Panko Fish Tacos

If we are being honest, I have to admit that I am afraid of frying things. Eating fried food is one thing I am not afraid of (I'm looking at you, fried chicken and donuts), but making fried foods at home hasn't happened yet for me. The idea of filling a big pot full of oil, avoiding rogue spatters, and then figuring out how to dispose of the oil when you're done (down the drain, or not??) has caused me to avoid this particular cooking endeavor.

My answer to this has been an increasing love of panko bread crumbs. I love breading things with panko! Give me a piece of chicken and I will panko away - as evidenced in this earlier post on my favorite panko chicken, or as a key ingredient in these homemade turkey burgers. Then a while back, my favorite blog A Cup of Jo also told me that I could panko my fish! This was an even more exciting discovery, as I hate frying fish at home because if we are still being honest, cooking fish can get smelly no matter how fresh your fish is.

What can be better on a warm summer night than perfectly seasoned baked fish combined with a crisp lemony slaw? Adding guacamole and salsa is definitely a must! Find the best tortillas you can and add a margarita and we are looking at a pretty perfect evening.

For the slaw:
1/2 head of cabbage, sliced
2 carrots, grated
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. creme fraiche (or plain Greek yogurt)
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt

For the fish
1 lb. tilapia, sliced (of fish of your choice)
1 egg, whisked
1 cup panko (find at Trader Joe's)
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. oregano
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. canola oil
8 tortillas
1 lime

1. Place sliced cabbage, grated carrots and chopped cilantro in a large bowl. Next combine lemon juice, creme fraiche, and olive oil for the dressing. Generously salt the cabbage mixture, pour in the dressing and toss everything together. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight.

2. For the fish tacos, preheat oven to 425F. Next, rinse the tilapia fillets and dry them with paper towels. Slice them into 2″ long pieces and place them onto a plate. Pour the whisked egg over the fish and make sure each piece gets covered in the egg wash. This will ensure that the panko mixture completely coats the fish. 

3. In a Ziploc bag, mix panko, paprika, thyme, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt and oil. Place your egg-coated fish into the bag, seal and shake.

4. Once the fish is coated in panko, spread the pieces onto a foil-lined sheet pan. Bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes until the panko is golden brown. Wrap your tortillas in foil and throw them in the oven for the last 3 to 5 minutes of baking.

A New Job & The San Juan Islands

Oh my goodness, where does the time go?? It feel like just yesterday that I was writing about our move to Monterey and promising that I was going to get back on a more regular blog schedule. That was...almost one month ago. Don't worry, as usual I am ready with good excuses for my radio silence. First off, I have a new job! Only at the end of July I officially started work as an Executive Assistant at Pebble Beach Company. Yes, as in the world-famous golf resort that hosts all the fancy celebrity golf tournaments. I know, you may be thinking that one important detail doesn't make sense...I don't golf. In fact, I will cheerfully admit that I don't know the first thing about golf, despite the fact that as an employee I can now play the world's best course for free.

It turns out that Pebble Beach is a lot more than just a golf course. I've learned over the past few weeks that it is in fact home to the world-famous scenic "17 Mile Drive," five golf courses, three hotels, a fancy award-winning spa, and almost 15 restaurants. It has a free employee dining room, which means no brown bagging it to work...ever. It is also absolutely gorgeous and only ten minutes drive from my house. In other words, somebody better pinch me because it doesn't seem quite real yet. My job is located at the Inn at Spanish Bay, where I support the general manager, food and beverage director, and rooms director. This is my first time working directly in the hospitality industry, and it is absolutely fascinating. Everyone I work with is extremely nice and very, very good at what they do. I'm still learning the ropes, the lingo, and the industry and probably will continue to learn for a long while to come.

As you know, training for a new job is exhausting just because everything is so new and there is a TON to learn. So, good thing Stuart and I had a pre-planned vacation to the San Juan Islands at the beginning of August! After a week of intensive training at my new job, we headed to the airport for some R&R. We started off with 24 hours in Seattle, followed up by four nights on Orcas Island to celebrate the wedding of two good family friends. It was just what the doctor ordered a great way to sneak a summer vacation into what has been a truly whirlwind of a summer. Here is a glimpse of our recent trip!

Catching up with good friend Lauren and enjoying a French 75 at Bastille in Ballard

A new gem in Pike's Place market - AMAZING yogurt at Ellenos (yogurt as in your breakfast Yoplait but 1000x better)

Brunch at Tilikum Place Cafe, an old favorite from our Seattle days. This beauty is the Dutch baby. 

 

 

Great food on Orcas Island at New Leaf Cafe

Annnnd it's wedding time again! This was our third wedding this year, we have one more to go in 2015!!