This recipe is adapted (barely) from one of my favourite new cookbooks Thug Kitchen. I love every recipe in this book and have been obsessively cooking and eating my way through it.

• 2 cups wild rice blend or brown rice
• 2 tsp safflower oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tbsp fresh grated ginger
• 1/2 cup green chilies, diced. Can use canned or fresh
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1 ripe mango, in bite sized pieces
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• zest and juice of 1 lime
• fresh cilantro to top

Rinse the rice. In a medium pot heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until tender about 3 minutes. Stir in the ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes, keep stirring every so often. Add the coconut milk, broth, salt, and chili powder. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer. Give another quick stir then cover and reduce heat to low (you want it to be at a low simmer) cook for 30-40 minutes or until most of the liquid has absorbed. When the rice has finished coking fold in the chillies, beans, mango, lime zest and juice. Let it all cook for another minute then serve topped with cilantro….and maybe a little sriracha.

Where’s the meat? If you are one of those people who don’t think dinner is complete without some meat, this dish would be great paired with chicken or a white fish such as tilapia, halibut, hake, haddock, sole, cod or flounder

I know this isn’t technically a taco buuut it is a taco bowl! It’s a fresh and  yummy way to get your taco fix without binging out on tacos.

serves 4

FISH

• 2 pounds of white fish –  halibut, haddock, sole, flounder or tilapia
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1 lime, zest and juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• safflower oil, for frying

To make the fish: Preheat a large cast iron skillet ( or any heavy pan ) over medium-high heat. In a shallow bowl mix together the flour, spices and zest. Dredge the fish in the flour mixture until evenly coated. Pour enough oil in the skillet to evenly coat the bottom. Cook fish in two batches adding more oil if needed. Make sure the pan is still sizzling; if not, turn the heat up a little. Cook for a few minutes or until the bottom of the fish is golden brown. Carefully flip. Cook for a few more minutes then add 1/2 the lime juice. Remove from skillet and set aside. Repeat.

CREAMY CHIPOTLE DRESSING

• 1 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup vegenaise or mayonnaise
• 1-2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, if you can’t handle the heat make sure to remove the seeds. If you like heat feel free to add a little more!
• pinch of salt

To make the dressing: toss all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until fully mixed. Set aside.

SALAD

• 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
• 2 ripe avocado
• 3/4 cup black beans, strained and rinsed
• 2 tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup red cabbage, shredded
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 1 handful of lettuce per bowl
• cilantro for topping

To serve: Fill four bowls with corn, avocado, black beans, tomato, cabbage, red pepper, onion and lettuce. Top with fish and a generous drizzle of creamy chipotle dressing . Sprinkle with cilantro. Enjoy!

Want to mix it up a bit? Try adding any of the following to your taco bowl -

• Mexican rice
• shredded cheese
• chopped pineapple or mango
• chicken instead of fish
• fresh or picked jalapeno
• crispy tortilla strips like in this recipe

These are so yummy and so easy. I LOVE them as is or you can add a little meat for the carnivores at the table. I have made them with sausage and the last time I made them I added some fish and they were devoured ( one very hungry man ate about 8 of them ). I had to stop myself at 3 but if it wasn’t for being uncomfortably full I would have kept going and going.

• 2 sweet potatos, washed and cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 large cooking onion, diced
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• pickled jalapeno peppers
• corn tortillas
• cilantro
• plain lowfat yogurt
• hot sauce
• *optional: avocado, cheese, chopped red and green peppers, lettuce, salsa

taco seasoning

• 2 tbsp chipotle chili powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp  black pepper

-mix together and store in an air tight container.

Preheat the oven to 400. Wash and cut the potatoes into bite sized pieces. chop the onion. drain and rinse the beans. Dump the potato, onion and beans into a large bowl with a tight fitting lid. Add 3 tbsp of the taco seasoning and 1 tbsp olive oil. put the lid on the bowl and shake, shake, shake until everything is mixed together nicely.

spread the contents of the bowl in a large baking sheet ( or 2 if needed ) and bake for aproximately 35 min, turning half way through. remove from oven and set aside.

warm the tortillas for a couple of min in the oven.

To serve top tortillas with yogurt, black bean and sweet potato mix, jalapano peppers and some fresh cilantro…for those of you that like the heat I like a little drizzle of sriracha hot sauce to finish it off. Enjoy!