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.
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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.

Brisket Tacos

Sometimes my mom will send us a gift card to On the Border, a chain Mexican place. I normally don't get excited about chain restaurants but they make these amazing Brisket Tacos. I of course decided that I could make them at home. They turned out so well Matt declared him his #2 favorite dinner!

You need to start by making Carrie's shredded beef, this is more than enough beef so you can still have sandwiches. Note to the Baca-Johnson Families:This would be a great Wii Bowling League dinner!

Shredded Beef (half of Carrie's recipe)

1 bottle barbecue sauce

1 chipolte pepper

shredded Monterrey jack cheese

shoe string onion rings (You can buy these frozen or make your own)

tortillas

Place the shredded beef in a sauce pan, cover with barbecue sauce, add a chipolte & stir until heated through. Serve in warm tortillas, top with cheese & onion strings.

If you want to make your own shoestring onions:

1 large vidalia onions
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon sugar

1 cup flour
3 tablespoons McCormicksLemon Pepper Seasoning

1 teaspoon Accent Seasoning
1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Canola Oil for Frying

Slice onion,form into rings and cut rings in half

Combine egg,milk and sugar into a large baggie or bowl.

Combine flour and seasonings into another large baggie or bowl.

Dip onions in egg mixture than into flour mixture and place into a 400'degree deep fryer for 3 minutes or until lightly browned.

Carne Asada Tacos

My mom, dad, Aunt Karen & Uncle Mike just announced that they are all going to Cozumel in February, being the beach lover that I am, I am insanely jealous. So to make my self feel a little better & to honor Matt's request of tacos for dinner, I am going to whip up these authentic Carne Asada tacos. Just add Margaritas to feel like you are South of the Border!

3 pounds Flank Steak
Marinade
1/3 cup White Vinegar
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Limes, juiced
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Ground White Pepper
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Paprika
Relish
1 White Onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped Fresh Cilantro
1 Lime, juiced
Salsa
2 large Tomatoes, chopped
2 Jalapeno Peppers, chopped
1 White Onion, quartered
4 cloves Garlic, peeled
4 Dried New Mexico Chile Pods
1 pinch Salt and Pepper, to taste

1 package Tortillas (corn or flour)
2 cups grated Cheese
2 Limes, cut into wedges

Lay the flank steak in a large glass baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, 4 cloves of garlic, juice of two limes, and olive oil. Season with salt, black pepper, white pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, cumin and paprika. Whisk until well blended, then pour over the steak in the dish. Turn over once to coat both sides. Cover with plastic wrap, and marinate for 1 to 8 hours.
In a small bowl, stir together 1 chopped white onion, cilantro, and the juice of 1 lime. Set aside to use as a relish for the tacos.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Toast chile pods in the skillet for a few minutes, then remove to a bowl of water to soak for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Place the tomatoes, 1 onion, jalapenos, and 4 cloves of garlic onto a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, until toasted but not burnt. Place the roasted vegetables, and soaked chile pods into a blender or food processor, along with salt and pepper. Puree until smooth.
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the marinated flank steak into cubes or strips. Cook, stirring constantly, until the meat is cooked through and most of the liquid has evaporated.
Warm the tortillas in a skillet for about a minute on each side to make them pliable. Tortillas may also be warmed in a microwave oven. Arrange two or three tortillas on a plate, and lay a generous amount of beef over them. Top with a sprinkle of the onion relish and a large spoonful of the pureed salsa. Add as much cheese as you like. Garnish with lime wedges, and serve.

Dinner: Fish Tacos

My favorite restaurant in Cabo is the Baja Cantina. Even in High School before I had been there I had a poster of it. Cabo is famous for their fish tacos. When Matt & I went to Cabo he had fish tacos at least once a day. Now I don't normally condone fried food but these tacos are as authentic as you are going to find.

Batter:

1 cup flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup beer
Mexican Tartar Sauce:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream

(make both fat free, you have to cut calories somewhere!)
1 lime, juiced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 teaspoon minced capers
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

The Rest:
1 quart oil for frying
1 pound white fish fillets(In Cabo they use Mahi Mahi, you could also do cod, tilapia), cut into 2 to 3 ounce portions
1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas
1/2 medium head cabbage, finely shredded
DIRECTIONS
To make beer batter: In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Blend egg and beer, then quickly stir into the flour mixture (don't worry about it looking a little lumpy).
To make Mexican Tartar sauce: In a medium bowl, mix together yogurt and sour cream. Gradually stir in fresh lime juice until consistency is slightly runny. Season with jalapeno, capers, oregano, cumin, dill, and cayenne.
Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (I don't have a thermometer so I just drop a little bit of batter in to see if it is hot enough)
Dust fish pieces lightly with flour. Dip into beer batter, and fry until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Lightly fry tortillas; not too crisp. To serve, place fried fish in a tortilla, and top with shredded cabbage, and white sauce. Matt likes some guacamole on this too.