I adapted the basic recipe for ceviche from Rosa's New Mexican Table by Roberto Santibañez. The corn addition is basically a salsa I make often during the summer. If you feel like it, grill the corn before scrapping it for an added smoky flavor. Or, simply scrape the fresh ears of corn to make one-cup of kernels. I usually don't cook the corn as it is a raw salsa, but, if the corn is tough or you would rather have cooked corn, blanch the corn. Alternatively, I use frozen corn kernels, one of my on-hand items in the freezer.

Mexican marigold mint is one of the nicest herbs I know. It's easy to grow in our climate and sports lovely deep yellow flowers in August until the first freeze. The plant dies back over the winter, but reappears with renewed vigor in early spring. The flavor is similar to tarragon, with a bit more anise and a hint of mint. Substitute fresh tarragon and a bit of mint for the Mexican marigold mint if you aren't growing it.

Serves 6 generously.

Ingredients for the Ceviche Base:
½ pound bay scallops
¼ pound white fish or red snapper filets, cut into ½-inch cubes
¾ cup fresh lime juice, strained
¼ cup fresh lemon juice, strained
2 teaspoons sea or kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano

1. Place the scallops and fish in a tall narrow stainless steel or glass container. (That way, you will be able to use less liquid to cover the fish while marinating.)

2. Stir together the remaining ingredients and pour over the fish. Cover and refrigerate for one hour

3. Drain and discard the liquid. Finish the ceviche as directed in the recipe that follows.

Ingredients for the salad:
You can increase the heat of the chiles by leaving in some or all of the seeds and veins.  
1 cup fresh corn (scrapped from the cob) or frozen (see note above)
2 garlic cloves minced
½ cup red bell pepper, 1/3-inch dice
2 tablespoons red onion, finely chopped
4-6 radishes, halved, then thinly sliced as half moons
2 Serrano chiles, seeds and veins removed, minced
¼-cup Mexican marigold mint leaves, rough chopped, loosely packed
Strained juice and zest of 1 small lemon
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste.
1 small jicama, peeled, quartered, and sliced into 1/8-inch chip size portions

1. In a bowl, combine the corn, garlic, red bell pepper, onion, radishes, Serrano chiles, and Mexican marigold mint. Fold in the lemon juice, zest, and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Fold the corn salsa into the ceviche.

3. On a platter, arrange the jicama "chips." Top with a spoonful of the ceviche.  
    

Grilled "Spatchcocked" Chicken with Chipotle-Orange and Mexican Oregano
Spatchcocking or butterflying is a traditional method of cooking chicken or other poultry quickly. You can ask your butcher to butterfly the chicken for you (keep the parts for stock!) or you can easily spatchcock the bird yourself.   First, remove any giblets and the neck. Rinse and pat dry. With poultry sheers (sharp scissors will work as well) or a sharp knife, cut the backbone out of the chicken. Then, remove the wing tips. I save these parts for a quick stock. Turn the bird, skin side up, and with the palm of your hand, press firmly on the breast to crack the breastbone and thus flatten the chicken. When cooking, the chicken is weighted down with foil wrapped bricks or a cast iron skillet. This ensures quick and even cooking, resulting in a juicy flavorful dish.

I am using a delicious herb in this recipe: Mexican Oregano. Most groceries are now carrying the herb, dried, but I highly suggest purchasing a plant for a colorful addition to your sunny garden. My plant has now been blooming for four months with honeysuckle shaped lavender and white blossoms, which I love to add to salads and as garnish for various dishes. The flavor is similar to Greek oregano, but with an earthier, smoky taste.

Smoked paprika can be purchased at finer grocery stores. You can substitute either sweet or hot paprika.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (about 3-3/4 pounds), neck and giblets removed, spatchcocked
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Mexican Oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 Chipotle pepper with some of the adobo, chopped
1 orange
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 foil-wrapped bricks or 1 cast-iron skillet

•  Whisk together juices, olive oil, Mexican Oregano, garlic, kosher salt, pepper, cumin, and Chipotle pepper with adobo. Place chicken in a large zip-lock bag and add marinade. Zip shut, and rub the marinade into the chicken.   Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.

•  Prepare grill (medium heat). Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry. Reserve marinade for basting. Loosen breast and thigh skin, without tearing. Slice orange into ¼ inch slices. Slide orange slices between the meat and skin. Mix together the remaining salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Rub smoked paprika mixture over both sides of chicken.

•  Oil pre-heated grill. Place chicken, skin side down on grill and top with the foil wrapped bricks or cast iron skillet. Baste as needed with the reserved marinade. Cover and grill until skin is crispy and brown, about 15 minutes. Remove bricks or skillet. Using tongs or 2 large spatulas, turn chicken and baste. Replace bricks or skillet and cook, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes longer. Remove chicken and place on serving platter. Tent with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.


Grilled Zucchini Salad with Tomatoes and Basil
I have adapted this recipe from "Cook's Illustrated." Though we don't normally think of basil as an important Mexican culinary herb, it is widely used in their cuisine.

Serves 6.

Ingredients:
6 medium zucchini (about 2 pounds)
¼ cup olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 large tomatoes, cut into thin wedges
3 tablespoons minced basil leaves.

1. Rinse and trim the zucchini. Slice lengthwise into ½ inch planks.

2. Heat grill. Lay zucchini on a baking sheet and brush with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season generously with salt and pepper.

3. Grill zucchini until dark grill marks are visible on one side, 2-3 minutes. Turn and continue to grill until other side is marked, about 2 minutes more. Remove from grill and cool briefly.  

4. Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil with lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Toss tomatoes and basil with dressing in a large bowl.

5. Cut grilled zucchini into 1-inch pieces. Toss with tomatoes and dressing. Adjust seasonings to taste. (Can be covered and set aside at room temperature for up to 3 hours.)

