Don and I took our first trip to Mexico for a week in January and enjoyed the warm weather, the relaxation and the cuisine. The friends we travelled with have been there many times and introduced us to their favourite restaurants. I found a drink I really like. Sangria may become my new favourite summertime refreshment.
Sangria
1/2 cup superfine sugar 125 mL(berry sugar)
1 cup cold water 250 mL
1 lime, thinly sliced
1 orange, thinly sliced
12-16 ice cubes
1 bottle red wine
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Heat the sugar and water in a saucepan until it forms a syrup. Add lime and orange slices and let it stand for four hours. Add ice cubes and the wine. Makes four cups or one litre.
Source: Time Life Wines and Spirits book.
Mexican fare
Here are two Mexican dips and sauces we ate with tortilla chips, two brunch ideas and one supper dish.
B & B’s guacamole
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 firm medium tomato, diced
1 teaspoon lime juice 5 mL
salt and pepper
Mix together the diced avocado and tomato. Sprinkle lime juice, salt and pepper to taste.
Optional: Add a tiny bit of finely chopped onion and coriander leaves.
Salsa cruda
4 tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon jalapenos, chopped 5 mL
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped 75 mL
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, 15 mL
coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon sugar 1 mL
1/2 teaspoon salt 2 mL
pepper (to taste)
Blanch and peel tomatoes. Slice, remove seeds and chop the tomatoes. Combine with other ingredients in a bowl. Stir.
Chill for two hours before serving. Use as a dip for tortilla chips.
Source: Time Life Latin American Cooking.
Bob’s huevos rancheros
1 can (14 ounces) crushed 398 mL
tomatoes
4-6 eggs
4 small soft flour tortillas
1 can (14 oz.) refried beans 398 mL
In a frying pan, pour in the crushed tomatoes and heat. Break the eggs into the hot tomatoes, and steam or poach until cooked. Toast the small tortillas in the oven. Place the toasted tortilla on a plate, spread with refried beans and top with egg and tomato mixture. Serve with salsa.
Chicken salsa wraps
4 whole wheat flour tortillas
1 cup salsa 250 mL
11/3 cups chopped 325 mL
cooked chicken
1 cup red pepper, 250 mL
thinly sliced
1 cup jalapeno 250 mL
Monterey jack cheese,
grated
Preheat oven to 400 F (205 C). Arrange tortillas on work surface. Spoon salsa down centre of each tortilla. Layer remaining three ingredients over salsa. Fold bottom end of each tortilla over filling. Fold in sides. Fold over from bottom to enclose filling.
Place, seam-side down, on greased baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden.
Source: Company’s Coming 30-Minute Diabetic Cooking by Jean Pare.
Bev’s fish Veracruz
1-2 tablespoons canola oil 15-30 mL
1 cup onion, finely chopped 250 mL
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can (28 ounces) whole 798 mL
tomatoes, including juice
1/2 cup green olives 125 mL
1 teaspoon capers 5 mL
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped 125 mL
2-3 jalapenos, chopped (fresh or
canned)
2 tablespoons fresh mint, 30 mL
chopped
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano 5 mL
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 1 mL
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram 1 mL
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1 mL
salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine 125 mL
4 fish fillets
lime wedges
In frying pan over medium heat, saute onions and garlic in oil until soft and clear. Add tomatoes and cook to reduce. Stir in remaining ingredients except fish and lime and cook for 15 minutes. Add fish fillets, cover with a lid and cook until fish is done when it flakes when tested with fork. Serve with lime wedges and rice. Makes three cups (750 mL).
Note: Capers are small flower buds picked from bushes native to parts of Asia and the Mediterranean. The buds are sun-dried and pickled in brine. Rinse before using to remove excess salt. You can buy capers in the pickle and olive section of the grocery store.
For dessert
For dessert, we often ordered flan. There are many variations of flan, but this one resembles the crème caramel we enjoyed.
Flan is a stiff egg custard baked in a mould with caramel syrup that forms while baking. The custard is turned upside down to serve. I have been told that canned milk is often used in baking in Mexico probably because of the hot climate. We even saw flan being sold to tourists on the beach.
Caramel flan
3/4 cup granulated sugar 175 mL
5 eggs
11/4 cups sweetened 300 mL
condensed milk
11/2 cups evaporated milk 385 mL
1 teaspoon vanilla 5 mL
Heat the sugar in a heavy frying pan over medium heat until melted and dark brown in colour. Stir often. Pour into a nine inch (22 cm) round casserole. Tilt dish to coat sides.
Beat eggs and condensed milk in a mixing bowl. Add evaporated milk and vanilla. Beat slowly to mix. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Set the dish in a pan containing hot water.
Bake in a 350 F (180 C) oven until an inserted knife comes out clean, about one hour. Cool, then chill for several hours or overnight. Run a knife around the outside edge. Put large plate over top. Invert quickly. Custard will now be on the bottom with caramel on top and around the sides. Cutinto wedges for eight servings.
Source: Company’s Coming Dinners of the World by Jean Pare.
Planning a family reunion
Dear TEAM: I am in charge of a family reunion this summer and need ideas. I am looking for games that could be played to get people to mingle. Have you any suggestions? – D.M., Gravelbourg, Sask.
Dear D.M.: I am sending you a package with different game suggestions. Many of them are active and get everyone involved in a form of fitness. Some are most successful when age groups are mixed. Be sure to get enough supplies for all participants. Here are a few of the games suggested either by TEAM members or from a reunion planning book.
For teams:
- Nail pounding event – Each team has a hammer and each person on the team has three nails to pound into a railroad tie or similar piece of wood. They run back and give the hammer to the next teammate, who races down and pounds their nails and so on in relay fashion.
- Clothes galore from the inside out – Pick teams of about five people. Pack one bag for each team of similar clothes in a large size. Use nylons, girdles, bras, skirts, blouse and coats that will fit over everyone’s clothes. Give each team a bag of clothes, which they will put on over their own clothes in a set order and then take off in the opposite order. Then the next person on their team will do the same.
- Toilet paper relay – Each teammate has a drinking straw. Blow one square of toilet paper to the finish line.
Races:
- Wheelbarrow – Have one person put his hands on the ground and his legs become the handles that the other person grabs. They race to the finish line.
- Handicap – Run with a clothespin or a balloon between your knees. Race to the finish line, then using only your knees, try to drop the pin into a wide-mouthed bottle or pop the balloon when you reach the end.
- Jello – Carry a tablespoon (five mL) square of prepared Jello on a spoon, race to a cup and drop it in. Run back for more. The first to get 10 squares of Jello in a cup wins.
- Chariot – One person (the horse) pulls the gunnysack while the other person (the chariot racer) rides on a gunnysack.
- Crab – Sit on the ground, put your hands back, lift your bottom and race in a backward crawl.
- Water hole – Punch a hole in the bottom of each paper cup. Each racer fills a cup with water, races to the other end, pours what is left into a large container and runs back for more until it is full.
- Sack – Each person climbs into a gunnysack and hops, wiggles or toddles to the finish line.
- Pantyhose – Put a pair of pantyhose on over your clothes and race. Or shove both feet in one leg of a panty hose and have a hopping race.
- Bean bag – Use bean bags and either baskets or hoops to see who can “get a basket.”
- Three-legged – Use pantyhose to tie together one leg of two different people to race others in the same predicament.
Source: Fun Family Reunions in 8 Easy Steps! By Shelley Loewer and Melody Cahoon, Lions Den Publishing, Saskatoon, Sask.
Barbara Sanderson is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and one of four columnists comprising Team Resources. Send correspondence in care of this newspaper, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4 or contact them at team@producer.com.
