Healthy Fish Tacos

While in Key West over the holidays, I ate the most delicious fish tacos at a tiny hole-in-the-wall spot called Bad Boy Burrito. Think super fresh local fish (caught that morning), shaved cabbage, pico de gallo, crema, and a spicy verde sauce. It was heaven in a (homemade and still-warm) corn tortilla. Throughout our trip, we went back to Bad Boy Burrito multiple times for those tacos and ever since we returned, I've had a serious craving.

A few days ago, the craving was bad, so I decided to whip up a batch of my own. This version contains no dairy and no gluten if you use pure corn tortillas. You could make this totally vegetarian by eliminating the fish and sautéing some butternut squash or another veggie of your choice along with the zucchini. If you're a garlic fiend - like I am - don't skip out on the chopped garlic because it gets nice and crispy in the pan and adds a pungent crunch to the tacos.

I love these fish tacos because they're a cinch to prepare and healthy to boot. They're not Bad Boy's fish tacos, but they are pretty darn tasty.

Healthy Fish Tacos (serves 4)

Ingredients

1 pound flaky white fish such as tilapia or mahi mahi

4 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3/4 tbsp garlic powder

3/4 tbsp Mexican seasoning

1 white onion, diced

1/4 cup scallions, diced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1 cup zucchini, thinly sliced

1 cup cabbage, rough chopped (We actually used arugula because we had some left over from a salad, but cabbage is more traditional.)

8 corn tortillas

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Guacamole to garnish (a great source of healthy fats!)

1 lime, sliced

Preparation

Combine diced onion, scallion, and cilantro in a small bowl and set aside. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sauté zucchini until tender and set aside, keeping the skillet out to cook the fish.

Coat both sides of the fish with garlic powder, Mexican seasoning, salt, and pepper. Place fish in the skillet with chopped garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until both sides develop a bit of a sear.

Meanwhile, pop the tortillas into the microwave for about a minute. (Tip: Microwaving the corn tortillas in a damp paper towel will help to make them soft and pliable.) Remove fish from skillet and, with a knife, break fish into small pieces. Assemble your tacos, garnish with a spritz of lime and guacamole, and enjoy!

Photos by my fiancé, Jason.