just frozen fish sticks and spicy sweet potato fries on a sheet pan. Occasionally, if I'm feeling nostalgic I'll add a fried egg like my Oma Helene would do for us after school in Germany.

Lately I've been making lazy woman fish tacos.

I call them "lazy woman" because I make them using frozen fish sticks rather than battering and frying the fish by hand, which is absolutely delicious, but far too much work for just one serving.

Lazy Woman Fish Tacos

4 fish sticks (I like Gorton's Whole Fillets)

1 small orange, peeled and diced

½ avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

⅛ red bell pepper, thinly sliced

¼ cup shredded red cabbage

Cilantro, to taste

Juice of ½ lime

Minced jalapeno or Fresno chile, to taste

Salt, to taste

2 corn tortillas, warmed

Prepare fish sticks in oven according to package directions.

Toss together the orange, avocado, bell pepper, shredded cabbage, cilantro, lime juice and chile pepper. Season to taste with salt.

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Warm each tortilla for 15 to 30 seconds on each side in the hot skillet.

Divide fish sticks among the warm tortillas. Top with cabbage mixture.

Serve immediately.

Makes 1 serving.

Nutrition information: Each serving contains 495 calories, 14 g protein, 21 g fat, 58 g carbohydrate (16 g sugar), 20 mg cholesterol, 440 mg sodium and 10 g fiber.

Food on 01/23/2019

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