Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Low Maintenance Fish Tacos

In the frozen black heart of this year's winter, the Dr. and I went to Sarasota, FL for a much-needed break.


While there, we were definitely in "vacation-mode" and felt the freedom to eat out. a lot. :)  One of our favorite places to eat was Clayton's Siesta Grille.  We LOVED their Trout Almondine and Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos!

April/May is traditionally my "clean out the freezer" time of year so I can have ample space for summer & fall harvests.  In my quest to use everything up, I found some great Mahi Mahi filets from Trader Joe's and had a craving for some amazing fish tacos (even though I knew I couldn't quite recreate the unbelievable ones at Clayton's!), so after reading many recipes, I created my own low-maintenance version.

Fire up your grill and go make these!  You'll love them! :)

Mahi Mahi Tacos with Citrusy Cabbage, Avocado, & Mango
(could serve 4 adults)


ingredients:
4 mahi mahi filets (fresh or frozen, thawed)
salt & pepper
extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium avocadoes, diced
1 small onion, diced (use half if a bigger onion)
1 good sized mango, diced
1 small cabbage, chopped into thin shreds
1 orange
2 limes
1 bunch cilantro, leaves plucked
sour cream
corn OR flour tortillas (I used corn)

optional ingredients that would be awesome but I didn't use:
  • using finely chopped Chipotle peppers/dried powder to mix with the sour cream OR use a little Chipotle powder directly on the fish before grilling
  • minced jalapenos
  • diced tomatoes
  • drained & rinsed black beans
  • using purple onion OR scallions instead of yellow/white onion
  • pureeing tomatillos and garlic to mix with the sour cream for a festive crema
  • store-bought mango/pineapple/peach salsa (if you can't find a good mango OR just want a more low-maintenance option!)
  • diced peppers of any kind (from sweet bell to any chile... depending on how spicy you wanna be!)
  • using a store-bought coleslaw mix if you don't feel like chopping cabbage!
  • Clayton's serves their mahi tacos with feta cheese

directions:
Shred cabbage and place in bowl. Squeeze the juice from the orange and one of the limes onto the cabbage.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Stir together and let marinade for a bit.

Heat grill to high.  Coat fish fillets in a little bit of olive oil, and season well with salt and pepper (and Chipotle powder if using). Grill fish on a piece of foil for about 10-15 minutes, until white and firm.

Finely chop mango, avocadoes, and onion.  Pluck leaves from cilantro. 
*At this point, I squirted a few drops of lime juice on the avocado to prevent browning!

When Mahi Mahi is grilled completely, remove from grill and set aside to cool for just a minute.  Get tortillas ready-- warm them if desired on the grill for just a little bit! :)

Shred Mahi Mahi into bite-sized pieces. 

Serve tacos with the fish, citrus-infused shredded cabbage, and all the diced veggies & mango.  A dollop of sour cream and a few cilantro leaves make for the perfect finish!

Buon Appetito! :)

Monday, June 4, 2012

a much-needed break

ohhhhhh vacation.

*sigh*.

the Dr. and I were able to get away for a while last week; we had the most glorious time on our getaway in Saugatuck, Michigan.  enjoy these photos and start planning your own getaway *today*!  (we even got our B&B on a Groupon -- totally affordable!!!!) :)

walk/hiking along in Saugatuck Dunes State Park!
look how the trails are sandy!
after a 30-45 minute walk or so, up some pretty intense hills... you FINALLY get to the top of this sandy hill and it's like a choir sings, "Hallelujah!!!" and you see THIS.  lovely, lovely Lake Michigan and a wonderful sandy beach! :)

chillin' at the dunes! :)
all of the grass at the Dunes State Park was planted BY-HAND by Michigan State students, several years ago!  we learned that the grass is much of the reason that the dunes stay in place and don't shift around!!




Saugatuck is a center for all kinds of artists to do and sell their work!  there are beautiful things EVERYWHERE in the city!

see the large boat in the background? on the last day we were there, a large crowd of people was gathered simply to watch this boat get pulled out of the mud!  apparently it had been stuck all winter-- and a bunch of tugboats & the fire department and other crews were all there just to pull it out!! --and literally everyone came to watch! haha oh small town life! :)
our sweet little B&B - the Twin Gables Inn!
it was so WONDERFUL to watch a sunset with my love :)


what a wonderful time in Saugatuck!!!!  we praise God for the opportunity to get away and thank Him for all the much-needed time we had together. :)