weekend dinner party

Mmmmmm. Mojito.

Perhaps it's because now that my handsome grill pan is finally where it belongs (permanently fixed atop my stove), I can't help but want to use it as often as I can. So while thinking about what to put together for this week's weekend dinner party, I couldn't help but default to how I could incorporate the usage of my new favorite kitchen "tool." That said, we're going to turn the grill pan into a panini press. Because we're throwing down with some Cubans.

Cuban sandwiches that is. But by all means, invite your Cuban friends over too. Hopefully they won't pick apart the lack of authenticity too much. Because if you couldn't tell by now, I'm not of Cuban descent. Gonna shut up now. Moving right along.

cuban sandwiches

avocado salad

plantain chips

mojitos or cuba libres

pineapple with rum and mint over coconut ice cream

There are so many different ways you can go with the Cuban sandwiches: Ham, Pork, Swiss, Pickles, Yellow Mustard (or Dijon), Mayo (or no mayo), Mojo (garlic) sauce (or no mojo sauce). So as per usual, I'm just going to advise you go for the combo that best suits your palate. If you're not up for roasting your own pork loin, I suggest searing a pork tenderloin (marinate it in orange and lime juice, garlic, and olive oil for as long as you'd like) and finishing it off in the oven for a few minutes. It'll be done, start to finish (minus marinating time) in about 15 minutes. No big deal at all. Let it rest, then thinly slice it and it's ready for sandwich assembly (along with thinly sliced deli ham, thinly sliced swiss, pickles, and your choice of dressings). Find some soft, long hoagie-type rolls and get to building. Then lightly grease the grill pan lay them on top and place a heavy cast iron skillet, weighed down with a can or two on top and let them crisp up and lovingly melt the cheese (about 3 or 4 minutes per side). Here's a really basic recipe as a guideline.

Plantain chips? You can buy these. I suggest you buy them. You won't see me hovering over a huge pot of frying oil any time soon. I'm schvitzing enough as it is just standing still in this humidity.

Avocado salad. Slice some perfectly ripe avocados, lay them over some torn iceberg lettuce, along with thinly sliced red onion, and thick slices of tomato. Squeeze some lime juice on top, a little drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. That's not a recipe. That's common sense.

Mojito Recipe

Cuba Libre Recipe

And dessert? Pick up a container of cubed pineapple (it's Summer, let's make things easy), dump them into a bowl, splash a little (or a lot) of some good, dark Cuban Rum on top and add some chopped fresh mint. Let this sit for as long as you'd like. Then spoon the drunken fruit on top of some coconut ice cream (or sorbet) and laugh. Just laugh. This is a crazy, stupid, hilariously good spread.

shrimp quesadilla with avocado salad

I'm telling you, I really hope this whole exercise regimen thing isn't going to come around and bite me in the behind. Because once I've had a full day of work, dragged my sorry self to the gym, then up the four flights of stairs to get to my apartment, I'm not only dry heaving (alright, slight exaggeration) but ridiculously ravenous.

Last night was no different.

While clocking in time on the treadmill, my thoughts were consumed by two things: "When is Ke$ha's 'Tik Tok' going to come on so I have a sick beat to run to?" and "What in God's name am I going to eat as soon as I get home?!"

Normal, I know. So on my way back to my apartment, I stopped in the corner produce bodega for an avocado, tomato, and red onion. Tonight, I was going south of the border. And fast.

I quickly defrosted some jumbo shrimp (thank you, Costco) and then threw them into a pan with a smashed clove of garlic and a teaspoon of chipotle in adobo. Two, three minutes later they were perfectly pink and just cooked through. I chopped up half the avocado, the plum tomato, and finely sliced half a red onion and tossed it all with a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette (although a squeeze of lime juice, a dash of olive oil, and salt and pepper would be just as fab). One side of a whole wheat tortilla was filled with thin slices of a mild white cheddar, and a few shrimp that I halved lengthwise. I then folded the tortilla in half and threw it into the microwave (trust me) for one minute. You could also slip it onto a large pan and cook on both sides until the cheese has completely melted. Transfer it to a plate, top with a generous spoonful of the avocado salad and dive in.

Dinner was thrown together in about 10 minutes. As far as how quickly it was consumed, well, let's just say I'd like to maintain my ladylike street cred. That is, if it even still exists.

Wine Pairing: A crisp, cold glass of Torrontés