Halibut is good fish to grill with because it is denser and can stand up to the grill better than something like Tilapia. Just a few tips: Make sure the grill is very clean and preheated then place the fish skin side down diagonally across the grates. Once the skin is nice and crisp, use TWO slim spatulas to catch each side of the filet and gently flip the fish. DON’T MOVE IT MORE THAN THIS, it will surely fall apart if you mess with it too much.

I love this recipe because it uses fresh, healthy ingredients and is fast and easy and to prepare. I make double the amount of salsa to use with tortilla chips the next day…yum. The recipe is courtesy of Gwyenth Paltrow via Bon Appetit:

INGREDIENTS (yields 4 servings)

• 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cut into 1/2″ dice
• 1 medium ripe mango, peeled and cut into 1/2″ dice
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 4 large fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 6-ounce halibut or mahi-mahi fillets
• 4 lime wedges

PREPARATION

Prepare a grill to medium-high heat. Gently combine the avocado, mango, tomatoes, basil, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 tablespoon lime juice in a large mixing bowl. Season salsa to taste with salt and pepper and set aside at room temperature, gently tossing occasionally.

Place fish fillets in a 13x9x2″ glass baking dish. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoon oil and 2 tablespoon lime juice over. Season fish with salt and pepper. Let marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes, turning fish occasionally.

Brush grill rack with oil. Grill fish until just opaque in center, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plates. Spoon mango-avocado salsa over fish. Squeeze a lime wedge over each and serve.

Delish!

P.S. If you are like my gorgeous little Godson and are allergic to mangos, substitute them for strawberries.

Hello! It’s been a while, I know. A lot has happened and I apologize for not keeping you all informed. As you may remember from my last post (A Blissful Bikini Wax), we moved to Dallas in April but the move was not my BIG news – no, no, no. I was sitting, literally, on something really big for a while…9 months to be exact. If you didn’t just guess — I was pregnant and had a baby. Well, two babies. Yep, I had twins 8 weeks ago! And I am so excited to finally be sharing it on MKIA. I had a boy and girl, their names are Charlotte (left) and William (right) and they are healthy, happy little nuggets.

My path to motherhood, like so many women, was not straightforward. I’m sure some of you are wondering, because I had twins, if I became pregnant naturally. It seems that having twins these days automatically raises the IVF flag. And yes we used IVF to have our children but not for the reasons you might think. Without going into too much detail or boring the hell out of you on my first day back — we used IVF to prevent a child of ours from having a fatal genetic disease.

Because most of you are women and/or people at, or approaching, the age where one would start a family, I think it’s important to briefly discuss this. My husband and I are carriers of a gene that is recessive in us but if a child of ours inherits the pair, he will be affected. We had a 25% chance of this happening in any natural pregnancy so we chose instead to go through a process called PGD (pre-implantation genetic diagnosis), which requires the use of IVF.

If you think you might be a carrier of a genetically inherited disease, or if you just want peace of mind, ask your OBGYN for a genetic screening (a simple blood test). Instead of offering these screenings to women who are trying to get pregnant or are of child-bearing age, normally genetic tests are not to performed until a woman is pregnant and close to the end of her first trimester. Unfortunately for women who want the screening and are carriers, waiting until she is already pregnant can potentially lead to some very difficult decisions.

The good news is that we now have two beautiful, healthy babies and we couldn’t be happier or more grateful. A twin pregnancy is not exactly a joy ride and given the ups and downs we experienced going through IVF, I felt it was best to keep quiet until we knew all was well. Here is a photo of their nursery. I didn’t have a theme, other than I knew I wanted to use jungle animals and stars. I added personal touches with the paintings (a local Dallas artist painted them for us) and I replaced the knobs on a dresser/changing table I bought from The Land of Nod with these gorgeous mosaic ones I found at Anthropologie.

If you want specific info on how I decorated the nursery, send me an email. Otherwise, I’ll be back soon with some great new posts. I’ve missed MKIA so much and if you are still with me thanks!

Tonight I am staying at the W Hotel in Downtown Chicago because, drumroll please, we are moving to Dallas tomorrow morning and the movers packed up our entire house today. We sought refuge for the night at The W, which is also the home of the Bliss Spa here in Chicago. After weeks of packing I was in desperate need of some overall grooming. So at 5pm, after a long day, I checked into the W and went right to Bliss for a wax, mani and pedi.

