photo by Kristen

I recently went to an "all-inclusive" resort in Mexico.  Having never been, I expected a landlocked version of the Love Boat.  I think the hotel made a good margin on us.  We didn't eat, drink or sun ourselves into a coma.  The food was actually much better than I expected (not so the margaritas) and there was something very Epcot Centerish about wandering around "Mexicoland" on the way to white sand beaches.  Not sure we will do it again, but it was a nice way to spend a few days.

We spent one day in Playa del Carmen, sitting out in the sand with a lunch of ceviche and tacos.  It’s a nice little town if you stay away from the frog place and Carlos and Charlie's.  There is something special about sitting in the shade, drinking Mexican beer and eating snacks while listening to the waves.

Truth be told, the tacos were pretty much the best food on the Love Boat.  Once we figured out where they were, we at lunch in the same spot (there were something like a dozen restaurants) .  Watching the guy cook them to order, I realized I have never seen tacos made exactly this way before.

For those of you that don't live in Texas, pico de gallo is a ubiquitous condiment/salsa made of tomatoes, onions, peppers and lime.  Replace it with any salsa you like.

I like these tacos on the small side, with corn tortillas, but they work just as well with flour.  With the smaller tacos, the fish lasts longer.  Be gentle once you starting cooking the fish to keep the batter from coming off.

Yucatan Fish Tacos

12 oz fish prepared using the recipe for Oistins Fish Fry

1 onion, long sliced

2 Tbsp olive oil

White wine

Pinch of red pepper

1 avocado

Pico de gallo

Corn or flour tortillas

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.


2. Sauté the onion until the onion starts to become translucent.

1. Add the fish with a pinch of hot chili

1. Once the fish starts to warm, add a splash of wine.  Allow the wine to boil off and remove from heat.

1. Warm the tortillas on a griddle or flat pan.

1. Prepare the tacos with fish, a slice of avocado and some pico de gallo

photo by thefancyblog

Like most Americans, I grew up with the phrase "chestnuts roasting on an open fire…" and like most, never really much in the way of actual chestnuts.  In Mexico, you'll find roasted pepitas on the street and in markets -lightly roasted with salt and chili.  With Halloween coming up and pepitas in season, the time is right for these addictive little snacks.

photo by externo

These are seriously addictive.  Roast them a couple batches at a time and they won't last more than a day.  Raw pepitas are easy to find at Whole Foods and Mexican markets.

These are also excellent on salads and other meals.  I typically keep them as a snack - especially if I plan to be cooking with anyone waiting around the kitchen.

Spicy Pepitas

1 cup raw pepitas

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp red chili, I use reshempatti from India

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


2. Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl.


3. Spread the pepitas out on a baking sheet or large casserole dish.


4. Bake for 15 minutes.  You can make these in batches.