Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Mahi Tacos



I absolutely love fish tacos, they are one of my favorite meals. I found this recipe in my recipe binder, where I save the many recipes I have torn out of magazines. I keep them all in a 3-ring binder with dividers for each type of food. Makes me feel kind of organized. Sadly, I have no idea what magazine this recipe came from, but it is the bomb. It if you don't like Mahi you could easily substitute another fish or even shrimp. I think what makes this recipe so good is the combo of the red cabbage slaw and the mashed homemade black beans. They go perfectly with the fish! Bon Appetit!

CABBAGE SLAW MIXTURE

HOMEMADE SMASHED BLACK BEANS

FINISHED PRODUCT- DELICIOUS MAHI TACOS

MAHI TACOS

INGREDIENTS-
1/4 CUP VEGETABLE OIL
1 JALAPENO SEEDED AND FINELY CHOPPED
1 SMALL RED ONION, ONE QUARTER, FINELY CHOPPED, THE REMINDER SLICED
1 CLOVE MINCED GARLIC
1 15 OZ CAN BLACK BEANS, RINSED
1 TEASPOON GROUND CUMIN
SALT AND PEPPER
3 TABLESPOONS HONEY
2 TABLESPOONS HOT SAUCE
JUICE OF TWO LIMES PLUS 2 TEASPOONS GRATED PEEL
1/2 HEAD RED CABBAGE, FINELY SHREDDED
1/2 CUP CILANTRO CHOPPED
4 6 OZ MAHI FILETS
8 CORN SHELLS (OR FLOUR IF YOU PREFER)

DIRECTIONS-

1) IN A MEDIUM SKILLET, HEAT 1 TABLESPOON OIL OVER MEDIUM HEAT. ADD THE JALAPENO, CHOPPED RED ONION AND GARLIC AND COOK 4 MINUTES. IN A SMALL BOWL SMASH THE BLACK BEANS AND SEASON WITH CUMIN, SALT AND PEPPER. ADD THE SMASHED BLACK BEANS TO THE SKILLET WITH THE PEPPER AND ONIONS. HEAT UNTIL WARM.

2) IN A LARGE BOWL COMBINE 2 TABLESPOONS OIL WITH HONEY, HOT SAUCE AND LIME JUICE. SEASON WITH SALT AND PEPPER. ADD SLICED ONION, CABBAGE AND CILANTRO AND TOSS WELL.

3)PREHEAT A GRILL OR GRILL PAN TO MEDIUM. COAT THE FISH WITH 1 TABLESPOON OIL AND LIME PEEL. COVER AND GRILL FISH TURNING ONCE ABOUT 8 MINUTES. (NOTE WE BAKED OURS IN THE OVEN FOR 20-25 MINUTES)

4) WARM TACO SHELLS ON GRILL. SPOON A FEW SPOONFULS BEAN MIXTURE INTO EACH SHELL. TOP WITH FISH, CABBAGE SLAW AND SOUR CREAM. WE ADDED FRESH DICED JALAPENOS PEPPERS.

Monday, January 17, 2011

The Goldies

Overall, I was very impressed with the Golden Globes Red Carpet. Award Season is my jam. I look forward to it every year. Not for the awards, because God knows I never get out to see a movie, but for the fashion!! This year bold colors, long sleeves and one shoulder dresses seemed to be the rage. Here are a few of my favorite looks:
Anne Hathaway. I love everything about this dress. The sequins, the back, the color!

Mandy Moore. This is one of my all time favorite colors, so how could I not like this dress?

Jane Krakowski. One of the best pregnancy looks I have seen. Amazing color and fit, she literally is glowing!

Leighton Meester. Love this dress!

Claire Danes. Love the hair and dress color. I think this was such a flattering and sophisticated look. One of my top favorites!

Amy Adams. She looks amazing post-baby. Navy is such a flattering color.

Angelina Jolie. I am gaga for this gorgeous green color. This is might be my favorite dress. Beyond gorgeous.

Kyra Sedgewick. She looks great for her age! I love that she chose a Mustard colored dress, great color on her.


Catherine Zeta-Zones. Love the color and fit. She looks gorgeous!

Emma Stone. I am all about Coral this spring! I love the simplicity of her dress. Might have been too simple for the GG, but still a stunning dress.


A Few of my least favorite looks:
Christina Aguilera. Not a fan of the black/nude lace combo. She looks trampy.

Scarlett Johansson. Sorry, but she looks like an old lady.

Michelle Williams. I do not the love the huge daisies all over her dress.



On the Fence:
Three looks, I can't decide if I love or hate:
Lea Michele

January Jones

Julianne Moore


I will leave you with this pretty face. How gorg does my BF Zac look?

