Margarita Shrimp

Margarita Shrimp may not seem like a Thanksgiving or fall recipe but Matt and I are off to Cozumel today for Thanksgiving, so I wanted to share a recipe that reminded me of being on a Mexican beach. This Margarita Shrimp recipe comes from my sister in law, Deb who is an excellent chef.

For the Shrimp marinate:

1 lb shrimp (16-20 count)

1 cup lime juice

1/2 cup tequila

2 tablespoons triple sec

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon kosher salt

For Salad, toss together:

1 cup roasted red pepper, diced

1 cup roasted yellow pepper, diced

1 cup roasted corn

1 cup canned black beans

2/3 cup red onion sliced thin

1/4 cilantro leaves

1 jalapeno seeded and minced

For Vinaigrette, blend:

1 1/4 olive oil

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon Cayenne pepper

1 avocado roughly diced

Mix marinade, peel and devien shrimp, remove tails. Allow to marinade 30 minutes. Roast corn and peppers, do this on the grill or in the broiler. Peel the charred skins from the peppers. Dice the peppers and mix them with the corn, beans onion, cilantro and jalapeno. For vinaigrette blend ingredients (except avocado) in Cuisinart. Add avocado, pulse until just blended. Remove shrimp from marinade and grill or saute them. Add shrimp to roasted mixture and toss with 1/2 cup vinaigrette. Dip the Margarita glasses in lime juice and then in the minced cilantro. Spoon salad into the glass, garnish with tortilla chips.

Mexican Baked Fish

Today is our first wedding anniversary, Matt and I have been together for 3 1/2 years, I can't imagine not being with him. We are so happy, and I love being his wife. I still love cooking for him and I think most people if they thought of cooking as feeding their loved ones would love it too. We are going to Cozumel later this month to celebrate and spend time with my family, I was thinking of all the delicious fish at the resort. Most people think of Mexican food as taco, enchiladas and burritos, while those are amazing, the Mexican seafood is wonderful. Here is a simple fish that you can bake for the one you love.

1/3 cup sour cream (go for low fat not fat free)
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon chipolte chili powder (I love Penzey's)

1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 pound orange roughy, red snapper, cod or grouper fillets (any mild white fish)
1 1/4 cups crushed tortilla chips
2 tablespoons butter

Combine sour cream, lime juice, cumin and chipolte chili powder. Dip fillets in this mixture and dredge in tortilla chips, coating well. Place fillets in a lightly greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Drizzle with butter. Bake at 450 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve with rice, beans and a salad. You could make a chipolte aioli if you like. And now a wine pairing from our friend Jason:

Darn, to bad I didn't know ahead of time I could have sent you a bottle to celebrate. From Trader Joe's I would have to recommend the Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc. If you can find it I think this Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc would be a great match as well. A lot tangier than the Geyser Peak. Enjoy!

Enchilada Stack

Matt and I went to grab some dinner at Desert Ridge a few weeks ago. Desert Ridge is a big shopping, movie and dining complex. It has a nice mix of chain and independent restaurants. We decided to eat at the Office, we thought it was the same as the Office in Cabo but it turns out to be the same as the Office in Prescott. Looking like a typical bar/restaurant, we were pleasantly surprised all the food was delicious. Matt ordered a chicken enchilada stack which I will try to recreate. (What I loved about the dish at the Office, was that each portion was individually served, in a small baking dish, if you wanted to do that simply divide the recipe into 6 portions)

1 lb. shredded chicken (I would get a rotisserie chicken)
1 jar (17.5 oz.) Red Enchilada Sauce
6 soft flour tortillas (10") or smaller if you want to make individuals
2 cups shredded cojita cheese
2 cans (4 oz. each) green chiles, drained
Chopped green onions
1/4 cup sour cream


Add 1/2 cup enchilada sauce to the shredded chicken. Spray baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray.

PLACE 1 tortilla on baking sheet. Top with 1/3 of chicken mixture and 1/4 cup cheese. Top with 1 tortilla, 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, 1 can chiles and 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat layers. Top with 1 tortilla, remaining meat mixture and 1/4 cup cheese. Top with remaining tortilla. Cover with foil.

BAKE at 400°F. for 40 min. or until hot. Uncover. Top with remaining enchilada sauce, cheese, sour cream and onions. Bake 5 min. Cut into wedges.

Tortilla Pie

Real Simple has a list of easy Mexican recipes on line this week, these would be great simple recipes to divide into single servings.
I like this tortilla pie recipe because it is vegetarian, I was reading on MSN health that if you can eat vegetarian even one day per week the health benefits are amazing and it can also help to trim up your waist line. With a great recipe like this you won't even feel like you are sacrificing!

