Mexican Recipes | 20something cupcakes

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fried oyster tacos with tomatillo-avocado salsa.

September 6, 2012 — 4 Comments

Oh, how I enjoy fried oysters.

Fried Oyster Tacos

It’s like biting into a little pillow from briny seafood heaven. Creamy oyster surrounded by a crispy-crunchy deep-fried coating? Can’t go wrong with that!

If ever I see them on a menu, I order. Love them on a sandwich, po’ boy-style, and I also love fish tacos – so fried oyster tacos seemed like a perfect idea.

The fried oysters are so good on their own, you just might want to eat them that way. And they’re easy to make at home, as long as you don’t mind getting down with a big pot of oil.

You could serve them on their own as an appetizer with the salsa (probably better more puréed than chunky as it is used in the taco) or the crema as a dip. And really, you could even play with the flavors in the coating to give the oysters a different spin. As in, use 1 cup all-purpose flour and then your own favorite spices to replace the adobo. If you wanted to keep it true to New Orleans, you could make a rémoulade sauce, for example. Major yum.

Fried Oyster Tacos

And of course, you can go with the Mexican route I’ve provided here. I love the tangy tomatillos and creamy avocados with the crunchy oysters, and the smoky-spice and coolness from the chipotle crema adds another layer of flavor.

These bad boys are just begging to be enjoyed over a pitcher of margaritas, don’t you think? And don’t forget to buy some tortilla chips in case you’ve got extra salsa.

In Main Dishes, Obsessed, Uncategorized avocado, chipotle, fried, mexican recipes, oysters, seafood, sour cream, tacos, tomatillos

chorizo + quinoa {stuffed} zucchini.

September 3, 2012 — 6 Comments

First off – I’m all about a quinoa salad. It’s super-easy to make, the quinoa gets your protein in, and you can throw in whatever veggies you’ve got on hand and call it dinner.

Chorizo + Quinoa {Stuffed} Zucchini

But because that’s all been said and done in my kitchen, I chose to go a different route with this week’s quinoa inspiration à la The Food Matters Project. Perfect timing because I’ve been craving stuffed zucchini in a major way.

You could take this basic idea and go a number of ways, but since I had some chorizo on hand, I went with that. Chorizo adds crazy flavor to the whole mix, since you’re cooking the vegetables in the fat that renders from it. You could stick with all veggies if you prefer – remember, the quinoa makes it a complete meal for you – or you could… who can guess where I’m going with this… use bacon!

In Food Matters Project, Main Dishes chorizo, mexican recipes, queso fresco, quinoa, zucchini

mexican {street} corn chowder.

July 31, 2012 — 7 Comments

I suppose it’s safe to say that this soup comes with a story.

Mexican {Street} Corn Chowder

Weird, I know.

This was the soup that I conjured up to take to my audition for that lil’ cooking show I told you about. You know … the one with Nigella and Anthony. On a major network. Small fries. Small potatoes? Whatevs.

I’m going to tell you the story of that audition, although you won’t be getting the results, because I don’t know them yet myself. Unless someone out there knows something otherwise – we’re in full-on wait-mode right now.

Except I’m not really waiting, because I think the word “waiting” signifies that you’re sitting around, in a state at least somewhat close to inactivity – which clearly, I am not.

Between being engaged – is this a real thing that people already have a gift registry by now, because that scares me – planning an engagement party, going to Key West last weekend which, by the way, I’ve decided is like Vegas in the fact that I shouldn’t be allowed to stay there for a period longer than 3 nights … oh, wait – and that reminds me, I will be in Vegas the weekend after my engagement party for my BFFs bachelorette party, and then there’s another one in the DR and then wedding after wedding after wedding after … and don’t I have my own wedding to plan, or even think about, for that matter?

ANYHOO.

In Main Dishes, Starters chowder, corn, cornbread, cotija cheese, lime, mexican recipes, quick breads, soups, summer recipes

prickly pear margaritas.

