Cinco de Mayo Roundup

Need some last minute Cinco de Mayo party food?  Here’s a round up of our best Mexican-themed recipes!

(Reads left to right)

Mexican Chili Cups 

Black Bean Hummus

Southwestern Tuna Poke

Mini Baked Churro Bites

Korean Style Tacos

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

Crispy Pork Carnitas

Mini Fish Tacos

SkinnyChow Sparkling Margarita and "I Hate Tequila" Margarita

Chicken Tinga Tacos w/ Cilantro Cream

Southwestern Surf and Turf w/ Tomatillo Salsa

{SkinnyChow} Mahi Mahi Ceviche

Today I’m going to show you guys how to make something really impressive!  Ceviche!  Don’t freak out!!!!!!!  It’s so fresh, so light and so simple to make -- make it once and you will use every excuse to make it over and over!  Serve this up with an ice cold Mexican beer or Margarita and you’ve got a skinny Cinco de Mayo lunch or appetizer.  I used a mahi mahi fillet for today’s ceviche but feel free to use any firm white fish {or even shrimp}.  Play around with the flavors and the add-ins.  Toss in some diced avocado or mango if you have some on hand....talk about amazing.   Keep in mind when preparing your menu that the fish has to “cook” in the citrus juice so give yourself at least an hour, depending on how small you dice your fish.  When the seafood is opaque you know it’s done!  Serve with tortilla chips or over some nice greens as a salad.  

SkinnyChow Mahi Mahi Ceviche (makes 4 appetizer servings)

1 (4oz) fillet of mahi mahi (or any other firm white fish)

1 roma tomato, seeded and diced

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 small yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/2 small red onion, diced

1 small jalapeno, thinly sliced

1 small handful cilantro, roughly chopped

salt and pepper to taste

juice from 2 limes

juice from 1 lemon

drizzle extra virgin olive oil

1.  Combine all ingredients in a shallow bowl and stir to combine.  Place bowl in fridge for about an hour, stirring contents every 20 minutes or so.  When fish is opaque, serve with tortilla chips or as a light salad.  

Mini Sweet Peppers w/ Chorizo and Goat Cheese

Cinco de Mayo is almost here!   I don’t know what it is about this day but I just love it!  I think it’s probably because I am one of those people who love a good themed holiday and with Cinco de Mayo you can really go all the way with it -- from the food to the drink, all the way down to sporting a fake ridiculous mustache.  Themed parties just make things so much more fun!  Last year, ChowGals’ first featured party was for the 5th of May and we had an awesome time.  Check out the link HERE and get some great recipes, decorations, party favors and planning tips!  

Last year I got all traditional with you -- salsa, bean dip, guacamole, carnitas and tres leches cake -- this year I’m vowing to show you some Mexican food that’s a little bit out of the box.  This week’s recipes will take your party to the next level.  

Today’s recipe is a delish appetizer that is the perfect balance of sweet and spicy!  These peppers might look hot but they are just mini sweet peppers {kind of like the mini version of bell peppers}.  Stuff these babies with spicy chorizo and goat cheese and your mouth will be in heaven. 

Mini Sweet Peppers w/ Chorizo and Goat Cheese (makes 12)

12 mini sweet peppers, in assorted colors

1/2 small Spanish onion, minced

2 links soft spicy chorizo (I found mine in Walmart in the refrigerated Latin section)

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 oz. goat cheese

3 tbsp panko 

1. Preheat oven to 425.  Prepare the peppers by cutting a long flap out of the top to create a “boat”.  Reserve the removed pepper pieces and mince.  
2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat and add olive oil.  Add onion and minced pepper and saute about 3 minutes.  Add chorizo to pan and break up, cooking until browned, 5 to 7 minutes.  Add panko to the pan and stir to combine.  Remove pan from heat and crumble in goat cheese.  Allow goat cheese to soften and melt for a minute then stir to combine.  
3. Spoon chorizo mixture into each pepper “boat” and place in an oven safe pan.  Bake peppers for 10-12 minutes, until peppers soften.  Serve. 

