Frederic Cone

Although my team the Seattle Seahawks were knocked out of Super Bowl contention by the Chicago Bears, I still can’t wait to watch the Super Bowl on Feb. 6 and see if my other favorite team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, can win against the Green Bay Packers.

Every year on Super Bowl Sunday, my friends and I get together to eat massive amounts of food and enjoy the game.

Being a former professional chef, most of the menu selection and food preparation gets handed off to me, which personally I really don’t mind.

For me, Super Bowl Sunday isn’t complete if there aren’t large platters of food you can gorge on throughout the game.

Many of you might have read my scathing (but fair) review of Weary Wil’s and the un-appetizing nachos they serve. So I thought for this tailgate edition of my food column I would offer up a recipe for some really good nachos served on actual tortilla chips.

My other recipe is for some really tasty fish tacos, which takes me back to my roots in Seattle where seafood was a staple of my family’s weekly menu.

I am sure these dishes will add an extra bit of enjoyment to your own Super Bowl party.

If any of you have any comments or questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]

Fish Tacos

Ingredients

Tacos

1 pound white flaky fish, such as cod or tilapia

1/4 cup canola oil

1 lime, juiced

1 tablespoon ancho chili powder

1 jalapeno, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

8 flour tortillas

Garnish

Shredded white cabbage

Hot sauce

Crema or sour cream

Thinly sliced red onion

Thinly sliced green onion

Chopped cilantro leaves

Pureed Tomato Salsa (recipe follows)

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Place fish in a medium size dish. Whisk together the oil, lime juice, ancho, jalapeno, and cilantro and pour over the fish. Let marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the fish from the marinade and place onto a hot grill, flesh side down. Grill the fish for 4 minutes on the first side and then flip for 30 seconds and remove.

Let rest for 5 minutes then flake the fish with a fork.

Place the tortillas on the grill and grill for 20 seconds. Divide the fish among the tortillas and garnish with any or all of the garnishes.

Real Kickin’ Nachos

Ingredients

1 large bag tortilla chips

1 can refried beans

1 pound pulled pork, shredded cooked beef, or shredded cooked chicken

1 1/2 cups grated pepper jack cheese

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar

3 jalapenos, thinly sliced or minced

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced (both green and white parts)

Guacamole, to taste

8 ounces sour cream

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 quart Homemade Salsa (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

On a large, ovenproof platter, spread out 1 layer of chips. Top the chips with 1/3 of the refried beans, 1/3 of the pulled pork and 1/3 of the cheeses, 1/3 of the jalapenos and 1/3 of the green onions. Add another layer of chips and repeat the process two more times. Bake in the oven 5-8 minutes, until the cheese melts and the nachos are warmed through. Garnish the nachos with dollops of guacamole, sour cream, Essence and cilantro.

Serve immediately with the Homemade Salsa.

Homemade Salsa

Ingredients

3 large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped

1/2 cup diced white onion

1/2 cup diced yellow bell pepper

1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and minced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 limes, zested and juiced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves

2 teaspoons hot sauce

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salt

Combine all ingredients, and refrigerate for at least half an hour before serving.