LETTUCE TACO CUPS W/ CHIPOTLE-SPICED WILD SALMON | dolly and oatmeal

hi friends, it’s been a while. before we get to our recipe i wanted to take a minute to let you know where my head and thoughts are at. we’re currently living through the largest civil rights moment of our lives, and since this blog, my recipes, and current events shape and inform my thinking, it’s necessary that i make a few comments here and how i am going to continue anti-racism work - In and off this platform. i started my blog years ago in hopes of creating community; a community that could share in conversations, in cooking together, in forging positivity and relationships. but i want to acknowledge that through my own ignorance and privilege, I didn’t create an inclusive community. i didn’t take an active role to diversify the blogs or cookbooks i read, or the social accounts i followed. i wasn’t an ally to the voices of the Black and POC community in this way. going forward that is changing.

typical content will continue here (however infrequent that is these days 🙃). but, know that I’m here to do long-term work and growth. i’m committed to doing better. with that, let’s get to our recipe.

there’s a local taco spot that frank and i love. they have legitimately gooood tacos. pre-COVID we would order them every weekend. since we love them so much, i made a riff of the ones i typically order. i swapped in some roasted wild salmon, added grilled avocado (grilling it is optional, but it adds a nice smoky flavor), pickled red onions, and some homemade chipotle cashew crema. while Mexican crema is typically made with sour cream, buttermilk or heavy cream, for a dairy-free version we use soaked cashews to achieve a similar texture. to flavor it, all we add is some fiery chipotle peppers in adobo ( jalapeños that have been smoke and dried and stored in an adobo sauce), a bit of acidity, salt, and some water. and bonus, it can made ahead of time so you’re not preparing everything on the same day. i love them in a lettuce cup situation, frank not so much. if you’re like him, grab yourself some tortillas and you’ll be good to go 😉

lettuce taco cups w/ chipotle-spiced wild salmon | gf/df

notes:

-i roasted the salmon here, but since it’s bbq season, grilling would also be a great way to prepare it. i would try to cook the filet whole, to avoid drying it out. let it cool for a few, then slice the filet into taco-sized pieces.

-if you don’t have salmon/don’t like it you could use halibut or shrimp as well

print the recipe!

| serves roughly 4-6 |

1 pound wild salmon filet
2 teaspoons avocado oil
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
salt, to taste
1 head bibb lettuce, leaves washed and pat dried (or gluten-free tortillas of choice)
1/2 cup chipotle cashew crema
lime juice

optional toppings:

grilled or sliced avocado
pickled red onions
chopped cilantro

method

preheat oven to 450°F. place the salmon skin side down in a large baking pan, drizzle the salmon with the avocado oil, chipotle powder, and season with salt. bake in the center of your oven for 15-20 minutes, until the salmon is cooked through. let the salmon sit until room temperature, about 30 minutes.
assemble the taco cups. place the bibb lettuce cups on a large platter. start by pulling or cutting 2-3-inch pieces of salmon and fitting them in the cups. add grilled or sliced avocado (if using), and pickled red onions (if using). drizzle with chipotle cashew crema, a squeeze of lime juice, and a pinch of salt. garnish with chopped cilantro (if using). eat immediately.