Mexican-Style Caprese Salad

We are all probably familiar with a traditional caprese salad: tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil and a drizzle of delicious olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  It’s one of my favorite salads because nothing beats a ball of freshly made mozzarella.  Yum!  Today I’m showing you a twist on this traditional salad -- made with a Mexican spin!  {Hello, Cinco de Mayo party!!!!}  This salad is easy to put together and it is a beautiful presentation!  Instead of mozzarella we are going to use queso fresco, which is a Mexican crumbling cheese used to top food.  It’s salty and very firm, resembling feta cheese in texture.  You can find it in the cheese section of most grocery stores. {I found mine at Walmart!}  The cheese is firm enough to throw on a grill pan, making this salad even more special!  But by all means, if you’re worried about grilling this cheese, skip that step....the dish will still be delish!

Mexican-Style Caprese Salad (makes 4 starter salads)

Salsa:

1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered

1/2 red onion, minced

2 handfuls fresh cilantro, chopped

juice from 2 limes

salt and pepper to taste

Assembly:

1 small jar Tomatillo salsa

1 package queso fresco 

extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

salt and pepper

1. For the salsa, combine all ingredients and set aside.
2. Heat a grill pan over medium high heat.  Thickly slice queso fresco into 1/2 inch thick round slices (you can probably get 2 slices per package of cheese).  Drizzle cheese with olive oil and place on the grill pan.  Grill each side of cheese for about 2 minutes or until grill marks form.  Remove cheese from pan and set aside.
3. Cut each cheese slice into 4 pieces.  Place 2 pieces grilled cheese on each plate.  Top with tomato mixture then drizzle with Tomatillo salsa and olive oil if desired.  Serve immediately. 

Korean-Style Tacos

So last week my husband had to have an intervention with me.  He sat me down and said something to the tune of, “honey, I know you love your blog but you are spending 2 grand a month on groceries.”  Wham!  I have to admit that I really don’t pay any attention to what I spend on food because it is my full blown passion.  Every now and again I realize what’s happening and tighten up the budget -- but then a few months pass and I get lazy -- I stop trying to turn my leftovers into something else....I start going to the crazy expensive grocery store that is closest to our house....I don’t plan out meals  at all....  So that’s where I started last week -- staring at a large pork butt and thinking, “we are going to eat this all week and I’m going to make something different with it every day!!!!”  Not all of it is blog-worthy, but these tacos sure are!  

I’ll tell you the best part of these tacos: the pickled cucumbers!  You might be thinking, “aren’t pickled cucumbers just pickles?!”  NO!  These are pickled for just a few hours in rice wine vinegar, giving them a classic asian flavor that I love!  Give these spicy tacos a try -- it’s like street food in your own house!

Korean-Style Tacos (makes 4 servings)

from Key Ingredient

1 pound cooked pulled pork, cooked shredded chicken

12 corn or flour tortillas

¼ cup Quick Cucumber Pickle (below) or prepared kimchi (Korean pickled, spicy cabbage)

For the Kogi BBQ Sauce

2 tablespoons Korean fermented hot pepper paste (gochujang)

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

2 teaspoons sesame oil

Whisk all ingredients together until sugar has dissolved and mixture is smooth. You can make this a few days in advance and store tightly covered in the refrigerator.

For the Quick Cucumber Pickle

1 large English cucumber (or 2 Japanese cucumbers), sliced very thinly
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely minced fresh chili pepper (or more depending on your tastes)
generous pinch of salt

Mix together all ingredients. You can make this a few hours in advance and store in refrigerator.

Mini Baked Churro Bites

Time for Dessert!!  I have to admit, when I have people over for dinner I always seem to skip out on the dessert.  Mostly because I have stuffed my guests with so much food and wine that we literally have to crawl to the couch and the thought of putting one more morsel of food in us is pretty much unbearable.  But this time I stepped up my game and followed through on the dinner party dessert...I even baked...from scratch!  

Traditionally, churros are fried {and outrageously delicious may I add!}, but I tend to stay away from frying whenever possible.  {For one, I try to keep it a teensy bit healthy, and secondly, I despise the smell that fried food leaves lingering in my home}.  So these baked babies are pretty much the equivalent of a cinnamon sugar mini muffin, but dip them in hot fudge and caramel sauce and you’ve got yourself a lovely baked churro to round out your Soutwestern Dinner Party!

