I’m not too sure of many people who don’t love tacos! And those few who don’t – might be because they’ve never had THESE tacos!
I love tacos because they are SO fresh tasting and bursting with flavour! Also you can make them the completely customized to suit your preferences!
These wild cod – veggie filled tacos have absolutely everything you could want in a taco – fresh veg, tons of flavour, and protein rich cod. Not to mention they’ve got the perfect balance of the senses.
As always, whenever building a meal – the things I’m paying attention to are:
- Ensuring it contains blood sugar balancing components (lots of veg, a protein source, complex carbs, and healthy fats)
- Including lots of diversity – for maximal gut health benefits (different types of veg, herbs, grains, nuts, seeds, etc.)
- Using high quality organic and seasonal ingredients
- That it accounts for any food intolerances of those I’m making it for (ex. dairy free, gluten free, etc.)
- Making sure it tastes absolutely DELICIOUS!
And tacos are NO exception – I always do my best to pay attention to the areas listed above – and in doing so, I’ve come up with the most perfect taco combination (imo).
I can’t wait for you to try!!
Ingredients
Serves 2 people
Cabbage Slaw:
- 2 cups chopped purple cabbage (chopped as fine as you can)
- 2 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste (I’m typically quite generous with these)
For the Tacos:
- 4 corn tortillas (can also use whole grain if not gluten intolerant)
- 1 bunch cilantro, de-stemmed and finely chopped
- 2 small (or 1 large) baked yam
- 1 medium onion, sliced thinly into strips
- 1 red, yellow, or orange, bell pepper sliced into thin strips
- Spices for the pepper and onion: ⅛ tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp chilli powder, ⅛ tsp paprika, ⅛ tsp cinnamon, sea salt to taste
Black bean pure:
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ a medium sized avocado
- 1 clove garlic
- Juice of 1 lime or lemon
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- ½ cup water
- 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
For the Cod:
- 2 filets of cod (approx. 100g each)
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- Juice of 1 small to medium lemon (or ½ a large one) – approx. 1 Tbsp. juice
Instructions
– Make the marinade for the fish by placing all the spices, the oil, and lemon juice into a small bowl. Mix well
– Place cod onto a baking tray and then pour the marinade over the cod fillets, ensure it’s well dispersed throughout. Allow to sit for at least 20-30 minutes.
– Pre-heat the oven to 400 F
– Chop your yam into small cubed pieces. Place on a cookie tray. Drizzle with oil and a pinch of cumin. Pop in the oven and allow to bake for 35 or so minutes, stirring halfway through.
– In the meantime, prep your onions and peppers by thinly slicing them into strips. De-skin the onion, then cut in half, and then into thin strips. For the pepper, remove seeds and top stem area, and then slice into thin strips
– Pre-heat a cast iron pan, drizzle with olive oil, and then place the onions into it to saute for 4-5 minutes, adding the spices at the 3 minute mark
– Next add the peppers and allow to saute until everything is cooked to your liking. It usually takes approx. 7-9 minutes
– Now prep the cabbage slaw. Mix the ACV, honey, olive oil, and salt and pepper into a small bowl or jar. Taste test and adjust as needed. Then finely chop the cabbage (as fine as you can!) and place into a medium size bowl. Pour the dressing you just made over the cabbage and allow to sit. It’ll get nice and soft.
– Pop the cod in the oven (no need to drain the marinade as this is where it’ll continue to pick up the flavour!). Bake for 14-20 minutes (depending on the thickness of your filets) you can tell it’s finished when it looks slightly flaky and no longer translucent/ raw. If your yams are still cooking you can place the cod on the rack below or above (or beside if it fits).
– When the cod is finished, flake into smaller bite sized pieces that can fit on the tacos. Doing so with a fork works really well
– Prepare the black bean puree by opening a can of black beans and rinsing and draining super well. Place them into a blender or Vitamix. Add all other ingredients and mix until super smooth and creamy. Taste test and adjust to your liking.
– Prep the cilantro by stemming it (it’s worth it – trust me!) and place the individual leaves into a small bowl
– Heat your tortillas how you like – I like to heat them on the stove top – if it’s a gas one I place directly on top and use tongs to flip them (go quick as they burn fast!) or I’ll heat them in a cast iron pan
– Now it’s time to assemble your tacos! I like to place the black bean puree at the bottom, followed by the cabbage slaw, peppers/ onions, yams, cod, and then cilantro!
ENJOY!
