Chicken Taquitos with Salsa Verdé

So it seems that I`m in the mood lately for recreating my favourite appetizers from my favourite Ottawa restaurants. This one is a spin-off from Poncho Villa`s flautas (or the equally deep fried version slowly rolling away at your local 7-11 ... depending on who you ask ...).  In searching for `taquito` recipes, I also discovered that "Taquito" was also the name of a Star War's character (thank you Wookiepedia): Taquito (pronounced /ʈaqɪʈo/) a male Rodian pilot who lived during the last years of the Galactic Republic on the Outer Rimplanet Iego. Apparently Taquito died trying to breacbck through the laser grid system left by the Separatists.  Poor Taquito.

All that aside, the mexican appetizer version of these little guys are uber yummy. Kids would adore them, I'm certain of that. To deep fry the taquitos at home (not having a deep-fryer of course), we heated oil in a soup pot to the point that it was shimmering. We made sure to have enough oil to just cover the taquitos. I should note too that we had a lot of fun making up the salsa verdé too. The salsa lasted for a few days and was the perfect accompaniment to tortilla chips. Olé y buen appetito!

Ingredients:
For the chicken taquitos:
2 large chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
4-6 white corn tortillas
Oil for frying

For the salsa verdé:
1 1/2 cups yellow tomatoes
1/4 a small purple onion
a big bunch of cilantro
3 tablespoons vinegar
salt to taste

Directions:
For the taquitos:
Mix the chicken with the cumin, chili powder, onion powder, salt, and cheese until well mixed. Press 3-4 tablespoons of the chicken mixture together to form a "snake" that is then rolled tightly into a corn tortilla. To get really great taquitos, I placing the corn tortillas one at a time in very hot water for 3-5 seconds, then removing them quicky, rolling them around your chicken mixture, and allowing them to air dry for a few minutes before placing in a saucepan filled with an inch or so of oil heated to medium heat for frying. Fry the taquitos 2-3 at a time on all sides just until golden. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Serve with salsa.

For the salsa verdé:
In a blender, puree all ingredients together. Serve with warm, fresh taquitos. Enjoy.

- Recipe cred Cheeky Kitchen

Fish Tacos with Salsa Verdé (with Tilapia)

I'll be the first to admit that when I first heard of "fish tacos" my stomach simply recoiled at the thought. In my mind, it just didn't seem natural. This recipe, however, was the exact opposite of what I think of when I think of fish tacos. These are light. Fresh tasting. Clean. Flavourful. They were so good that Jeremy and I were scraping the bits from the bottom of the pan.

A couple of very important notes about this recipe:
- I highly recommend you use tilapia fillets (or some other kind of hard white fish)
- Admittedly, I found the jalapeno/salad mixture very, very spicy - that was because I used a scotch bonnet from my garden and just about cried (ok, maybe I cried a little). So just becareful with the heat level of the pepper you are using.

Enjoy, and, as always... Bon appétit!


Ingredients
1 bunch fresh cilantro (roots and thick stems removed)
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Handful of greens (arugula, baby spinach etc.)
3 scallions, thinly sliced

Making the salsa verdé was super easy with
the food processor

1/2 jalapeno chile (ribs and seeds removed, for less heat), minced
1 1/2 pounds skinless tilapia fillets (about 4)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
12 corn tortillas (6 inches each)
Avocado (for serving)

Directions
1. Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. In a blender, combine cilantro, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons oil, and 2 tablespoons water; season with salt and pepper (I also added a bit of cumin to the mix too). Blend until pureed. Set salsa aside.

2. In a small bowl, mix together remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, remaining tablespoon oil, greens, scallions, and jalapeno (see notes above re: jalapeno!); season with salt and pepper. Set salad aside.

3. Place tilapia on a rimmed baking sheet; season with coriander, salt, and pepper. Broil until opaque throughout, 4 to 5 minutes; break up into chunks (we bbq'ed it instead).

4. Meanwhile, using tongs, hold tortillas over a gas flame until lightly toasted, about 30 seconds per side (or wrap stacked tortillas in damp paper towels, and microwave on high until warm and soft, about 1 minute). To assemble, fill tortillas with fish, jalapano/greens salad and avocado; top with salsa verde and fold.

- recipe adapted from Martha Stewart