Grilled Fish Tacos - Secret Recipe Club

Southern California is a place all its own, chaotically caffeine fueled in some places while just up the road you may find laid back surf towns with more of a Chai Tea flair.  I'm lucky enough to live in one of those simple little surf towns on the coast and my Secret Recipe Club assignment this month is my virtual neighbor.

Allie, of Allie's Clean Plate Club, is a bit north east of me and while not on my slower paced coast she is within a few hours driving distance and lives the Southern California lifestyle.  Missing her home in Illinois, she like me, originally turned up her nose at a SoCal staple... the fish taco.

When I moved from Northern California to Southern (something I said I'd never do, but now I'd never go back) I discovered In N Out and Rubio's.  In N Out was easy to immediately love with its tasty burgers, milkshakes and salty fries, but Rubio's, with the Fist Taco featured on the menu, took a while for me to try.  Venturing like an early era explorer, I eventually made my way to the restaurant and gave the taco a try.  Like Allie, the first fish taco bite was all I needed to have me hopelessly hooked.

Never having actually made my own version I jumped at the chance to try Allie's Grilled Fish Taco recipe and wholeheartedly agree that this recipe is a keeper, I only wish I had made it years ago...

South of the Border Chicken and Butternut "Stoup"

I love the word "stoup"...  A perfectly apt description for the thicker soup that is not quite a stew.  Filled with all the soupy goodies, yet not brothy like a watery chicken noodle soup or bullion scattered with a few sliced scallions.

Stoups are thick, hearty and filling, and easy to make as they are all in one pot.  Perfect for that crock pot, however I always forget I have one and make mine on the stove.

Stumbling upon a recipe printed from way back in December of 2000, this stoup fit the bill on our "freezing" and rainy San Diego afternoon and warmed our bones while filling our stomachs.  Yes, I stood out in the drizzle while I grilled my chicken (nearly got frostbite...), but I'm guessing it would do just as well baking in the oven before being shredded.

Spiced with cumin and smoked paprika, black beans, butternut squash, corn and a can of tomatoes round out the ingredients for the pot, and a steaming bowl of flavor topped with your favorite garnishes such as avocado, grated manchego and cilantro will warm your hungry family from head to toe.  Word has it that the stoup is sure to ward off any frostbite you receive from the outdoor grilling as well.

Candy Cane Marshmallow Pops

Scanning Twitter this morning I saw a tweet stating that Christmas Eve is just 10 days away.  10 days??   How could I not have realized that the day was drawing so close?  I still have packages to mail, cards to address, cookies to bake and holiday spirit to find.

This year has been difficult for me to find that "Christmas" spirit, and frankly it doesn't really feel much like the holiday season.  I guess living in San Diego might have a bit to do with it with our temperate weather, or perhaps it's the fact that Costco has had Christmas lights and trees for sale since August.  Whatever the reason, I'm just not feeling it.

Liv, however, is quite the opposite.  Her room is decorated with any leftover lights she can find, her stocking has been hung by the fireplace with care and this year she has had a bit of a change regarding Christmas gifts.  Usually her main priority is making a list of things she wants, but this year her priority has switched to a list of things she wants to give.

Yesterday we spent her day off from dance rehearsals preparing Peppermint Bark as well as these adorable Candy Cane Marshmallow Pops as treats for her friends at dance class.  Simple ingredients make these little guys easy to put together and with a cute factor off the scale, they were a total hit with the girls this afternoon.

A wonderful idea for treats for a crowd, we simply packaged them in clear cellophane bags, added a printed wish for a "Candylicious Christmas" and tied it all with pretty red ribbon.

Watching her pop out of the car, candy cane striped socks up to her knees, she was instantly surrounded by a group of smiling girls as she passed out the treats.  And the warmth on her face?  It just may have done it.  I got that little feeling in my stomach as my heart swelled by leaps and bounds.  I think I might be feeling it...

Happy Holidays! 

Cranberry-Nut Mini Loaves with Flax

A healthier holiday treat that would make a beautiful loaf to share with neighbors.

While the holiday season is in full swing, our personal life also has Liv's dance season going strong.  A number of days each week I fill my SUV with athletic girls decked out in candy cane striped socks and Santa hats with heavy bags filled assorted dance shoes over their shoulders as I transport them from school to the dance studio where they will spend the next 4 to 5 hours in intense dance rehearsals and technique classes.

