Tex-Mex Fish and Corn Chili

Down on the Gulf, chili doesn't have to mean beef — and this bright, quick fish chili makes the case. Flaky white fish (tilapia and mahi-mahi both shine) goes into a tomato base lively with jalapeño and sweet with fire-roasted corn, then gets a big squeeze of lime to pull it all taut. It cooks fast — the fish needs only minutes — so it's a genuine weeknight option, and it eats light and fresh where a beef chili sits heavy. Think of it as a chili with the soul of a fish taco: bright, a little spicy, and made for a scatter of cilantro and cool avocado on top.

Lime and avocado are essential — the acid and the cool fat balance the bright heat. Warm corn tortillas turn it into a taco-bar situation.

Any firm white fish works (cod, snapper, halibut); shrimp is a great swap or addition. Add the fish at the very end so it stays in tender flakes rather than cooking to cotton.