Cinco de Mayo or May 5th is a holiday that celebrates Mexican pride. In the United States, you will probably catch celebrations in parts of the city that involve a lot of traditional music and dancing and Mexican food! What better way to celebrate this vivacious holiday than cooking up a decadent Mexican feast?
1. Vegetarian Quesadillas
4 servings
Ingredients:4 large flour tortillas
1/2 c. mushrooms, chopped and sautéed
1/2 c. red pepper, thinly sliced and sautéed
1/2 c yellow onion, thinly sliced and sautéed
1/2 c. cilantro, roughly chopped
1 c. Monterey Jack Cheese
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Pinch of salt
Vegetable oil
Directions:Add a tablespoon of oil to a hot skillet pan and add chopped vegetables. Let vegetables soften for about one minute. Add all seasonings to the vegetables and mix well. Take vegetables out when mushrooms are browned, onions are translucent and peppers are soft. Mixture should not be mushy. Let the vegetables cool for a bit. Meanwhile, set up a grill pan. Lightly brush the back of one tortilla with oil. On one side of the tortilla, sprinkle some cheese on the tortilla. Top with some of the vegetables. Sprinkle a handful of cilantro over the veggies and top with more cheese. Fold in half and when the grill pan is hot place quesadilla in for about 5 minutes, flipping once. Tortilla should be brown and crusty on both sides and the cheese should be melted. Serve with guacamole, salsa and sour cream.
2. Chicken Enchiladas
4-6 servings
Ingredients:1/2 – 1 lb. of Rotisserie chicken, shredded
1/2 c. of yellow onion, chopped roughly
12-14 flour tortillas
2 1/2 c. Monterey Jack cheese
2 big cans of enchilada sauce (found in the grocery store)
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. granulated garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
Pinch of Salt
Vegetable oil
Directions:Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a pan (big enough to hold the rolled tortillas) with a bit of vegetable oil. In a large, preheated skillet with oil, add the onions. Cook down for about two minutes and then add all seasonings except the salt. Add the chicken and then salt to the mixture. Remove from skillet and into a bowl to cool. In the same skillet, add the enchilada sauce and bring it to a boil. Bring the sauce down to a simmer so it thickens, about three minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Add about half of sauce into the greased pan. Smear some sauce onto a tortilla and spoon in the chicken mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top. Roll the tortilla, securing each sides and place into the pan. Repeat until all of the tortillas are rolled. Pour the rest of the sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for about 30-35 minutes until the cheese is bubbling on top. Take out and let cool for about 20 minutes.
3. Jalapeno Margarita
1 Pitcher
Ingredients:1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced
4-6 ounces of lime juice
1/2 c. Grand Marnier or Orange Liqueur
1/2 c. of simple syrup (2 parts water, 1 part sugar)
16 oz. of tequila (if you’re of age)
Salt and lime slices, for the glasses
Directions:Add sliced jalapenos to the tequila and let sit at room temperature for five hours up to a day. In a pitcher, mix together the lime juice, Grand Marnier and simple syrup. Pour the margarita mixture into salted glasses and add a small amount of the jalapeno tequila. It will be very spicy. Garnish with a lime slice and enjoy!
4. Banana Empanadas with Spicy Chocolate Sauce
8 servings
Ingredients for Empanadas:4 (9”) pie crusts
6 ripened bananas, sliced
4 tbsp. dark brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
Directions:Preheat the oven 400 degrees and lightly coat a baking sheet with vegetable oil. In a bowl, mix the bananas, sugar and cinnamon together. Unroll pie dough and cut out circles. Spoon about two teaspoons of the bananas into the middle. Cover with another dough circle and crimp the edges. Place on baking sheet. Repeat until all ingredients are gone. Slit the top of the empanadas and bake for about 12 minutes. Take out and let cool for 10 minutes.
Ingredients for Spicy Chocolate Sauce:12 oz. of semi sweet chocolate bar
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
Directions:Temper (gently melt) chocolate in a heatproof bowl over simmering water. When the chocolate is melted, stir in the cayenne. Serve with the empanadas.
With these four simple recipes, you’re well on your way to having a great Cinco de Mayo feast right at home. Don’t forget to play some authentic music and bring out your biggest hat to celebrate in style.