Mini Baked Churro Bites

from Erica's Sweet Tooth

for the churros bites:

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 cup milk

for the cinnamon sugar topping:

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a pan of mini muffin tins with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixture, beat together the sugar and butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly alternate adding the flour mixture and milk, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until just incorporated.

Use a small cookie scoop to fill each muffin tin and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until just golden brown.

Mexican Chili Cups

It’s time to start planning those Super Bowl menus!!!!  Once I realized that my Eagles were toast this year, I lost almost all interest in football....I literally didn’t even know who they were playing each week.  UGH, another depressing year!  The part of football that I can never lose interest in is what food I’ll be serving up while we have games we don’t care about playing in the background.  :)  

In the early fall, I posted some great “Game Day at Home” recipes that are perfect for your big football party, but today I’m throwing another one out there... Mexican Chili Cups.  What’s so great about these is they are great served hot and they stay great at room temperature.  This recipe can easily be doubled to feed an enormous crowd and you can pretty much use your imagination as to what to fill these little tortilla cups with!  Snack on!

Mexican Chili Cups (makes 24 cups)

6 medium-sized flour tortillas

cooking spray

1 can chili with beans (any brand)

2/3 c. shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

1 small can sliced olives

2 green onions, green parts thinly sliced

light sour cream for serving

1. Using a 2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut 4 circles out of each tortilla, making 24 tortilla circles.  These will be the base of your cup.
2. Using a 24-cup mini muffin pan, spray each cup with cooking spray and gently press each tortilla round into each cup.
3. Preheat oven to 425.  Spoon about a teaspoonful of chili into each cup and top with cheese.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cheese is melted and edges of tortilla begin to brown.  Remove from oven and let cool for about 3 minutes.  
4. Remove chili cups from pan and place on serving platter.  Top with olives, green onion and sour cream.  Eat!

Best Guacamole You'll Ever Eat

I am a huge guacamole fan.  I could eat that stuff with a spoon or piled high onto pretty much anything.  I’ve followed many different guac recipes in my day but this is the recipe that my husband and I love the most: heavy on the tomatoes and the lime.  As beautiful as the avocado is, there’s nothing worse than bland guacamole.  I also love keeping the avocado chunky so my tortilla chip really needs to work hard to make it out of the bowl in one piece ... the chopped tomato helps keep it chunky as well!  So break out your sturdy chips or plop a dollop of this guacamole on your nachos, taco salad, burrito, or anything!  

ChowGals Best Guacamole You’ll Ever Eat

2 ripe avocados

1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered

1 handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1 large garlic bulb, finely minced or grated

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

juice of one lime

salt and pepper to taste

hot sauce {Frank’s} to taste

1. Remove pit and skins from avocados and add to medium sized bowl.  Roughly mash with a fork.
2. Add tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, onion and lime juice to avocados and stir to combine.  Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.  If desired, add a splash of the hot sauce of your choosing.  Serve immediately.

Potato Pancakes with Avocado Mash and Eggs

Happy Friday, everyone!  Today I have a fabulous breakfast for you all!  Simple, fresh ingredients full of complex flavors.  Crispy potato pancake smeared with smashed avocado and topped off with a creamy runny egg - if that doesn’t say Saturday morning breakfast then I don’t know what does!  I didn’t have the luxury of eating this meal with a bloody mary or mimosa but that would certainly round out this breakfast treat perfectly!  

Have a great weekend everyone!

Potato Pancakes with Avocado Mash and Eggs (serves 4)

Place 1 1/4 lbs shredded baking potatoes in kitchen towel and squeeze to remove moisture.  Transfer to bowl and add 1 grated onion, 1 tbsp EVOO, salt and pepper.  Heat 2 tbsp EVOO over medium heat.  Divide potato mixture into 4 mounds in skillet and pat into pancakes.  Cover with a sheet of foil and cook, adding 1 more tbsp EVOO, until browned, about 15 minutes.  Transfer to platter.  Cook 4 eggs to your liking.  Mash up 2 avocados and season with salt, pepper and lime juice.  Top each pancake with avocado, egg and hot sauce.

