We love eating tacos and they usually show up at least once a week at our house. If there is any leftover protein such as fish or chicken, as well as tortillas, there will most likely be tacos on the table for dinner. This week has been cleaning out the fridge and freezer as we are getting ready to leave for a couple of weeks. What I found in the freezer was corn tortillas, some snapper along with chipotle peppers. I had some leftover chickpeas, a small cabbage, red onion and sour cream. It was a no-brainer to make this recipe for Snapper Tacos with Refried ChickPeas.
The snapper is seasoned with some cumin seeds, sea salt and black pepper, then quickly grilled until charred and crispy on the outside. While the fish was grilling, I created a chiptole sour cream sauce as well as a slaw out of the cabbage, red onion and a little rice vinegar. I find rice vinegar cleanser and less complicated for tacos.
Last minute I used the chick peas and made a refried mash with them. I used my go-to refried bean recipe but substituted chickpeas for the pinto beans.
Was definitely a great little taco!
Recipe: Snapper Tacos with Refried Chick Peas
Ingredients:
- 1/2 lb snapper, cleaned and patted dry
- 3 teaspoons cumin seeds
- sea salt, to taste
- fresh cracked pepper, to taste
- 1 can chickpeas
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 red chili, minced
- 1 glove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- sprinkle of rice vinegar
- sprinkle of canola oil
- sea salt to taste
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 chipotle pepper, minced
- tortillas
How To:
- Heat the grill.
- While the grill is heating, season the fish with cumin, salt and pepper, set aside until ready to grill.
- Heat olive oil in a frying pan, add the chickpeas with liquid, chili and garlic, bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer.
- Stirring occasionally and gently mashing when doing so. Once the chick peas are soft and liquid is almost gone, about 15 minutes, turn off the heat and mash to the consistency that you prefer. I like to have a few whole beans just left, on the rather rough side. Then add the butter and bring up the heat to medium and heat through while stirring.
- While the beans are cooking you can make chipotle cream by combining the sour cream with chipotles, set aside.
- To make the slaw combine the cabbage, red onion, rice vinegar, canola oil and salt, set aside.
- After you have grilled the fish, you are ready to put together your taco.
- Warm a tortilla on the stove top, lay on a plate, put a small layer of the chick peas, top with the fish, the slaw and then the chipotle creme.
- Serve.
- Eat.
Tim T
Sunday 1st of May 2011
I made this with tilapa. Instead of shredded cabbage, I used some fresh greens from my garden. I plated the refries on home made fresh sourdough, topped with grilled fish and greens tossed in a chipolte vinaigrette :) I liked the idea of a cumin rub, I've never seen such a simple and delicious one!
BigGirlPhoebz
Thursday 10th of September 2009
Fish tacos are my absolute favorite. I usually cave for the more sinful baja fish tacos (like these https://tinyurl.com/mt3o9n), but the grilled snapper looks like such a wonderful light alternative, I might for once put down the panko and set aside my fryer. Either way, I think cabbage makes these tacos!
Thanks!
Alta
Sunday 2nd of August 2009
Yum! Love me some fish tacos. These sound good!
My Food and Life Encounters
Saturday 1st of August 2009
Wow...You had me at Snapper Tacos.
I have Fish tacos using Tempura fried Tilipia...But this looks so incredible.
Refried chickpeas adds that perfect touch.
Jacqueline Church
Friday 31st of July 2009
I LOVE Fish tacos, they're hard to find out here. Let's start a sustainable fish taco truck --! here's a link to the 2008 Teach a Man to Fish Resource Guide including the how to talk to your fishmonger guide from Lia Huber.
I can't rely on my fishmonger at Whole Foods here and often others are stocked with bad choices. There are a couple fishmongers here who care and it's on us to tell the others that we want sustainable seafood. They want our business, after all!
I love the cumin in this recipe, too. I think that's what's missing a lot of the time.
Cheers, Jackie