For Cinco de Mayo: Fish Tacos in Lettuce Shell; Vegetarian Tacos in Lettuce Shell

Here we have recipes for both vegetarian and fish tacos, served in lettuce.

I’ve cut down on my home consumption of starches such as wheat or corn, and I’ve upped the outright veggies in my life.  Hence, a swap for lettuce over those small soft tortillas, which are typical for fish tacos.

I also avoid tilapia, which in most cases is way over-farmed, and so I experimented with medallions of monkfish or filet of trout — the latter is also farmed, but usually done more responsibly.  Out at a restaurant recently, I ordered an awesome red snapper fish taco (in a soft corn tortilla shell), so red snapper works, too.

Monkfish tacos with salsa and cilantro

For breakfast the next morning I went vegetarian and had avocado and halved grape tomatoes in my “tacos”.  Check the bottom recipe.

Prep time: about 10 minutes
Cook time:  about 7-8 minutes for monkfish, 5 for thin filets of fish
Rest time:  Nada
Serves:  as an appetizer, each person will want two or three. The monkfish made six “tacos”.  I ate all six for dinner with nothing else.

For Fish (monkfish or for thin fillets of fish):

* 0.4 ounces of fish (monkfish medallions are made by slicing the tail into about 1/2 inch steaks — I discuss fillets of fish below)
* 1/2 teaspoon avocado oil (or olive oil)
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/8 teaspoon chipotle powder (or a hotter or more mild Mexican ground pepper at your discretion)
* Ground pepper to taste.
* Lettuce leaves – I used crispy butter lettuce, but even crisper might be iceberg or green cabbage.  The butter lettuce leaves however seem to me about the right size for a fish taco.
* Salsa – I used the pear and mango salsa posted about yesterday.  About a tablespoon per “taco”
* Optional – 1 to 2 slices of fresh avocado per “taco”
*  Optional – cilantro for garnish.

Pan fry the fish in the avocado oil (perhaps use olive oil if you don’t have avocado) on medium heat, with the cumin, chipotle, and ground pepper, flipping a few times until done, about 7-8 minutes.

Arrange the lettuce leaves, top with the warm fish (2-3 medallions each) and the optional avocado, layer the salsa over, perhaps about a tablespoon each.  Sprinkle with cilantro and serve immediately.  Pick up the leaf with goodies inside, fold over and eat with your hands.

If doing trout or other filleted fish:  slice into smaller segments, and pan fry with all the other ingredients, about 2-3 minutes a side for thin fish (total about 5 minutes).

vegetarian lettuce tacos with avo and tomato, and salsa

Prep time: about 10 minutes
Cook time:  No cooking.
Rest time:  Nada
Serves:  as an appetizer, each person will want two or three. I ate three for breakfast accompanied by one hard-boiled egg on the side.

For Vegetarian:  Skip the fish and use:

* Grape tomatoes, sliced in half, two halves per leaf.
* Avocado: Two thin slices per leaf.
* Arrange on leaf:
* Sprinkle lightly with about 1/16 teaspoon cumin and 1/16 teaspoon chipotle or ancho chili powder (or less).  Smoked paprika is also an option.
* Top with about a tablespoon salsa for each leaf, followed by an optional garnish of cilantro.

Close-up, before addition of salsa and cilantro

PS, yes they are a little messy to eat (eat them over a plate, using fingers to grab them), but most tacos are, anyway.

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