Cooking with Aurora

The dynamic duo is back with a fresh take on west coast staple. Check out the video and follow the recipe below to easily create some mouth-watering, deliciously juicy tacos. Be warned like most great foods this can get a bit messy, especially if you pile high (like we do) with the slammin’ pico de gallo and guacamole.

Serves 4

3 medium sized tomatoes, about 1 1/2 cup small dice (divided)

1/2 medium sized red onion,  about 1/2 cup minced (divided)

1 cup cilantro leaves (divided)

6 limes, quartered (divided)

2 tablespoons minced garlic (divided)

2 fresh jalapenos, de-veined, seeds removed (divided)

3 tablespoons olive oil (divided)

salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tomatillos, coarsely chopped

2 ripe avocados

canola oil-as needed for cooking

1 pound tilapia fillets (cut into 2-inch cubes or batonnets)

3 tablespoons herb mix (dehydrated onion, dried dill, sea salt, garlic powder…Kirkland has a very delicious mix if you want an easy option) (divided)

3/4 pound uncooked shrimp, shells removed, cleaned, cut into 1/3′s

2 cups Napa cabbage, shredded

2 large carrots, peeled, shredded

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

8 ounces (about 1 cup) crumbled queso fresco

1/2 cup sour cream

Pico de Gallo

In a medium bowl combine about 1 cup diced tomatoes (use 2/3′s of prepped tomatoes), 3 tablespoons red onion (again use 2/3′s of prepped ingredient), 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, the juice of 1 1/2 limes, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 tablespoon jalapeno, and 1 tablespoon olive oil, season to taste and stir to combine.

Fresh Guacamole

To make salsa verde: in a small Cuisinart, combine tomatillos, remaining cilantro, remaining jalapeno, juice of 1 lime, remaining garlic, and remaining olive oil.  Season with salt and puree until smooth.

In a medium bowl, add avocado flesh.  Add salsa verde to bowl and mash until combined and semi-smooth.  Add remaining tomatoes and red onion, season with salt, and stir with a fork to fully combine.

Seafood Tacos

In a large cast iron skillet (or saute pan) add 1 tablespoon canola oil and turn heat to high.  Once heated, add tilapia pieces and season with 1 tablespoon herb mix and the juice of one lime.  Cook until slightly golden and flaky.  Season to taste.

Repeat process with shrimp.  Adding another tablespoon of canola oil, cooking until pink, and seasoning to taste with salt, lime, and seasoning mix.

Finish by briefly cooking Napa cabbage and carrot with remaining herb mix, lime, and salt (turn heat down to low on cast iron and stir frequently)

Assembly

Warm your tortillas over direct flame about 1 minute per side.  For each serving, use two tortillas and top with seafood mix, Napa slaw, pico de gallo, fresh guacamole, queso fresco, and sour cream.  Garnish with extra lime wedges.

Enjoy!

About your Chefs:

Travis Healy is a CIA graduate has worked in restaurants across the country and currently resides in Manhattan.  He is currently freelancing in the private chef world. His interests range from locally obtainable food to blues harmonica. Travis has a passion about the culinary world and wants to learn as much as he can from new experiences and adventures in the vast world of food.

Aurora Nessly is an ICE graduate who works as a private chef, food writer, host, and model throughout NYC.  More info is available on her website.