Ooooh! It’s Spring! I think it’s really here this time! The birds are chirping, the grass is greening up, and the sun is warm and delicious, and we’re all ready to soak it up.
Warmer days mean lighter, super fresh meals to me, and this meal was the perfect start to our first warm week in a long time.
I like to try to fix seafood for dinner as often as possible, but it’s a tricky one. Some nights, it’s just easier to whip up something that I know my kids are going to eat and not gripe about. Seafood is always hit or miss with them, but I’m trying. The American Heart association recommends eating fish, at least, twice a week as it’s high in heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. I’m hoping to reach that goal with my family soon.
I love a good Fish Fry, and they are easy to come by during the Lenten season, but I’m more often looking for light and fresh ways to add more seafood into our daily routine, and this did just the trick.
I love fish tacos, so I was trying to think of a way to change-up the fish taco routine. I wasn’t really in the mood for spicy fare, I just wanted lots of fresh flavor, so I decided to try my hand at a Greek inspired fish taco. I was thinking flaky grilled whitefish, a crunchy cucumber-tomato salsa, and a zesty garlicky sauce drizzled on top. So, with that idea in mind, I started playing around in my kitchen.
First things first, I got going on the sauce. I wanted to give the flavors time to mingle while I got the rest of the dish ready, so that’s why I dove in here first. I mixed together some plain yogurt, a little bit of mayonnaise, some fresh garlic, dried dill, and fresh lemon zest.
I gave that a good stir, and then added a little bit of salt and pepper to taste. Then, it went into the fridge while I got everything else ready.
Next, I wanted to get my fish marinating. I had a pound of beautiful, fresh Tilapia on my hands, but what should I season it with? I decided to go with a simple mix of McCormick Perfect Pinch Salt Free Garlic & Herb seasoning and olive oil. It’s a perfect combination of zesty spices, and with it being salt-free, I can control the amount of salt in my dish while allowing all kinds of flavor to come through. Tilapia is a mild-tasting fish, and I wanted to give it a good punch of flavor, without overpowering how delicate it is on its own. I mixed the seasoning with some olive oil, and coated the fish in it.
I let the fish settle in with the spices while I got my salsa together. I quickly chopped up some cucumber, Roma tomatoes, and red onion, and gave them a good toss along with a little salt and pepper.
Then, it was time to cook my fish. A meal like this is perfect for a busy weeknight, because the fish takes next to no time at all to cook up. Everything else could really be thrown together ahead of time, if you’re really in a time crunch!
I got out my grill pan, and cooked the fish for about three minutes on each side, until it was cooked through and flaky. It smelled so good while it was cooking, all of those spices filling the air. When the fish was done, I moved it to a cutting board, and flaked it up with a fork.
And then, just like that, it was taco making time.
I’d warmed up some flour tortillas, so I layered in some of the seasoned fish, then topped it with some shredded lettuce for a little added crunch, and then some of that fresh cucumber salsa. I drizzled a hefty dose of the garlic-yogurt sauce over the top, and finished it off with a sprinkle of feta cheese.
Why hadn’t I thought of this before? The tacos were delicious, and the perfect way to usher in a healthy meal, and Springtime to boot.
Looking for more Springtime Seafood ideas? Be sure to check out McCormick’s website, or their Facebook and Pinterest pages, for recipes full of fishy inspiration.
GREEK FISH TACOS WITH CUCUMBER SALSA AND GARLIC YOGURT SAUCE
Greek Fish Tacos with Cucumber Salsa and Garlic Yogurt Sauce
Recipe Type: Seafood
Author: Christine Carlisle
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
- For the Sauce:
- 3/4 cup plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon McCormick brand dried dill
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated lemon zest
- salt and pepper to taste
- For the Fish:
- 1 lb. tilapia fillets (or another mild white fish)
- 1 Tbsp. McCormick Perfect Pinch Garlic & Herb Salt Free Seasoning
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- For the Salsa:
- 1 cup diced, seeded, cucumber
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1/4 cup minced red onion
- salt and pepper to taste
- Extras, for serving
- 8 6-inch flour tortillas
- feta cheese, crumbled
- shredded lettuce
For the sauce:
- Whisk together all of the sauce ingredients, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until serving time.
For the fish:
- Combine the seasoning and olive oil. Coat the pieces of fish in the seasoned oil until covered on both sides. Allow to marinate for a bit while you get the salsa together.
For the salsa:
- Combine the cucumber, tomato, and red onion in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook!
- Heat the tortillas according to directions on the package.
- Heat a grill pan over high heat. Spray with nonstick spray, and place the pieces of fish in the pan. Cook the fish until flaky, and completely cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove the fish to a cutting board and flake into pieces.
Build the tacos:
- Layer some fish into a warmed tortilla, topping it with some shredded lettuce, some of the cucumber salsa, some feta cheese, and a hefty drizzle of the garlic yogurt sauce.
- ENJOY!
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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of McCormick.