But today I did more than dream and enjoyed one of the things we crave Mexico for: food! In this area there’s a lot of restaurants that serve fish and seafood in so many varieties. We headed with some friends and Camila’s adored cousins to a place called Los Aguachiles in Cancún. The first thing I ordered was my chelada Ambar XX bien fría and then two lettuce tacos with fish ceviche and shrimp aguachile. The aguachile is a succulent dish from Sinaloa that’s similar to a ceviche, but with more chiles – mostly serrano.

Still wanting and craving more and not wanting the mouth-exploding experience to end, my husband and I ordered a cayo de hacha aguachile.

Y para terminar, why not a dessert of red apples covered in tamarindo con chile and dipped in chamoy?  I thought it would be a bomb for me, but I actually loved the combination of sweet, tangy and spicy.

The place also had a lot of funk and a fun, Mexican kitschy vibe to it.

Oh, and when we arrived last night my in-laws had ordered a spread of tacos al pastor and gringas to get us started on quenching the cravings! Now that’s familia!

We haven’t hit the beach yet, but are heading straight to Playa del Carmen tomorrow and plan to really get on vacation mode.

Camila has been doing so well with her Spanish and is actually in a completely different attitude about speaking it here than she was the last time we visited her cousins 4 months ago. She’s definitely trying harder to have Spanish come out first and doesn’t seem intimidated by it at all. That just gives me even more of a yearning to have our little place here to escape to enjoy what we love the most in Mexico: family, food, beach and español!

The summer season is here and there is a lot to celebrate!  Father’s Day is right around the corner, Independence Day thereafter and many outdoor cooking get-togethers with friends and family will take over back yards in the next few months.

Salmon tacos are very kid friendly.  This protein is so full-bodied, satisfying and easy to digest. Salmon is also rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which are considered a brain booster.  Did I mention how delicious these are?

Wrap it up in warm corn tortillas and top it with shredded cabbage, carrots and this fun, sweet and fruity twist on your traditional Pico de Gallo. So get your charcoal ready because this fresh and zesty recipe will be a hit at your next celebration.

Note: If you don’t have a grill, wrap salmon in foil and bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees.  You can also pan fry it with a little bit of cooking oil.

Ingredients for tacos

1-1/2 pound salmon filet with skin on
2 teaspoons of chicken bouillon powder

8 corn tortillas

Ingredients for salsa

1 cup strawberries, sliced in small pieces

1 cup pineapple, sliced in small pieces

¼ cup onion, finely diced

1-2 Serrano peppers, seeded and minced (omit if serving to kids)

¼ bunch cilantro, chopped (about a handful)

1 tablespoon honey

1 juice lime

pinch of salt

Ingredients for toppings

Shredded cabbage

Shredded carrots

Lime juice

Pat the salmon dry. Place chicken bouillon powder in a small bowl and sprinkle over the surface of the flesh-side of the salmon. Set aside.

Prepare the salsa. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Taste for seasoning, cover and refrigerate.

Spray the grill with cooking spray and light a medium-hot flame.

Place salmon skin side down on the grill, cover and cook for 5 minutes, (cook fish about 10 minutes per inch of thickness). Flip salmon over and peel off the skin and cook until the fish easily flakes.  Remove from heat.  The underside of the skin is grey and not very attractive.  I like to scrape that layer off before serving.

Warm up corn tortillas on the grill and remove from heat.  Divide fish evenly between tortillas.  Top with shredded cabbage, carrots and strawberry/pineapple salsa.  Sprinkle with lime juice and serve immediately.

serves 4