Healthy Fish Tacos With Buttermilk Avocado Puree

1 large Hass avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into eighths

⅓ cup buttermilk

2 cloves garlic, minced, divided

Zest and juice of 1 lime

Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

3 cups shredded Napa cabbage

1½ cups coarsely grated carrot

1 cup coarsely grated radishes

¼ cup white wine or cider vinegar

¼ teaspoon sugar, or to taste

Hot sauce, to taste

1 pound tilapia fillets, cut into 8 equal pieces

Whole-wheat flour, for coating the fish

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

8 six-inch corn tortillas

Sliced fresh jalapeño peppers, to serve

Chopped fresh cilantro, to serve

Heat the oven to 200 degrees.

In a food processor, combine the avocado, buttermilk, 1 clove of garlic, lime juice and salt and pepper. Purée until smooth, then set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the cabbage, remaining garlic, carrot, radishes, vinegar, sugar, lime zest and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper and toss well. Set aside.

Heat a heavy skillet (such as cast-iron or stainless steel, but not nonstick) over medium heat. One at a time, place the tortillas in the skillet and toast for about 30 seconds per side. As the tortillas are toasted, stack them on a sheet of foil. Wrap the foil around the tortillas, then place them in the oven to keep warm. Alternatively, the tortillas can be held with tongs and toasted directly over a gas burner for a few seconds per side.

In a pie plate or other wide, shallow bowl, combine about 1 cup of flour with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. One at a time, dredge each piece of fish through the flour until coated evenly. Shake off any excess.

In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat about 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high. Add half of the fish to the pan and cook, turning once, until golden and cooked through, about 3 minutes a side. Transfer to an oven-safe plate and set in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining oil and fish.

To serve, top each tortilla with a bit of the avocado purée, then a piece of fish. Drain the cabbage mixture, then mound some of that over each portion. Serve with jalapeño slices and cilantro on the side.

Serves four.

Nutrition values per serving: 500 calories, 22 g fat (3 g saturated), 51 g carbohydrates, 10 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 31 g protein, 60 mg cholesterol, 370 mg sodium.

Sara Moulton for The Associated Press