Blackened Fish Tacos

Jan 11, 2022 | Dr. Anne Shandera-Ochsner, HABIT Midwest Director | @dranneshanderaochsner

As you start to adjust to the new year, many of you may be looking for new, brain healthy recipes to add to your dinner rotation. This recipe for blackened fish tacos comes from the new Mayo Clinic cookbook "Cook Smart, Eat Well", which can be purchased from the Mayo Clinic Press here. I find purchasing a new cookbook with beautiful pictures of healthy food to be just the inspiration I need when I feel stuck in a cooking (or holiday cookie!) rut. Happy Cooking!

Here's a copy of the recipe, which is also found at the link above:

Blackened fish tacos

A recipe from Cook Smart, Eat Well (By Mayo Clinic Wellness Executive Chef, Jennifer A. Welper)

Servings | 4

Being successful in the kitchen doesn't mean you have to suddenly become a gourmet chef. Standard food preparation methods and cooking techniques can help you prepare a wide variety of meals that are as tasty as they are healthy.

If mahi-mahi isn't available, you can make these tacos with any other whitefish, such as cod or halibut, or even shrimp.

Ingredients

4 (3-ounce) mahi-mahi fillets, or bigger filletscut into 3-ounce servings
1 tablespoon blackening spice (see below)
4 flour tortillas, warmed
1 cup roasted red pepper pineapple salsa (see below)
½ avocado, chopped
¼ cup feta crumbled cheese

Blackening spice | 16 servings

2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground dried thyme
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cumin

Roasted red peppers pineapple salsa | 6 servings

1 cup cored and cubed fresh pineapple
½ cup roasted and chopped red bell pepper 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup chopped red onion
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons honey

Blackening spice

Mix dry ingredients together in small bowl. Store remaining spice in an air-tight container.

Roasted red peppers pineapple salsa

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tacos

Preheat the grill. Rub mahi-mahi with blackening spices for at least 4-5 minutes.

Lightly coat with cooking spray on each side of fish fillets. Grill fish for 3-4 minutes a side, depending on size of fillet, until you reach an internal temperature of 140 F.

To assemble tacos, place a warm tortilla on a plate. Top with 1 ½ ounces fish, ¼ cup roasted red pepper pineapple salsa, ¼ of the chopped avocado, and 1 tablespoon feta cheese.