Happy Cinco Week!

Cinco de Mayo definition (according to Wikipedia): A holiday held on May 5 that commemorates the Mexican army‘s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín.

Celebratory Translation: It’s time to cook with tequila, bitches.

In honor of Cinco de Mayo week, here is a recipe for a yummy tequila lime dish that is light, flavorful and easy to make. You can use shrimp, mahi fillets or any other type of fish, or for a vegetarian version, use hearty portobello mushrooms. For this recipe, I used salmon and tuna. So, without further ado…

Tequila Lime Recipe

1/2 cup lime juice*

1/4 cup tequila

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 tbsp tobasco

1/4 cup chopped cilantro (grow your own in an herb garden)

1/2 cup olive oil

Fish or portabello mushrooms (your choice).

*If you are using fresh-squeezed limes, don’t waste them when you are done squeezing. Instead, cut them up into slices and throw them in a margarita or pitcher of water.

Directions

With the exception of the fish and/or mushrooms, combine all ingredients into a blender or food processer and pulse until it is mixed well. This is your marinade.

Once you have it mixed, place your fish or mushrooms in a ziplock bag. Now, pour in almost all of your marinade (you want to save about a 1/2 cup on the side so you can heat and pour it over the dish before you serve.) Let marinate anywhere between a half hour and an hour, turning the bag occasionally.

While that is marinating, get your grill ready. Check your email, make a margarita, twiddle your thumbs and wait. Or, whip up a quick veggie  side dish:

Quick veggie side dish

2 large zucchini, (1 green and 1 yellow)

1 large sweet onion, cut into chunks

1 pkg mushrooms (optional)

some Italian seasoning, or any kind of fresh seasoning

s&p

a shake of crushed red pepper

a drizzle of olive oil

Toss this around in a big bowl. You can either grill this side by side next to your tequila lime dish, or you can saute this in a skillet on the stovetop.

As another side dish, try some yummy yummu guac.

Okay, back to the tequila lime.

Now that your protein has marinated, it’s time to grill. (Remember, fish cooks really quickly so be careful not to over do it.)

Once your fish is ready, heat up the extra marinade that you set aside for about 30 seconds in the microwave, and pour it over the top. Serve with the side of veggies, and enjoy!

For more quick and easy recipes involving tequila, check these out:

http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegetarianbarbecuerecipes/r/tequilamushroom.htm

http://fatfreevegan.com/blog/2010/03/11/vegan-lasagna-without-tofu/

http://mom.tipjunkie.com/tequila-lime-chicken-mothers-day-recipe

Also, for a simple and delicious margarita recipe, check out Mrs. Cummings Rx blog: http://mrscummingsrx.wordpress.com/2010/10/11/margarita-up/

Happy Cinco week!