Fish Tacos

Recipe from Gwyneth Paltrow's My Father's Daughter

A bunch of cilantro
Juice of 5 limes
1/3 cup of olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons for cooking
1 small white onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 jalapeño or 3 red fresno chili peppers, roughly chopped
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
Coarse salt
2 pounds halibut, finely diced
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup white wine

Combine the cilantro, lime juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, onion, garlic, chili, garlic powder, cumin and paprika together in a blender with a large pinch of salt and puree until thoroughly combined and smooth. Set the mixture aside. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot and add the halibut. Cook, stirring now and then, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the white wine and cook until nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Pour over the reserved cilantro mixture, stir gently just to combine and cook for just another minute to let all the flavors say hello. Serve immediately with deep-fried flour tortillas, crema fresca (or sour cream), cotija cheese, and a fresh pico de gallo with chunks of avocado (mix equal parts diced tomatoes and avocado and then season with salt, pepper, fresh cilantro, lime and diced red onion).

Arroz con Leche

1 cup rice
3 cups water
A dash of salt
1 stick of cinnamon (about 8 cm. long)
A dash of lemon or orange peel (optional, I usually don't add)
4 cups of milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg (optional)

Cook the rice with the water, salt and cinnamon stick on the stove. Once the water has almost evaporated, reduce heat and slowly stir in the milk, sugar and vanilla. I some times beat an egg into the milk before pouring into the rice. Once the rice thickens, remove from the stove and let cool, and then refrigerate. Sprinkle with cinnamon before serving chilled.

Note: I used brown sugar, which gave the arroz con leche a darker color.

Stuffed Artichokes

Recipe from Daily Candy

4 artichokes
½-¾ c. bread crumbs
4 tbsp. good, sharp Parmesan cheese
2 heaping tsp. fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, quartered
Olive oil for drizzling

Trim artichokes by cutting one inch off the top of the artichoke and cutting off the stem at the bottom (so the artichoke can sit upright).

Use kitchen scissors to trim the pointy tips off each petal. Discard petals that are split or bruised. Set aside.

Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, and oregano in a bowl.

Loosen the petals of a artichoke from the center (so that it looks like a flower in bloom). Fill in each petal with a little of the bread crumb mixture, making sure it’s packed relatively tightly. Push a piece or two of garlic right into the center of the artichoke. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.

Place the artichokes (stems down) in a pot. Make sure they fit snugly so the artichokes will remain upright. Fill the pot with an inch or two of water and put a tight-fitting lid on the pot. Steam over medium heat for 40 minutes or until the petals can be pulled from the center of the vegetable without too much tugging.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

This recipe is from my aunt Mague.

2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups finely chopped pecans
2 cups sifted flour
Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat butter and powdered sugar in mixer until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and pecans. Remove from mixer and stir in flour by hand being careful not to overmix. Form into small balls and place on a buttered cookie sheet.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until just beginning to get the slightest bit colored on the bottom. Remove upon the first sign of color and set on a rack to cool. When cool enough to touch place in a bowl with powdered sugar on top and bottom and toss gently. Occasionally toss with sugar while cooling, trying to get as much sugar as possible to stick. When cold, place cookies in airtight container and cover until ready to serve.

Spirulina Super Food Smoothie

Almond Milk
Spirulina
Dates
Blueberries
Banana
Brazil Nuts

Blend and serve chilled.