I am officially one of those moms with a latte in hand experiencing quiet but thoroughly ardent joy at the first week of school. Ahhh . . . I am now back in complete control of at least three hours of my day and so my project may resume. Don’t get me wrong, I have been cooking, just at a really slow pace compared to during the school year. Apparently the summer is just not a good time to do these things. Between travel and swim lessons, and just having the kids around all the time, I found it much more difficult to plan, shop for and cook new recipes. Speaking of travel, it is almost over. I’m heading to Indy this weekend for my 20 year high school reunion (scary, huh?) and then John and I are taking a long getaway weekend sans enfants over Labor Day to Park City, UT.
In the meantime, I will give you a brief overview of what I have accomplished over the last month and a half. On July 10th, I made:
Tomato-Braised Grouper with Achiote and Roasted Peppers (MD18)
Seared Corn with Green Chile and Mexican Herbs (VBRED8)
and Mango-Lime Ice (D2)
This was an excellent summer meal, especially the corn. I can still remember the tangy lime flavor mixed with the spice of the chile and the sweetness of the corn.
Then on the 24th we made Tangy Yucatecan Grilled Pork with Roasted Onions and Fresh Garnishes (MD31). The citrusy Yucatecan flavors in this dish made for another perfect summer meal. This was made with boneless pork steaks that were marinated in lime juice and then grilled. It was served as a taco filling with grilled onions, a cilantro-lime juice cabbage slaw, sliced tomato and avocado.
On August 1st, I made a one of the moles that I had never tried before: Oaxacan Green Mole with Pork, White Beans and Mexican Vegetables (CFF5). And in case you’re wondering, in this recipe, Mexican vegetables are chayote and green beans. This was also excellent and a little less complicated than some of the other moles in the book as it used fresh, rather than dried, chiles. It also provided some lovely leftovers for my good friend Melissa and her family when they came for a visit.
My brother and sister-in-law came for a visit in mid-August and that provided the perfect occasion for Lamb Barbacoa from the Backyard Grill (MD27). I’m really starting to like the indirect grilling of a larger piece of meat, in this case a 3-pound lamb shoulder roast, especially for company. It was tender and flavorful and made for a most excellent taco filling.
Finally, on Monday we made Yucatecan Grilled Fish Tacos (TEOCE4). This was an easy and thoroughly tasty weeknight meal as I already had Achiote Paste made and I used purchased salsa.
Expect to hear of some more Mexican cooking after Labor Day. Until then, enjoy your own end-of-summers!
p.s. pics to follow when I find the battery charger.
BUT the BIG question is, what will you make for the Colts season opener?