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 white corn tortillas
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach — thawed, drained, and excess moisture squeezed out
6 ounces good-quality Feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes (½-inch chunks) or one 14 ½-ounce can
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 fresh basil leaves, torn

Preheat oven to 375° F. Spray an 8-inch pie pan with cooking spray. Pour 1 tablespoon of the olive oil into a small bowl and lightly brush each tortilla on both sides. Place the tortillas around the pan to form an overlapping circular crust. Bake 5 minutes, until lightly golden. Spoon the spinach evenly over the tortillas, then put half the Feta on top. Sprinkle with the chopped tomatoes and top with the remaining Feta. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and season with the salt and pepper. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is golden. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. Garnish with the basil.

Happy Birthday Aunt Karen

Today is my Aunt Karen's Birthday, her family threw her a Mexican Fiesta to celebrate. A Mexican Fiesta is a perfect party for Aunt Karen, she loves life and loves to have fun! Kristin emailed me asking for an excellent Guacamole recipe. I am allergic to avocados, so I have never come up with my own, but I use this one from the Food Network and everyone loves it. Happy Birthday Aunt Karen! Love you lots! xoxo

3 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled

1 lime, juiced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 medium onion, diced

2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

1 clove garlic, minced
In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat. Drain, and reserve the lime juice, after all of the avocados have been coated. Using a potato masher add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash. Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.

Burrito Pie

Carrie Muntz was kind enough to also share her Burrito Pie recipe with us! This reminds me of the Frito Pie that my mom made when we were kids, which we loved, but grown up. Casseroles are a great thing to throw together when you have a bunch of friends popping by!

2 lbs Ground Beef
1 C chopped onion
2 t garlic
1 2 oz can sliced black olives
1 4 oz can diced green chili peppers
1 10 oz can diced tomatoes with chiles (Rotelle)
1 16 oz jar taco sauce
2 16 oz cans refried beans
12 8” flour tortillas
9 oz shredded Colby Jack cheese

In 4 – 6 quart pan or large fry pan:
Brown Beef, add onion & garlic sautee
Mix in olives, chili peppers, diced tomatoes, taco sauce & refried beans
Stir together: reduce to low & simmer for 20 minutes.

Spread a layer of meat in a 4 qt casserole dish
Cover with tortillas
Add a layer of meat mixture sprinkle with cheese and repeat until all tortillas are used.
Top with Cheese.

Bake 20 -30 minutes until bubbly

Mexican Chicken

How great is that Mexican Chicken? When we were in Cabo I saw this great tin rooster I wanted for my kitchen but the kitchen is too tiny, big girl house.
I came across this recipe for Mexican Chicken and thought it was a great base for other Mexican recipes, like tacos, enchiladas, tostadas or even on a taco salad.

Chicken boneless breasts
Salt
Cumin
Chili powder
Garlic cloves
Onions
Bell peppers
oregano
Cooking oil
Canned whole tomatoes or chopped
4 chicken breast, 1 tablespoon of salt cover with water, bring to boil, loosely cover.
Cook over medium low heat for 1 hour, drain saving broth. Set chicken aside to cool.
When cooled, take and cut in strips 1/4 by 1 inch would be great. In skillet add 3 tablespoons of oil, sauté` 1 medium onion, 2 medium bell peppers, sliced, then quarter, 2 cloves of garlic. Cooking over low heat till lightly sautéed, add chicken cooking 3 or 4 more minutes. In blender add 12 oz can tomatoes, 2 cups of chicken stock from our chicken.

Pico de Gallo

One of the best things about Mexico is the Pico de Gallo. We really liked it at Pepe's, here is a picture of Matt at Pepe's with his Margarita. They make it fresh everyday, it takes a lot of chopping but it is worth it! Serve with chips, tacos, on a salad, or anything else!

6 diced Roma Tomatoes

1 medium Red Onion

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

2-4 fresh serrano chiles (depending on the level of heat you like)

juice of a lime

pinch of garlic salt

Chop all ingredients finely, mix together. Refrigerate at least one hour.

Tomatillo Salsa

The tomatillo salsa at Pepe's was great! Sometimes tomatillo salsa can be too mild, but this has some added spice. Serve with tacos, chips, add to sour cream to serve over fish tacos.

1 1/2 lb tomatillos or 3 (11 ounce) cans of tomatillos

1/2 cup chopped white onion

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

pinch of sugar

5 fresh serrano chiles

Salt to taste
Peel the papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cut in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin. (Or use the canned ones to cut down on a step) Place tomatillos, lime juice, onions, cilantro, Jalapeño peppers, sugar in a food processor and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed. Season to taste with salt. Cool in refrigerator.