Chorizo, Egg and Cheese Quesedillas

Who doesn’t love a nice crispy, melty quesedilla?  I happen to love ‘em stuffed with just about anything, any time of the day or night.  I find them to be an amazing “fourth meal” or a meal at around 11pm when you find yourself staring into the fridge, not truly hungry but just in the mood for “something”.  Oh and I love to slather them with hot sauce and sour cream {and of course a healthy dose of guac, if available}.

So it was around 11pm and there I was staring into the fridge {looking for “something”} and I realized I had all the ingredients for one of those crispy, melty ‘dillas!  Woo hoo!  I decided I’d make this one a breakfast quesedilla - because why not make a great thing greater by adding breakfast food?!  The wonderful thing about quesedillas is that you can taylor them to whatever you have lying in your fridge.  All you need is cheese and tortillas.  Got some canned tuna?  Throw it in there!  Leftover chicken or steak?  Go for it!  Roasted veggies?  Yum-City!  Get playful and adventurous -- when has a quesedilla ever let you down?

Chorizo, Egg and Cheese Quesedillas

{makes 1 large quesedilla - serves 2}

2 quesedilla or burrito-sized flour tortillas

cooking spray

1 link ground chorizo

1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 eggs

splash milk

salt and pepper

2 big handfuls of shredded monterey jack cheese {or any cheese you have in your fridge}

cilantro, for garnish

serve with: salsa, guacamole, sour cream, hot sauce

1. In a small skillet over medium high heat, add chorizo and cook until done.  Add black beans to chorizo and stir to combine.  Remove mixture from pan and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt and pepper.  Pour into hot skillet used for chorizo and scramble eggs.  Set aside.
3. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with a hefty dose of cooking spray.  Lay a tortilla in skillet and top with 1 handful cheese, bean and chorizo mixture, eggs and another handful of cheese.  Top with second tortilla and spray top with more cooking spray.  Cook quesedilla for 3 to 4 minutes or until tortilla is beginning to brown.  Flip quesedilla and cook 3 to 4 more minutes, until beginning to brown.
4. Remove quesedilla from skillet to cutting board and cut into 8 slices.  Garnish with cilantro and serve with salsa, guac, sour cream and/or hot sauce.

Game Day Food @ Home!

Something amazing happened...I was asked to do a Game Day Food @ Home segment on the local Saturday morning news tomorrow!  I'm so excited to share these recipes with everyone in the area and can't wait for everyone here to check it out!  I'll be posting the video tomorrow so remember to come back to see us putting these fantastic recipes together!

.....Now, back to reality.....

I’m technically a “healthy eater” -- usually living my life by the mantra “everything in moderation”.  Now, I don’t know about you, but once football season rolls around, I’m ready to chuck my mantra out the window on Saturdays and Sundays!  Whether you’re a college football fan or an NFL fan, the premise is the same:  we watch, we eat, we drink.

So, to make your eating experience even better, I have three game day recipes to share that are easy to prepare, delicious and are a little different than your typical chips and dip.  I like to put a spin on the basics to make things a little more special.

On the menu:

Roasted Sticky Wings w/ Honey Sriracha Sauce and Yogurt Dip

Loaded Potato Nachos

Mini Hot Dogs w/ Chili-Cheese Dip

Forget about hot oil and your house stinking of fried food with these sticky roasted wings.

