Tacos are one of my favorite meals to make and one of my favorite meals to eat. My family agrees, they request tacos every other week. So, sometimes I try to change things up a bit. Take things to the next level to keep life from getting boring. I love going out to restaurants that serve their tacos in an eatable/edible bowl. Turns out, making edible taco bowls isn’t hard. It’s actually pretty easy. And, if you bake them instead of fry them, it’s slightly healthier too.
I also swapped out my family’s favorite filling, ground beef, for fish. I heavily seasoned the fish and blackened it, so I don’t think they were mad about it at all. Then I topped the entire “kit and caboodle” with our favorite homemade honey mustard ranch dressing. (and a dash of hot sauce).
So, in the end, they were quite happy with the changes.
Tortilla Taco Bowls
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Wet a paper towel. On a plate, place the wet paper towel and then place one tortilla on top of it. Repeat until you have 3 tortillas. Top with another paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds.
Starting with one tortilla, lightly spray the inside of an oven safe bowl. Take the microwaved tortilla and mold it inside the glass bowl. Try to push the bottom of the tortilla to the edges. Spray the inside of the burrito and place it in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the shells have browned and hardened.
Cajun Blackened Fish
4 fish filets (approximately 6 ounces each)
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Cajun Spice Mix
1-1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
Combine all spice ingredients in a small bowl.
Pat filets dry with paper towels. Season the fish generously with the spice mix on both sides, pressing the seasoning into the fish with your hands.
Place a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add butter and oil. When the oil/butter is hot, add the seasoned fish. Cook, undisturbed, for several minutes, until golden brown on one side. Probably 3-4 minutes. Flip fish over and continue to cook until completely cooked through.
Honey Mustard Ranch Dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
In a small bowl, stir together the mayo, buttermilk, mustard, honey, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Assemble the Cajun Blackend Fish Taco Bowls…….
Take taco shell/bowl. Fill bowl with shredded lettuce. Add fish. Add toppings: shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, black beans, avocado, onions, dressing.