The phrase "I need to host a dinner party" has flown out of my mouth more times than I can count since 2011 began. It has been too long. I think I had a turkey in the oven the last time I had people over for dinner, which equates to almost a 6 month break in the action. Completely unacceptable. In my mind, there is nothing more relaxing than spending a night in at home, entertaining some friends while eating good food, drinking a little bit of wine, or in this case margaritas, and listening to some music. An ideal night.
Although I guess there are good reasons for a break in the action when it comes to hosting dinner parties. We're busy! And trying to find a weekend that works for everyone can be just about near impossible. Andy and I have 9 weddings this year. I have 5 DetermiNation events to staff, plus multiple other work obligations over the weekends throughout the summer. Andy has 2 races this year - one of them being this little race called Ironman. Between the holidays, birthdays, family get togethers, and god forbid just a little vacation, you could say we are booked from now until Thanksgiving. Lately, this is what has been keeping us busy......
Dressing up in bridesmaids dresses for your typical Saturday night out. We got questions from multiple random people that night saying "what in the world is going on here?" as they see about 50 people dressed in the most random bridal attire possible......
Seeing the Cubs and Cardinals play. Despite the monstrous rain delay in the 5th inning. The Cubs won. Just for the record, for all you keeping score out there.
Seeing Peter Bjorn and John at Lincoln Hall. A nice sushi dinner out. A little concert. Sounds like a great night to me.
And to top it all off...we even saw a no-hitter at the Twins/White Sox game. The Sox got no-hit, for all of you keeping score out there......
So, yes. Busy would be an understatement. But better to be busy, than to be bored!
When brainstorming what to have for dinner when the guests came over, I immediately went to my shelf of cookbooks. Surely something would come to mind. We were just approaching the beginning of May, and even though my party wasn't until mid-month, I figured there would be nothing wrong with the idea of hosting a belated Cinco de Mayo party - Rick Bayless style. I had received Rick Bayless' latest cookbook "Fiesta at Rick's" but hadn't really had the time to cook much from it. There are so many recipes to try in this book - they all look so good.
Andy and I are making up our diet as we go along, so I guess it doesn't really have a specific title or label. We are still vegetarian, but have added fish into the diet. Pescatarian? I don't really like that phrase. I've been saying vegetarian, but eating fish. It was easier to nail down the menu options knowing I had to narrow the main entrees down to just fish. When having people over for dinner, the key for me is having everything ready before the guests arrive. That truly allows you to enjoy the company, and not be stressed out with multiple tasks in the kitchen. When guests arrive, you can make drinks, sit down, relax, and enjoy. Here is what I went with....
The Menu
Drinks
Heather's Pomegranate Margaritas
Regular Margaritas
Modelo Negro
Dos XX
Appetizers
Store Bought Salsa (just being honest here)
Chips
Main Dish
Lindsay's Southwestern Slaw
Black Beans
Suzy's Swordfish and Pepper Kabobs
Dessert
Homemade Sweet Corn Ice Cream w/ Corn Cake
I'll be talking about a couple of the dishes I made for the night over the next couple of blog posts, but I wanted to start with this Green Herb Cucumber Ceviche, because it was just so "I can't believe I made this in my own kitchen" kind of good. Don't be fooled by the title. Even thought it is coined as a "cucumber ceviche" there is still fish in the dish. The original recipe called for scallops, but tuna was on sale at Whole Foods and so was the halibut, so I went with both of those options. I think any fresh fish would work here. The crunch from the cucumber, the tart lime juice, the creaminess from the avocado, and the bite of the fish with the herb marinade, just makes for an outstanding dish.
I know the thought of cooking fish with lime juice can be a bit....well, how do you say it...daunting? Scary? It's not. If you are working with the freshest fish possible, you can't go wrong. The ceviche is just completely melt in your mouth delicious. You could serve this with tortilla chips or as a side dish with your main meal. It is such winner. Thanks Rick Bayless. You never let me down!
Green Herb Cucumber Ceviche
adapted from Rick Bayless "Fiesta at Rick's"
Herb Marinade:
1/2 head garlic, cloves broken apart
3 serrano chiles
1 bunch cilantro, stems cut off
1 bunch parsley, stems cut off
1/2 cup olive oil
salt
Ceviche:
1 pound fresh tuna, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 pound fresh halibut, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup fresh lime juice
2 English cucumbers, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 avocados, pitted, flesh scooped from skin, then cut into cubes
To make the herb seasoning:
Set a dry skillet over medium heat. Lay the unpeeled garlic cloves and chiles in the pan. Roast, turning frequently, until soft and blotchy brown spots appear, about 10 minutes for the chiles and 15 minutes for the garlic. Cool until you can handle. Slip the skins off the garlic, pull the stems off the chiles and roughly chop. No need to remove the seeds. Place in a food processor along with the cilantro (about 1 cup if packed), parsley (about 1 cup if packed), oil and 2 teaspoons salt. Process until nearly smooth. Scrape into a storage container and refrigerate until serving time.
To Make the Ceviche:
Pour the fresh lime juice over the tuna and halibut. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring every few minutes. Drain off all but about 1/4 cup of the lime juice. Stir in 1/2 cup of the herb mixture, cucumber, and avocado. Taste and season with more salt if you think necessary. Serve in martini glasses.
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