Just the Five of Us

Last night Mom and Dad decided to go on an impromptu date, so it was the four girls, Skippy and Kipling (the dogs), Star (the kitty), and I for dinner. It seemed as if I had an audience while I was cooking because the three oldest girls were sitting on the counter asking questions and chatting while I was cooking. The girls watched me prepare a Lemon Tart (their favorite). This consisted of a quick and easy tart shell, whipped up in the Cuisinart, cooled and filled with lemon curd. The lemon curd is a snap, so if you feel uncomfortable making tart shells, you can always buy one and fill it.

For dinner we had tacos, which always seems to go over well. We warmed some small tortillas, has a pack of shredded cheese, and I shredded some romaine hearts. Then we made:

Guacamole

3 ripe avocados, mashed
1 small clove minced garlic (I like to use a garlic press for this because it really mashes it)
Juice of 1 lime, and half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients. The guac is ready to serve immediately. If you need to wait a bit cover the top with plastic wrap so it doesn't brown and refrigerate.

Fresh Salsa

4 vine ripened tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup finely diced red onion,
2 T chopped parsley (you can use cilantro if you like it...I'm a hater)
1/4 of a jalapeno pepper, minced
1 t ground cumin
juice of 1 lime
a splash of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients. Let sit for about 30 min at room temperature to marinte.

Taco Steak

Season a piece of skirt steak (sirloin flap) with salt and pepper. Rub taco seasoning generously on both sides. Either grill steak to desired doneness, or brown both sides on the stove and finish cooking in a 400F oven, flipping halfway. Time varies depending on size and thickness of meat.

Taco Fish

You'll need 4 Tilapia fillets (if you prefer to use another fish, go for it). Season 1 cup of medium grind cornmeal with salt and pepper. You can leave it like this or add half a packet of "fish taco seasoning" like we did. It can be found at your local natural market. Pour cormeal on a dish. Cover each side of fish generously with the cornmeal mixture. and pan fry unitl cooked through. About 3-5 minutes on each side.

These are all the yummy components to my really yummy tacos. Now I just need to find out how to get the girls to help me with the dishes!