Adobo Fish Tacos

Taco night was probably a weekly thing before AIP, something so automatic nobody thought about it, and now it takes real intention to rebuild: a cassava tortilla instead of flour, a spice blend built from what is actually allowed instead of a seasoning packet with more chemicals than spice. This version gets there in about 15 minutes of oven time and does not feel like a downgrade.

The avocado piled into each taco is not just creaminess for its own sake. Its monounsaturated fat and potassium make it one of the more nutrient-dense toppings in this bank, and the fat also helps your body absorb the fat-soluble compounds in everything else on the plate, including whatever color the turmeric in the fish rub is contributing.

The fish on this plate did not get here by accident, and laying out a real taco assembly line with shredded cabbage, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges is one small way to meet that with some intention instead of rushing straight through it.

Ingredients

Fish:

• 4 filets fish of choice (cod, halibut, tilapia, or salmon)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil (avocado, coconut, or olive)

Coconut-lime crema:

• 1/2 cup coconut milk (or tigernut milk)
• 1 lime, juice and zest
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Toppings and wraps:

• Taco shells of choice: cassava tortillas, lettuce leaves, collard green leaves, jicama slices, or butternut squash slices (all AIP-compliant)
• Shredded red cabbage (roughly 1/8 cup per taco)
• Shredded carrots (roughly 1/8 cup per taco)
• Avocado (1/4 avocado per taco)
• Fresh cilantro (roughly 1 tablespoon per taco)
• Lime wedges (1/4 lime per person)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Pat the fish filets dry. Combine the garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, sea salt, and turmeric in a small bowl and stir to mix.
3. Drizzle the oil over the filets and rub to coat. Press the spice blend evenly over both sides of each filet.
4. Arrange the filets on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for approximately 15 minutes until the fish flakes easily when pressed with a fork. Cooking time will vary slightly by thickness.
5. While the fish bakes, make the crema. Combine the coconut milk, lime juice, lime zest, cilantro, and sea salt in a blender and blend until smooth and pale green. Taste and adjust lime or salt as needed.
6. Prepare the wrap of your choice and set out all toppings.
7. When the fish comes out of the oven, break each filet into large chunks with a fork. Pile fish into your wrap, drizzle with crema, and top with cabbage, carrots, avocado, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

*Adapted from Thriving On Paleo*