Friday March 9, 2012

Dinner for 6

Hibiscus Margaritas

 Spicy Roasted Peanuts

Classic Guacamole and Guacamole with Tomatillo and Peach served with Tortilla Chips

Scallop Ceviche with Ruby Grapefruit

 Fish and Avocado Tacos

Chocolate Chilli Pots

Mexican food is not my favourite but my husband really likes it.  I chose dishes that felt I would like out of a couple of cookbooks my husband had given me.  While cooking this dinner I felt like absolute crap and none of the food seemed to be going right, because unknown to me I was having a sever allergic reaction to the antibiotics I was taking for the root canal I had done a day earlier.  The guest all loved the food and looking back on it now it was a fantastic evening and the food was truly fantastic.

Hibiscus margaritas were very yummy.  As you can see we started drinking them while I was still working on the food.  My sister, who is often at our dinners, usually comes over while I am still working on the food and today we enjoyed the spicy roasted peanuts (sorry no picture) and drinks between preparations.  Don't worry there was still plenty left for the other guests.

This is one of the two guacamoles I made to go with the tortilla chips.  This is the one with peach which was everyone's favourite.  I have made similar ones since for the family using cape gooseberries as the fruit and it was very nice too.  The tortilla chips which were cut up tortillas fried and tossed with salt and cumin were excellent.  I wish it was easier to get fresh corn tortillas here so I could make them more often.  

Yummy!!! Scallop ceviche with ruby grapefruit.  Loved it! My favourite dish of the night.

Fish and avocado tacos served with green chilli salsa and salsa rosa.  I am not a huge fan of tacos but I really liked them with fish.  The green chilli salsa and salsa rosa were both super spicy, like most of the food in Christine Manfield book Fire, but so tasty.  

Chocolate chilli pots were an excellent ending to the meal.  Easy to prepare.

Sources for the menu:  Hibiscus margaritas, Spicy Roasted Peanuts and the Guacamoles and Tortilla Chips were all out of the cookbook Antojitos Festive and Flavorful Mexican Small Plates by Barbara Sibley and Margaritte Malfy with Mary Goodbody . Scallop Ceviche and Fish and Avocado Tacos were out of the cookbook Fire: A World of Flavour by Christine Manfield . The Chocolate Chilli Pots were from Delicious magazine