Spicy Tequila Lime Fish Tacos

I made these fish tacos about a week ago. They're a lot of work, but they're totally worth it.

Spicy Pan-Fried Tilapia*

What you'll need:

• Aluminum foil
• Cooking spray (I use Pam Olive Oil)
• 1/4 cup of flour
• 2 teaspoons of seafood seasoning (I use Old Bay)
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of black paper
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 pound of tilapia fillets

How to prepare:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
3. On a large plate or in a shallow dish, mix flour, seafood seasoning, salt, and pepper.
4. Add olive oil to a large skillet and heat to medium.
5. Rinse each tilapia fillet with cool water and pat semi-dry with paper towels.
6. Lightly coat tilapia fillets with flour mixture. Shake off any excess.
7. Place floured tilapia fillets in oil and brown both sides. (This should take 2 to 3 minutes per side.)
8. Place cooked tilapia fillets on lined baking sheet.
9. Place baking sheet in oven to keep fish warm.

*Adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sandra-lee/pan-fried-tilapia-recipe/index.html

Spicy Tequila Lime Sauce**

What you'll need:

• 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tablespoons of tequila (I use what I drink -- Jose Cuervo Especial Gold)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (I did this by hand, but I think I'll buy the jarred stuff for next time)
• 2 tablespoons of hot sauce (I use Frank's Red Hot Original)
• 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, stems removed
• 1/4 cup olive oil

How to prepare:

1. Combine all ingredients in blender and blend well.
2. Transfer mixture to microwave-safe dish (I use a Pyrex measuring cup).
3. Microwave mixture until warm.

**Adapted from http://www.grouprecipes.com/19148/tequila-lime-fish-marinade.html

Spicy Tequila Lime Fish Tacos

What you'll need:

• Corn tortillas
• Spicy pan-fried tilapia, prepared as above
• Spicy tequila lime sauce, prepared as above
• Sour cream (optional)
• Pico de gallo (optional)
• Shredded cabbage
• Fresh cilantro

How to prepare:

Assemble tacos as desired.

Suggestions:

1. Serve with corn, black beans, and/or rice (I like Basmati).
2. If serving rice, drizzle leftover tequila lime sauce on top.

Quick E!

I'm going to keep this short and sweet. Here's what I've enjoyed recently:

-The Hunger Games movie
-Hokie football
-Managing/following my Fantasy Football team
-Jack White's solo album, Blunderbuss

I'm anxiously awaiting the season premieres of Grey's Anatomy on Sept. 27 (don't judge me) and Dexter on Sept. 30.

Update

A few days after my last post, I submitted a substitute teacher application for a different county. Less than two weeks later, I received an email inviting me to participate in the two-part substitute training class. I went to the first part last Thursday. I was surprised by how much it focused on protecting yourself from getting into trouble, but I guess that's just how it is these days.

Tomorrow I will do a classroom observation at a local middle school. I'm excited to see what it's like. On Wednesday evening, my first teacher certification course begins. On Thursday, I'll go to the second part of substitute training. I'll do all of this while still working my hours at the engineering company. It's going to be a very busy week!

Concrete Jungle

My First Trip to New York

Friday
 
Early Friday morning, Kevin, Les, and I boarded a Tripper bus bound for New York City.
 

Kevin & Les, the great conversationalists

 
By mid-day, we arrived at Penn Station, where we met up with Nick (currently living in Brooklyn) and Jon (also visiting). Our first stop was a nearby pizza place, where I enjoyed two slices of margherita pizza.

After lunch, Nick led us to the 30th Street entry to the High Line, "a public park built on an historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side" (http://www.thehighline.org/). We walked about half-way before taking a break on the lawn.

Jon



Nick & Kevin



At the end of the High Line, we found ourselves in the Meatpacking District. We decided it was time for some drinks. Since I had been craving a pomegranate margarita, we decided to try Dos Caminos, "modern Mexican cuisine & tequila lounge" (http://www.doscaminos.com/). My Blue Pomegranate margarita was a little pricey but totally worth it. Nick's Michelada, "beer on the rocks with lime, hot sauce and Maggi," was pretty interesting too.

