how do you know you're about to have an awesome dinner?!...

... when your pre-dinner drink looks like this:

i'll give you the ingredients, but you you have to work out the proportions that work for you [read: i was so excited to make this that i didn't even bother to think about measurements! ;)]...

tropical daiquiri
rum, duh!
mango
strawberries
orange juice
mango sorbet
ice

cut the mango and strawberries ahead of time and freeze [i was trying to use as little as as possible].  in a blender, mix all of the ingredients, except the ice,in a proportion to your liking.  if necessary, add ice. [i used 3 or 4 cubes].

now for the main course...

i'm sure the salmon looks familiar... it's the tropical salmon i posted a couple of months ago.  the salad, however, is new.  truth be told, i fully intended to make the dish the same way i always do, but i was watching "Giada at home" today and all of a sudden the little lightbulb in my head went off ::DING:: :) i believe the episode was call "aloha L.A." or something like that- she was throwing a Hawaiian-themed party in her beautiful backyard.  one of the recipes were these cute little fish taco appetizers that had a mango, avocado, and arugula salad- those looked so good that i automatically started trying to figure out how could make them... without going to the grocery store... it was my lucky day- i just happened to buy an avocado, mango, and salmon yesterday! HOORAY!! :) but i didn't have any tortillas... BOOO! :(  so i decided to make the salmon the way i'd been planning on making it, and altering the sidedish to mimic hers... here's the breakdown:

mango,avocado, and spinach salad
1 mango, diced
1 avocado, diced
2 cups baby spinach
1 tomato, diced
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1.5 lemons
1- 1" piece of ginger, shaved? [what the heck is this called...use the microplaner after you're done with the lemon... it's easier to do this when the ginger is frozen! ;)]
2 tbsp olive oil
s+p

in a small bowl, mix the lemon zest and juice, the ginger, s+p.  add olive oil.  when well incorporated, add everything except the spinach [you don't want it to wilt, do you?! ;)]  mix carefully so as not to destroy the yummy avocado.  cover and chill until ready to eat.  when ready, add the spinach and lightly toss. 

enjoy! ;)

ps- i was totally planning on making dessert... but the giant drink had soooo much stuff in it- mostly good stuff, i swear- that it unfortunately counted as
my appetizer, my drink, AND my dessert... oh well...

i'll just have to make/post it tomorrow... ;)