Mexican Crema Salsa & Whole Wheat Chips

I’m in a Mexicali mood this week, starting with fish tacos and ending with beef enchiladas which I think I finally perfected last night (after many, many attempts...more on that later). And today I have some tips for using up the rest of that Mexican crema from the fish tacos. Or even if you didn’t, here’s another aha! use for this delicious sauce that will inject flavor into an old fave. I’m a huge fan of adding just a bit of sour cream to chunky salsa for a thicker dip that feels a little more special than merely pouring salsa out of a jar and into a bowl. After our delightful fish tacos, Shaun had the brilliant idea to add a bit of crema to the salsa in lieu of sour cream. Bingo. Quick, easy and super flavorful. Oh, and I promise, it tastes much better than it looks.

Mexican Crema Salsa & Chips
1 tbsp Mexican crema, recipe here
1 C chunky salsa
2 whole wheat tortillas
olive oil
kosher salt

Cut up the tortillas, first in half and then quartered from there, producing small triangle shapes. These will be the chips. In a skillet, heat a bit of oil, enough to cover th ebottom of the pan. Add the tortilla triangles and cook, turning until crisped. Be careful to watch these closely as they burn easily and quickly. Once appropriately crisped, dry on a paper towl or wire rack and sprinkle with kosher salt. In a mixing bowl, combine the crema and salsa, adding as much crema as you’d like, to taste. Personally, I like mine creamy, so the more crema the better.

Note: the chips will not be as crispy as if you fry them. They will firm up and be a perfect vehicle for the crema salsa, however, they will not quite be Tostito texture.

So there you have it - a simple way to use up already-had ingredients for a little twist on a classic favorite. Gotta love using up ingredients that you already have on hand to make a completely new and equally delectable dish. Just goes to show that a little bit goes a long way when it comes up upping the ante on some classic dishes. And what I'd like to know is, do you add anything special to any dishes to turn it up a notch? Do dish!

Fish Tacos with Mexican Crema

Last night Shaun and I tried a new dish. With a fresh order of groceries plaguing the apartment, Shaun suggested fish tacos. While I'm typically for anything with the word taco attached, I've never been one for fish and Mexican-style food together. In fact, the whole thought of cooking any sort of fish gives me anxiety. What if I do it wrong? What if it's overcooked? Or worse, what if it's undercooked? Ick. Shaun, on the other hand, could eat seafood every day for the rest of his existence and be a happy man. He also has no qualms about cooking his own seafood. So I decided to make my man happy and expand my culinary skills just a bit. I gave in. Fish tacos it would be.

And who would have thought that I'd stumble upon my new favorite dinner. Light, refreshing and tasty, this dish has garnered itself a permanent place in my repetoire. Oh, and did I mention that it couldn't be easier? We gave the fish lots of flavor and defishified it by marinating it in a bit of oil and lime juice. The acidic nature of the lime starts cooking the fish immediately in what is known as a ceviche. I also turned it up a notch by ditching the sour cream and creating a simple Mexican crema, a touch that turned this dish from predictable and boring to zesty and mmmm-inducing.

Fish Tacos with Mexican Crema
For the fish:
1 lb flounder, or white fish such as snapper, tilapia
4 whole wheat tortillas
2 tbsp Canola oil
1/2 onion, sliced lengthwise
1/2 lime, juiced and zested
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
shredded lettuce or cabbage
salsa

Marinate the fish filet in the ceviche for 15-20 minutes.

The acid of the ceviche will start to cook the fish. In a skillet, add the fish mixture.

Cook fish until flaky. As you turn it, the fish will break up into small pieces, which allows for more even saturation of sauce. We also added in a few sliced mini tomatoes that had grown on our terrace tomato plant, Tito.

For the Mexican crema:
3 tbsp Greek yogurt
3 tbsp reduced fat mayonnaise
3/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 lime, zest and juice
1 tsp minced garlic
*if you want it spicy, add a pinch of cayenne pepper

Mix yogurt, mayo, chili powder, cumin, lime and garlic together in a small mixing bowl.

You may need to adjust the seasoning to your taste. I added a bit more cumin and chili powder. Don't you just love the color of this crema, especially the multicolored flecks woven throughout?

Once this is done, put it all together. On a tortilla, layer about 1 tablespoon of the crema, followed by the fish, followed by the shredded lettuce or cabbage. Note: we used shredded lettuce from a bag of salad that we already had - hooray for multitasking goods! Top with salsa, if desired. 

Fold up and enjoy!

So there you have it. The tale of my first foray into fish tacos and the result was nothing short of lovely and mouthwatering. The soft, flavorful fish paired with the Mexican crema really made this a special Tuesday night dinner. Gotta love a simple upgrade like the crema that turns your dish up a notch from standard to artisinal...especially when it couldn't be easier.

Oh, and if you're still nervous about trying something new, just remember that sometimes you just have to jump in and give it a try. And the worst case scenario? Have your favorite pizza joint on speed dial.

Strawberry & Peach Shortcake

This past weekend, I attended a bachelorette party in Westhampton for one of my great friends, Kelly. Though I had never been to The Hamptons, I was psyched to mark my first trip out there and get to sound uber pretentious and chic by telling everyone that I was vacationing in The Hamptons for the long holiday weekend.

We spent Saturday being carted around in an enormous limosine and being taken to a 3 stop vineyard tour on Long Island. Luckily, Hurricane Earl brought some pretty fabulous weather and a full day of vino-drinking was the perfect way to spend the day. You can imagine the state we were in by the time we reached vineyard number 3, Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard. Minimal food, multiple glasses of wine. The wine was locally made and tasted wonderful (it is my drink of choice, after all). But then I came upon this sign:

I mean, vino who? Bring on the specialty shortcakes please!

This shortcake was unlike any other that has come before it. Homemade whipped cream (which I could eat by the gallon), fresh peaches and strawberries preserved in their own juice, and a homemade biscuit with giant sugar granules on top made this shortcake one for the record books. And I feel confident that my love for this dessert was not solely due to a full day of alcohol consumption.

See how happy I am? And see how I'm holding and enjoying that plate all by myself?

While I suppose this wasn't a typical shortcake since it consisted of a biscuit rather than spongecake or angel food cake, the biscuit was the perfect complement to the sweet yet refreshing fruit and whipped cream. Oh, and I should mention that I was initially a bit skeptical of the preserved fruit, but as I learned it was nothing short of perfectly ripe, sweet and not too soft - all the elements for a scrumtious dessert. And the sweet ladies behind the Shortcake Bar even offered me extra peaches after I told them that I was a food blogger and would be documenting this delicious turn of events.

So there you have it. A little roundup of my favorite Hamptons eats. And if you're curious about the wine, stay tuned for more on Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard and their awesome wine program that goes to benefit rescued horses! More on that to come!

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