SEACREST — Sharing tortilla chips and fresh salsa with family and friends is enough to celebrate. Add in delicious Mexican cuisine, margaritas and music and you have a full-blown fiesta — any day of the week.
Although Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army’s victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla, it is mainly a U.S. holiday to celebrate Mexican heritage and flavors.
“Cinco de Mayo is another excuse to celebrate,” admitted Executive Chef Ben Lillard, who stepped out of the kitchen at La Cocina Mexican Grill and Bar in Seacrest on Monday to talk between bites of chips and salsa, botanas and enchiladas. “Mexican food is fun. Most of it, you can pick up and eat with your hands.”
Lillard describes the menu at La Cocina as “Tex-Mex with a coastal twist.”
Mexican food is an easy family favorite for all ages, though what makes good Mexican food is a matter of opinion — often a passionate one. George Hartley moved to the 30A area from Dallas, Texas, 17 years ago, and opened La Cocina five years ago to satisfy Tex-Mex flavors he and his wife, Ann, craved.
“I lived down here for so many years and couldn’t find good Mexican food, so I opened this out of necessity,” said Hartley, who also owns George’s at Alys Beach and Seagrove Village Market.
La Cocina serves my personal Tex-Mex staples — cheese enchiladas with chili con carne and chicken quesadillas, though Lillard also mixes in coastal flavors for delicious dishes that are distinctly different.
“Everything has to have a flavor profile,” Lillard said.
La Cocina goes through at least 3,500 tortillas a week as well as a few thousand pounds of cheese.
“Kids really love quesadillas here. And kids love taking a fresh tortilla to dip in queso instead of chips,” Lillard said. “Between queso and cheddar, we go through 30 cases of shredded cheese a week, and those are 30-pound cases. And we go through 18 to 20 30-pound cases of White American.”
The shredded cheese for Tex-Mex favorites include a 60/40 blend of cheddar and Monterey Jack.
Prep work in the La Cocina kitchen begins at 8 a.m. daily with the chopping of fresh vegetables, including tomatoes from local farmers. The restaurant goes through 250 pounds of fresh tomatoes a day. When the rain starts splitting the tomatoes, Lillard explained, farmers can’t sell them because “they are not as pretty. I roast them and put them in the salsa. It helps local farmers out, no waste, and helps me keep our costs down.”
It’s also a win for the customer who gets fresh salsa, with just enough spice to keep you coming back for more with the thin, crispy tortilla chips.
“I could drink the salsa,” Hartley admitted.
During the summer, the restaurant goes through 20 gallons of salsa, five gallons of pico de gallos and five gallon of guacamole each day.
“On a slow day, we go through 100 pounds of onion. We have onions in everything really — red onions, yellow onions, green onions,” Lillard said. “I get my tacos with red onion, cilantro and lime — Mexican style. That’s how I prefer mine, simple.”
The popular Senora Anna’s Fish Tacos, grilled or fried, feature fresh Gulf snapper with roasted poblano lime tartar served with rice and beans.
“People come down here because they want to eat seafood. They want to eat crab, lobster and fresh fish on vacation at the beach,” said Lillard, who prefers his fish tacos fried for added crunch with the slaw. “I really like snapper, something pretty native to the Gulf Coast. For some reason when you say Gulf Coast Snapper, mouths start to water.”
Chef Ben’s Scallops Delicioso — seared scallops topped with rajas con creme on the dinner menu — began with the creation of a new restaurant side, agave chile corn bread, and combines Mexican flavors with Southern coastal cuisine.
“We’re in the South and everyone loves cornbread,” Lillard said. “But the cornbread has to be moist. And I wanted some spice, but the roasted poblano pepper is not as spicy. And instead of cheddar, I added the queso. But I couldn’t justify a side dish without an entrée. It was an experiment and we now probably sell 10 of them at least a night. Every plate comes out licked.”
La Cocina, which has been voted best Mexican restaurant along 30A for the past three years, will continue the fiesta this summer, during a five-year anniversary celebration.
Organic
For an organic raw and vegan take on Mexican food, Shana Wolf of Off the Vine Organic Produce (OffTheVine.org) and Vicki McCain recently prepared Mexican Fiesta style raw food at the Kitchenique’s Cooking School at the Cuvee Catering Center in Miramar Beach.
The menu started with avocado and lime soup with sour cream made from cashews, lemon juice, salt and olive oil. The collard green/Romaine lettuce tacos were filled with fresh tomato salsa and walnut filling. The meal was finished off with a fresh Pear & Apple crumble raw dessert.
“It’s easy to make and very tasty,” Wolf said.
