Fish Tacos

Photo courtesy of allrecipes.com

So much better in theory than in practice. Don't get me wrong, they were good, but not as delicious as I was hoping. I followed the general recipe found here by Mabcat, but made a few tweaks of my own. Here's what I did (I've indicated my changes in green:

• Marinade
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• Juice of 2 limes
• 2 teaspoons lime zest
• 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay™
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sweet and spicy tabasco sauce
• 1 pound tilapia fillets, cut into chunks

• Dressing
• 1 (8 ounce) container light sour cream
• 2  tablespoons adobo sauce from chipotle peppers
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 teaspoons lime zest
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay™
• 1 persian cucumber diced
• salt and pepper to taste

• Toppings
• 1 (10 ounce) package tortillas
• 3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 handful cilantro, chopped
• pre-shredded lettuce
• 2 limes, cut in wedges

Basically, I didn't have time to marinate the fish the 6 hours called for in the recipe, so I just brushed it on top like a glaze. I broiled the fish instead of grilling it (because our grill is out of commission). I actually liked the way the fish tasted as is and would definitely make it like that again. The honey caramelized slightly on the top and was delicious.

It was the sauce I was not a fan of. I liked the addition of the cucumbers, as it added some crunch to the taco and it played well with the other flavors, but I feel like I didn't get enough flavor from this sauce. I know the original recipe called for 1/2 cup of the adobo sauce but that stuff is too spicy for me and I could only handle the 2 tablespoons worth of heat. I also felt like the was something missing in the flavor department. Like it was too blah for me. I think it could have done with some more lime and another flavor component, like garlic or onion to punch up the other flavors.

Overall, the meal was good (although next time I might use cod instead of tilapia) but sort of unsatisfying. I hate it when I have a fail in the kitchen, but thought I might see if anyone out there had an idea on how to fix the sauce without it burning my mouth (and my tummy) to shreds.

(I would still recommend trying the fish with the marinade as a glaze. Served with lemon risotto and some asparagus? Ummm, heck yes.)

The Pilot

Matt and I recently undertook a large item, both in our budget and our driveway. We've been looking into purchasing a larger vehicle with which to haul around future children and/or stuff. We knew we wanted an SUV, but didn't really know which one. Let me tell you that this is one you want:

Photo courtesy of automobiles.honda.com

The Honda Pilot is pretty awesome. It can tow up to 5500 lbs, comes with a trailer hitch already installed, has options for bluetooth sync with your phone, onboard navigation, back up cameras, parking sensors and on and on! The features you can get are pretty amazing.

The ride is pretty quiet and smooth for a mid-sized SUV (we've test driven a few) and the best part is it drives just like our Accord. Plus, you've got the dependability and durability of the Honda name behind it and like our Accord we will be driving it into the ground.

The only sad part about this whole story is that we had to trade in the little red egg. I miss my little car every day, but the trade-up was worth it. I don't think I'll ever forget my red egg. *sigh* Let's all have a moment of silence for the red Ford Focus hatchback with the wonderfully plucky manual transmission.

I'll miss you.

Busy-ness

So between the musical and working out, I've found a new passion in my life.


 
I just can't describe how wonderful it feels to be able to control an animal who is much much larger and heavier than I am. It is a total confidence booster and has helped me gain perspective on how to handle things in my life.

I've been riding a few weeks now and I'm loving it! I don't even mind the smell (as my husband can attest to I've always had the nose of a bloodhound). I can't say it's my favorite yet, but it's not bad either.

Right now the fastest I'm going is a trot, but it's plenty fast sometimes. My favorite horse likes to trot at a pretty good clip, unlike the first horse I was on (Artie did not like to go anywhere and would try to bite me while I was grooming him).

Riding is nothing like I thought it would be. I mean, I expected to have an ear to ear grin on my face after lessons, but I did not expect the direction it's given my life lately. I feel empowered and confident. And it doesn't hurt that it's a good workout too! :)

These are a few of my favorite things...

My new digz gloves
These have been a lifesaver, especially since I've been doing much more in the yard then I ever have before. My gloves have a "suede" palm, adjustable velcro wrist straps, and padding right where you need it (basically everywhere I'd gotten blisters before). And the best part is they're machine washable! They are wonderful and I would highly recommend them to anyone doing some dirty work in the yard.

Broiler Pans/My Oven's Broiler
I've recently discovered how much more wonderful food tastes when you broil it. It cooks things much quicker and adds more flavor. The broiler is, in essence,an upside-down indoor grill. So of course it makes things taste better!

Zumba
I love to dance and shake my bootie, but Matt absolutely detests it. So this is my opportunity to go shake my thang and burn up some calories. I love my instructor Audra. She's amazing!

Matt's New Job
Matt has officially gotten a new job that will keep him home all the time!! Hurray! He starts staying home after this Friday and will start his new job on the 15th. And the best part is that he won't be taking a pay cut like we feared! They're keeping it the same! *Whew*!