I was dreading the wax but as soon as I got to my room I read the spa menu and noticed that Bliss uses something called “poetic strip-less wax”. I immediately started to relax because hard wax is the only kind that can be used without a strip of cotton and requires more skill to apply but is usually gentler. When I met my waxing technician, Aretha, she told me that the “poetic wax” is a special Bliss formula and guaranteed me that this was going to be the most painless waxing experience of my life. I braced myself for the first shredding and, to my relief, it was a fraction of the sting I was expecting. And so the rest of the wax went – practically painless and, dare I say, even somewhat pleasant.

While I must credit Aretha for her skill and knowledge of the product, I am confident that the “poetic wax” and the secret Bliss formula are the reason I had such a smooth, pun intended, experience. I left Bliss relieved to know that they have a location in Dallas (and 20 others throughout the world) and that from now on “poetic wax” will be the only kind I let touch my skin!

Go to blissworld.com for locations.

Who says you can’t learn anything from Gossip Girl? Not me. I find something worthwhile in every episode and normally it’s along the lines of how to layer a knit vest over a sweater and sequin skirt. Serena’s stylist shut it down once again last night. Anyway, this week GG gave me something even better than fashion aspiration – a new band. The Naked and Famous (fantastic name), have two amazing singles - Young blood and Punching in a Dream, that were released late last year and a forthcoming debut album. Listen and download at itunes.com/thenakedandfamous.

About a month ago I tuned into Saturday Night Live, which I do sparingly because it can be hard to watch some of the slough they are trying to pass off as comedy. But every now and then they get it right and I like watching the musicians. This particular evening The Black Keys, a unique bluesy-rock duo, were the featured artists and their song, Howlin’ for You, made me sit up and pay attention. Apparently I am coming a little late to the party, they have recorded five studio albums already but it seems their latest, Brothers, is getting the most attention. In addition to Howlin’ for You, I downloaded these five tracks: Tighten Up (also performed on SNL), Next Girl, Everlasting Light, She’s Long Gone, and Too Afraid to Love You. Listen and download at itunes.com/theblackkeys.

To be completely honest, it is not my first fish of choice. And I know I am not alone here. I don’t love the flavor of cooked salmon (sashimi is a different story), which means I need to find recipes that make it a dish I actually look forward to eating. I prefer to broil salmon, I think it tastes much better than baking, grilling or, god forbid, poaching. So here are my four favorite broiled salmon recipes:

Herb Crusted Salmon with Roasted Lemons

Herb Crusted Salmon with Roasted Lemons – A pretty recipe from Martha Stewart. This is a crowd pleaser that looks great on the plate, which makes it a healthy option for a dinner party. For this particular dinner at home with my hubby, I paired it with sauteed kale and shallots and baked sweet potato fries.

Salmon Glazed with Honey and Mustard

Salmon Glazed with Honey and Mustard – This is my personal favorite. The honey-mustard glaze is just delicious, I have never eaten my salmon so quickly. I normally make it with brown rice and quick sauteed kale.

Broiled Salmon with Arugula Pesto

Broiled Salmon with Arugula Pesto – I decided to try an arugula pesto at my mother’s suggestion and thought a normal basil pesto would be too strong for salmon. She was right – the arugula version works very well. The recipe is just for the arugula pesto but all you have to do is prepare the pesto, spread a healthy layer on top of your filet, and then broil it for 8 – 10 minutes. I pair this with quinoa and roasted tomatoes and a light green salad.

Broiled Salmon with Orange Miso Glaze – I wish I had a photo of this but the last time I made it, I just plain forgot. Next time I am in the mood for asian flavors (and don’t opt for sushi), I will make sure to snap one and add it to this post. If you like miso glazes, you will love this dish. I make it with brown rice and green beans sauteed in sesame oil and soy sauce and topped with toasted sesame seeds.

If you want to read up on why salmon is a superfood, this article is a good one: http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/animal-product/health-benefits-of-salmon.html.

Not all salmon is created equal. Wild salmon is best but the fish market/counter can be intimidating so I refer to the Blue Ocean Institute’s Guide to Ocean Friendly Seafood. It is available as an app for the iPhone called Fish Phone, which I often reference when I am at the store scanning what is available.

Please leave a comment and share your favorite salmon recipes…we need as much help as we can get!

1. Roger Et Gallet Amande Persane Fresh Fragrant Water Spray –  A light fragrance you can use daily on your skin or to freshen up any room in your home.

2. Caudalie Foot Beauty Cream – A winter must have. This will help heal your poor dry, cracked heels.

3. Avene Thermal Spring Water – This refreshing mist is perfect for my when your skin is thirst quenched (mostly all winter). I like to bring this on a flight or when I am traveling, as the air on planes and in hotels is extremely drying.

