Cancun can come home!

My parents are currently packing up for their trip to Cancun, Mexico. Lucky them, right? Yes, of course! I am very happy that they are taking a much-deserved vacation to Cancun, but I am so jealous of the beaches they are going to lay in, the ocean they are going to swim in and the food they are going to eat! At least one of those things can be fixed with the right recipes!

Something to drink?

Cancun Martini

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/222065/cancun-martini/

Ingredients

• 1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger tequila (such as Jose Cuervo®)
• 1/2 fluid ounce coffee-flavored liqueur (such as Trader Vic’s®)
• 1 maraschino cherry

Instructions

1. Pour tequila and coffee-flavored liqueur into a shaker filled with ice; cover and shake until chilled.
2. Strain drink into a martini glass.
3. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Something to snack on?

Cancun Masa Tarts

https://www.food.com/recipe/cancun-masa-tarts-275045?mode=metric&scaleto=24.0&st=null

Ingredients

Masa tart shells

• 340.19g prepared masa harina flour (homemade or purchased)
• 78.78ml shortening
• 4.92ml sea salt
• 4.92ml guajillo chili powder ancho chile (not chili powder)
• 59.14ml chicken broth
• 59.14ml Cotija cheese, crumbled

Custard filling

• 3 head garlic, pureed
• olive oil, to drizzle
• 3 egg yolks
• 354.88ml heavy cream
• 78.78ml red bell pepper, minced
• 78.78ml yellow bell pepper, minced
• 78.78ml orange bell pepper, minced
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Prepare Custard Filling:

Note: Reserve a small amount of minced peppers for garnish.

1. Preheat oven to 350°F Cut heads of garlic in half horizontally and place cut side up in a roasting pan. Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil over each half. Sprinkle pan with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water, cover tightly with foil, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.
2. Uncover and continue baking until garlic is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes more. Remove from pan and let cool. Squeeze softened garlic from husks and purée in a blender with a small amount of olive oil.
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks and set aside. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring cream, bell peppers, and puréed garlic to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Gradually add cream mixture to egg yolks, stirring continuously with a spoon. Season with salt and pepper.

Make the Masa Tart Shells:

Note: You will need a muffin tin with cups measuring 1 1/2 inches in diameter to make bite-size tarts.

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Using an electric mixer, combine masa and shortening.
2. Add salt and powdered chile and mix again. Add chicken stock in 3 batches, mixing well with a spoon after each addition. Dough should be a thick paste; add more masa if too thin.
3. Using your fingers or a small spoon, press dough 1/8 inch thick into each cup of muffin tin.

Assemble Tarts:

1. Ladle custard to just under the rim. Bake in a water bath for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
2. Remove muffin tin from the oven, loosen the tarts with a knife, and remove from tin. Sprinkle with cotija cheese and garnish with minced peppers.
3. Tarts can be cooked up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat at 350°F for about 10 minutes. Makes 24 tarts.

Something to fill your belly?

Cancun Cod

https://finitefoodie.com/recipe/cancun-fish/

Ingredients

• 1 onion small
• 2 cloves garlic (optional)
• 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
• 1 cup tomatoes chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1-2 pinches black pepper (ground)
• 2-3 dashes hot pepper sauce (optional)
• 1 pound cod or other white fish

Garnish:

• 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
• 1 lime or lemon

Instructions

1. Peel and cut the onion in half. Slice each half to form half rounds. Mince the garlic. Heat butter or oil over medium-low heat in a large skillet, then add onion slices. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes, until very soft and sweet-smelling.
2. While the onions cook, chop the tomatoes. Add tomatoes, garlic, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Cook and stir for about 2-3 minutes.
3. Cut fish (if needed) into 2, 3 or 4 pieces. Place fish in the tomato mixture, spooning some of the mixture over the fish. Sprinkle a little more salt and pepper on top. Cover and simmer on low for 7-9 minutes, until fish is opaque and comes apart with a fork. (The cooking time depends on the thickness of the fish. If using thin fish fillets, cook only 2-3 minutes.)
4. While fish cooks, chop the cilantro.
5. When done, squeeze the juice of half the lime over the fish. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Sprinkle cilantro on top and serve with a wedge or slice of lime (from the remaining half).