Good vibes and Mexican food—name a better combo.
Who out there loves Mexican food? Do you buy it or make it? Favourite dishes?
Last night I carried on with cooking a meal from another country. Previously it was British. This time it was Mexican.
Some of the best Mexican food I ever had was of course in Mexico. First time was in Cancun when my late husband and I went with friends Diane and Bob. We took a taxi into town from our hotel. Found this small spot and if my memory is correct it was attached to a laundromat and grocery store. I like to think it was more of a locals’ spot than a tourist one. But we all know what happens to memories as we age. Then another time we went to Puerto Vallarta with friends Lynn and Garth. We went into the town every evening for supper. This one night the restaurant had delicious margaritas and fajitas. Returned to it years later when my daughter and I visited. Still delicious.
Wonderful memories.
Back to my Mexican meal.
More than 50% of my enjoyment, once I’ve chosen a country, is doing the research. What research? The recipes of course. I love scrolling through various dishes, checking out their recipes, and then creating the menu. I try to choose recipes that I think our guests will like but that also incorporate ingredients that we have. Cuts down on the grocery bill.
Menu
Appetizer: Tortilla Chips with Bean Dip, Salsa, and Sour Cream
Great starter.
Entrée: Chicken Enchiladas with Refried Beans
The plan was to also serve sliced avocados 🥑 but I forgot to take them out of the fridge so they were too hard. (We keep them in the fridge to prolong their shelf life.) The plates would have looked nicer with them but what could I do. Do you have ideas how to ripen avocados quickly?
Dessert: Polvorones (Mexican Wedding Cookies) New recipe to me. I’m always nervous making an untried recipe for guests but I went for it. Turned out ok. A bit hard but heated them up slightly in the microwave before serving.
Meal went very well. Whew. Chips and bean dip were really enjoyed. Enchiladas were delicious. Polvorlones were a hit. They even took some home. Now whether they were being kind or really loved them? I’ll choose that they really loved them.
Issues?
Cooking in someone else’s kitchen.
Making the bean dip? No masher. Had to use a fork.
Enchiladas? All good just had to use two baking dishes as what they have here were too small for the full recipe.
Polvorones? Ahhh. Should have read the directions before choosing this recipe. Needed a food processor. None here. Had to mix by hand. And I really mean by hand. No electric mixer here either. Could that be why they were a little hard?
Drinks? Was late in the afternoon that I realized I hadn’t thought about drinks. Had no Corona or tequila. How could I have forgotten those essentials. Made due with wine.
The worst part of the dinner? I kept forgetting to take plated photos. Here’s the best that I could do.
Another fantastic evening with our lovely Michigan friends, including discussions about the “orange” one. Great that we’re all on the same page. Down here you have to be careful. Wonderful to have friends with whom we know we can discuss our thoughts and concerns.
Today?
18C and enjoyed reading and sunning on the deck. Nice to finally have some nice weather.
Sad part of the last two weeks is we’ve not seen any dolphins 🐬 from our deck. Maybe they won’t swim in the Gulf of America. Haha 😂
Guadalajara – Mariachi Sol De Mexico
Take care and stay healthy.
As always, thanks for your interest and thank you for reading.
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Debi's Junket Journal 