Vegetarian Fish Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Slaw and Creamy Avocado Sauce (featuring Gardein!)

"That title doesn't read quite right, does it? Vegetarian fish tacos? Heather, what are you talking about?" I hope those are things you thought when you stumbled upon this post. I have been craving fish something fierce this Summer, which is odd because I haven't eaten meat in almost 8 years and I really wasn't crazy about it when I did. But, alas, here I am; ready to sacrifice all that time for a few bites of lemon-pepper salmon or a spicy tuna roll. OH MY. But, anyways, now I can enjoy "faux-fish" with Gardein. 

I discovered Gardein a few years into being meat-free, and was instantly hooked! A lot of meat substitutes can have a weird, goopy texture that is not appealing to anyone, but Gardein really gets it right. I'm a huge fan of their mandarin "chik'n" and their scallopini fillets. When I learned that they had a fish substitute, I knew I had to give it a shot. The fish is in breaded form, so I thought they would be perfect for fish tacos. And, I don't mean to brag, but I WAS RIGHT. Oh, man. These were good. Here's the scoop;

Cook the Gardein Fishless Fillets according to package directions. To prepare your slaw, thinly slice half of a red cabbage and half of a green cabbage. Chop 1/2 cup of cilantro and half of one red onion, and add them to the cabbage, along with the juice of one lime. Add salt and pepper to taste, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in the fridge.  Next is the sauce! Cut open and remove the pit from a ripened avocado, and scoop the insides from both halves into your food processor. Add in a 1/2 cup of sour cream, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, the juice of one lime, and half of a diced jalapeno. I removed the seeds from my jalapeno for a mild flavor, but you can leave them in or add the entire pepper for more heat! Pulse the mixture until it is smooth and creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

I wrapped a few corn and flour tortillas in aluminum foil, and put them in the oven during the last two minutes of the fish-less fillets cooking to soften and warm them through. Then you just assemble, and eat! In addition to the slaw and sauce, I added crumbled queso fresco and cilantro. This was such a nice Summer meal; light and fresh. The fillets turned out a lot better than I was originally expecting. They were crunchy on the outside and tasted great. Different from the real thing, but certainly a nice alternative!

The world of vegetarian cooking is far beyond salads and tofu, and I think Gardein and other brands like it are making it more fun. I obviously don't eat these substitutes everyday since some of them are GMO or high in sodium, but they're great for adding variety and re-making classic dishes. It's cool to be able to enjoy dishes I'd otherwise miss out on by not being vegetarian-friendly. So, yeah! Moral of the story: tacos rule. 

-Heather

(Recipe adapted from here.)