Sticky Wings w/ Honey Sriracha Sauce and Yogurt Dip

Redbook Magazine

For the wings:

24 chicken wings

2 tbsp canola oil

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

2/3 c. honey

1/3 c. sriracha sauce

2 tbsp each hoisin sauce and lime juice

1 tbsp each soy sauce and toasted sesame seeds

For the yogurt dip:

2 c. plain greek yogurt

1 c. grated cucumber, squeezed dry in paper towels

1/2 c. chopped cilantro

2 tbsp lime juice

1 large garlic clove, grated

1 tsp each salt and honey

1. Wings:  position oven rack in the middle of oven and set to 450.  Line 2 baking sheets with foil.  Toss together wings, oil and salt.  Arrange chicken on sheets and roast 30 minutes, rotating pans 180 degrees once.  Let slightly cool and pour off fat.
2. Combine honey, sriracha, hoisin sauce, lime juice and soy sauce.  Pour 1/2 sauce into bowl and toss with chicken wings.  Decrease oven temperature to 425.  Roast 10 minutes.  Boil remaining sauce until thick.  Brush thickened sauce on wings and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Roast 7 to 10 minutes longer.  Cool 10 minutes.
3. For the dip:  Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Loaded Potato Nachos

For super crispy potato slices, soak slices in water for 1 to 2 hours before baking them.  Be sure to dry the slices before baking.

6 large russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp salt

3 c. shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

8 strips good quality thick cut bacon, cooked and crumbled

4 green onions, green parts only, chopped

1 16-oz tub light sour cream

1 packet ranch dressing seasoning

1. Combine sour cream and ranch dressing seasoning and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 425.  Toss potato slices with extra virgin olive oil and salt.  Place on baking sheets in a single layer and bake 20 minutes, flipping each potato halfway through, or until golden brown and crispy.  
3. Remove from oven and pile all potato slices together on one cookie sheet.  Top with cheese and bacon and place back in oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and drizzle with ranch sauce.  Sprinkle with green onions and serve immediately.

Mini Hot Dogs w/ Chili Cheese Dip

Mini buns make these hot dogs extra special and great for dipping.

1 package Lil Smokies

2 tubes Pillsbury French Bread Loaf refrigerated dough {found in the same section of the grocery store as the cinnamon buns!}

Chili Cheese Dip

1 lb velveeta, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 can rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained

1/2 lb ground beef, cooked and drained

1 packet chili seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Remove dough from tubes and stretch out.  Cut each length in half then slice each half into 12 slices.  Place on cookie sheet and bake 1-2 minutes, at which point you’ll want to check the oven to make sure the slices stay upright.  Some will tip over, just flip them back up and shape them a little.  Continue baking for 7 to 10 minutes, until browned on bottom.  Set aside to cool.
2. In a skillet over medium low heat, combine the ground beef, velveeta, rotel, and chili seasoning.  Stir until melted and well combined.  
3. Heat up Lil’ Smokies any way you like {microwave, grill pan, frying pan}.  Split cooled mini buns down the middle and place a Lil’ Smokie inside.  Serve mini hot dogs with dip on the side or pour the dip on top of each mini dog.  

Southwest Pearled Couscous Salad

I’ve got another fabulous recipe from the girls at Spoon Fork Bacon today and this side dish really stole the show when it was served.  It’s packed with that Southwest flavor that everyone enjoys and mixed with a combination of warmed corn and beans along with crunchy cold tomatoes and onions.  I love how the different textures of this dish come together!  

Let’s talk a little about couscous...  It’s actually coarsely ground dried pasta made with semolina flour.  It’s ground into such small pieces that you basically have to just pour hot liquid on top, cover and set aside.  It’s such an easy and hands off way to cook -- and very difficult to mess up.  You can find couscous in your grocery store in boxes, sometimes with flavor packets included such as garlic and herb, etc.  This recipe uses Israeli couscous {{also known as pearled couscous}}, which is what makes it so special.  Still in the pasta family, Israeli couscous is much larger and toasted instead of dried, giving it a delightful nutty flavor along with a slightly chewy texture.  It’s cooking process is similar to regular couscous but I definitely prefer the Israeli variety! 

Southwest Pearled Couscous Salad (serves 3 to 4 as a main course)

from SpoonForkBacon

1 1/2 c. low sodium chicken broth

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chile powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 c. pearled {Israeli} couscous

1 c. black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 c. grilled corn kernels (from 1 small corn on the cob)

1/4 c. diced red onion

2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 lime, juiced

2 tbsp cilantro, minced

1/4 c. crumbled cotija cheese, optional

salt and pepper to taste 

1. Place broth, paprika, cumin, chile powder, cayenne and garlic in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  As the broth heats up, add oil to a medium saucepan and toast couscous over medium heat, about 3 to 4 minutes.  
2. Pour the hot broth over the couscous, cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes.  When couscous is ready, uncover and gently fluff with a fork and allow to cool.
3. Once cooled, add the black beans, corn, red onion, tomatoes, lime juice and cilantro and gently fold together until fully incorporated.  Season with salt and pepper and top with cotija cheese, if using.  

