Cinco De Mayo

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Battle of Puebla in 1862, when Mexico came out victorious over France. In the United States, it has evolved over the years as a celebration of Mexican culture & heritage. For me it is my wedding anniversary as well! We are eager to join in the festivities & enjoy the beautiful colors, incredible flavors, & absolute merriment of the fiesta! Here are some of my favorite recipes to help celebrate the day, or any day, at that! Enjoy!!

Street Corn Salsa

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Fresh Corn off the Cob, or Thawed Frozen Corn
• 1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Fresh Cilantro
• 1/3 Cup Finely Chopped Red Onion
• 2-3 T Finely Chopped Jalapeno
• 1 T Fresh Lime Juice
• 1 T Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 Cup Cotija Cheese, Crumbled

Directions

1. Stir together 1st 7 ingredients, season to taste & sprinkle with cheese. Enjoy!

Pickled Red Onions are the perfect addition to any street taco, Click here for my recipe!!

Shrimp Tacos

Ingredients

• 1 lb Shrimp, Peeled & Deveined
• Zest of 1 Lime, plus 1 T Juice
• 3 T Vegetable Oil
• 2 tsp Chili Powder
• 2 tsp Cumin
• 2 tsp Garlic Powder
• Salt & Pepper

Directions

1. Toss Shrimp in vegetable oil.
2. Mix all the spices together in a separate bowl.
3. Toss all together and spread in a single layer onto a parchment lined sheet tray.
4. Roast at 425 for 6-8 minutes.

Cauliflower & Chickpea Street Tacos

Ingredients

• 1 Head of Cauliflower, Broken into Florets
• 1 Can of Chickpeas
• 3 T Vegetable Oil
• 2 tsp Chili Powder
• 2 tsp Cumin
• 2 tsp Garlic Powder
• Salt & Pepper

Directions

1. Toss florets & chickpeas in vegetable oil.
2. Mix all the spices together in a separate bowl.
3. Toss all together and spread in a single layer onto a parchment lined sheet tray.
4. Roast at 400 for about 25 minutes.

Avocado Crema

Ingredients

• 1 Avocado, Peeled & Pitted
• 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
• 1/2-1 Jalapeno, Seeded
• 1 Garlic Clove
• 1 T Lime Juice
• 1 Cup Fresh Cilantro
• 1/2 tsp Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 2 T Olive Oil

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to food processor & puree until smooth. Season to taste. ******alternatively, if you do not have an avocado, or they are rock hard (like the ones I got!!), you can substitute to avocado for 1/2 cup of mayonnaise…it adds the necessary fat to make it good and creamy and serves as a stand in when we can’t wait for the avocados to ripen!!

Mexican Rice

Ingredients

• 2.5 Cups White Rice
• 3 T Vegetable Oil
• 12 oz Tomato Sauce
• 1/4 Cup Cilantro (Stems & All)
• 1 tsp Salt, Pepper to Taste
• 1/2 tsp Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
• 5 Cups Water or Broth

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pan on medium heat & add garlic. Add your rice, coat in oil and let toast for 2-3 minutes
2. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
3. Lower heat to a simmer, cover pan & let cook about 25 minutes, or until cooked through. Season to taste.

Cilantro Lime Slaw

Ingredients

• 3 Cups Thinly Shredded Purple &/or Green Cabbage
• 1/2 Jalapeno, Chopped Finely
• 1/2 Cup Cilantro, Chopped Finely
• 3 T Plain Greek Yogurt
• 2 T Lime Juice
• 1 T Orange Juice
• 1/4 tsp Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Salt

Directions

1. Toss together all ingredients & let sit for at least an hour before serving.

This is a quick video with my recipe for Pickled Red Onions…I think they are a MUST on a taco and honestly on so many other things too!! They last for a few months in your fridge, just place into a jar and cover them in pickling liquid!

Sopapilla Cheesecake

This is the recipe that I use for Sopapilla Cheesecake, and it is delicious!!

Now for that Margarita Bar!!! All sorts of exciting items on this table, and some are my absolute favorites!!

I think using a syrup for adhering you ‘rim’ to the glass is much more effective than water or lime juice. For our margarita bar, we used a dandelion syrup & a ginger syrup. Both of these are just infused simple syrups (equal parts sugar & water, simmered until the sugar has dissolved and steeped with a flavoring agent). Pour syrup onto plates just as the rims are and start there!

Rims:

Basil, Cinnamon, & Sugar – Pulverized in food processor. I used 1 cup white sugar to 1/3 cup of basil and 2 tsp cinnamon

Smoked Sea Salt

Lime Zest, Hot Pepper, & Salt – Lime zest should be air dried before mixing in. 1 cup sea salt to zest from 3 limes and 1.5 tsp crushed red pepper flakes – pulverized in food processor.

Tajin

Lemon Sugar – zest from 2 lemons to 1 cup of sugar, pulverized in the food processor.

Mixers:

Classic Lime – 1 cup fresh lime juice, 1.5 cups simple syrup (3/4 cup of sugar & 3/4 cup water – gently simmer until sugar is dissolved – let cool), and 1.5 cups cold water – mix and serve!

Spicy Pineapple – 2 sliced habaneros – let steep in 1/2 gallon of fresh pineapple juice. stir in 1/2 cup of fresh lime juice.

Hibiscus Lemon – Make a strong hibiscus tea using flowers or tea bags & 2 cups of water. Add to 1/2 gallon of lemon juice and 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice.

Have fun, & Fiesta like there’s no Manana!!!