They don't always make the best choices... :)

Fueling these girls is always a challenge.  With the amount of energy they expend each day additional calories are needed to keep their muscles strong and their growing bones growing.  Challenging them to make healthy choices rather than grabbing packaged goods has me always on the lookout for homemade granola bars filled with protein rich nuts, fruit smoothies supplemented with vitamins and handfuls of spinach (though I don't always tell them I add the spinach) as well as other easy to grab yet healthy snacks.

Eating Well has once again come to our rescue with this low fat, grain and nut filled bread all put together with a holiday flair.  Those cranberries you stocked up on and stashed in your freezer find themselves featured in these mini loaves while orange juice and peel bring bright flavors to the whole wheat and spelt flours used to bind it all together.  Still high in sugar, the loaf was healthy enough after a balanced lunch to make me feel good about serving it to the girls and they had no problems polishing off the plate.

On a side note, not only the kids loved this bread.  My husband was just on his way to work as the bread came out of the oven and I sliced and wrapped a loaf up for him to take to "the office".  He texted shortly after he arrived that the loaf took nearly 84 seconds to disappear having some of the guys asking if he had indeed brought any more.

With happy girls and happy guys, I'd say this bread passed all tests and will happily remain in our snacking rotation.  Good thing my freezer has a cranberry section.

Chocolate Espresso Oatmeal Cookies - these are for Dave's heart too!

Cookies always warm the heart, and sometimes they are even pretty darn good for the heart, or at least not so bad.  Filling a gift basket for my long time friend, Dave, who is recovering from open heart surgery, Liv and I sent a box of goodies that, when eaten in moderation, are heart healthy.  In addition to the low fat Pumpkin Granola, we included a box of a new favorite - Chocolate Espresso Oatmeal Cookies.

Oatmeal is well known for it's cholesterol lowering benefits, and recent studies are also showing antioxidant compounds that are unique to oats that may further reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (Tufts University published in the Journal of Nutrition).  In addition, oats are known to enhance immune responses to infection, stabilize blood sugar and lower Type 2 Diabetes risks.  With all that "good stuff" rolled up in one package, oatmeal cookies were just the treat to send to our heart surgery recovering friend.

Flavored with cocoa powder for a rich color and taste, and a shot of espresso (we used decaf), these cookies were just what the doctor ordered for those afternoon sweet cravings.  Forming the cookies fairly small, grabbing two didn't make me feel at all guilty and somehow I convinced myself that with the addition of a couple of chocolate chips some extra antioxidant benefits were thrown in for good measure.

Dave reported back that he enjoyed the cookies and is well on the road to recovery.  

Pumpkin Granola... for Dave's heart

Being in my mid 40's and having friends ranging mostly 10 years older or younger, I'm entering that stage where we start hearing about people having health issues.  It all started not so seriously with friends holding menus farther away than they used to, but then quickly moved into more serious areas with more people than I ever imagined pursuing cancer treatments and surgeries in their fight to rid their bodies of the disease.  And just a few weeks ago a good friend of mine went through a second heart surgery.

Vegas, 2011

Meeting some 20 years ago when we both worked at a small biomass power plant near Sacramento, Dave's smile and quick wit always brightened my busy days.  Losing touch after I moved to another state I didn't hear from or about him in years.  Then somehow his face flashed across my facebook page early last year and we've been reacquainted.  Liv and I even had the opportunity to see him last year when her Nationals took us to Las Vegas.

Yesterday, though, was Dave's first day back to work after open heart surgery about a month ago.  He has struggled through the difficult times and though I haven't talked to him personally, his facebook posts are back to the bright, witty and happy person I know him to be and I know he is well on his way back to complete health.

With heart disease a risk for myself and my kids (Dad did the quad bypass a few years back), we have always worked on eating heart healthy meals and snacks in addition to receiving regular exercise (I'm really going back to the gym more regularly soon...).  

Dave's recovery was just the reason Liv and I needed to put together a heart healthy care package featuring cholesterol controlling oatmeal.  Oatmeal is high on my list of "good for you foods" with its heart healthy benefits, and this low in fat granola made with vitamin rich pumpkin, omega filled flax meal and heart beneficial maple syrup seemed to be a good choice.

Maple syrup was the surprise beneficial ingredient in this recipe.  Rich in zinc which in addition to acting as an antioxidant has additional functions that can decrease the progression of atherosclerosis, maple syrup also is a good source of manganese, a benefit to the immune system. Here the maple syrup provided not only a sweetener, but one we could feel good about.

