Summer Backyard Barbecue

I love having friends over, making cocktails, and eating some great food out in the backyard. These recipes are perfect for a BBQ with friends because they're super delicious, and everything can be done in advance (besides the fun part of the actual grilling). Nothing is worse than being stuck in the kitchen prepping food while all your friends are outside socializing. The first recipe is a fresh corn, black bean, and avocado dip. Trust me, you're going to want to make this, and eat it, all the time... it's summer in a bowl. The second recipe is grilled mahi mahi fish tacos. The fish is placed in a grilled corn tortilla, covered in a spicy chipotle cream sauce, then topped with cabbage and homemade mango salsa. They're the best fish tacos you'll ever eat. Seriously. 

Dip Ingredients:

3 ears fresh corn on the cob 

1 red onion

2 tomatoes

2 jalepeno peppers

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 haas avocados

1/4 cup olive oil

2 limes

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt 

Begin the dip. Remove the husk and silk from the corn and place in a pot of boiling water. Boil for 3 minutes then remove and let cool. Now chop all the veggies. Dice up the red onion. Remove the seeds and the insides from the tomato, then dice. Remove the seeds and the white ribs inside the jalepenos, then mince up very small. 

Add all the veggies, plus the drained and rinsed black beans, into a large serving bowl. 

Now chop the corn off the cob and add to the bowl. 

Make the dressing: pour 1/4 cup olive oil into a small bowl. Add the zest of 2 limes, then the juice from the limes into the oil. Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk up, then pour over the veggies and stir. Do not add the avocado until you are ready to serve the dip. You can make the dip in advance and place in the fridge... the longer it sits in the dressing, the better the flavors will get. Once you are ready to serve it, add in chunks of avocado and toss everything together. 

Fish Taco Ingredients:

Mahi mahi 

3/4 cup Greek yogurt 

1/4 cup mayo 

4 - 8 chipotle peppers in adobo, finely chopped into a paste or pureed in a food processor 

1 tablespoon sauce from the chipotle pepper can 

1 lemon 

Shredded cabbage 

1 red onion

1 bunch cilantro 

2 mangos 

1 lime 

Olive oil 

Corn tortillas 

Begin by making the chipotle sauce and the mango salsa. Both can be made ahead and placed in the fridge until you are ready to serve the tacos.

For the chipotle sauce: Place the Greek yogurt and mayonnaise in a bowl. Add the chopped chipotles and the chipotle sauce into the bowl. Squeeze in the juice of 1/2 a lemon and sprinkle in some salt. Mix everything together and taste. Add more chipotles to taste, depending on how spicy you like it. I like it really spicy : ) but everyone is different, the most important thing is to taste as you go! 

For the mango salsa: Dice up the red onion and the mangos, and add to a bowl. Mix in chopped cilantro, the juice of 1 lime, and a tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. 

Prepare a charcoal grill or light a gas grill to medium high heat. Pat down the fish with a paper towel, then rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook the fish on the hot grill for about 4 minutes on each side, then remove to a cutting board, and cover with foil. Place a stack of tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 1 minute. Now place the warmed tortillas directly on the grill for about 20 seconds on each side so they get a slight char. Don't skip the step of placing the tortillas on the grill! It adds such a wonderful flavor and texture! 

 Chop up the fish into nice chunks and arrange on a serving plate. Place the cabbage in a bowl and mix in the mango salsa. 

Now it's time to serve the tacos! Make an assembly line for your guests starting with the tortillas, then the fish, then the chipotle sauce, and finally the cabbage/mango salsa. 

Enjoy!