Chicken Tinga Tacos w/ Cilantro Cream

I hosted a taco night a few days ago and was super excited about the three tacos that I had on the menu!  I was cranking those tacos out and realized how difficult it is to get a decent photo of them!  I was slightly annoyed and ready to scratch the whole thing and just stuff some tacos in my mouth, chased by a shot of tequila for my misfortune, but I managed to make one of the taco recipes look pretty enough for the blog.  

This braised chicken is the bomb -- just the right amount of heat and a real flavor explosion.  Add some crunchy lettuce, fresh red onion and cotija cheese and you’ve got yourself a great taco.  Now drizzle that great taco with my cilantro cream sauce and you’ve got yourself a taco that you can eat every day for the rest of your life.  MAN that sauce is good!

Chicken Tinga Tacos with Cilantro Cream

adapted from Food and WIne Magazine

1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp EVOO

2 1/2 lbs trimmed skinless bone-in chicken thighs

salt and pepper

1 large onion, thinly sliced

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes

2 canned chipotles in adobo sauce, coarsely chopped

1 c. chicken broth

24 hard taco shells, warmed

2 oz cotija cheese

scallions and cilantro for garnish

1 recipe cilantro cream sauce {recipe below}

1. Heat 3 tbsp of EVOO in large nonstick skillet.  Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to skillet and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, about 12 minutes.  Transfer to 9 x 13 glass pan and pour off skillet fat.
2. Add remaining 3 tbsp EVOO to skillet with onion. Cook 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes with juice, chipotles and broth and boil.  Simmer 20 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350.  Transfer sauce to food processor and cool 15 minutes.  Puree sauce then pour over chicken and bake for 45 minutes. 
4. Shred chicken and return to sauce.  Spoon 3 tbsp chicken into each taco shell, sprinkle with cheese, scallions and cilantro and drizzle with sauce.

Cilantro Cream Sauce

1 c. light sour cream

juice from 1 lime

1/2 c. chopped cilantro

1 small garlic clove, minced

1.  Place all ingredients in blender or food processor and process until smooth. Drizzle over tacos.

Cinco de Mayo Celebration!

Cinco de Mayo is one of my favorite holidays to celebrate -- and not just because of my love of tequila.  Ok, the tequila is mainly it.... BUT this girl loves her Mexican food!  Beans, rice, salsa, guacamole -- I can’t get enough.  I created a menu that would be easy to throw together so you can enjoy your own party, have a margarita (or 5) and even if the tequila makes you a tad fuzzy, you can’t mess up dinner!  The decorations were fun to DIY and very inexpensive.  So let’s get this party started!!

The Decor

I thought it would be fun to have a party favor so of course mustaches on a stick were appropriate.  Not only are they cute but they made for some fabulous pictures throughout the night -- most inappropriate for this blog.  I used the template from here.  All you need to do is trace and cut the mustaches out of black poster board and tape them to a long wooden skewer.  Done!

The main decor were the flag banners -- scrapbook paper mixed with tissue paper and simply stapled onto ribbon.  The fun part about the banners is that the colors and shapes are completely up to the creator so use your imagination to create something you love that fits your theme.  

The place mats are all paper as well.  I used craft paper as a base then glued ripped pieces of scrapbook paper on the base to create a sturdy and colorful mat.  The menus were printed at home and I created a smaller version of the flag banners and glued them on top.  Those little details really make your party special!

Lastly, I made a bunch of tissue paper flowers and made a backdrop wall for photos.  For an easy DIY tutorial on these flowers, click here.

Now on to the food!  The menu is a mix of SkinnyChow and heartier dishes so we could please the men in our group. 