Mexican Eggs

While on vacation we like to have a big breakfast, snack in the day & a great dinner. In Cabo, I love going to the Office for their amazing Mexican Eggs. This recipe from Real Simple is very similar. I would make this on a Sunday morning & eat on my patio, almost vacation like!

4 6-inch corn tortillas

1 16-ounce can of refried beans or one 15-ounce can pinto or black beans 1 10-ounce can of red enchilada sauce or one 16-ounce jar salsa

2 to 4 eggs (1 to 2 per person)

Heat oven to 250° F.

Wrap the tortillas in foil and place in oven.

In a saucepan, over medium-low heat, heat the beans.

In a large skillet, over medium heat, bring the enchilada sauce or salsa to a simmer.

Break the eggs into skillet.

For runny yolks, leave the tops of the eggs uncovered; for firm yolks, spoon some of the sauce over the top.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.

Top each tortilla with some of the beans, eggs, sauce or salsa, Cheddar, scallions (if using), salt, and pepper.

Don't be Jealous we are in Cabo: Mexican Chicken Soup with Cilantro-Chile Cream

Last August we had a culinary vacation to Cabo. Matt & I are currently in Cabo, so I thought I would share more of my favorite Mexican Recipes. This is a simple soup that I actually found on Ortega's website. Food manufacturers will often hire chefs to develop recipes using their ingredients. This soup is easy & spicy. Enjoy & try not to hate us while we lounge on the beach!

1 container (32 oz.) chicken broth
1 cup water
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 jarORTEGA Salsa - Homestyle Recipe (Mild), (or any flavor)
1/2 cup long-grain rice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chicken, cooked, chopped
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed, drained
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 can (4 oz.)ORTEGA Diced Green Chiles
1 dollop cilantro, chile cream (recipe follows)

Directions

COMBINE chicken broth, water and garlic in large saucepan; bring to a boil. Add salsa, rice, oregano and salt; cover. Reduce heat to low; cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken, beans, corn and chiles; continue cooking for 5 minutes or until heated through. Serve in soup bowls; top each serving with dollop of cilantro-chile cream.

FOR CILANTRO CHILE CREAM: COMBINE 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 can (4 oz.) ORTEGA Diced Green Chiles, 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro and 1 teaspoon lime juice in small bowl.

Spicy Shrimp Tacos

We leave for Cabo tomorrow morning and to say we are excited would be a huge understatement! We will be busy packing our bags so a quick dinner is in order. Matt loves his shrimp & they were on sale at Fresh & Easy, so shrimp tacos it is. I found this recipe on the Food Network, which is a great recipe source. Most people would not eat Mexican before they left for Mexico, but we love it. Unfortunately these are not really my suitcases, but if you want to buy a set click here.

Avocado Salsa:

1 small onion, quartered

1 jalapeno, quartered, seeded

1 garlic clove, smashed

4 medium tomatillos, (about 8 ounces) husked, rinsed, and coarsely chopped

1/2 Hass avocado, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Shrimp:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 pound medium shrimp (about 20), peeled and deveined

8 corn tortillas

2 limes, cut into wedges
Put the onion, jalapeno, and garlic in a food processor and finely chop. Add the tomatillos, avocado, and salt and pulse until chopped but still chunky. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cilantro.
Heat a stovetop or outdoor grill to medium-high. Mix the olive oil, chipotle or chili powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Grill the shrimp until translucent, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side.
Grill tortillas, until slightly charred and pliable, about 20 seconds per side. (Alternatively, wrap in a damp paper towel and heat in a microwave.) Spoon sauce on the tortilla, then top with about 2 or 3 shrimp and a sprig of cilantro. Serve 2 tacos per person, with a lime wedge on the side.
Copyright 2005 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

Spicy Steak & Corn Soft Tacos

I went to Safeway & they had top round steaks on sale for $1.49 a pound! I couldn't believe what a great deal, so I bought some with out even knowing what I was going to make. Matt & I are going to Cabo at the end of the month, we are so excited. So I decided to make us some Cabo worthy tacos, they were delicious.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium red onion, sliced

1/2 pound round steak, cut into 1/4-inch-thick, long narrow strips

3/4 cup frozen whole kernel corn, cooked according to package directions, drained

1 jalapeño chili, minced with seeds

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder ( I have this amazing chipolte chili powder from Penzeys)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
flour tortillas

Grated cheddar cheese

Chopped fresh tomatoes

Sour cream

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to plate. Add steak to skillet and stir until no longer pink, about 1 minute. Return onion to skillet. Add corn, jalapeño, cumin and chili powder and stir until heated through. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Remove from heat and mix in cilantro. Transfer steak mixture to heated bowl and keep warm.
Warm tortilla, I do this in a metal pie pan, I make a stack of them put them in the oven at 350 5 minutes. Serve tortillas, steak mixture, cheese, tomatoes and sour cream separately, so you can assemble tacos at the table.