 

Our next stop was a local chain pharmacy called Duane Reade. We then caught the subway to the World Trade Center area. After picking up our tickets for the memorial, we had a little extra time. We walked to the Irish Hunger Memorial, where we were also able to see the Statue of Liberty across the water.

 

 

We walked back to the World Trade Center area, where we met up with Nick's brother Garrett (currently living in Harlem). Nick hung back while the rest of us went to the memorial. The fountains were very peaceful but the crowds were too much for my taste.

 

 

After the memorial, we caught the subway to Molly's apartment in Brooklyn. We enjoyed some beers, including home brews from Nick and Jon, before getting ready for dinner. We caught the subway to M Shanghai Bistro & Garden, "a slice of Chinese heaven in Williamsburg" (http://www.newmshanghai.com/). The steamed dumplings were amazing and everyone enjoyed their entrees.

 

After such a big meal, we were in need of a little boost. We stopped at a convenience store for 5-Hour Energy and Starbucks DoubleShot. We then headed to our first bar, Good Co. (http://www.goodcobk.com/index.php). Most notable were the Sweet Tea Vodka infusion (Molly's favorite) and the outdoor patio where some of us sat while others played darts.

 

Our second bar was Union Pool (http://union-pool.com/), where we again headed for the outdoor patio. Not long after we arrived, a big storm rolled through. While huddled under a big umbrella, we were able to snap some funny photos and watch some interesting characters. Our third and final bar was The Woods, where we danced to awesome music. When we finally made it back to Molly's, we had surpassed our goal of staying up past 4 AM.

 

Saturday

 

On Saturday morning, we walked to Olde Brooklyn Bagel Shoppe. By the time we reached the front of the long, very slow line, I was extremely hungry. I ordered an onion bagel with plain cream cheese and a sesame bagel with bacon and chive cream cheese. I was pretty disappointed with the onion bagel (the onion got charred in the toaster) but the sesame bagel was delicious.

 

After packing up and saying goodbye to Molly, the five boys and I made our way to the train station, where we bought tickets to Long Beach.

 

Les, Nick, Jon, & Garrett

 

When we got to Long Beach, we took an interesting (and way over-priced) taxi ride to Andrew's house. Les, Nick, and Jon made a beer run while the rest of us headed to the beach. After a little while, they joined us and we spent the afternoon relaxing.

 



Andrew & Les



Nick



Kevin & Jon



Garrett

 

That evening, Andrew and Garrett grilled and cooked a good dinner. After sitting around for a while, I felt really tired and wasn't so sure about going out. But Andrew managed to convince me and we made our way to The Inn, "Long Island's premier live music venue" (http://www.thelongbeachinn.com/).

 

The first thing I noticed was how different the crowd was from the ones in Williamsburg. Right after we grabbed some drinks, the live band started. Kevin was surprised to realize that it was Liquid A (http://www.liquida.net/), a cover band that he had seen before in Arlington and Rehoboth. The seven of us danced until bar close.

 

Sunday

 

The next morning, Andrew made breakfast before driving us back to the train station. When we reached Penn Station, we said goodbye to Garrett and found a sub shop for lunch. We made one more stop at another Duane Reade before saying goodbye to Nick and Jon and boarding the Tripper bus to go home.

 

 

Upcoming Trips

 

In the next couple months, Kevin and I will take several trips:

 

-To Harpers Ferry, where we'll camp to celebrate our anniversary

-To Blacksburg, our home-away-from-home, where we'll visit Anne and celebrate Fallon's 25th birthday

-To Ashland, where we'll reunite with tons of friends and celebrate Kevin and Lindsey's wedding

 

I plan to write about them as soon as I can, so be on the lookout for new posts.