Salmon Tacos with Red Cabbage and Cumin Lime Crema
With all that’s been going on in the world, sometimes it’s hard to muster up enough energy or enthusiasm to get dinner on the table. So many are suffering, frightened, and pretty angry as well. It’s easy to say that we’re all in this together, but the reality is that some are a lot more in it than others, and we must do our best to support and protect them. Let’s stand for what is right and good in this world – that’s a pretty easy thing to figure out. We’ll take every opportunity to be a good citizen of this planet of ours and do all we can to set things straight and to take care of those who need tending to. Let’s spend some time tending to ourselves as well, and on those nights where it’s just too big of a chore to get a masterpiece on the table, let’s open the refrigerator and see what hops out. That’s how this recipe for Salmon Tacos with Red Cabbage and Cumin Lime Crema came to be in our household. I was uninspired by a few pieces of leftover salmon, but then spotted some red cabbage. Dick said the word ‘taco’ and this is how we ended up, and it was a happy surprise. This is one of those ‘make it your own’ recipes and will be all the better if you add your personal touches. I can’t wait to see what you come up with!!
Ingredients
- FOR THE SALMON
- Approximately 1 pound of salmon filet that has been cut into 6 1 to 1 ½ inch wide strips (NOTE: This dish is a great way to use up left over salmon that has already been grilled or baked, so feel free to substitute)
- Seasonings of your choice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- FOR THE RED CABBAGE SLAW
- 4 cups chopped red cabbage
- 1 orange pepper diced
- ¾ green onions sliced
- Optional: Your choice of heat elements – diced jalapeño peppers diced canned chipotles, etc.)
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- Juice of ½ lime or more to taste
- 2-3 teaspoons ground cumin or more to taste
- Siracha or other hot sauce to taste optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
- FOR THE TORTILLAS
- You will need two corn tortillas for each serving so in this recipe you’ll need 12
Instructions
- FOR THE SALMON
- Chances are you’ll be slicing this salmon off of a larger filet, so get out your sharpest knife and cut all the way through. You’ll probably need about one pound of salmon. However, if you don’t have that much, just make do with what you have. We make this at home as a dish to use leftovers, so just do what you need to do to make it work. I trust you!!
- Season this guy however you like. I like to add garlic butter (It’s always a good idea to add either butter or oil to the top of the fish before cooking to help keep it from drying out) and then snoop around in my spice cupboard to see what sounds good. Don’t forget the salt and pepper!!
- You can either grill the salmon over medium heat until it flakes, or you can bake in a 350-degree oven until it flakes. This will probably take less than 20 minutes in the oven, and maybe about 10 minutes on the grill. Since every oven and grill are different, just keep your eyes peeled.
- FOR THE RED CABBAGE SLAW
- Add the chopped red cabbage, orange pepper, green onion, and your choice of heat elements to a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, cumin and salt & pepper. Keep tasting until you get it just right for your own sense of taste. If you want to add additional heat in the form of siracha or other hot sauce, now is the time to go for it.
- Stir about half of the sour cream mixture into the red cabbage mixture and toss to make sure everything is coated with dressing. Use more if you need to. Set aside the left-over dressing to serve when you on your taco if you need it.
- FOR THE TORTILLAS
- You can go about this a couple of different ways: You can heat a cast iron or other heavy bottomed skillet with a little tiny bit of oil until it’s hot, then add a tortilla and let it sit there for several seconds until it looks like it’s softening. Flip the tortilla over and heat the other side, then remove to a heat proof dish (like a pie plate) and continue working until all of your tortillas are softened and heated through. You might need to add a little bit more oil if by any chance your tortillas start to stick. Keep the tortillas covered with a towel or foil so they keep warm and soft until you’re ready to put your tacos together.
- The other method is to very lightly oil your tortillas and place them directly onto your gas burner, or onto the barbecue great, until they start to char and are softened. DO NOT LOOK AWAY. Trust me on this – they have a tendency to catch on fire.
- TO ASSEMBLE AND SERVE
- Lay two tortillas down on the plate, then spoon the slaw on top of the tortilla.
- Add the salmon filet, drizzle with more crema if you like, then fold up the tortilla and dive in.
- Garnish with avocado slices or guacamole if that sounds like a good idea.