Duo of Salsas

Salsa Verde
Adapted from "Cook's Illustrated".
Bright and refreshing, a tomatillo salsa pairs well with fried or fatty foods, seafood, poultry, and meats. I leave the seeds and veins intact on the Jalapeño. If the Poblanos are not spicy enough, I add the Jalapeño. Otherwise, I can use the Jalapeño in another recipe. I serve this salsa as is or use it in enchiladas verdes.

Yield: about 3 cups

Ingredients:
1½ pounds tomatillos, husks and stems removed, rinsed and dried
3-4 medium Poblano chiles, halved lengthwise, stemmed and seeded
1 Jalapeño pepper, halved lengthwise
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1-2 ½ teaspoons sugar
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
½ cup cilantro, roughly chopped

1. Preheat the broiler. Toss the tomatillos, Poblano chiles, and Jalapeño chile with the oil and arrange on broiler pan, chiles skin side up.

2. Broil, turning as necessary, until the skins of the vegetables are blackened and softened, about 10-20 minutes. Cool about 10 minutes, and remove the skin of the chiles, leaving the tomatillos intact.  

3. Place tomatillos and chiles in a food processor. Add 1 teaspoon sugar, the garlic, salt, and pepper. Pulse until sauce is somewhat chunky. Taste, adding more of the sugar if needed to balance the acidity and heat. Add the Jalapeño if you want more heat and pulse. Fold in the cilantro.

Black Bean Salsa
I confess! I am rather lazy and instead of heating up the kitchen by cooking dried beans, I rely on canned.   Choose a good brand such as Goya or Progresso. The salsa is easy to make.

Serves 6.

Ingredients:
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup red onion, minced
1 red bell pepper, small dice
1-2 jalapeños, seeds and membrane removed, minced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
lime juice as needed
kosher salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil as needed

1. Pour beans into a sieve and rinse under cold running water to remove the canned juice (it always tastes "canned"). Drain well.

2. Toss all ingredients in a bowl, adding the lime juice, salt, and pepper. Drizzle in a bit of olive oil.

Tortillas
Tortillas taste much better heated on a comal or directly over a gas flame than in a microwave or warmed in the oven. It's easy and fast.

White corn or flour tortillas, as needed
Comal or flat cast iron griddle if you have an electric stovetop

1. Heat comal to medium.

2. Place tortilla on comal. Turn and cook other side when blisters form on bottom of corn tortillas or when flour tortillas puff.  

3. Place in cloth, keep covered, and warm.

Garnishes for the Table
Grated cheese (preferably queso fresco), thinly sliced radishes and scallions, fresh avocado, chopped tomato, minced Jalapeño and chopped cilantro are all great for a Mexican menu. In Mexico, cheese is used sparingly unlike in our Tex-Mex cuisine.


Cajeta y Canela Semifreddo with Spiced Pecans
Cajeta is a wonderful caramel sauce made from goat's milk. It is available in the Latin American section of your grocery store. A common brand is Coronado. Canela is simply the Spanish word for cinnamon.

The term semifreddo is from the Italian, meaning "half-cold." Similar to ice cream, a semifreddo boasts a mousse-like texture but is lighter, airier, and less "frozen". Plus, it's like cheating because you can make a great frozen dessert without having to use an ice cream maker!

You will notice that I steep the cinnamon sticks in the heavy cream. I do this step the night before so that I can chill the cream thoroughly before whipping. (Trust me, it will turn to butter if it isn't cold enough!) You can always skip this step, though it won't be as flavorful, and just use the ground cinnamon. Flavoring ingredients are easily varied, so use your imagination! Add fruits, dried or fresh; chocolate chunks; coconut, etc. One of my favorite flavors is whole cardamom steeped in the cream and toasted pistachios.

Makes 2 quarts.

Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
2 sticks cinnamon, coarsely crushed
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ cup sugar, divided
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup cajeta
1 cup spiced pecans (recipe follows)

1. The night before making the semifreddo, heat the cream with the cinnamon to a simmer. Remove from the heat, partially cover, and allow to steep until the cream reaches room temperature (about 30 minutes).   Cover completely and refrigerate until well chilled or overnight.

2. Blend eggs and ¼ cup of the sugar in a heat-proof bowl. Place bowl over a simmering water bath and whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm to the touch (110ºF-120ºF). Do not over heat as the eggs will curdle.  

3. Remove bowl of eggs from the water bath and continue whipping the egg-sugar mixture with an electric mixer until thick, pale, and double in volume. The egg mixture should form and hold a ribbon when the beater or whisk is lifted, dropping into a wide flat satiny band.  

4. Strain cinnamon sticks from the cold cream. Whip cream in a wide bowl with mixer at high speed, slowly adding the remaining ¼ cup sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract, until it holds soft peaks.

5. Fold one-third of the whole egg meringue into the whipped cream. Then, gently fold in the remainder of the eggs. Remove 1 cup of the mixture and mix with the cajeta in a separate bowl. Lightly swirl the lightened cajeta into the semifreddo base, creating a marbleizing effect.

6. Spoon semifreddo into a serving bowl or plastic wrapped loaf pan and freeze, covered until firm enough to scoop, about 4 hours.

7. Serve in individual portions, topping with the spiced pecans.
    

Spiced Pecans
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated.com

Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground ancho chile powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch each of cloves and allspice
1 cup pecan halves
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar

1. Melt the butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the salt, ancho chile powder, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, followed by the pecans.

2. Stirring often, toast the nuts until the color of the nuts deepens lightly, 6-8 minutes.

3. Transfer the nuts to a bowl and toss with the sugar. Spread the coated nuts on a plate to cool.