SALAD

I do have not many Mexican recipes in my repertoire and quite frankly I am a bit cautious of cooking authentic Mexican food. I know we can all make fajitas and quesidillas, but these Tex Mex recipes does for Mexican cooking  what Sweet and Sour Pork does for Chinese cooking. I have never been to Mexico, but I wonder if the average Mexican ever sees a quesidilla on his or her plate. With this recipe, I wanted to use typical Mexican flavors and cook something that I think Mexican people eat everyday, I hope I have succeeded!
I am helping out at my husbands factory at the moment so arriving home at about 4pm after I have collected the children from school, is something that I haven't done in years so let's just say I am a bit rusted. To still cook, catch the best of the natural light for a photo and serve dinner at 6, is quite a juggling act. Let's not forget that homework has to be done in between. All this is teaching me to think on my feet and maybe it is the best thing that has ever happened to me, because My Easy Cooking is a site for the regular mom and this is what regular moms do all the time. Quick and Easy recipes are what we need and hopefully you will get to see a whole lot more of them in the future!

I had some beautiful fresh hake that I wanted to use, but I have done Beer Battered Fish, grilled fish, made fish cakes, baked it and pan fried it, so this time I wanted something different, something zingy and packed with flavor......something Mexican.

Mexican Fish and Bean Salsa

4-6 portions of hake
vegetable oil
flour
salt and pepper

Ingredients for a rub

2 tsp fine cumin
2 tsp fine coriander
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp dry coriander
½ tsp smoked paprika
2 Tbs Onion Powder
2 Tbs Garlic Powder
about ½ cup of cooking oil

Mix all the ingredients for the rub.
Season your fish well with salt and pepper. Take the rub and cover each fish portion with a nice coating of the rub. Leave on a plate so that the flavors have a chance to infuse into the fish. About 10 minutes will do.
Place some cake flour in a plate and drench the portions of fish, making sure that it is coated well. Heat some oil in a pan and fry the fish( skin side first) until it is perfectly cooked. Keep warm.

Bean Salsa

1 x 410gr tin of beans - I use 4 bean mix
1 x 410gr tin of corn kernels (of fresh of you have)
½ a red pepper
½ green pepper
½ yellow pepper
a red chili
1 green chili
1 small red onion
pitted olives(optional)
1 or two ripe avocados
3 tbsp olive oil
juice and zest of 1 lime
fresh coriander - chopped
1tsp cumin seeds
salt/pepper
about 1 tsp sugar
1-2 tbsp red wine vinegar

Pour the tin of beans into a sieve and wash under cold water. Strain the corn and place in a glass bowl with the beans. Finely chop the peppers, onion and chillies and add to the beans and corn. Add the lime juice and zest, the olives(if used), salt, pepper, sugar, cumin and vinegar and mix. Taste and adjust to your own liking.Just before serving, scoop spoonfuls of the avocado, drizzle with lime juice and serve with the salsa.