Supercharged Fish Tortillas

If you’ve already picked up a copy of my latest book, Supercharge Your Life, you’ll know all there is to know about my food philosophy and the seven keystones of life.

If you’re yet to pick up your own copy, or need a refresher, pop on the kettle, grab your notebook and be prepared for a class that may just change the way you look at the world and more importantly, the way you look at fish tortillas!.

While some of us may eat just to merely exist, I believe food shouldn’t be a mundane and repetitive ritual. Eating is such a central practice in the lives of all humans, including you and me. The way we interact with food and value it has the ability to affect our lives and futures. That’s a lot of pressure on making a piece of smashed avo, right?

Just like writing a book, practicing for a triathlon or baking a triple-layer chocolate cake covered in fondant, I've found the best way to approach life is to break it down into manageable parts. This is where the seven keystones come into play. At number one, and right in the centre, is love. Turns out they were onto something in Love Actually – love is really all around!

But there’s something else that magically weaves its way through our hearts and brings us together to connect us all.

Any guesses?

Food. Always food.

Food reaches into our home and family, friends and community, careers and passions, our spirituality, finances, health and longevity. Food is at the heart of everything, and while there are seven keystones of life, I want to talk about the first two through the lens of a food-lover.

When it comes down to it, our home and family are usually one of, if not, the most important aspect of our lives. If we think back to many centuries ago, ye olde kitchen was regarded as the heart of the home and the family.

Sadly, in our fast-paced modern society, food has almost become an inconvenience. It’s a necessity, rather than a joy and privilege that brings the home together.

Mealtimes around the table at home, whether with friends, families, loved ones, babies and fur babies alike, or even just yourself, are where both physical and emotional nourishment begins. By embracing self leadership and a love of quality food, we can have a profound impact on ourselves and our families and use that power to radiate out into the world. I wasn’t kidding when I said food is at the heart of the home!

While we can’t always pick our family, we can pick our friends. Celebrations of life are often centred around food and drinks with friends and the community. Whether it’s catching up with a friend for coffee (or a chai!), going for a wine after work or sharing a holiday meal around the festive times of the year, socialising is always connected to drinking and eating. Cooking meals is a practical way of showing love, care and support to friends in need. Food can very simply bond people together and foster a strong sense of belonging.

If you’re looking to nurture these two keystones – Home and Family; Friends and Community, why not organise a hearty, wholesome and energising lunch or dinner for no other reason than to enjoy each other’s company and life’s greatest pleasure?

Speaking of lunch and dinner... are you ready to break down THAT wall and cultivate the perfect menu? If so, grab your sombrero, practice your salsa (or, if you’ve got two left feet, just eat it instead…)  and prepare a Mexican feast like no other!

I have plenty of wholesome and hearty Mexican recipes on my blog including this Mexican Beef Stew here or free-spirited nachos here, but if you’re looking for some new inspiration, my fresh fish tortillas from Supercharge Your Life are one to add to the list.

One of my resolutions this year was actually to include more fish into my diet because of how good it is for you. It’s one of the best foods you can eat for your heart and is packed full of Omega-3 essential fatty-acids, vitamin D and protein, making it a family-friendly protein that supports bone growth, immunity, eye health and more.

Fish tortillas are one of the most underrated Mexican dishes of all time. Instead of your regular takeaway Mexican joint that deep fries fish and leaves your skin feeling oily and your tummy doing backflips, this dish is shallow-fried in a pan.

I’ve added some magical herbs to the mix because no tortilla is complete without flavour. While coriander is a star in this dish, I just want to take a second to appreciate mint for what it is. The leaves of this surprisingly versatile and intensely flavoured herb have a warm, fresh, aromatic, sweet flavour with a cool aftertaste, making it perfect for fish tortillas.

Combine herbs with avocado (because, well… do you ever need an excuse to eat avocado?), lime zest for flavour and immune boosting properties and you’ve got one exquisitely-tasting and wholesome meal in a soft wrapping of a tortilla. It’s a dish I want the whole world to experience because I wholeheartedly believe that if we all had fish tortillas for dinner, the world would be a happier place. Amen.

While we did talk about the keystones of life, there are some important keystones to remember when tortilla-making … and by keystones, I mean just one singular keystone, and that is: don’t put too much filling in your tortilla otherwise you won’t be able to roll it properly. You’re welcome. And if you don't have time to make your own tortillas store bought ones would work too. 

While you may have thought fish tortillas were a messy and unhealthy affair, this dish is anything but. My Supercharged Fish Tortillas are the perfect meal to create when you can’t think of anything else to make. Whenever I make them, I always remind myself to make them more often because they’re so simple, quick, fresh and tasty. They’re that dish.

Create them with love and then try them out for yourself with your family and home, friends and community to share the love around!

Supercharged Fish Tortillas

Makes 4

Ingredients:

• 4 firm white fish fillets
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 avocado, peeled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 100 g (31/2 oz/2 3/4 tightly packed cups) rocket (arugula) or baby lettuce
• 2 ripe tomatoes chopped

Dressing

• 1 red onion, finely diced
• 1 mango, peeled and diced
• Handful of coriander (cilantro) leaves, chopped (optional)
• good handful mint leaves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 long red chilli, seeded and chopped (optional)

Tortillas

• 175 g (6 oz/11/3 cups) tapioca flour
• 330 ml (111/4 fl oz/11/3 cups) coconut milk
• 1 egg
• pinch of sea salt 80 g (23/4oz) butter

Method:

Season the fish with salt and pepper and splash half the lemon juice over the top. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, mash the avocado, adding the remaining lemon juice to taste to stop it turning brown.

To make the dressing, mix all the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for a little for the flavours to develop.

To make the tortillas, combine all the ingredients except the butter in a medium bowl, mixing well. Heat one-quarter of the butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Pour in 125 ml (4 fl oz/1/2 cup) of the mixture and swirl to cover the bottom of the pan. After 2–3 minutes, carefully turn over and brown the other side. Repeat with the remaining butter and tortilla mixture.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the fish for 3 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate and flake into large chunks.

To assemble, spread avocado on each tortilla, then add rocket and tomato, and top with fish pieces. Spoon the dressing over and then serve immediately.