Blackened Tilapia Tacos

100% De Agave.
The end is nearing in Mexico so we decided to get crazy! Well sort of for a Friday night where I ran to Target to get snacks for the swim meet and picked up Hannah at the Valley game to take her to the mall for a double date at the movies... then finally home sweet home.... oh and meanwhile I left Andy to make spaghetti for Katy and neighbor boy (Cal) only to get the call that we had no spaghetti noodles...then another call to say we had no sauce while meatballs were proudly baking. Good thing we were at super Target to get necessary meal ingredients (like the entire meal)... comedy. I guess it sounded so easy to make such a simple meal. Downfall of eating in different countries....you no longer have the basic staples awaiting...

Moving on to the good stuff. Tequila. We purchased this bottle of 100% Agave Blanco Tequila in Puerto Vallarta last summer while celebrating our 20th +1 anniversary of marriage. Cracked it open tonight and immediately had a memory flash of sitting at an open bar with a roof in the rain, sipping on margaritas. (Happy Was.)

Moving onto the meal, we were all about making Fish Tacos. We found a recipe in Cooking Light last year that shared a take-out taco made healthier at home. This nearly was our Christmas Card recipe this past year, they are so yummy.

Blackened Tilapia Tacos

Combine the following first 4 ingredients in a food processor, process until smooth. Combine jalapeno sauce and onion in a small bowl.

1/4 cup sour cream (it calls for reduced fat, really?)
2 Tbl. chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbl. fresh lime juice
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup thinly sliced white onion

Combine the next 7 ingredients; sprinkle evenly over fish.
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)

Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish to pan; cook for 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

4 tilapia filets
1 Tbl. canola oil

Warm tortilla according to package directions. Add fish, onion mixture and avocado mixture in a tortilla. Serve with lime wedges. Yields approx. 8 tacos.

Corn tortillas
1/2 ripe peeled avocado, thinly sliced
4 lime wedges


This defines what Happy Is. It's funny what defines your happy. My neighbor posted Happy is ramen noodles today as her adorable baby boy, Gavin gobbled up his meal. I received the most adorable picture of my great-nephew today, Grayson. He is what Happy Is. My sister, Barb has been struggling to build her first ever pinewood derby car solo after losing the love of her life, Jack. The car wouldn't have passed Jack's code of conduct for the car....but somewhere in her new normal is a pause...it's ok...the car will move across the finish line. No pressure. Happy Is. My mom has been awaking far too early for the past days. She had the details of the day taken care of before 9am this morning...Happy Is.

Bottom line, life is going to throw us zingers, like my friend Al who is stuck in Denver trying to get home...it's what we do with the realities of what life throws us that defines our happiness. I'm one to believe when life throws you the odd curve ball, you swerve and begin a new path of finding Happy.