Cod Tacos with Guacamole and Cotija Cheese

I realize that it’s been far too long since my last blog entry, and it’s entirely my fault. My original intention was to post an entry on Beef Enchiladas with Red Mole Sauce. However, when I prepared this recipe, the end result was a disgusting, abominable disaster. I’d never made mole sauce before, and I felt like being adventurous, so I attempted it. I won’t go into extreme detail about the numerous missteps, but I accidentally purchased the wrong peppers, and the recipes I was using as guides both seemed a little… off… So what came of my culinary adventure was a sauce that looked like something that should never be consumed by anything human that was also blow-your-head-off spicy and tasted like what I imagine you would get when mixing Drano with tomato paste and chicken by-product. Yeah.

Well, as a result of this lackluster kitchen endeavor, I now have a huge sack full of corn tortillas sitting in my refrigerator. So tonight I decided to put them to good use and prepared a favorite dish of mine.

Now, for this recipe, you can use any kind of fish you like. I happened to have cod on hand, as it was on sale. One reason I love to use seafood in Mexican-inspired dishes is that so often, Mexican food is considered to be greasy and heavy; however, using seafood provides a lighter twist, making the food more refreshing, I think.

First, let’s start with the guacamole. When it comes to my friends, I’m in the minority when it comes to guacamole (or avocados, in general). I adore it and could eat it by the bowlful. However, if you’re not a fan of the green stuff, this dish would be excellent with homemade salsa or pico de gallo (which I wish I’d thought of making, actually), or sautéed onions and peppers.

I’ve seen pretty elaborate guacamole recipes that incorporate tomatoes, onions, a variety of spices, and what-have-you. I prefer to keep it simple, a) because it’s easier, and b) I’d prefer to appreciate the delicate flavor of the avocado.

Guacamole

4 ripe avocados

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

1 tbs. lemon or lime juice

Cut the avocados in half, remove the pit, and scoop the “meat” out with a spoon into a large bowl. Once you have prepared all the avocados in this manner, incorporate your salt, pepper, and citrus juice. Mash the avocados with a fork until the mixture has reached the desired consistency.

That’s it. Seriously. You will rarely ever see me put something so simple on the blog. But man, it’s freakin’ good.

Now, onto the cod! 

Mexican-Spiced Cod

1 lb. cod filets*

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. cumin

¼ tsp. chili powder

1 tbs. olive oil

*When it comes to the cod filets, you may find that all you can locate are several smaller filets, while I ended up with a huge, honkin’ single filet that was over 1 lb. in weight. Whichever you have on hand is irrelevant. You’re going to be cutting up the cod for the tacos anyway, so don’t be overly concerned about presentation.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine all the spices, and reserve. Lay the cod filets on a greased baking sheet, and cover them liberally with the spice blend (preferably on both sides). Drizzle the cod with olive oil, and bake in the oven for around 20-25 minutes or until the fish is firm. (NOTE: If you’re using smaller, thinner filets, the cooking time will likely not be as long).

Remove the fish from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Consume as desired. (And in this case, we desire tacos).

I’m not going to patronize you by providing instructions on assembling tacos. You’re all adults; you know what to do. I used corn tortillas because that’s what I had on hand, but I suspect that flour tortillas would likely be tastier. But before we conclude, I do want to briefly explain the one ingredient that puts this recipe over-the-top: Cotija cheese.

If you’ve never had Cotija cheese before, think of it as somewhat of a Mexican version of feta. It has a similar flavor and consistency. It can be rather expensive, but because of its intense flavor, a little bit goes a LONG way, so you get your money’s worth. This cheese is great crumbled on top of any Mexican dish, and would even be delicious in a salad.

Aaaaaaaand time for the big reveal: 

(It's so pretty you almost don't want to eat it -- but you do anyway, because it's freakin' awesome, and we don't waste food around here.)

Pimento Cheese & Sausage Pizza

I grew up adamantly disgusted by pimento cheese. This bland-yet-salty neon orange concoction always perplexed me, and I never could figure out why it was considered a Southern culinary staple. It wasn't until years later that I realized that the kind of pimento cheese one typically finds in the dairy case at the grocery store isn't honest-to-God pimento cheese. In actuality, it's little more than cottage cheese pumped full of food coloring and chemicals. Seriously, have you ever looked at the ingredients list on the side of a container of store-bought pimento cheese? It's a mile long! That's pretty scary for something so seemingly innocuous. 

I can't remember when I tried authentic pimento cheese as an adult, but it was truly love at first bite. When visiting my pal Thee in Atlanta, I noticed that pimento cheese had thoroughly permeated hipster-foodie culture, which was something that fascinated me (...because I'm weird like that...). I began to sample different varieties and eventually concocted my own recipe, which, to be frank, has become my favorite. I think the flavors are well-balanced, and the consistency is rich and creamy, as it should be. 

