This post is about tailgating, not bad officiating.

Since this is not a sports blog, I won't mention the horrible call at the end of the first half that handed Notre Dame the victory over my beloved Yellow Jackets this Saturday. No, that would be off topic, and discussing how our upset was handed away by some terrible refs would not fit in with my little site.

Instead, I'll focus on our pre-game activities. Tailgating is almost the best part of attending a major sporting event, especially when the stupid Big 10 zebras call a ball down even when I could clearly tell that Calvin Johnson came up with an amazing catch (again). But I digress...

Since my buddy Lou treated me to 43 yard line seats, I decided to treat him to a delicious and healthy spread before the game. I've cooked lots and lots of chickens and brats this summer, but not a single grilled fish taco. As of Saturday, I evened the count.

The concept was simple. Armed with a portable grill, I put the hurt on a couple of slabs of mahi-mahi (left), a half pound of shrimp (right) and a couple of chunks of marinated chicken (center, for safety's sake).

Now I've had sauteed mahi here before, but grilling brings out the fish's texture and adds a delicious brown crust. For these morsels, I used Bobby Flay's recipe for fish taco marinade, substituting regular chili powder for his hoity-toity ancho chili powder and adding a few cloves of crushed garlic for some punch.

The shrimp were skewered (shell on) and tossed on until just pink. I intended to de-shell them after cooking and season them with a little Old Bay, but the natives were getting restless and wanted to eat. No patience.

I turned to some tried and true methods to round out the tacos. Low-fat tortillas tossed on the grill for a few sections form an awesome base, while shredded cabbage, low fat shredded cheese, a squeeze of lime and some freshly-made pico de gallo (recipe below) add the final strata of flavors to the party.

Batting second in the order, some black bean and corn salad (a staple in our household) complimented the nuevo-southwestern flavors nicely. Or would have - had I remembered to pack forks. Did I mention the salad keeps nicely, too?

It doesn't take a blind ref to see that this is a lot of food. I planned for feeding two, but accidently created a taco spread for a party of six. I guess a little of everything adds up to a lot of something. Fortunately, there were several extra alumni around to help us eat the feast.

Yep, no one left this football party upset. Especially the Fighting Irish.

Quick Pico de Gallo

3 Roma Tomatoes, diced
1 handful Red Onion, diced
1/2 Jalapeno, seeds removed and finely minced
2 cloves Garlic, smashed with a fork
1 handful Cilantro, chopped
Lime Juice
Hot Sauce

Combine first five ingredients. Add lime juice and hot sauce to taste. Serve immediately.

Makes approximately 2 cups. This is a point-free food, if eaten in reasonable quantities.

P.S. - I've taken a serious likening to Tabasco's Chipotle hot sauce - both because of its mild smoky flavor and because it's just plain fun to say chipotle.

P.P.S. - Two fish tacos are 8 points (3 pts-2 tortillas, 3 pts.-1/3 fillet of mahi or 6 shrimp, 2 pts./1/4 cup cheese). Obviously this will vary wildly according to what brands of ingredients you use and how much you use of them, so measure and adjust accordingly.