The Feed the Fussy Cookbook is special because the recipes are all “normal”, i.e. for omnivores, but each one tells you how to easily substitute to make it suitable for a vegetarian, vegan, coeliac or lactose intolerant person. Here’s a taster…

  • Coeliac – rice flour instead of flour or all corn meal, be sure you’re using corn tortillas
  • Lactose Intolerant – soy cream instead of sour cream
  • Vegetarian – polenta instead of fish
  • Vegan – polenta instead of fish, soy cream instead of sour cream

Makes enough for 4

Ingredients:
400g/14oz white fish (cod or similar) cut into 4cm/1in squares
125g/1c flour
125g/1c corn meal (can use all flour)
330ml/11oz lager
pinch of salt
1/4 litre/quart oil
1/2 red cabbage grated 2⁄3c/150ml sour cream
10 tablespoons lime juice
1 can black beans rinsed
2 avocados peeled & cubed
1 mango peeled, cored and cubed 2 medium tomatoes cubed
1 medium red onion minced
1 chilli minced
2 handfuls torn coriander
12 corn tortillas
pinch cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt

First, in a small bowl mix the sour cream/soy cream, cayenne pepper and 3 tablespoons lime juice. Mix into the cabbage and leave on the table. I tend to only add a little to the cabbage and leave a bowl of the sour cream mixture on the table so people can add more if they like.

For the salsa mixture put the beans, avocado, mango, tomato, onion, chilli, coriander, salt and lime juice in a large bowl. Mix it together and leave on the table.

If you are making polenta do that first. Either follow the directions on the packet to make your own or cut 5cm/1in chunks from a pre-cooked pack. Cook on a greased pan under the grill until brown, turn to brown the other side.

To make the batter, gently mix the flour, corn meal, beer & salt in a large bowl. Heat the oil on medium heat in a wok or deep pan. Once the oil is hot, coat each piece of fish in batter and lower gently into the oil. Fry until brown, turning if necessary. Leave to dry on kitchen roll to soak up some oil.

Separate the tortillas and warm in a dry pan on low heat.

Serve all the bits separately on the table and let everyone make their own.

My preferred taco building order is cabbage, then fish/polenta, then the salsa mixture on top.

The above image is reproduced with the permission of (c) Jenny Langridge. Buy the cookbook here.