Easy on the tini, please

Oh no, you didn't.
*snaps fingers in a Z-formation*

J.D. from Scrubs has a love of appletini's "easy on the tini." When Erin, Tony, Tyler and I had Scrubs night we decided to honor J.D. by drinking his favorite alcoholic beverage. Of course, it helped that early in the night we realized plum brandy and gin are not very good.

To make our appletinis we mixed vodka, sour apple mix and soda water. I tried for a two to three ratio since according to a Google search on Tyler's iPhone that's what a martini is supposed to be. It came out very yummy. A nice bright green that tastes an awful lot like Jolly Ranchers.

The appletinis were prefaced by a couple of tacos from the taco stand on State Street in the Sears parking lot. Two tacos are $1.50 with a nice filling of lengua and salsa it's more than worth the low price. The lengua was tender and delicious. The taco shells were nice and fresh made than fried in grease. Yum!

Do you have a food or drink you associate with a TV show?

Shrimp Tacos

These tacos are the perfect dish for summer. I created this recipe in an effort to highlight the natural flavors of the ocean in shrimp. Remember the fresher your shrimp the better the tacos will taste. I used frozen store bought shrimp and it worked out surprisingly well.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. 51-60 shrimp, thawed
2 Tbs. no salt, butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 C. onion, diced
2 Tbs. fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 fresh lime
1 Tbs. kosher salt
1 Tbs. fresh, ground black pepper
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
6 fresh corn tortillas
1 C. Canola oil

Hardware:
2 skillets
1 wooden spoon
Tongs
1 serrated knife
1 Chef's knife
1 cutting board
1 bowl
Cup measure
Tablespoon measure
Teaspoon measure
1 spoon or fork

First, de-vein and un-tail all the shrimp. The shells should come right off if you pull from the tail upwards. Next, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. While the butter is melting, mince the garlic. And begin heating the canola oil in a separate skillet over medium-high heat.

Add 2 cloves of the garlic to the butter and let saute for a few minutes until golden brown. Now, add the shrimp. Let the shrimp cook, stirring occasionally, until pink and white for about 15 minutes.

When the canola oil is hot enough to fry the tortillas begin frying them. Place a tortilla in the oil for about 30 seconds then flip over using tongs. Let cook for another 30 seconds and drain on a paper towel lined plate.

As the shrimp cook, dice your tomatoes and onion. Place the tomato and onion in a small mixing bowl. Add the remaining garlic. Chop the cilantro, add to the salsa. Squeeze in the juice from 1/2 a fresh lime. Add the salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne and paprika. Stir with fork or spoon until thoroughly mixed.

Place a five or six cooked shrimp in the taco shell. Top with salsa and garnish with fresh mozzarella. Happy summer!

*This is a great recipe to make with a couple of friends. My sous chef for the night, Mrs. Wesley Wyndham-Price, deserves a giant thank you for all her awesome help and patience. I love you!