Mexican Dinner Party

I have a few girlfriends that I don’t see often enough just because we have crazy schedules and commitments, but since it’s few weeks until our grad classes start back, I decided I should get a little dinner party together so we could all see one another!

I knew what I wanted to make before I even invited them, so maybe this was more of an excuse to try a recipe out than to see friends…nah, I really wanted to see their sweet faces! Potato tacos have been on mind for a long time. I had them for the first time this year, and while I wasn’t thrilled with the restaurant’s representation of the dish, I knew it had potential. So I did some research and then came up with my own recipe.

Tacos de Papa (Potato Tacos!)

Let’s talk about the amount of ingredients that I used first. I was cooking for 6 people, and this recipe (including fixin’s) makes about 16 tacos. Yes, I made alot, and yes, I’ve been eating these for every meal since Tuesday night. But they’re so good that I don’t even mind!

Grab 5 red potatoes, chop ’em and boil them with a dash of salt until soft.

While the potatoes cook, saute half a sweet, chopped onion with a seeded, minced jalapeno. Drain the potatoes, roughly mash the potatoes and then mix the onion and jalapeno into the mash with 1/2 t of taco seasoning. Once it’s well blended, press the mixture out onto a pan, drizzle a little EVOO over it and dash with S&P before placing it in a 400 degree oven.

How long you let the potatoes stay in the oven is up to you. I let them stay in until I saw the edges start to crisp-15 minutes? Basically, this gives you a chance to get your toppings and side dishes together–In fact, I didn’t put the potatoes in the oven until almost everything else was ready to go.

Toppings

* Fresh corn
* Tomatoes
* Limes
* Curly greens
* Queso Fresco

Two things on this list are NOT optional: corn and limes. The cool, crunchy corn gives a great contrast to the warm, soft potatoes, and the acidity of the limes really enhances all the flavors. mmmmm. In case you’re wondering, I used corn tortillas, too!

For side dishes, I made a salad with roasted red peppers, tomatos, avocado and feta with a honey-lime vinaigrette.

Honey-Lime Vinaigrette
* 1/4 C EEVO
* 1/4 C lime juice
* 2 T honey
* 2 T Cilantro

And we had some pink beans! I cooked an entire bag (what was I thinking?!). I put them in the crockpot on low before I went to work, but when I got back, they were still crunchy, so I threw them in a pot to simmer for two hours.

Mexican Pink Beans
* 1 bag of pink beans
* 2 slices of applewood smoked bacon
* 1 seeded, minced jalapeno
* 1/2 sweet onion chopped
* 1 T garlic powder
* 1 T chili powder
* S&P

Okay, if this sounds remotely appetizing to you, you’ve got to try it. Everything was realllllllly good. Like I said, I’m still eating it three days later.

But don’t take my word for it…