A Sunny Cancun Experience

Good Sunny Day Friends! So much has been said about this top destination in Mexico, that is Cancun. The time was right for a first visit, an all-inclusive Cancun Vacation Package. I was contacted by a relative of my high school classmate and offered this exciting trip, “You sure can tailor your vacation to match your travel style, whatever that may be!”. Huh, really sounded great and offer I just couldn’t pass up. One requirement; I had to attend a 2 hour “presentation” the second day after arrival and that credit card was needed, though no purchase was required. Ok, 2 hours of 6 Cancun days not bad at all.

Flying time was just an hour and 45 min…not bad at all for an international travel, that’s CANCUN. Hello Cancun! Immigration was a breeze but baggage retrieval took some time, probably cause we arrived 9 PM. Approached on our way out by an airport rep, lots of blah blah blah, and really didn’t make too much sense, we just wanted to meet our welcome shuttle. Another narrative, but it was a bit of a mess of instructions vs real scenarios. Finally our meet person showed up, wondering where we were and kept pointing us to the specific market bar location. Driver was very courteous. Mentioned Lorenzillo and Rosa Negra as the best mex restaurants. No traffic, surprising. Twas some 40 min drive, and you really be impressed with the competing resort hotels along the way. We got to Royal Sunset. We made it to dinner, some 10 min before closing time. We chose Italian fare. Had spaghetti Bolognese n carbonara. Yummy. And also panna cota. Hotel room was pretty slick. And we had a wonderful sleep….so needed!

Ready for Day 2 Cancun. Buffet breakfast here we come. Lots Mex items like carnitas n beans. Skipped that. Eyes popped wide to see fried plantains, omg, yes pls. All sorts of fresh fruits n breads, even while sponge cake to slice n conchas. On to fresh fruits. The 9 am presentation delayed to noon, and the hotel associate ate lunch with us and then started to show us an investment opportunity— a time share, that Glenn and I not interested at all. And the guy gave up, as we kept saying NO, and let us go. Done. Now we could enjoy.

A great day at the Beach. Waters a bit rough for now, but nice breeze. Even treated ourselves while lounging to a foot reflexology by masseur Daniel. What fun and relaxing it was. Had a good dose of Vitamin “Sea”. We needed some activities, so we decided to hike to La Isla (an open-air mall in Cancun, complete with high end stores and good eats). We also bought tickets for a full day at XCARET, a must excursion for visitors to Cancun, a bit pricey of almost $ 200 per person, and included a lunch buffet and one Mexico Espectacular presentation. If you like splurging, there are exciting water activities like snorkeling, swim in freshwater caves, parasailing, swim with dolphins for additional costs. The finale of XCaret was this double feature presentation: prehistoric n mestiza (a musical extravaganza).

Longing for sunny escapes? Cancun awaits. Recommendation: If traveling without kids, Royalton resort adjacent to Royal Sunset would be the way to go. Adults mingle and having lots fun.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Delicious tortillas stuffed with chicken and cheese and enveloped with homemade enchilada sauce.

For the enchilada sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 can diced green chiles
For the filling:
2-3 cups cooked rotisserie chicken, cubed or shredded
3 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided use (or Mexican blend cheese)
1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
8 to 10 flour tortillas (fajita size)
Toppings: Sour cream, Diced tomatoes, Chopped Cilantro, Guacamole, Sliced Jalapenos

In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in butter. Add rest of the enchilada sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 25 minutes, whisking occasional until thickened. You may add cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch diluted in 1 tablespoon water). Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the cooked chicken, 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, the sour cream, cilantro and 1/4 cup of the sauce. Stir to combine the filling, set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. In the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking pan (Use disposable pan if available), pour in 1 cup of the sauce, making sure to cover the bottom of the pan. Layout the tortillas and evenly distribute the filling among them, using about 1/4 cup of the filling per tortilla. Roll and A Sunny Cancun Experience place seam side down in baking pan. Pour remaining sauce over tortillas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas are bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan and serve with toppings.

Muy Bien Mexican Rice

4 cups cooked rice
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 large tomato, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Seasonings:
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Garnish with: lime wedges chopped cilantro

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add and saute onions, garlic, tomatoes and green bell pepper until tender and fragrant. Add tomato paste, and all the seasonings. Add the cooked rice, mix and stir until heated through. Serve with cilantro and lime on the side.

Churro Sundae

Ingredients

store-bought churros Scoops of vanilla ice cream Chocolate syrup, raspberry syrup Crumbled oreo cookies crushed M & M candies

Place churros and ice cream in bowls. Drizzle with syrups and top with cookie crumbles and crushed M & Ms. Enjoy!

LAST WORDS: “Life is not what you alone make it. Life is the input of everyone who touched your life. And every experience that entered it. We are all a part of one another. And mistakes are part of the game, what’s important is what we do next.” Happy birthday Mamita V and Direk Gerry Rebello! Enjoy and have a happy start to summer.