Patio weather is just around the corner. It’s time to clean your outdoor furniture, decks and patios. If your house is anything like mine, March ushers in Spring Break and a house full of family and friends. My family hails from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, so Coastal Mexican Food is the order of the day.
These are my favorite Spring crowd-pleasing recipes.
I start with an appetizer of home-made guacamole and tortilla chips.
I buy 4 or five ripe Haas avocados, peel and season them liberally with salt and pepper, then mash them. There are many over-complicated recipes for guacamole, but I keep it simple and straightforward.
Next I make individual Mexican Shrimp Cocktails. I start by sauteing a pound of shrimp. I set the shrimp aside to cool while I prepare the other ingredients. I never measure – my recipes are all to taste. In a pitcher I combine a good Blood Mary mix, horseradish, a few dashes of hot sauce, a sprinkle of celery salt, finely chopped red onion, tomatoes and cilantro to taste. I fill several Martini glasses half full with this mixture, then I add the cooked shrimp. Finally, I garnish each glass with a lime wedge, slice of celery and more chopped Cilantro.
For the main course I serve Grilled or Pan Seared Mahi Filets. I serve them over a tropical salsa of chopped mango, avocado and canned corn. You can substitute pineapple for the mango.
I’m not a baker, so for dessert I often serve a store-bought Key Lime Pie or a couple scoops of coffee ice cream topped with a drizzle of Kahlua and a garnish of packaged coconut shreds and a mint leaf or two.
I hope you’ll try the aforementioned recipes on your guests. Stay tuned for more inspiration and recipes for Coastal Mexican Cuisine!
Mary Garza – Writer
Mary has just joined our team. she’s a mother of 2 boys, and wife to a keys charter boat captain. Her passion is cooking, and she hopes to someday write her own cookbook featuring fresh seafood with a Mexican flair. Her family hails from Puerto Vallarta, and she grew up savoring her mom’s recipes from this coastal region. She loves Mexico, but finds the keys very similar to her native home. Stay tuned for some of her delicious recipes that will be featured on our blog and in our “Cook Your Catch” post.
