By My week with the kids. The kids settled into school. Aiden brought home a math test with a 96 on it. Zaria brought home a drawing she'd made of "my family" that featured: me, her, Aiden, Cheryl, Ronald, Brianna, Brianna's mother Gloria (drawn smaller), and the cat Brianna had recently gotten (named Pickles, drawn larger than Gloria). She did not include Marc. She'd never met him.
Wednesday Aiden's basketball season started — fall league, third-grade division. I'm coaching again. Practice was 5:30 to 6:30. We worked on dribbling drills. Aiden's left hand has gotten significantly better — six months of me drilling him on it. He can go left, dribble between his legs to the right, and finish either hand at the rim.
Friday I had a smaller catering job. Saturday Aiden had a basketball game; we won. Sunday at Mama's, she made fried fish — perch and tilapia, both. Pop ate both kinds. Cheryl let him.
Sunday at Mama’s reminded me why fried fish is the meal that holds everything together — Pop eating both the perch and the tilapia, Cheryl letting him, Aiden still buzzing from the win. I wanted to carry that same feeling into my own kitchen but build something a little different with the tilapia, something the kids could pick up and eat with their hands after a long week of school and basketball. These tostadas hit that same warm, crispy note Mama always lands, just with a little crunch and some fresh toppings to make it mine.
Tilapia Tostadas
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 27 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs tilapia fillets, cut into strips
- 8 tostada shells
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup shredded green cabbage
- 1/2 cup pico de gallo
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- Fresh cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Season the fish. Pat tilapia strips dry with paper towels. In a shallow bowl, combine flour, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Dredge each tilapia strip in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess.
- Pan-fry the tilapia. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the tilapia strips 2–3 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Warm the tostada shells. If desired, warm tostada shells in a 350°F oven for 3–4 minutes until crisp and heated through.
- Assemble the tostadas. Spread a thin layer of sour cream on each tostada shell. Top with shredded cabbage, tilapia strips, and a spoonful of pico de gallo.
- Garnish and serve. Finish with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve immediately while the tostada shells are crisp.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 380 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 32g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 520mg