We enjoy drinks that represent the flavors of the season and autumn is certainly one of our favorites. We had heard about a couple of variations of margaritas made with apple cider and decided to create one of our own. Steeping the apple cider with orange, cinnamon, and cloves creates an extra warmth that is enhanced by the alcohol. This recipe should probably come with a warning as it tastes so good that you won’t notice how strong the drink actually is. The cider is also delicious on its own if you don’t want the alcohol. The recipe makes a pitcher, but it can easily be paired down for individual drinks.
Pitcher of Margaritas
INGREDIENTS
1 cup Gold Tequila
1/2 cup Apple Brandy
1 gallon Apple Cider (3 cups for drink)
1/2 Orange – sliced
4 Cinnamon Sticks
8 Cloves
Steeping the Apple Cider
INSTRUCTIONS
Put the apple cider in a large pot. Add the orange slices, cinnamon, cloves and heat to just a simmer over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat to low. Let it heat on low for about 30 minutes, it should not boil, to allow the spices to steep throughout the apple cider. Strain the spices and fruit and let cool. For the pitcher of margaritas, combine the tequila, apple brandy, and 3 cups of the apple cider. Serve with an apple garnish.
During our trips to Mexico, we have always enjoyed having seafood cooked with local preparations. Not all food in Mexico is spicy and this recipe isn’t overly spicy, but it does have a little bit of heat. Although you can certainly use a fish other than salmon, we found that salmon was able to hold up to the bold taste of the creamy pepper sauce. We have often made a hollandaise sauce to go with salmon, but using the peppers provides a different alternative. With the summer months coming, the salmon could also be grilled instead of pan-seared, but pan-searing it does create a nice and crispy skin. We found this dish to be extremely delicious and relatively simple to make. It is also the type of dish that can be made for a more formal occasion or a simple weeknight dinner.
Blistered Anaheim Peppers
INGREDIENTS
2 Salmon Filets – about 5 ounces each
3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 Fresh Anaheim Peppers
2 tbsp Corn Taco Shells – ground (or 2 tbsp of Masa Harina, which is a corn flour)
1 1/2 cups Milk
Salt and Pepper to taste
Seared Skin on the Salmon
INSTRUCTIONS
Either by heating the peppers on the open flame of a gas stove or on a grill, cook the peppers until the skins are blistered and black. While still hot, put the peppers into a bowl and cover them with plastic wrap so that they steam. Once cool, you can use a knife or a paper towel to remove the charred skin of the peppers. Roasting the peppers gives them a nice, smoky taste. Roughly chop the peppers and set them aside.
Season the salmon filets with a half a teaspoon of the garlic powder as well as a generous amount of salt and pepper. Heat a large sauce pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is fully heated, place the salmon skin-side down into the pan and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes and the skin is nice and crispy. Flip the fish and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. If you are going to put the fish into an oven to stay warm while the sauce cooks, simply cook the fish a minute or two less before putting them into the oven. Otherwise, simply cover the fish and set aside and let the fish rest while the sauce cooks.
Add the peppers, remaining garlic powder, ground taco shells or flour, milk, and some salt and pepper to a blender (works better than a food processor for this sauce) and mix until smooth. Pour the pepper mixture into the same pan that the fish was cooked in while the temperature is still at medium-high. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until the sauce thickens. Be sure to taste the sauce and add additional salt or pepper if necessary. Plate the fish and serve with the sauce over top.
Creamy Pepper SauceBlister the Peppers on the StoveIngredientsBlend Until SmoothSalmon with a Spicy Pepper Sauce
Guacamole is a wonderful accompaniment to southwestern and Mexican food. It is also a wonderful dip on its own and can even be used as a spread on sandwiches as well. It isn’t complicated to make and you can make it spicy or not depending upon your taste. One of the things that makes it delicious is the use of fresh ingredients. We go to Mexico almost every year and we enjoy getting guacamole every time that we do and enjoy the large portions that we get.
INGREDIENTS
2 Avocados – diced
1 Medium Tomato – finely diced
1 Jalapeno – finely diced (seeds removed if you don’t want it spicy)
1 Garlic Clove – minced
1 tbsp Red or Yellow Onion – finely diced
Juice of 1 Lime
Salt and Pepper to taste
Ingredients in Bowl
INSTRUCTIONS
Cut the avocados in half, using your knife to carve around the large seed. Twist the avocado to separate the two halves, the seed will remain in one of the halves. Using a knife, carefully chop into the seed so that the knife is slightly embedded. Twist the knife to remove the seed and carefully remove the seed from the knife blade. Use a spoon to separate the flesh of the avocado from the skin by tracing the spoon along the inside of the skin and place the flesh into a medium bowl. You can dice the avocado prior to removing it from the skin or after it is in the bowl. Add the rest of ingredients and mix thoroughly. If you prefer a creamy guacamole, you can mash the avocado dices as you stir, or leave some of the dices whole if you prefer a chunkier guacamole. Serve with chips.
Remove the SeedDiced AvocadoMince GarlicGuacamole Dip with Chips
