fish and shrimp soft tacos

Mexican food is one of my favorite cuisines because of the flavors that come from all the spices they use. And one of my life goals is to be able to make decent Mexican food -- and I'm nowhere close to achieving that goal. Recently I found a Mexican/Latino market near my place and the people there are so friendly! I bought couple of interesting ingredients to try out. Tacos turned out good, but I will have to study taco recipes more to achieve the authentic taste. But for now, this recipe is good enough for our little family. :)

Ingredients:

Shrimp - 8-10 medium
Salmon - 1 fillet

[Marinade for shrimp and salmon]
Lemon juice - 1 TBS
Carne Asada seasoning - generous amount all around (about 2-4 TBS)

Blue corn tortillas - however much you want
Black beans - 1 can (drained)
Corn - 1 can (drained)
Salsa - store bought or see easy salsa recipe, click here
Lettuce - 1 head (thin slices)
Mexican cheese mix - 1/2 to 1 cup

[Dressing - another version similar to Cafe Rio salad dressing] **see TIPS
Tomatillos - 2 (seeded & chopped)
Jalapeno - 1 (seeded & chopped)
Ranch dressing mix (dry) - 1 packet
Milk - 2 cups
Sour cream - 1/2 cup to 1 cup (depending on how thick you want your dressing to be)
Sugar - 1/2 TBS
Lemon juice - 1/2 TBS

It says it's for meat, but it works for seafood, too!

Prep:

1. Make the dressing beforehand (overnight will be ideal, but 2-3 hours in fridge will do just fine). Mix all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to airtight container and keep it in the fridge.
2. Marinade shrimp and salmon with the seasoning and lemon juice. Set it aside for at least 30 minutes. 
3. Prepare salsa according to the recipe
4. Cut lettuce, wash twice in cold water, pat dry and keep them in the fridge. 

Marinade shrimp and salmon

Cook:

1. Mix black beans and corn together 
2. Preheat the oven to 300 F.
3. In a frying pan, heat 1 TBS (for non-stick pan or 2 TBS for stainless steel) of olive oil under medium heat. Fry marinated salmon fillet for about 3-4 minutes. Check to make sure it's not burnt. Turn to the other side. Add in shrimp and cook for 3-4 minutes. 
4. Transfer the salmon and shrimp into a oven-safe dish/plate. TURN OFF the oven. Cover the shrimp and salmon with aluminum foil. Leave in the warm oven until ready to serve (about 15-20 minutes) Take it out and cut salmon into bite size pieces.
5. [Warm up tortillas] For 6 tortillas, prepare 6 pieces of wet paper towel. Line each tortilla with a wet towel (the paper towel shouldn't be drench wet). The top should be covered by paper towel. Heat in the microwave for 45 seconds. Serve immediately. 

Cover in aluminum foil - you can poke some holes on top if you want

Serve:

1. Items on the table: 1) Tortilla, 2) Salsa, 3) Lettuce, 4) Beans & corn, 5) Shrimp & salmon, 6) Dressing and 7) Cheese. 
2. You can top your tortilla with anything you like - it's your soft taco!
3. It went really well with the corn potato bacon soup we made.

TIPS 

• No time to make dressing? Just use American mayonnaise. The sweetness of mayonnaise goes perfectly with the tacos!