4. Klorane Extra-Soft Dry Shampoo with Oats – This has been recommended by Gwyneth herself and Marisa Miller (supermodel and this month’s Shape magazine cover girl). Gwyn uses Klorane to maintain a blowout and Marisa says it helps her create and keep those beachy waves for which she is so famous. Um, I am willing to try anything that prevents me from having to wash my mane more frequently, the promise of sexy waves is just a bonus!

5. Erborian Lip Bome + Rich healing Balm – I need to break out the big guns to protect my pout during the Chicago winters and this super rich balm will do just the trick.

6. Planter’s Hyaluronic Acid Intense Hydration Face Cream – Hyaluronic acid is the beauty buzz ingredient of the moment. There is some controversy over how well it can actually be absorbed through the skin but this is the first cream I’ve found to list it as it’s main ingredient. And at about $30, it’s worth a try.

What are some of your favorite French products?

Speaking of assertions of independence – One of my lifelong bfs recently committed to losing 3o lbs by April! In support of her, I put together this playlist for 30+ minutes of motivation on the treadmill: (1) Rihanna – Only Girl (In the World), (2) Katy Perry – Firework, (3) David Guetta (feat Kid Cudi) – Memories, (4) Kesha – We R Who We R, (5) Enrique Iglesias (feat Ludacris and DJ Frank E) – Tonight (I’m Lovin’ You), (6) Natasha Bedingfield – All I Need, and (7) Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina – Stereo Love. Download all at itunes.com.

I know my posts have been a little sparse lately, I plead your patience as I get the new site ready and deal with feeling very ill! More on that later.

]]> http://www.missknowitall.com/natasha-b-is-back/feed/ 0 http://www.missknowitall.com/your-best-tool-for-the-new-year/ http://www.missknowitall.com/your-best-tool-for-the-new-year/#comments Fri, 31 Dec 2010 03:24:46 +0000 Melina http://www.missknowitall.com/?p=1990 I’ve never been one to make New Year’s resolutions because I believe that you can make changes in your life at any time. I do, however, think that this new year is a good opportunity to reflect on your health, the health of your family and the health of the planet. The choices we make daily, from the food we eat to the products we use, not only have an immediate impact on our own health but farther reaching consequences for the global environment. Staying educated on what is safe and environmentally conscious is not easy, but if we don’t we risk getting sick and further harming our precious planet.

The Environmental Working Group is the best resource for this information – from what foods you should buy organically to the best non-toxic cleaning and beauty products. The Group’s stated mission is to “use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment.” Most recently, they published a report showing the presence of hexavalent chromium in the drinking water of 31 US cities. A proven carcinogen, this is the same toxin from the movie Erin Brockovich and, if you can believe it, is not tested by water utilities. The EPA responded in less than 72 hours, announcing new actions to detect chromium-6 contamination in the nation’s drinking water. This story was covered extensively in the media over the Christmas holiday and is just an example of the good this organization is doing to protect all of us from potential cancer causing agents in our environment.

They have other great resources such as The 2010 Sunscreen Safety Guide, Shoppers Guide to Pesticides in Produce, and Guide to Infant Formula and Baby Bottles. There is a wealth of knowledge available on this site that will help you make more informed choices to protect your family and limit your impact on the planet. Start by subscribing to their update emails…you will rarely receive any soliciting donations, but given all the good information you receive, I wouldn’t complain if you did. Got to ewr.org to get started on your path to healthy, conscious living.

My secret skin weapon is not so secret. Hollywood starlets, professional makeup artists and models have all named Egyptian Magic as one of their go-to products. I found it about five years ago at the suggestion of my cousin, who works in the beauty industry and got tired of my constant complaining about my dry skin and winter eczema. This “all purpose skin cream” is truly just that. You can use it on burns, as a lip and facial moisturizer, a cuticle cream, and on hands and feet. I’ve even heard people say it treats bruises. Applied anywhere your skin has been bullied, this clandestine cream will soothe and heal, often with immediate results.

Kate Hudson says she uses it on overnight flights to keep her skin moisturized. For the same reason, I use it almost exclusively as a night cream during the winter months when my skin gets tight and itchy. I used to keep a jar on my desk at work for my lips and cuticles. The experts behind Egyptian Magic believe so deeply in the power of their 100% natural product that they offer a money back guarantee if for some reason you are not satisfied. But that won’t happen. One jar lasts forever and after a few tries you will find multiple uses for the beauty secret so many women swear by. Buy at amazon.com or at egyptianmagic.com.

It’s Christmas week and I am off to the Bahamas with my family. I’ll be back next week with some new posts and hopefully, fingers crossed, will be launching the new site early in January!