SkinnyChow Sparkling Margarita

“I Hate Tequila” Margarita

Black Bean Fresh Dip

Grilled Pineapple Guacamole

Crispy Pork Carnitas

Tres Leches Cake 

SkinnyChow Sparkling Margarita (makes 1 pitcher)

2 c. tequila

1/2 c. triple sec

2 packets Crystal Light lemonade, limeade or if you're lucky -- Margarita flavor if you can find it

juice from 2 limes

Club Soda (to fill up pitcher)

In a pitcher, combine tequila, triple sec, Crystal Light and lime juice.  Add club soda to fill up pitcher.  Serve over ice.  Garnish with lime and a salted rim if desired.

"I Hate Tequila" Margarita (makes 1 drink)

My brother-in-law, Brian, came up with this delicious concoction.  It has that margarita feel to it, without the tequila!

1 1/2 oz gin

3 oz pink grapefruit juice

lime wedge

Shake ingredients over ice.  Garnish with a lime wedge and serve with a salted rim if desired.

Black Bean Fresh Dip

This is a spin-off of a dip that I had in a restaurant years ago.  It's a big hit every time it's made!

2 cans black beans, one drained, one undrained

2 tbsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp salt

pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste

2 roma tomatoes, diced

1 small red onion, diced

1 small bunch of cilantro, chopped

1/2 c. crumbled queso fresco 

juice from 1/2 lime

Combine black beans, cumin, salt and cayenne pepper, spread mixture on platter.  Top with tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and queso fresco.  Squeeze lime juice on top and serve with tortilla chips.

I couldn't even get a picture before people were digging in!

Grilled Pineapple Guacamole

Three 1/2-in slices fresh pineapple

3 medium ripe avocados, halved, seeded and peeled

1/2 c. finely chopped red onion

2 tbsp pineapple juice

1 tbsp snipped fresh cilantro

1/2 tsp salt

pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste

Grill pineapple slices on greased rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until browned, turning once.  Core and chop pineapple.

Place avocados in medium bowl and mash.  Stir in pineapple, red onion, pineapple juice, cilantro, salt and cayenne pepper.

Crispy Pork Carnitas

2 lbs pork shoulder

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 c. cilantro leaves, plus 1/4 c. chopped cilantro

1 large onion, chopped

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp orange zest

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 can (15oz) low sodium chicken broth

zest and juice of 1 lime

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 package soft corn tortillas

sour cream, cheese, lettuce, salsa for serving

1. Combine pork, garlic, 1/3 c. cilantro leaves, onion, oregano, orange zest, salt and red pepper flakes in slow cooker and pour broth over top so pork is mostly submerged.  Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours, until pork is tender.

2. Remove pork from slow cooker and cool slightly.  Shed pork with 2 forks and stir together with 1/4 c. cilantro, lime zest and juice 1/2 c. cooking liquid (from slow cooker) .  In a large pan, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat.  Add meat and press into bottom of pan.  Let bottom layer of meat develop a crisp crust, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and serve in warm tortillas with lettuce, salsa, sour cream and cheese if desired.

Coconut Tres Leches Cake

from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

I liked this recipe because it allowed you to use a boxed cake mix, cutting down on your hands on time!

1 box yellow cake mix

Milk Syrup:

1 can (15oz) cream of coconut

1 can (12oz) evaporated milk

1 c. heavy whipping cream

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Garnishes:

2 medium ripe bananas, sliced

1 tub whipped topping

1 c. sweetened coconut, toasted (bake coconut at 350 until golden brown, about 7 minutes)

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly spray a 13 by 9 in baking dish with cooking spray.  

2. Prepare cake mix according to instructions and bake.  Cool cake.

3. Combine milk syrup ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.  Poke holes all over cake and pour milk syrup over cake.  The milk will not soak in immediately -- no worries!  Just pop that baby in the fridge for 2 hours until the cake soaks up all the milk.  

4. Top cake with whipped topping and garnish with bananas and toasted coconut.

Happy Cinco de Mayo, everyone!  If you have any questions about anything you see, let me know!  And don't forget to tell me how your parties went this year!!!