What looks did you love or hate?

Sunday, January 16, 2011

11 Months, I Think He is Mine!


Our sweet baby is 11 months old this weekend! Yes, that is right less than one month until he turns one! I can't believe it! Birthday party planning is well under way. From the moment Sterling was born everyone said "wow, he looks exactly like Matt." Even now when I am out shopping sometimes strangers will stop me and say"He must look like his daddy because he sure doesn't look like you." I don't know why this bothers me, but it does. I think Matt is the most handsome man I have ever laid eyes, so of course I want my son to look exactly like him. But sometimes I want to hear, "Sterling looks just like you". As he enters into his 11 month of life he is now starting to resemble me a little bit, and exhibit some signs that show he is most definitely my son. Here are just a few tell-tell signs that this baby boy is just like his mama!

He loves the phone and is obsessed with a Blackberry.

He likes to read the latest gossip and style magazines

He loves to shop

He is a back sleeper

He loves browsing/playing in my closet

He has a strong affinity for jewelry


He loves a bath and has no modesty issues

Yes, wheter he looks like me or not, I think he takes after me! Happy 11 months to the most beautiful baby in the world. I love you more each day that passes. You make me whole and give my life a new meaning.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Proud

My husband just ran his first marathon today and I couldn't be more proud of him! He ran it in less than 4.5 hours. I am so impressed with all the hard training he did to achieve this goal of his. I wish I had it in me to want to run a marathon but I honestly have no desire. I was however happy to cheer him on and enjoy some beers at the party afterwards. Congrats to Matt for completing his first marathon!

My man in action, these were taken during the last mile of the race.


Photo-Op Afterwards


**Afterwards Matt said, this was his first and last marathon:)**

Friday, January 14, 2011

Marc Jacobs=Genius

I have seen this dress in two magazines now. The February Issues of Glamour and Bazaar featured Nicole Kidman and Kim Kardashion sporting this beauty. The dress is by Marc Jacobs and I am dying over it. It is beyond gorgeous. The color, the shape, the fit = perfection!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Get Me Outta Here

This cold air is making me crazy. It is not even mid January but all I can think about is tropical getaway. I would be more than happy with a trip here:


Cabo, it is at the top of our list of places my husband and I want to travel to. He wants to surf. I want to shop, eat, lay out, read trashy gossip magazines and drink alot of this.

Yes, I am a true tequila girl. I love a tequila shot, but only if it is good tequila. The best tequila I ever had was Partida. I had it while in NYC at Dos Caminos (if you love tequila they had an amazing list there). It was so good it went down like water. Wouldn't you know they don't sell it in NC or SC. I have since found a comparable tequila they actually sell here called Corzo, that is great!

I would like to stay here, Las Ventanas. How incredible does this place look?




I would also like my bags to be packed with all these gorgeous Diane Von Furstenberg Resort pieces.






Is this too much to ask for? So tell me, is this cold air making you crazy too? Do you want/need a vacation as much as I do?

5 Ingredient Fix

Amongst all my fabulous Christmas Gifts, was this cookbook.

The 5 Ingredient Fix by Claire Robinson. I liked her right off the bat after I found out she was good friends with Katie Lee (formerly Joel), one of my favorite cookbook authors. This cookbook is awesome! I was skeptical at first, I mean how great can meals with only 5 ingredients be? But, Claire does not disappoint. The first recipe I tried out was for Brown Butter Banana Muffins. Do I have your attention now? Not only were these muffins so easy to make but the brown butter gives them an incredibly rich flavor. I really liked that they were not sweetened with sugar, but agave nectar instead. Made me feel better about eating 5 at once.


Smashed Bananas

Browned Butter

5 Ingredients Mixed

Muffin Trays filled with delicious batter

The Finished Product


BROWN BUTTER BANANA MUFFINS
Ingredients
4 ripe bananas
1/3 cup raw agave syrup or honey
1 stick unsalted butter
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups self-rising flour

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper muffin liners.

Peel the bananas and add to a large bowl. Add the agave syrup and mash the bananas with a fork until very liquefied but still a little lumpy.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the milk solids have turned a nutty golden brown.

To the brown butter, add about 1 cup of the mashed banana mixture and whisk to combine. Cook for a few more minutes until a darker golden color is achieved. Add to the remaining mashed banana mixture and whisk to combine, then whisk in the egg. Fold in the flour, in 2 batches, with a rubber spatula, until just combined; do not over mix. With an ice cream scoop, evenly divide the batter among the muffin tin cups.

Bake in the center of the oven until golden brown and the tops spring back when pressed, about 25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer the muffins to a rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Print Recipe HERE