Shrimp Vera Cruz

When ever I am offered Chicken, Fish or Shrimp Vera Cruz, I think of the old Western Movie with Gary Cooper. When we visit Cabo, Vera Cruz is a popular offering, even thought the dish comes from the state of Veracruz. Veracruzana is a dish full of onions, jalapeños and tomatoes. In this recipe it is served with shrimp, but it can be served with any type of fish or chicken. The heat of fresh jalapeños varies depending on growing conditions. Be sure to taste yours as you're adding them to the dish and adjust the amount according to your taste. (Poor Matt has to go in the other room when I cook with jalapeños, his eyes get watery.) For pepper flavor without the heat, use a thinly sliced green bell pepper in place of the jalapeños.

Serve with: Rice and a salad with an avocado.
2 teaspoons canola oil

1 bay leaf

1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and very thinly sliced, or to taste

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound peeled and deveined raw shrimp (16-20 per pound; see Shopping Tip)

3 medium tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup thinly sliced pitted green olives

1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bay leaf and cook for 1 minute. Add onion, jalapeños and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in shrimp, cover and cook until pink and just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and olives. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, replace cover and cook until the tomatoes are almost broken down, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove the bay leaf. Serve with lime wedges.

Shredded Beef Chimichangas

I never eat chimichangas, I always figure it is bad enough to eat Mexican with out also frying it. But Chimis are soooo good. Every once in a while you can splurge!

Happy Cinco de Mayo.

4 flour tortillas, 12-inch diameter

1 recipe Shredded Beef

4 avocados, skinned and seeded

1 cup sour cream

2 pickled jalapeno chiles, seeded and minced

2 tablespoons vinegar from jalapeno can

1/4 cup cilantro, minced
Soften tortillas and wrap them in a towel to keep them warm. Place about 2 cup to 2 1/4 cups of Shredded Beef on each tortilla. Chop 2 of the avocados and apportion them equally on top of the Shredded Beef. Fold the tortillas and fry one at a time until crispy. Drain on a paper towel, then remove to a serving plate.
Meanwhile, mash the remaining 2 avocados; then stir in the remaining ingredients to make a thick, smooth sauce. You could use a blender or food processor.
Place the cooked chimichangas on individual serving plates and top them with the avocado sauce.

Cinco de Mayo Chopped Salad

Adding spice is a great way to keep food low calorie but have lots of flavor. I love a good chop salad, I always get one if it is on the menu. This would be a great low calorie Cinco de Mayo meal. This is another recipe from Self Magazine, I added the chicken breast. You would have a lot of protien anyway from the beans if you didn't want to bother with it.

2 1/2 cups chopped romaine lettuce

1 sliced cooked chicken breast,I love to cook chicken breasts in the low sodium taco seasoning

1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and well drained

3/4 cup chopped seeded tomato

3/4 cup chopped peeled jicama

3/4 cup fresh corn kernels

3/4 cup thinly sliced radishes

Half a ripe avocado, diced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
Honey-Lime Dressing

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup olive oil2 tbsp

2tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro (or more to taste)

1 garlic clove, peeled and minced

1 tsp chopped jalapeño pepper

Toss all salad ingredients in a large bowl. In separate bowl, mix dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over mixture and toss again. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Mexican that will keep you skinny:Enchiladas Suizas

Cinco de Mayo is a big deal in Arizona, so I thought it would be fun to have some Mexican recipes. The problem with one Mexican meal is it can un-do your diet efforts, this recipe is low in fat with lots of protein. Typically when we want Mexican I substitute low fat cheese & sour cream for their full fat versions, or chicken for beef. This recipe came from Self Magazine. Self is a great source for fitness tips, nutrition & recipes.