The culmination of innumerable recipes found in my Internet searches, this Pumpkin Granola turned out, in a word: awesome.  Sweetened but not too sweet, the maple/pumpkin pie flavors truly shine and are enhanced with the crunch of the almonds and a bit of salt from the salted pepitas.  Only 2 Tbs of grapeseed oil are used in the entire recipe, working with the pumpkin, brown sugar and maple syrup to form those tasty little clumps that make granola so irresistible.

So here's to Dave...  May your heart be strong and your recovery complete and quick.  Hugs from San Diego.  XO

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Limoncello Dreams (our favorite limoncello recipes)... Inspired by Limonoro in Sorrento

Sorrento, living a dream...

Nothing beats a frosty glass of homemade Limoncello.  Except... perhaps a glass of creamy Limoncello served by the maker in Sorrento.

Sorrento, October 2011

Sorrento, with its stunning vistas, bustling Piazzas, quintessential Italian window box lined streets, and lemons at every corner is a true Limoncello mecca.  Small bottles of the brilliant yellow liquid sold in adorable, must have little bottles line many of the tourist store fronts, but it was in the Limonoro shop located on Via San Cesareo, in Sorrento, where we thought we had died and gone to heaven.

With lemon aromas drifting through the front door one can not help but to step inside where one is greeted with an even headier aroma of lemon.  A smiling Italian man wanders over with a bottle of Lemon Cream (Limoncello with cream) and offers a sample.  Thinking, "Well... I don't really care for creamy drinks, but ok, I'll give it a shot", I accept the small sample and sniff before taking a sip.  While the nose was wonderful, the taste was out of this world!  Smooth and bright with lemon flavors, I was immediately sold as was my husband.

Limonoro Limoncello... how do you pick just one??

Luggage restrictions being a slight problem (I admit that it may have been me who had already done a bit too much shopping at this point in our Italian voyage...) we chose a few small bottles of the addictive Lemon Cream while picking up bars of Limoncello infused chocolates (why didn't I get more?), Lemon infused olive oil, frosted "Made in Sorrento" Limoncello glasses and other assorted souvenirs.

Though cracking the Lemon Cream bottle was sorely tempting as we returned to our ship, we thankfully resisted temptation and brought our precious bottle home.  Making a wonderful Thanksgiving treat, the chilled bottle was served at dessert for our holiday meal having everyone, including my "I don't like anything with alcohol" Mom asking for a smidge more and having all of us head to bed with dreams of Sorrento as visions of lemons swirled in our heads. 

Sufficiently inspired and sufficiently supplied with a grocery bag filled with lemons from my dad's tree, my husband was up early two days ago with peeler in hand.  Some 25 lemons peeled and placed in our Limoncello jar, he had vodka pour over the peels in no time and our own version of Limoncello is currently steeping in the pantry and will be ready for holiday gift giving and baking.

Lemon Peels steeping in Vodka

Within less than 24 hours the vodka already had a brilliant yellow hue and the wonderful bright aroma of lemon.  While my husband's recipe stays fairly constant, the steeping time is open for discussion.  Our original Limoncello post from March of this year has his directions somewhat vague to "allow the mixture to rest for several weeks".

Here is where you can easily adjust the recipe time to suit yourself and your time constraints, we have seen recipes with "resting" times from as short as 5 days stretching to the "several weeks" that my husband uses.  I believe that most of the flavor and oils will be released from the lemon peels within the first 8 - 10 days and the lemon infused vodka will ready to be turned into the tempting Limoncello we love.

Limoncello is a wonderful homemade holiday gift and can be packaged in cute little Limoncello Bottles which can be found at World Market and Crate and Barrel.  Package a small bottle with a bag of homemade Limoncello Biscotti or a tasty, bursting with flavor Limoncello Lemon Cake and you are assured gushed over gift giving status.

Mr Liv Life's Limoncello Recipe

Limoncello Lemon Cake

Limoncello Biscotti

Limoncello Lemon Cheesecake Squares

And while we didn't use Limoncello in the following recipes, Lemons are indeed the star and I'm thinking a dash of Limoncello wouldn't hurt a bit:

Lemon Lime Gelato

Tuscan Lemon Muffins (bonus poem by Liv!)

Glazed Lemon Buttermilk Cake

White Bean Salad with Lemon Vinagrette

Lemon Drop Jell-O Shots

Join us for the next stop on our itinerary, Taormina...