There’s few things worse than returning home from a blissful vacation.
But I have my own opinion on what the absolute worst part is. I know. Me? Having an opinion? REALLY?
Well.
Going back to work? It stinks… but it’s not number one on my list.
Having a mountain of laundry to do? Painful, but since chores are never my priority, I often forget about this. The day I have kids? Totally screwed.
Not spending day and night with your amazingly fun family? Sad, but I crave alone time anyway because I’m a freak.
Waking up to a spider crawling on your ceiling instead of the waves lapping on the shore? Yeah… that one really bites.
But.
Let’s get to it: the FOOD. Or should I say, the lack there of food? Or should I say, the lack there of vacation food? It just sucks, period.
Having to come home and be regular and boring with my meals is not my idea of fun. What do you mean I can’t eat two donuts for breakfast followed by my dad’s blueberry pancakes, followed by four pieces of salt-water taffy followed by a mojito before noon? Not fair. And no nightly ice cream on top of all that? After an extended happy hour, flakey fish covered in brown butter and spices, thick and perfect avocado BLTs and let’s be honest – a gelato in there for an afternoon snack all prior to my cone?
I don’t like this one bit.
You mean I actually have to feed myself, like cook things? And feed others? And wash dishes and stuff? This is not my idea of entertainment. Who made up these rules? Unacceptable.
So the deal is… all week I’m eating something like this. I mean allllll week. I actually made these nachos a few weeks ago to go along with the new england clam chowder we had for dinner. It was like a little seafood feast coming out of my not so beachy kitchen. But it wasn’t boring at all, and it was super summery. Because seriously? Summer is flying by. It needs to stop. I’m very annoyed at the rate in which time passes in my life. It’s not fair, and it’s giving me something else to whine about. I think you’d all appreciate an end to my incessant complaining, so let’s just agree to stop time right now.
Kahpeesh?
Summertime Seafood Nachos with Grilled Corn + Avocado Cream
Yield: serves 2-4
Total Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
2 pounds of uncooked, fresh seafood of choice (I used Trader Joe’s seafood medley)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 big bag of tortilla chips
8 ounces fontina cheese, freshly grated
6 green onions, sliced
4 ears grilled corn, corn cut from the cob
1 mango, chopped
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, tomatoes cut in half
1/2 cup freshly torn cilantro
avocado cream
2/3 cup sour cream
1 avocado, chopped
1/3 cup freshly torn cilantro
1/2 lime, juiced
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add butter and olive oil, then add in assorted seafood sprinkled with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, until pink and opaque. Add in white wine and stir constantly until alcohol cooks off, about 1-2 minutes.
Place a thin layer or tortilla chips on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with cheese, corn, seafood, onions, tomatoes and mango. Layer more chips on and continue with cheese and the same ingredients, doing as many layers as desired. One finished, place in the oven for a few minutes, just until cheese is melted and chips are warm. Remove from oven and cover in avocado cream and cilantro.
To make avocado cream: Add cilantro and avocado to a food processor, blending to combine. Once somewhat smooth, add in sour cream and blend again until combined. Add in limes juice, salt and pepper, taste, and season more if desired.
That’s what I thought.
I’m Jessica and this is where I share my stuff. You will find a balance of healthy recipes, comfort food and indulgent desserts.
I absolutely love nachos!!!
I just am returning to work after a week of vacation but since my vacation was at home, it sucks a ton to be heading back to work. That and I stayed up watching the Olympics and so now I’m super tired. Great way to start the week but you gotta do what you gotta do. :)
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I love your summertime nachos! They look so good and colorful! I have to make it and the cream sauce, oh my gosh!! Girl if you make these I’ll bring the margarita’s!! :)
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This is the last week of summer break for the boys. I intend to make it amazing for them! Jay will have to start getting up at 5:45 to be at school for a 7:10am bell. UGH, I don’t mind getting up then because that was my me time…not I have to make him get up and get ready then.
As for the return to reality from vacations, you could always be like me and just not go on any…
Good luck getting back into the routine of things this week. I would say you started it off on the rich food though!
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Painful, yes! Each one of those things truly sucks— I think I just got depressed thinking about them…. let’s pretend that is why there was no vacation to be had here in this household.
Glad you are back and eating nachos to soften the blow!
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admit it, you used trader Joes seafood medley!
