Baja Fish Tacos with Jugo De Sandia Y Sabila We Bring Nature Indoors Rev 06/07/19

Baja Fish Tacos with Jugo de Sandia y Sabila We Bring Nature Indoors Rev 06/07/19

Objective: Celebrate Baja California cuisine Herb : Aloe Vera

Background: The food scene of Baja California is having a moment. With a cuisine that reflects the unique cultural mix of the region as well as the ideal climate and resources, Baja restaurants are becoming a must-go destination for foodies. One of the most notable cuisines that has emerged from Baja California is Baja Mediterranean (Baja Med for short). Baja California’s Mediterranean climate allows the modern cooking of Baja to draw inspiration from the Mediterranean — artisanal cheeses, wine, hearty vegetables and of course, lots of fresh seafood. Baja Med cuisine combines the flavors of Mexican, Asian (in honor of the region’s large Chinese population, who first immigrated into Mexicali as railroad laborers) and Mediterranean cuisine. But despite all the current hype, the best- known dish to come out of Baja is the fish taco! Often touted as San Diego’s signature food, the fish taco actually has its origins south of the border. The original fish taco was made with shark meat, but today a Baja-style fish taco is going to be breaded or grilled flaky fish accompanied with fresh salsa, crema, and avocado wrapped in a warm tortilla. For an even more authentic Baja experience, serve your fish tacos with a summery Mexican juice that features watermelon and the Herb of the Month, Aloe Vera! Can’t get any more Baja than that!

Ingredients: For the Aloe Watermelon Juice:

• 4 cups fresh watermelon juice (about 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 pounds of watermelon, freshly juiced, no sugar added)

• 2 cups cold, filtered water • 1 fresh, whole aloe leaf, spikes and skin removed; aloe gel cut into one-inch cubes (You will only need 10-12 cubes for this recipe.)

For the Fish Tacos: • Vegetable oil, for frying • 1/4 red cabbage, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups) • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped • Juice of 1 lime, plus wedges for serving • 2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar • 1/2 cup mayonnaise • Kosher salt • 12 corn tortillas • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder • Freshly ground pepper • 1 1/4 pounds skinless halibut fillet, cut into 2-by-1/2-inch pieces • 1 Hass avocado • 1/2 cup fresh salsa

Directions: 1. Wash and dry the aloe leaf, then place it spike-side down on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut along the edges of the leaf to remove the spikes, and cut off the bottom and top of the leaf. This should expose the gel on all sides. 2. Run a sharp knife under the green skin on one side until you remove it completely. Be careful not to cut too much into the gel. If you notice that there’s any yellow ooze on the aloe gel from the skin, that’s aloe latex—which has laxative properties. You can wipe it off with a paper towel or rinse off with cool water. 3. Once you’ve removed the first side of skin, cut the gel into one-inch cubes. Edge the knife along the other side to remove the other green skin. Check for yellow aloe latex and remove or rinse it from any of your one-inch square pieces of aloe gel. 4. Juice fresh watermelon through a juicer until you have 4 cups of juice. If you use a blender, you'll need to add the watermelon and water to the blender, then strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove any pulp. Rinse the blender out before returning the filtered juice to blend with the aloe gel. 5. Add 4 cups fresh watermelon juice to blender with 2 cups cold, filtered water, and 10-12 one-inch aloe gel cubes. Blend on high until aloe gel is completely liquified. 6. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

7. For the fish tacos, heat about 3 inches of vegetable oil in a medium pot over medium-low heat for deep-frying the fish. 8. While waiting for the oil to heat up, toss the cabbage, cilantro, lime juice, honey and mayonnaise in a bowl. Season the slaw with salt. 9. Warm the tortillas in a skillet over medium-low heat or wrap in a damp cloth and microwave 25 seconds. Wrap in a towel to keep warm. 10. Mix the flour, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste in a shallow bowl. Dredge the fish in the flour mixture, then fry in batches until golden and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. 11. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Season with salt. 12. Halve, pit and slice the avocado. Fill the tortillas with the fish, avocado, slaw and salsa. 13. Serve with lime wedges.