Refreshing Summer Delights - Fish Ceviche Tacos

I love these fish ceviche tacos in the summer heat.  It's incredibly easy to make, healthy, and unbelievably tender and delicious! The fish is slowly cooked in the lime & lemon juice over 4-6 hours in the fridge.  It doesn't get any easier than that!

Ingredients:  1 1/4 pounds very fresh (sushi-grade) fish fillets (such as tuna, hamachi, barramundi, or mahi-mahi), cut into equal sized cubes

Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar (optional)
1 cup chopped seeded tomatoes
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
2 avocados, peeled, pitted, diced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
12 purchased taco shells

Steps:

-Sprinkle fish with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add lime juice, lemon juice, sugar, onion, jalapeños, and cilantro and toss.
-Cover and chill until fish turns opaque (cooked) (4-6 hours) (tip: if you really need it for dinner soon, you can steam it instead for 5 min. Just place the bowl in a large pot, cover the bottom of the pot with water, and place a lid on, use low to medium heat after the water starts to boil)
-Use a food processor to chop the tomatoes. Add tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, hot sauce, cilantro, and avocado.  Enjoy!

Aloha Hawaiian Shrimp Scampi

We spent last few years' summer vacations in Hawaii.  One thing we could not get enough is the delicious street food.  My husband created his rendition of our fav Shrimp Scampi in Kauai.  It is absolutely delicious and brings back so many fond memories!!

Ingredients: 
20-25 large shrimp (never frozen) with shell (street food style!), deveined
5 cloves of garlic (or more depending on your taste :)
3-4 table spoons of Sriracha
2 table spoons of low sodium soy sauce
2 table spoon of butter (or replace with olive oil)
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
2 slices of lemon 

Steps: (15 min)
-Devein shrimp.  Combine Sriracha, cayenne pepper, soy sauce in a dish. (5 min)
-Toss the shrimp in the mixture to coat (2 min)
-Heat a large stainless skillet over medium high heat (2 min)
-Add butter and garlic (or replace butter with olive oil) (40 sec)
-Add shrimp in a single layer.  Cook for 3 min on one side in medium heat.  Turn over and cook for another 2 min (until opaque) (5 min)
-Squeeze lemon joice over the shrimp
-Serve with your fav veggie and rice


This is our fav shrimp scampi in Hawaii.  Their food truck was so successful that they opened a brick and motar store in a popular plaza packed with high end restaurants.

I seem to be always eating in Hawaii ( :

Summer Blues - #1 Essie's Butler Please

Like many others, I have also been a bit obsessed with the blue nail polishes.  I thought I would do a series of my fav ones.

#1 Summer Blues: Essie's Butler Please. This deep blue is very versatile and work friendly.  I wore it here with the outfit Pretty in Coral - pleated skirt and bow wedges.

Pretty in Coral - pleated skirt and bow wedges

 Hope you had a great weekend!  Mine was relaxing and eventful.  I love this coral skirt, it goes with just about everything and it is very pretty.  Have a great week!

Pleated Coral Skirt - BCBG Generations (sold out)

Top - Kenneth Cole

Shoes - Guess

Necklace - Etsy

Easy Peach French Crepes with Fresh Creme

So I love peaches, and I love crepes.. 

Crepes are my go-to breakfast/dessert, since I don't have a sweet tooth.. I wanted to make crepes at home for years.  At first I thought I needed a crepe machine, then I was concerned there wasn't enough storage space for another kitchen gadget.  It turns out all you need is a frying pan!  I made crepes with strawberries last weekend, my husband licked the plate clean.. this week I made crepes with peaches :)  This is definitely something romantic (and simple) to make for your loved ones..  I fill mine with freshly whipped super airy & light organic creme..

Ingredients: (this makes 8-10 crepes, scale down if needed)

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 2 cups whole milk, room temperature, plus more if needed
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 1/2 ounces (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for skillet
• 1 small cup of organic heavy cream
• 3 ripe peaches

Crepe Steps:

1. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture. Add salt and brown sugar if desired.  Microwave butter for about 40 second or until mostly melted.  Pour into mixture.  - 2 min

2. Whisk together in a medium bowl until smooth (look for the bubbles on top).  (I use a basic electric handheld mixer) - 3 min 

3. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat, and brush with butter. Pour 3 tablespoons batter.  Turning and tilting skillet to coat bottom evenly with batter.  - 1 min/ crepe

4. After about a minute, run a spatula around edge of crepe to loosen. Slip spatula under crepe, and flip.  Cook for about another 45 seconds.  - 1 min/crepe

Fillings:

1. Whisk heavy cream until it forms stiff tips (I use a basic electric handheld mixer).  - 5 min 

2. Cut peaches into small pieces and plate. - 2min/crepe

3. I also sprinkled some coca power on top to add a bit of bittersweet.. it worked for me but might not work for everyone! :)

To make 8 crepes, it takes about 25-30 min.  You can refrigerate crepes to have later during the week.  You can also skip the 1 teaspoon of brown sugar and fill them with green sauteed or fresh veggies!

Pastel Nails For Spring and Summer

1.  Cool Inspiring Gray

Essie - Chinchilly Review

This was sold out several times when I visited Target and CVS, I'm so glad I was able to pick up a bottle last weekend.  I read it somewhere that Gray is supposed to be one of the most inspiring colors, we will see how this will brighten my week :)

This color goes well with virtually any Spring/Summer outfit and is very work appropriate.  It also goes very well with gold accessories.  I will do a post later on this.  I applied two coats in this picture.  I wish I had applied a thicker 2nd coat to have a more opaque look.  But overall, very pleased!

(Source: Essie)

2. Turquoise Summar

Sally Hansen - Turquoise 

I wore this on my trip to Hawaii.  You can't go wrong with the Turquoise color in summer, especially with a dress in white.  This polish always puts me in a brighter mood!