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Jessica — July 30th, 2012 @ 7:41 am
I did! :)
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Rodzilla — July 30th, 2012 @ 7:54 am
I love TJs, and I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with a bag of that goodness. This is it :)
Jessica — July 30th, 2012 @ 8:29 am
I’ve also lightly dusted it with flour and spices, then fried it in either coconut oil or vegetable oil. It is SO GOOD.
Agree with all of it. Except I seriously doubt there’s anything “regular and boring” with your meals. At least it doesn’t look that way to me! :)
Loved your vacay pics, and looking forward to tomorrow’s Crumbs!
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Hahaha I KNEW that was going to be your #1 thing! I couldn’t agree more. I can’t stand coming home to an empty fridge, and running to the grocery store (which is luckily open 24 hours and located about 2 mins from my house) is my first concern when I get home. Yes, before unpacking suitcases, checking email, etc. A girl’s gotta have priorities, right?
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I want to come on vacation with you next year and I want nachos for dinner tonight. End of story.
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Getting back into the swing of regular eating is SO hard after vacation. This could completely make that ok. And all that seafood obviously makes it healthy.
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Nachos are good, but nachoes with grilled corn, mango, and avocado cream (Mmmmmm!) are even better! :-D
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Going back to work after vacation is the worst. I’m still dreading it after San Francisco & I’ve been back almost a week.
You’re on a kick with the grilled corn, but I don’t blame you. It’s so summery!
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You know, lady, I’m sad your summer is flying by but it means that my winter will be over soon and I can crack into your seafood nachos while I have left over sand between my toes. I’m bang up for a piece o’that!
Sorry.
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This is awesome. Wonderful to serve while watching the Olympics.
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Looks perfect! Nachos are such an easy comfort food. I mean who doesn’t like chips covered in cheese??
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These are so summery and gorgeous and yummy looking.
And I agree, Summer IS flying by. Unless you have a bored 7 year old at home with you all day long, in which case…it’s dragging. :)
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Jessica — July 30th, 2012 @ 11:25 am
Ha… I’m scared of that day.
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these sound so good – and the avo cream, nice.
returning home is such a anti-thrill. For some reason i thought you had another week or so? Time flies!
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Awesome!!! And I love that time just stopped – summer was flying by too fast!!!
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Love this!! Will HAVE to make your avocado cream bc I literally have 19 avocados!!
I hear you on the no vacation food when you come back!! xoxo
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Jessica — July 30th, 2012 @ 11:25 am
19?! So jealous.
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Your very good at taking two random foods that I love that I wouldn’t think would work well together, and combining them into some amazing.
AKA: nachos and seafood. :-)
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Those nachos look wonderful! Just my kind of thing. I am definitely going to try them soon!
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I absolutely love all the summery ingredients in these nachos!!
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Darn a new way to eat nachos…
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I’ve never thought to make seafood nachos, but it definitely makes sense. These look delish! And I agree, coming out of Vacation Food Coma is always hard.
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ugh, coming back from vaca is pretty much the worst thing ever. i always glare at the pile of clothes to wash for like 3 weeks before doing 18 loads in a day!
p.s. i want these!
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Ummm this looks crazy good. :) Where do you find the seafood medley at Trader Joe’s?
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Putting Life back together post-vacation can definitely be a real downer. Or, you could be like me and just leave your suitcase packed full of stinky laundry for at least a week before you summon up enough bravery to unzip the thing…
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These look so amazing! I love your idea of eating at home like you’re still on vacation!
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I love these nachos! They might single handedly hold back fall for a few weeks….
yay!
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Avocado Cream + Seafood. I love your brain.
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You can’t really go wrong with nachos…especially when blue corn chips are involved!
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As with everything you make, this looks delicious! And pretty easy to make, too…love that you used TJ’s seafood medley. I do have one predicament with this recipe though, maybe you can help: Every time I buy a bag of tortilla chips, it’s gone before I can actually assemble a meal with them. Thoughts? Suggestions? Is there a 12-Step program to help me?! Should I just start eating donuts every day for a week and see what happens?! ;)
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You kill me. I need some seafood in my life – STAT! And amen on the time passing quickly thing. Just wait till you have kids…You blink and and 6 months pass!
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seafood + nachos – i’m totally in. I miss vacations at the lake. I used to go as a kid and eat slurpees and ice cream together in the same cup – amazing.