Remember a few blog entries ago when I did the write-up about the frozen red peppers? This was one of those instances I was glad to have those on hand, as they are certainly a necessary component to this recipe. "But wait, hold up!" you may be thinking. "I thought you had to use pimento peppers!" OK, you got me there. However, I do have a reason for using basic red bell peppers. First and foremost, I don't like to use the jarred pimento peppers, because I find them very bland and weak in flavor. Fresh peppers have significantly more flavor. Also, fresh pimento peppers can be pretty difficult to track down, unless you live near a fantastic farmers' market or grow them yourself. Therefore, I opt for red bell peppers. Honestly, the flavor is nearly identical, so don't make a big deal over it, for pete's sake. 

Tyler's Pimento Cheese

1 red bell pepper, diced 

1/2 cup cream cheese

1/2 cup mayonnaise* 

2 cups grated cheddar cheese*

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Dash of hot sauce*

*For the mayonnaise, I always use olive oil-based, just because it's my personal preference. However, let me assure you that for a recipe like this one, the olive oil-based variety makes a world of difference in the overall flavor. 

*You can use any variety of cheddar you like, but if you want real "old school" pimento cheese, I'd go with sharp cheddar. 

*Even if you have an aversion to spicy food, just trust me on this one. There's absolutely no heat present once the hot sauce is incorporated (thanks to the gratuitous amount of dairy in the recipe), and it definitely enhances the overall flavor.

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and blend together until you get something that looks somewhat like this: 

 (As Giada de Laurentiis would say, "Isn't it PREETTY?")

Now my favorite way to consume this treat is simply smeared on two slices of bread and topped with slices of freshly-picked tomato, or on a warm, fluffy biscuit with deli-sliced ham, or on a grilled burger with sliced dill pickles and onion... and I could keep on going, but I'm going to stop there... 

However, you can eat it any way you want. It's great as a basic appetizer with crackers and veggie sticks, or as a condiment for sandwiches, hot dogs, or burgers. It's your call. 

But tonight, I was in the mood to make homemade pizza, something I haven't done in quite a while. I adore homemade pizza because you can customize it in any way you like and make whatever insane creation you desire! My favorites that I've made previously are my Japanese-style chicken curry pizza, and my butternut squash + sausage + mozzarella + parmesan + garlic oil pizza that I make every autumn. 

Now, I've never seen a pimento cheese pizza, but being a lover of this Southern delicacy, I figured that it should most definitely be "a thing." So I concocted my pimento cheese and sausage pizza. And man, it was AWESOME. It's very rich, so be warned, it may not be for the faint of heart, but if you want a pizza that's truly Southern to the core, you'll definitely want to try this one! 

As far as the crust is concerned, I always make mine from scratch, because I hate the store-bought variety, and the recipe I use always makes the most delicious crust. If you want to use store-bought, go right ahead... don't let me stop you... wuss... But if you'd like to give the homemade variety a go, I promise you, it's not as difficult as you may think, and it's worth the effort you put into it. I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com, and it has never once failed me. 

Quick & Easy Pizza Crust 

1 .25 oz. packet of active dry yeast

1 tsp. sugar

1 cup warm water

2 1/2 cups bread flour*

2 tbs. olive oil

1 tsp. salt 

*Sorry guys, but you really have to use bread flour (not all-purpose) for this recipe.

Combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water in a bowl, and stir until the dry ingredients have dissolved. Let stand for 10 minutes. 

Combine the flour, salt, and oil in a separate bowl, and then add the liquid mixture, and blend together until a smooth dough forms. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes. After it has rested, spread the dough out on a greased baking sheet. 

And now, for the pizza itself! 

Pimento Cheese & Sausage Pizza

Prepared pimento cheese (see recipe)

Prepared crust (see recipe) 

1 lb. package ground sausage 

2 cloves garlic, minced*

*You can leave the garlic out if you wish, as it's certainly not essential to the recipe, but the flavor really puts this pizza over the top! If you don't have fresh garlic, just nix it altogether, as garlic powder just doesn't have the same effect as fresh garlic. 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brown the ground sausage in a skillet, and once it is thoroughly cooked-through, allow it to drain, removing the excess grease -- (I just pour it onto a plate covered in paper towels, but feel free to use a strainer or colander). Once the grease has been drained off, pour the crumbled sausage directly onto the prepared pizza crust. Then, sprinkle the minced garlic over the sausage. Finally, add your pimento cheese mixture to the top. The mixture will be thick and difficult to spread over the sausage, so just try to dollop it evenly over the pizza. 

Bake the pizza for around 10-15 minutes or until the edge of the crust has browned and the cheese has melted. Allow the pizza to cool for at least 5 minutes (so you don't end up with a big, gooey mess), cut, and serve. 

And behold, the finished product: 

(LOOK AT IT. LOOK AT IT AND BEHOLD ITS MAGNIFICENT GLORY.)

For variations on this pizza, if you're not such a fan of the sausage, this would be great with salami, chopped ham, or crumbled bacon on top of the cheese. If you're feeling guilty about consuming something so rich, some wilted spinach on top would likely be pretty delicious. Also, a layer of scrambled eggs between the cheese and sausage would make this a fantastic breakfast pizza!