Turn your dinner into a fiesta south of the border with these flavorful and colorful dishes. Mexico is a place filled with vibrant colors, people who know how to have a good time, and spicy food. No matter where you are located, this menu will bring you all of those things and more. The only untensils you need a spoons, other than that its all fun with the hands.

Pre-dinner cocktail:
2 frozen margaritas to get the party started.

What to drink with dinner:
Wine: Not this time; but if you insist then Semillon
Beer: Mexican beer of course!

Appetizers:

One of the best parts of going to a mexican restaurant is dipping that crunchy chip into a bowl of pure freshness. Serve some warm corn tortilla chips with this creamy guacamole that has a little bite.

Main Course:

No need for those heavy cheese and bean filled dishes you find at many restaurants. Instead fold up some shrimp tacos with ripe tomatoes and onions.

Dessert:

Flan is usually the standard fare of Mexican desserts however this time whip up some silky natillas for a different custard treat.

In a bowl mix together shrimp, salt, cumin, garlic, and a tablespoon of olive oil. Let stand for about 15 minutes before cooking.

Heat up a large skillet on high heat. Drizzle a little cooking oil just to lightly coat the pan and allow to heat up. Add shrimp and cook for about 3 minutes.

Remove shrimp from pan and add onion. Sauté onion until very translucent and tender. Add tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeño and shrimp and cook for a couple minutes on high. Add salt to taste.

Serve on warm flour tortillas. Add a little guacamole, hot sauce, or salsa to give the shrimp tacos an added touch.

Add milk and cinnamon to a large sauce pan and heat on medium until bubbles appear on sides of pan. Usually takes about 3 minutes. Remove cinnamon and set aside. In a large bowl beat eggs, yolks, and sugar for about 4 minutes. Using an electric beater slowly pour milk into egg mixture. You’ll need to be careful and mix well while pouring milk or you’ll have scrambled eggs in milk. Pour mixture into a large sauce pan and cook on low. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until mixture thickens or right until it is about to boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Chill until refrigerator afterward. Serve in small bowls with cinnamon sprinkled on top.

Note: Sometimes it is hard to find ripe avocados in the supermarket. If that is the case, purchase them a few days before preparing this recipe. Place avocados in a brown paper bag with an apple to speed up the process. Be sure to check on them daily to make sure they don’t over ripen.

Take a knife cut into the avocado until the knife hits the pit. Carefully cut around it, from the tip where the stem hole is, until you can pull it apart easily into two halves. Remove the pit. To take out the flesh, you can either scoop it out with a spoon or halve the halves and peel off the skin.

In a bowl mash the avocado with a potato masher or fork until it has a chunky creamy texture. Add lime juice and mix together. This will help prevent the guacamole from browning. Add remaining ingredients and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste.

It is best to prepare this shortly before serving. If you need to store longer add extra lime juice however it will make the guacamole a bit more tart.

Serve with corn tortilla chips or in a flour tortilla with meats or vegetables.

There are many “standard” margaritas out there however some people like their drinks a certain way; sweet, strong, sour, etc. This recipe allows you to customize the margarita to your liking.

Add tequila, cointreau, and freshly squeezed lime juice to a blender mix well. Use a small teaspoon to taste the mixture. Remember that the ice will water it down some so if you feel it isn’t sweet enough or you would like it stronger add the extra ingredients now.

Add a few ice cubes to the mixture in the blender, close the top, and set on medium. Keep adding ice from the top until mixture is slushy. Serve immediately.

If you would like a non-frozen margarita just follow the steps above but place mixture and ice into a shaker, shake well, and serve.

Serves 2

This Greek influenced Mediterranean style feast will refresh you on the hottest summer nights or make you feel the warmth of the sun on the coldest of winter evenings.

Pre-dinner cocktail:
Have a shot or two of anise-flavored Ouzo, a traditional Greek liquor to get the conversation flowing.

What to drink with dinner:
Wine: Chardonnay
Beer: Pilsner

Appetizers:

Start out with some light and refreshing finger foods. Use a small wooden cutting board or rustic looking platter to serve up some cubes of feta cheese and olives. Go for good quality olives in glass jars with the pits still inside, they have crisp crunchy texture that gives them a fresh taste. Do not use the cheap canned variety without the pits.

Slice some pita or other thin flat bread into wedges and toast them until crisp. Serve with some creamy hummus

Main Course:

Grill juicy
shish kebabs with lamb, cherry tomatoes, and onions.

Accompany with Mediterranean mushroom salad.

Dessert:

Although most Greek and Mediterranean dishes are light and fresh tasting, their deserts make up for any calories that were missed. This rich almond cake recipe known as Glykisma Amigthalou should do the trick.

2 cups Sugar
1 cup Water
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Batter:

2 1/2 cups flour; sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup butter or margerine; softened
1/2 cup white sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup yogurt
1 cup almonds; ground

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl mix together flour, baking soda, and baking powder

Beat together butter and suger until creamy. Add eggs one at a time until well mixed. Alternately add flour mixture and yogurt little by little until well mixed. Add almonds.

Beat in eggs one at a time; add sifted dry ingredients alternately with yogurt , mixing well after each addition. Add almonds.

Pour mixture into a buttered 9″ square cake pan and cook for about 40 minutes or untill done. If you insert a wooden toothpick and it comes out clean the cake is done.

While cake is cooking boil the syrup mixture for about 5 minutes. Pour over cake and allow to cool. Cut cake into squares and serve.

4-6 bamboo skewers; soaked overnight in water
1/2 lb. boneless leg of lamb or lamb loin; cut into 1 inch chunks
12 cherry tomatoes
1 onion
Olive Oil

Marinade:

1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon garlic; finely minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Mix all marinade ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix until smooth.

In a large non-reactive bowl or resealable plastic bag add marinade and lamb. Cover and let stand in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before cooking or overnight.

Peel onion and cut horizontally. Then cut each half into quarters and break apart.

Using the skewers intermix lamb, tomatoes and onion. stack about 2-3 pieces of onion depending on thickness. If you are left with extra meat just put them all onto an extra skewer. Brush lightly with olive oil.

Over a hot grill cook kebabs for about 7 minutes. Gently flip over and cook for another 7 minutes or until done. If you do not have a grill you can roast these under an oven broiler however it will more likely have steamed taste.

Heat the oil on low in a frying pan, then gently fry the mushrooms
for 2-3 minutes. Do not overcook. Sprinkle in garlic and basil,
then toss the mixture for a minute or two so that mushrooms are
well coated. Add the tomato, lemon juice, water, salt, and pepper.
Stir together and cook until the tomato softens. Remove from heat
and let cool. Garnish with chopped herbs. Serve with hot garlic
bread.

Mix all of the ingredients in a food processer or blender until it has a creamy consistancy.

Note: You may add other spices such as cumin, cayenne pepper, fresh chiles, onion, or anything else you think might make a great addition.