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This sounds SO good, avocado with seafood is always such a winner. And I know exactly what you mean about longing for holiday food when you come home – but it looks like you’re doing a great job recreating it with these nachos! :D
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This would pretty much put me in food heaven!!
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Those chips look great! Are they from Trader Joes?
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Jessica — July 31st, 2012 @ 7:22 am
Nope they are this brand: http://www.salsaxochitl.com/#. My absolute favorite!
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yummyyy…
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These look de-vine!!
I do need to add that I think we need a refresher post on how you make all these things, eat like that for a week of vacation, and maintain your weight…I know you used to be a trainer and I know that is not the focus of your blog (which is fine by me :)), but, as someone who is increasingly frustrated with her newly minted 40 year old body, who has put on weight for the first time since having all my babies despite the fact that I am working out 4 days a week and eating healthy (with room for dessert)…if I ate like this, even with all this working out, I’d be a BLIMP!!! And, I am dreading vacation for the simple fact that I can’t indulge everyday…
How do you do it? How do you eat crazy for a week and make these unbelieveable recipes and not gain weight???
Sorry…kind of a debbie downer, huh??? ;)
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Jessica — July 31st, 2012 @ 8:01 am
Hahaha oh megan… you always crack me up. I’m definitely not thin or skinny by any means, and truly I am not sure how things will play out once I’m 40 – I feel like that will be a whole new ball game, and I’ve also never had kids. But I try to be really active, and when I say active, I mean I do a TON of walking. It gets me out of the house since I work from home all day alone. I try to walk as much as I can, and while I can’t walk to the grocery store or restaurants or anything, I still might go out once or twice a day and walk for a short time, then walk with my husband or cousin later at night. I strength train 2 days a week (usually on saturday and sunday) and usually hop on the elliptical for 20-30 minutes around that time. I also try to fit in yoga a few times a week, moreso for my sanity (I’m very high strung…) and as another reason to get me out of the house after working 10-12 hours. Obviously I have the luxury of doing most of these things because I don’t have kids and my husband constantly travels, so I only have to take care of myself.
I also don’t eat crap all day, every day. I might not like veggies, but I still try to eat as healthy as I can, when I can. So I may have some fruit and yogurt and cereal in the morning, eat a grilled cheese for lunch, and have salmon for dinner. The next day though, I might do four recipes, and they might be all I eat that day – just bites and tastes and pieces so nothing goes to waste, but more than enough to fill me up. I truly think it’s just a balance and as annoying as it sounds – things in moderation. Though when I go on vacation, I throw most of that out the window and eat whatever I want. But I also still workout on vacation… soooo, there is some balance. It’s important to me to eat what I seriously love, so if eating the bacon peach grilled cheese sliders for lunch is what I really want, I’ll do it and then *might* have a salad for dinner, or something like that. I just try to really pay attention to what I want, within reason.
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megan — August 2nd, 2012 @ 3:52 pm
LOVE YOU for replying to me!!!!! :) I felt bad asking cause I know you are retired from the whole trainer thingy, but you know “curiosity killed the cat” and I was afraid if I didn’t ask, I’d die. I’m sure you understand.
Very satisfactory answer too…that’s about what I figured, but you filled in the specifics which I enjoyed…I also homeschool my 4 munchkins so I do have to really work out a plan for the Fall to keep working out…otherwise, I may have to quit your blog, and that would be sad…for both of us I’m sure ;) Naw, I will just keep at the moderation (which, yes, does get unbelieveably important as you age…I remember when my hubby would go out of town and I’d, like, paint a few rooms and lose 5 lbs….ah, those were good days…), make your recipes when I know I can share them and keep working on the “rear view”.
I’ll be working out on my vacation too…well, walking/running/swimming with kids…we’ll see how it goes :) thanks again girl !
Refreshing idea for a summer night’s supper!
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Wow this looks delish! I always love your combo of ingredients!
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WOW! this looks amazing! I love the idea of fish instead of beef, it makes it sound more girly and summery!
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I just found your blog from reading a post on Where’s the zoom and I am hooked. Your photography is beuatiful and recipes look delicious. I’ll be checking back in all the time now. :)
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Jessica — August 1st, 2012 @ 11:53 am
Thanks Kathy!
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These look so good I’m licking my computer screen.
Not really….
Well, maybe.
Seriously, though, keep up these great summer time recipes; it’s inspiring me to create my own for my blog!
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