Viva la Mexico, La Parte Dos

Well, Dave and Karena wrapped up their European adventure here and, as is the custom, we had to do a Mexican dinner. We have historically done this whenever we get together, and this time was to be no exception. This time, though, we decided to wing it and make up our own stuff. Everything turned out wonderfully and maybe even that little bit better since we came up with the ideas ourselves.

I know it'll sound like tooting our own horns here, but I have to say that this was among the better dinners we've had in a while. The flavors were rich and distinct.

Starter: Tequila-Lime Shrimp with Chili and Cilantro
400 g tiger prawns, raw, peeled, deveined
4 garlic, finely chopped
2 red chilies, finely sliced
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup tequila
¼ cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, diced
¼ cup cilantro
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tequila

Marinate the prawns in a bag with the garlic, lime juice, lime zest, chilies, tequila, cilantro, salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least an hour. After an hour, strain the marinade out, leaving just the prawns and whatever marinade ingredients are sticking to the prawns.

Heat a pan to medium-high heat with a touch of oil. When very hot, add the prawns and saute quickly, about 2 minutes. When the prawns have just gone pink and are curling up, add the rest of the tequila and light on fire, sauteing for a further 30 seconds or so, adding the red pepper flakes.

Dump the mixture into a bowl and add the avocado and cilantro. Check the seasoning and serve.

Main: Chicken Enchiladas with and Roasted Chili and Tomatillo Sauce and Goat Cheese
3 green chilies
3 green pepper, cored, seeded, stemmed
12 tomatillos
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 garlic, finely sliced
1 red onion, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
8 corn tortilla
2 chicken breasts
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon coriander
⅛ teaspoon chili powder
225 g goat cheese

Preheat the broiler. Prepare the roasted ingredients by taking the chilies, green pepper pieces and tomatillos and placing them on a baking sheet lined with foil and drizzled with oil. Drizzle a little more oil over the top and sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Place 4 inches or so under the broiler and cook until the skin is charred, turning the chilies over halfway through, about 10-15 minutes altogether. Remove from the oven and set the tomatillos aside in a bowl. Take the skin off of the green peppers and chop roughly. Next, roughly chop the chilies. Put this all in the bowl with the tomatillos and set aside. Change the oven temperature to 350F.

Get a large saute pan hot over medium heat with the oil. When hot, add the garlic and onions and saute, stirring occasionally for 8-10 minutes, or until the onions are well softened and starting to go brown in spots. Add the tomatillos, peppers and chilies and cook until it starts bubbling some, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until most of the liquid rendered out by the tomatillos has evaporated and the mixture is somewhat thicker. Take off the heat and set aside.

Heat some canola oil (at a depth of about 1/8") in a small saute pan (just big enough to fit a tortilla) over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, fry the tortillas, one at a time, for just 5-10 seconds per side in the hot oil. Pat dry between some layers of paper towels and set aside.

Heat a bit of oil a medium sized fry pan or skillet over medium-hig heat. Rinse and pat the chicken breasts dry. Season with cumin, coriander and chili powder to taste. When the pan is hot, fry the chicken quickly, browning on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the heat and put the chicken on a cutting board. When just cool enough to handle, slice the chicken into chunks. The chicken will not be cooked through yet, and that's OK. Crumble the goat's cheese and reserve a 1/4 cup of it. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and assemble the enchiladas by laying some chicken and goats cheese along the middle of a tortilla, rolling it up carefully, and laying them side by side in the baking dish. (NOTE: I recommend doing the actual assembly inside the baking dish). Pour sauce over the top of the enchiladas and top with the remaining goat's cheese. Place in the oven for 12 minutes or so, until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese toasty and melty, and the sauce is bubbly. Serve hot over Mexican rice.

Mexican Rice with Smoked Paprika and Bacon
6 slices bacon, diced
1 onion, small, finely chopped
1 cup rice
2 garlic, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, small, diced
1 teaspoon paprika, smoked and hot
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1-¾ cup chicken stock

Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Fry off the bacon until browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon.

Add the onion to the same pan and fry until translucent, about five minutes. Add the rice and stir thoroughly to coat in the oil, cook for an additional two minutes. Add the garlic, paprika and tomatoes, and cook 1 more minute.

Add the stock and bring to a boil. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat and cover, simmering until the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Check the seasoning, fluff with a fork and serve hot.

Dessert: Sopapillas
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
½ tablespoon canola oil
5 tablespoons milk
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons honey

Sift dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, sugar) together in a bowl and add milk and oil. Mix well until it comes together in a ball of dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let sit for 1 hour. Combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon and mix through. Set aside.

Roll dough out to 1/4" thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into squares or circles.

Heat 1" of oil in a pan over high heat. Fry the dough in oil until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Put on plates and drizzle with sugar. Serve immediately.