Fully Loaded Soft Shell Tacos by Colleen Guenther

Ok, are you ready for the finale? By now I am sure you have all been anxiously waiting all weekend for my Mexican Fiesta dish to be revealed;).... Well, the wait is now over and you can run to the store to get your ingredients to finally get your cook on. All you need to do is make up the Grateful Guacamole, Perky Pico de Gallo, Black Bean Bonanza and the Crazy Cabbage along with purchasing some corn tortillas. As with any recipe, modifications are always possible. You can substitute the Black Bean recipe for refried beans by throwing them in a saucepan and adding some chopped scallions - both are satisfying and it all depends on your mood.

The rest is self explanatory, but for those who like the commentary, all you need to do is warm up your tortillas in a saucepan. I generally will put a little olive oil in the pan at medium heat and throw the tortillas in until they get a little soft. Next, top off your tortillas with all of the dishes mentioned above and prepare yourself for rave reviews! 

Now, if you are a fish eatin' vegetarian, you can also add Red Snapper to your fiesta. To cook up a good snapper, you need to purchase one with the head, tail and all. I used to be scared of buying and preparing non-filleted fish up until recently. By buying the fish with the head, skin and tail on, you have the opportunity to prepare it so that it has a more demanding flavor. This comes by stuffing it with some fresh ingredients before you grill or sautee. 

What you need for the Snapper:

1 large Red Snapper

2 limes

1 red onion

Salt 

Pepper 

Take your Red Snapper and slice it on the underbelly or have your butcher do that for you. Slice your limes, like wheels, and stuff them inside the fish along with the sliced red onion. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the fish. Grill until the fish gets nice and flaky. You can also sautee it but depending on how big your snapper is, it may be difficult to get that baby into a pan. Then, when your fish is cooked through, gently peel off the skin and gently fork out your portions while being mindful not to grab any bones.

That's it folks! Cheers to options and some good 'ol food!