1 1/2 lb bone-in chicken breasts, skin removed

2 tsp salt

4 cloves garlic

5 peppercorns

1 lb tomatillos (about 8), husked

2 serrano chiles

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro

2 tsp vegetable oil

1/4 cup nonfat sour cream

8 corn tortillas (6" each)

1 1/2 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Place chicken in a large saucepan. Add 6 cups water, 1 tsp of the salt, 2 of the garlic cloves and peppercorns and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Remove chicken from liquid. Pull meat from bones and shred; set aside. Place tomatillos and chiles in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and boil over medium-high heat about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup liquid. Transfer tomatillos and chiles to a blender. Add cilantro and remaining 2 cloves garlic; blend until smooth, adding reserved liquid if necessary. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add tomatillo-chile puree; reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring constantly, 10 minutes or until sauce reduces to about 1 cup. Reduce heat, add sour cream and remaining 1 tsp salt. Stir about 1 minute. Set aside. Heat oven to 350°. Heat a large skillet over medium heat; warm tortillas 10 seconds per side. Divide shredded chicken evenly among tortillas; roll up. Spread 1/3 of the sauce in a 9" baking dish. Arrange enchiladas in a layer, seam side down. Cover with remaining sauce; sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cheese starts to brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Lobster con Queso

Last night I went out with my girlfriends to Blue Adobe, Jodi has been talking about the Mesa location as long as I have known her. We are enough to have a lot of good Mexican food in Scottsdale, but this was really great. I had the enchilada stack, which was huge & delicious. Matt really enjoyed the leftovers. For me the stand out was the lobster queso dip, here is a copy cat recipe for you.

1/4 cup butter

1 onion, finely chopped

1/4-1/2 tsp. garlic, minced

1 can mild green chilies, chopped

1 16 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained

1-3 tbsp. evaporated milk

paprika

6 ounces lobster meat
Melt butter; saute onions until translucent. Add garlic, salt, chilies and tomatoes.
Cut up cheese; add evaporated milk until consistency resembles thick gravy.
Cook slowly, adding milk a little at a time. Add lobster. Stir often.
Hot chilies may be added if hotter than mild Con Queso is desired. You could serve with corn chips. Blue Adobe served with flour tortilla chips which were awesome, cut flour tortillas into 6 preshaped wedges and fry in hot vegetable oil until crisp.

Barbacoa Beef

Matt & I love Chipotle, maybe a little too much, we were very sad when we discovered how many calories were in our favorite burritos. I won't tell you how many but if you want to calculate your meal click here. I figured if we could make our food at home we could sub in low fat sour cream & cheese that would help. After a little searching I found the recipe for the beef. It has quite a few specialized ingredients but it could become your favorite! Serve on a salad, in a burrito or in tacos with all the fixings.

4 guijillo chiles

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ground cloves

10 allspice berries

1/3 cup Mexican oregano

12 sprigs fresh thyme

6 garlic cloves

1 Spanish onion, roughly chopped

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1 (6 to 8-pound) beef roast

Salt and pepper

1 (2-pound) package dried avocado leaves

Large tortilla for wrap, beans, rice and vegetables of your choice.
Instructions:
Toast chiles, cover with boiling water in a deep bowl and set aside for 20 minutes. Grind cumin, cloves, allspice, and oregano in coffee grinder. Drain soaked chiles, puree in blender the chiles, ground spices, thyme, garlic, onion, vinegar, and 1/2 cup of water. Process until smooth. Push mixture through a sieve, season beef with salt and pepper. Rub paste all over the meat. Arrange in a bowl and allow to marinate for 4 hours, refrigerated. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a deep roaster pan, scatter half of the avocado leaves on the bottom, place meat on top of the avocado leaves and scatter the remaining leaves over the meat. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Cook the beef 6 to 7 hours until meat is falling off the bone. If using lamb shoulder cook for 4 hours. Note: Fresh avocado leaves are toxic - they must be dried to be used for cooking.

Adobo seasoned Tuna Steaks

Trying to watch your weight is so hard because you feel like you are missing out on great food. I personally have tried low-carb dieting when I need to drop a few. I always do well initially but get tired of eating chicken & steak. Tuna Steaks are a great alternative. This is a variation on the seasoning method used at Cafe Dorian, a fantastic marina side restaurant in Cabo. Adobo is a garlic, cumin, and sour-citrus marinade, when you soak jalapenos in adobo you get chipotles. If I were watching my carb/calorie in take I would eat this with a green salad, topped with Joni's salsa & a side of black beans. (Beans are en excellent source of fiber & are a great diet food)

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 (6-ounce) tuna steaks (about 1/2 inch thick) I like to get mine at Costco

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon cracked pepper

Cooking spray

Lime slices (optional)
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large shallow dish; add fish, turning to coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning fish occasionally.
Preheat broiler. Remove fish from dish, discarding marinade. Brush oil over fish; sprinkle with pepper. Place fish on broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 4 minutes or until medium-rare (do not turn). Garnish with lime slices, if desired.