June 13, 2012 — 11 Comments

I thought about sharing this margarita with right before Cinqo de Mayo, but I didn’t.

Prickly Pear Margarita

Turns out I’m nicer than I thought!

I say this because it would have been horribly rude for me to share this ridiculously funky cocktail with you, with virtually no time to order the prickly pear syrup online.

And, guys – funky is a good thing. Funky is like, the best, actually.

{At least, in Daniel and I’s sick and twisted universe}

Prickly pear margaritas! TELL ME you’ve been lucky enough to try one (several?) in your day. I’m pretty sure they’re becoming a thing at restaurants now … or maybe they always have been, but I’m just now noticing. They serve ‘em at this place called Canyon here in Fort Lauderdale – hands-down, my favorite restaurant in the city. I actually become angry when I speak to someone who lives here and they haven’t been. Inexcusable!

It’s one of those, well, it’s not really hole-in-the-wall because I think it’s a little nicer than that, but you know, teeny-tiny, no reservations, might have driven by it hundred times and never noticed it types of places with food that is nothing less than orgasmic. I’m not even kidding, everything on their Southwest fusion menu at any given time is FACE. MELTING. If you’re ever in the area, you should probably check it out. (And don’t forget to call me to join you!)

No reservations is a particularly important part of the deal, because no reservations means you have to wait at the bar for a very long time. And you know what that means: Cocktails! And better than that, we’re talking one must-have signature cocktail that everrryyyyone gets. I really am unsure as to whether they serve anything other than these prickly pear margaritas, because I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything else being drank. Yes, even your manliest dude will be caught drinking these, and happily.

In Cocktails lime, margarita, mexican recipes, orange, tequila

the list: {12} must-make margaritas.

May 4, 2012 — 9 Comments

So … I had this plan. This plan entailed me sharing with you what might just be my favorite margarita recipe EVER.

Kind of a big deal, right?

Well, I’ve got something bigger on the brain.

What could be bigger than sharing one of my all-time favorite margarita recipes, you ask?

Jackpot, babies! Cinco de Mayo. It’s so happening. Like, tomorrow.

These two things are related in that the recipe I wanted to share with you was for … wait for it … prickly pear margaritas.

If you’ve ever had one, then you’re probably wondering why on earth I would torture you with such a thought. Well, if I had shared the recipe, that would have been the evil thing to do – reason being that you need a special prickly pear syrup to make one of those bad boys happen. I say, go ahead and order a bottle now … let me know when it arrives, and then I’ll post the recipe so that we can drink together in peace and tequila-filled harmony.

Lucky for ~~you~~ us, there’s no shortage of fabulous {non-prickly pear} margarita recipes to choose from in the meantime.

In Cocktails celebrate, cinqo de mayo, link round-up, margarita, mexican recipes, spring recipes, summer recipes

white bean + avocado dip.

January 31, 2012 — 11 Comments

I’ve always wondered if there was a way that guacamole could be improved upon.

I’ve discovered that there is. Well, that’s if you consider making it healthier an improvement. I do, when it still tastes just as good – if not better.

Question: Do you ever think it’s funny when you hear people say, “Oh, I make the best guacamole!” or “I don’t know what my dad puts in his guacamole, but it’s the best ever!” Now I’ve made guac many, many times. It’s, like, always good. I like to think I make the best guac, but in truth, I think pretty much everyone that takes a stab at it does a decent job.

This stuff is hard to mess up, peeps! Mash up some avocado, add lime or lemon juice to taste, maybe a chopped tomato if you’re in the mood, a little minced something from the allium family…are you WTF-ing over there? New vocab word of the day comin’ at ya: The allium family is made up of garlic, onions, shallots, scallions, leeks, and chives – yes, these little guys are imperative in the world of good eats when it comes to building and adding flavor. Lesson concluded.

