My kids are picky eaters. My hubby is a picky eater too, for that matter. We're a meat-and-potatoes kind of family that doesn't eat too much "out of the box". When I was asked to come up with a recipe using MSC-certified seafood from Loblaws (that's sustainable, eco-friendly fish products), I knew this was a great chance to try to make a new family supper favourite for my crew. I knew it couldn't be too terribly spicy or different looking, so I thought I'd try to come up with a mild, family-friendly fish taco recipe. I think I've done just that and achieved a new supper or lunch hit with these battered fish tacos and mango lime salsa! They're a little different than our regular meat and potatoes, but they still have a comfort food feel to them and the kids love them.
Even my toddler (Am I supposed to call her that now?! WAH!) enjoyed eating these tacos. I cut the fish, mangos and tortillas into baby-sized pieces for her and she went to town.
One of the nice things about this meal is that you can serve all of its elements family-style so that people can pick and choose what they want to include in their taco.
I like it all, while my kids might only want a little fish and fruit. I know that fish tacos traditionally include cilantro, but I nixed that in this recipe to suit my family's picky palates.
Here's how I made these yummy battered fish tacos with mango lime salsa.
Ingredients:
- 1 package frozen MSC-certified haddock fillets, thawed
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
For the Salsa:
- one mango, cubed
- juice of 1 lime
- small red onion, chopped
- 2 cups green cabbage, sliced thin
- juice of 1 lime
- small whole wheat tortillas
- sour cream
- extra limes
Directions:
Ensure the fish is fully thawed. I used MSC-certified haddock fillets for my tacos. MSC-certified seafood is seafood that's either caught in the wild or farmed in ways that maintain both the long-term health of the oceans, and the health of the species being captured. Seafood from sustainable sources also takes the wellbeing of fisheries-dependent communities into consideration. That gets a thumb's-up from me!
Heat the oil in a skillet until it's hot.
Mix together the flour and spices in a bowl. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl.
Dredge the fish fillets in the flour mixture, then the eggs, then the flour mixture again. Place the fillets into the heated oil in the skillet and fry them for about 4 minutes on each side until they are golden brown and flake easily.
Drain the fish on a plate lined with a paper towel. YUM. This is like fish sticks, but so much better!
Squeeze some lime juice over the chopped cabbage to create a light slaw.
Toss together the cubed mango, small slices of red onion, and some chunks of lime for the mango salsa. Drizzle with lime juice if desired.
Slice the fish fillets into small chunks and serve the tacos family-style with a bowl of sour cream and any other desired toppings. I like my fish tacos with all the fixings!
This haddock was excellent, and my conscience felt excellent too knowing that it was sustainably caught.
I even grabbed some ready-to-bake MSC-certified fish fries if I ever want to make even easier fish tacos next time! (Baby B LOVED this fish - she couldn't stop touching it... haha!)
I'll definitely be putting this dish on rotation at the Dennis House.
How about you: have you ever tried fish tacos as a family meal? Next time you try making a seafood dish, consider purchasing MSC-certified seafood from a Loblaws location (I found mine at the Real Canadian Superstore). You can learn more about sustainable seafood practices here on the WWF School fo Fish website, and there are also a ton of delicious new recipes to try there too! You can also check out the #WWFSchoolOfFish hashtag on social media for more recipe ideas using MSC-certified seafood products.
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by WWF and Loblaws. As always, all of the opinions here are my own. I would never recommend a product that I do not use and love myself.
What do you think?