Vacation Series: Fiesta

     Sadly our trip to Maine has ended.  Before leaving, I told my mom that this would have been a good summer to spend a longer time at the beach, since I have no plans for working before this baby comes.  Unfortunately, the beach house is rented away to other families for the rest of the summer and I am back home retaining water and parked in front of a fan.  Reflecting on our vacation made me fast forward and think about next year and the chaos that will continue to occur with the addition of two new grandchildren.  Each year the house gets a little more crowded, a lot noisier, and the wake up time arrives earlier and earlier.  Luckily there is always more room for love and family.
    We ended our vacation with a fiesta, complete with grilled fish tacos and black bean salad.  Next year we will hopefully add margarita's to the menu.

Grilled Fish Tacos

Lime-Cilantro Sour Cream Sauce
Ingredients
1 cup sour cream 
1/2 cup mayonnaise 
3 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
Grated zest of 1 lime 
1 tbsp fresh lime juice

Method
1. Whisk all of the ingredients together in a small mixing bowl.  Refrigerate for up to 4 hours before serving.  

Tacos
 Ingredients
2 tsp ground chile powder 
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt 
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 
2 tbsp olive oil 
3 lb whitefish fillets (halibut, snapper, mahi-mahi, cod) 
2 dozen 6-inch corn tortillas
4-5 cups shredded green cabbage 
Pico de Gallo 
4 limes, quartered  

Method
1. In a small mixing bowl, combine the chile powder, cumin, garlic, salt and pepper.  Add the oil and whisk to form a paste.  Rub the paste onto the fish and let sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
2. Grill the fish over medium high heat until it is cooked all the way through, about 3-4 minutes per side.  After removing from the grill, cut into small pieces.
3. Place 12 tortillas wrapped in aluminum foil on the grill and heat through, about 5 minutes.
4. To assemble tacos, take a tortilla and top it with cabbage, fish, sour cream sauce, Pico de Gallo, and a squirt of lime juice.  Fold and enjoy.


Black Bean Salad
Recipe from Whole Foods

Ingredients
1 ripe avocado, mashed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tbsp lime juice
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or thawed if frozen



Method
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the avocado, cilantro, and lime juice.
2. Add beans, lettuce, tomatoes, and corn.  Toss until everything is evenly coated with the avocado mixture.