Keepin' the beach vibe alive.... at home!

What makes coming home from a 6 day adventure on an uninhabited island with the man of your dreams okay.... homegrown cucumbers are always a good start! We left the house and kitty in the hands of our SUPER neighbors. They took excellent care of the "Grey Baby" and watered our first attempt at a little country garden. With our arrival home we found our attempt was a full blown success in the end. We had 4 big cucumbers, basil, jalapeno peppers, cherry tomatoes, and green peppers growing!!!



These bad boys made a tasty accompaniment to our lunch sliced up nice and thin. We tossed them with salt, pepper, and cider vinegar!!! We may have fought over the last one.... just maybe!



Lunch was easy, but dinner took some creative thinking. We ate up all of our fresh veggies and meat before leaving on vacation. Nothing is more heartbreaking than throwing away rotten veggies! With that being said- dinner was grilled Mahi Mahi over Basmati Rice with a black bean and chipotle sauce..... say that 5 times fast.

I love fresh fish! I would always prefer to have fresh fish over frozen, however I keep a bag of frozen fish and shrimp in the deep freezer for a healthy option to an elegant weekday meal (or for when you come home and there is NOTHING to eat!!!)

The whole reason this dinner came about was a STRONG craving for black beans and chipotle peppers! Everything else just went along for the ride. The Mahi Mahi and Shrimp were grilled and topped with garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper.
They rested on basmati rice with a diced jalapeno pepper (straight from the backyard) that was cooked using chicken stock!

Throw in a few frozen ( I know, I know...) bell pepper strips with the rice and enjoy!

The star of the show was the black bean sauce (the term sauce used lightly- it was a rich and creamy). The ingredients came to mind as I pulled them from the baren fridge. In the food processor went:

1 can of black beans

1 chipotle pepper in adobo

splash of lime juice, and a squeeze of lemon

salt and pepper

cumin

cilantro

low fat mayo- about 2 Tbsp

red onion

about 1 tsp Canola oil

Throw it all on a plate and enjoy.... nom-tastic!

It was quick, and easy! Hubby even said it actually put him in a better mood (unpacking a car in 103 degree heat is no bueno).

Next up a recap of a trip everyone should try once!!!