Last Night's Dinner #28: Taco Night

Tilapia Tacos


Chorizo Tacos

Sarah first introduced me to Mercadito a couple of years ago and it's been my go-to taco spot ever since. It's not the type of place to go to if you're starving, or you'll end up with a pretty hefty check. Although they have the best fish (Tilapia) tacos (Mojarra) and Mango Margaritas, I do think it's slightly overpriced. One drink can cost you about $10-12.50 and five teeny weeny tacos will run you about $13.50.

Anyway, last night's dinner was inspired by Mercadito's Mojarra tacos ( tilapia, huitlacoche, manchego cheese, sauteed corn, tomatillo salsa). They turned out really really good - you have to try it. I wouldn't even consider it cooking, it's more like assembling! If you love Tilipia or Mahi Mahi, this is a perfect dish for you! Grilled Tilapia, roasted corn and Manchego cheese were all made for each other, such a great combo.

You'll need:
- Tilapia fillets (I used Trader Joe's frozen vacuum packed fresh Tilapia), thawed if frozen
- 1 lime
- coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup frozen corn, thawed (Trader Joe's again)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Manchego cheese
- jar of Salsa Verde (I used Trader Joe's, can be found next to their nacho chips)
- pack of corn tortillas (can usually be found near the pizza dough, cheeses etc)



Heat up a Foreman, panini or stovetop grill. Marinate the fillets in lime juice, salt and pepper for about 5 minutes.

In the meantime, pan grill the corn. Drizzle it with a little bit of olive oil and cook until nice and toasty brown, approx 10 mins high heat. Set aside.

Place fillets on grill and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper. Cooking time will vary, depending on the thickness of your fillets. It should take approximately 4-5 mins each side. If you press the fish with your fingers and it feels like it's pushing back, then it's done. It's kind of hard to explain, but if you give it a shot - you'll know what I'm talking about. It shouldn't feel stiff. Or you could also pierce it with a fork, just remember that it will continue to cook even after you remove it from the grill.

While the fish is cooking, you want to start heating up your corn tortillas. I used my cocktail shaker's top to cut out smaller circles. You don't have to, but I wanted to make bite-sized tacos. You can also use a cookie cutter. If you have a microwave, this is the easiest way to heat them up. Just layer them in between damp paper towels and heat up for a couple of seconds. I don't have a microwave, so I used a pan. It's not that bad, it only takes a minute or two.

Drizzle lime juice and sprinkle cooked fish with a little more coarse salt and pepper.

Now it's time to assemble. Sprinkle each tortilla with a small amount of cheese, top with fish, some corn, a teaspoon of salsa verde and then top with a little more cheese. SO GOOD. Enjoy!!