Now back to the guac…seasoning! Seasoning can make or break your guacamole. And by seasoning, I mean salt. Add all of these ingredients – to TASTE, by the way, which anyone is capable of doing – and you too can make the very best guac that your mother, cousin, half-brother and his wife and kids have ever tasted.

In Healthy Eats, Starters avocado, basil, cilantro, dips + spreads, football fun-day, guacamole, lemon, mexican recipes, white beans

tomatillo chicken soup.

January 4, 2012 — 7 Comments

Let’s talk soup.

‘Tis the season, right? I know it is, even if only for a day, for all of my fellow warm-blooded brethren. It was 40 degrees this morning in sunny South Florida!

Even when it warms back up to the 70s this weekend (don’t be jeal) – it will still be soup season. Why? Because we’re talking healthy soups. And no matter where you live or what the weather, healthy soups should be on the menu.

In Healthy Eats, Main Dishes chicken, mexican recipes, slow cooker, soups, tomatillos

huevos rancheros bake.

December 30, 2011 — 7 Comments

Huevos rancheros is high on the list of my all-time favorite breakfast dishes.

And it’s a super-simple concept: Fried eggs, corn tortillas, and some type of tomato sauce. There are, of course, a few variations you can toss in there – like black beans, or salsa instead of a tomato sauce – but those are the building blocks.

When I discovered Deb of Smitten Kitchen‘s way of frying the egg on top of the tortilla over a layer of cheese, I fell in love with this breakfast. Daniel really fell in love with this breakfast. In fact, on any given weekend when I ask him what he’d like to eat in the morning, this is probably his most frequent answer. Sometimes if I have store-bought salsa on hand, I’ll make it with that – though I do prefer the homemade stuff.

Now that I’ve created this new way of making huevos rancheros, however, I have a feeling I’ll be making it much more often.

You heard the story – one of my bestest girlfriend’s also loves her some huevos rancheros, so it’s really her and Daniel you can thank for inspiring this idea. I wanted to make this dish for a group, without frying eggs to order. As I surfed around for a recipe, I couldn’t find what I was looking for – but I did stumble upon this recipe using chipotle and an avocado salsa. It wasn’t a bake, it was still going the traditional fry-to-order route, but I figured I could take the same flavors and create a recipe for a bake. So, that’s what I did – and here it is.

In Main Dishes, Weekend Brunch avocado, black beans, breakfast casseroles, chipotle, corn tortillas, eggs, mexican recipes

easy homemade ceviche.

December 29, 2011 — Leave a comment

Making ceviche at home might be one of my new favorite activities.

Now, that I’ve finally discovered a fresh seafood market just minutes away… I mean, come on…we only live in the boating capital of the world. You’d think someone would have had this covered sooner.

This place is seriously awesome, and if you happen to live in Fort Lauderdale, I highly recommend it. Not only do they have an incredible selection of fresh seafood, they’ll even cook it for you, if you ask! Now that doesn’t really interest me, because you know I want to take it home and soak it in a big bowl of citrus to make ceviche…but, it’s a nice idea, don’t you think? And if all of that wasn’t enough, this place even sells baguettes from my favorite Las Olas bakery - making it a total and complete one-stop shop. Boom!

In Fabulously Simple, Starters fish, healthy, mexican recipes, rick bayless, seafood

champagne {margarita} brunch.

December 28, 2011 — 3 Comments

As a person who adores both margaritas and champagne, you can imagine my excitement when I discovered the brilliant idea to combine them.

This is beyond brilliant. This is the stuff people should win awards for coming up with… Is anyone surprised it was Rick Bayless’ creation? Didn’t think so.

Champagne is a perfect match for my beloved margarita, because it adds just the right amount of sweetness – and the bubbles provide a great balance against the 1:1:1 ratio of tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice. Plus, we now have an excuse to drink tequila at breakfast.

And my, oh my – champagne margaritas open the door for endless Mexican brunch menu opportunities, don’t they?