Seared Scallops On Agave Poblano Cornbread With Rajas Con Crema
Corn Bread:
2 cups cornbread mix
½ cup diced roasted poblano peppers
½ cup diced roasted red peppers
Corn (fresh cut kernels off of a one full ear)
½ cup queso fresco
Follow directions on the box or bag of your favorite cornbread mix. Substitute agave nectar for any needed sugar, and substitute buttermilk for any needed milk or water. Add peppers, corn and queso fresco to the mix. Bake in a loaf pan per the directions. Allow to cool and slice in ½-inch thick slices like bread.
Crema:
2 cups sour cream
1 cup roasted red peppers (sliced julienne)
1 cup roasted poblano peppers (sliced julienne)
½ teaspoon chicken consume
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Heat sour cream in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add peppers, consume, cumin and pepper. Stir often, and once hot, remove from heat.
Scallops:
2 pounds scallops
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon butter
½ bunch green onions
Dry the scallops by placing on a paper towel to remove moisture. Place a nonstick sauté pan on the stove on medium high heat and when hot, add 1 teaspoon of oil and 1 teaspoon of butter to the pan. The oil allows the butter to have a higher viscosity so it won’t burn. Season the scallops with salt and pepper and place in the pan. Cook for 1½ minutes per side, only touching to flip.
Toast the cornbread slices in a pan with a little butter to reheat and place on plate. Place seared scallops on top of cornbread and top with crema. Garnish with fresh green onion, sliced in slivers.
Makes 6-8 servings.
Source: Executive Chef Ben Lillard, La Cocina Mexican Grill and Bar
Avocado and lime soup
2-3 avocados
1-2 stalks of celery
juice of 2 limes
small handful of fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon of Braggs
1 cup filtered water
Sour cream and chopped chives to garnish
Blend all ingredients, except the sour cream and chopped chives, in a high-speed blender until smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with sour cream and chopped chives.
Source: Shana Wolf, Off the Vine
Soft Tacos
Filling:
1½ cups raw walnuts
½ cup Brazil nuts ground in a food processor
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon Braggs
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
½ teaspoon sea salt
In a small food processor combine the walnuts and Brazil nuts, cumin, coriander and Braggs, EVOO and salt. Process until the walnuts and spices are a chunky consistency.
Fresh tomato salsa:
2 cups chopped tomatoes
¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro
½ cup chopped yellow onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
Rounded ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¾ teaspoon sea salt
1½ teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon ground coriander
Squeeze of lime
Add-ins: jalapenos, mango chunks, peach chunks, pineapple chunks or a variety of peppers (optional)
Combine all of the ingredients in medium mixing bowl, mix well and serve.
Sour Cream:
2 cups cashews, soaked (over night or 4-6 hours)
1 cup of water
½ cup olive oil
5-6 tablespoons lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
Blend all ingredients in a vita mix until smooth.
To assemble tacos: Clean and dry 3 to 4 small or medium collard green leaves or Romaine lettuce leaves, 1 cup shredded Romaine lettuce, 1 cup of fresh tomato salsa and ½ cup of raw sour cream. Spread about 2 tablespoons walnut mixture along the center stem of each collard green leaf, then add a layer of shredded lettuce and top with fresh salsa and sour cream.
Source: Shana Wolf, Off the Vine
Apple & Pear Crumble
Crumble:
½ cup macadamia nuts
1/2 cups sunflower seeds
½ cup pecans
¼ cup of white raisins
1 tablespoon carob powder
water as needed — very little
Filling:
2-3 pears, not peeled, but cored
2-33 apples, not peeled, but cored
1/2 cup raw honey
1 tablespoon cinnamon
juice ½ lemon
dash of dried cloves
Make the crumble by placing the sunflower seeds, pecans, macadamia nuts and carob powder in a food processor until lightly chunky. Then add in the raisins and do another quick pulse. Keep it dry. Set aside.
Take the pears and apples and cut into small pieces or simply slice thin. In a bowl, mix the chopped pears and apples, cinnamon, lemon juice and honey and dash of cloves together.
Raw Cashew Sweet Cream:
1 cup raw cashews
3 large medjool dates
2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch of kosher salt
Place the cashews in a bowl, cover with filtered water. Place the dates in a separate bowl, cover with 1 cup filtered water. Soak both for 20 minutes. Drain the cashews and put in the bottom of your blender. Add dates with their soaking water, vanilla and salt. Start on low and increase to high 1-2 minutes until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate in a glass jar for several hours before serving. Keeps for a week or so if stored properly.
Makes about 2 cups.
To assemble: Serve apple and pear crumble in a glass with a dollop of cashew crème.
Source: Shana Wolf, Off the Vine