With Cinco de Mayo on Sunday, I wanted to give you a few great recipe options to serve! Salsa, main dishes, and drinks are on the menu…and I even threw in a Tuesday’s Tip! Read the recipes below and have a happy and safe Cinco de Mayo.
Here is your Tuesday’s Tip on a Friday. I think a lot of my readers will find this tip useful because they will be heating up tortillas (or want warm tortillas)!
Set oven temperature for 200 degrees
Lay a sheet of tin foil down
Spray with cooking spray and place tortilla
Add tin foil, and repeat steps until all tortillas are layered
Top last tortilla with a sheet of tin foil
Fold over and seal all tin foil
Heat in oven for 5 minutes
Pita Nachos with Mango Salsa
Recipe by Chef Mareya Ibrahim
Mango-Tomato Salsa :
1 ripe mango, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
½ medium red onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, halved, seeded if desired, and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Juice and finely grated zest of 1 lime
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Nachos:
6 pieces reduced-carb whole wheat pita bread, such as Joseph’s
Nonstick cooking spray
2 teaspoons ground cumin (optional)
½ pound grilled skinless, boneless chicken breast, cubed
1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups reduced-fat shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup nonfat plain Greek-style yogurt
Juice and finely grated zest of 1 lime
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
To prepare the salsa, in a mixing bowl combine the mango, tomato, onion, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, zest, and salt
Toss to mix the ingredients together
Set aside to allow the flavors to come together
To prepare the nachos, preheat the oven to 300˚F
Halve each pita bread horizontally, to separate the top and bottom half of the pita, to make 12 rounds
Cut each round into 8 wedges
Arrange the pita triangles in a single layer on two baking pans
Lightly spray the pita with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle with cumin
Bake until very lightly crisp, about 5 minutes.
Layer the cubed chicken and black beans on top of the toasted pita chips and sprinkle on the cheese
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cheese has melted
In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, lime juice, zest, and salt
Set aside
To serve: Put the nachos on a serving platter and top with a dollop of the lime-yogurt sauce and a few spoonfuls of the salsa
Serves 6
(Per serving: 350 calories, 9 g total fat (5 g saturated), 41 mg cholesterol, 661 mg sodium, 28 g protein, 1 g fiber, 41 g carb)
Recipe courtesy RecipeRehab.com
Crispy Beef Tacos
Recipe by Chef Daniel Green
Tacos:
8 corn tortillas
Nonstick cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
¾ pound 90 percent lean ground beef
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato paste
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 (8-ounce)can low-sodium tomato sauce
½ cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
4 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
Toppings :
2 cups shredded lettuce
½ cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 jalapeno, halved lengthwise, seeded if desired, and sliced
¼ cup fat-free sour cream
Preheat the oven to 300˚F
Wrap the tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave on high for 30 seconds, until pliable
Discard the paper towels and coat the tortillas with nonstick spray
Fold the tortillas over the lip of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with handles
Bake until crisp and firm, about 15 minutes
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat
When the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic
Cook and stir for a few minutes, until soft
Add the beef, breaking the meat up with the back of a spoon, until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes
Season with salt and pepper
Add the sun-dried tomato paste, red pepper flakes, oregano, and cumin, stirring to combine
Stir in the tomato sauce
Cook for another 5 minutes, until the mixture is thick
Remove from the heat and add the cilantro and scallions
To serve, put a couple of tablespoons of the meat mixture in a taco shell. Top with lettuce,
cheese, jalapeno, and sour cream.
Serves 4
(Per serving (2 tacos): 429 calories, 18 g total fat (6 g saturated), 67 mg cholesterol, 461 mg sodium,
26 g protein, 5 g fiber, 42 g carb)
Recipe courtesy RecipeRehab.com
George Duran’s Arroz con Pollo Mole (Mole Rice and Chicken)
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seed
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. mild chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. ground allspice
2 tsp. salt
6 chicken thighs, skin removed
½ C. flour
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
salt and pepper
6 slices bacon, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 red pepper, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 C. rice, uncooked
2 6-oz. can tomato paste
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
6 C. chicken stock
Curly parsley, finely chopped, for garnish
Preparation:
Mix first 6 ingredients in a small bowl and set aside
Dust chicken thighs with flour and season with salt and pepper
Heat vegetable oil in your IMUSA Non-Stick Caldero on medium-high heat and cook chicken until browned, about 3-5 minutes on each side
Set aside
Lower heat to medium and cook bacon until slightly browned
Add onions, red peppers and garlic and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes
Add rice, tomato paste, chocolate and dry spices and mix
Add chicken stock and mix again
Allow to come to a simmer, cover and turn heat to low
Simmer for 25 minutes
Uncover, and gently mix rice and add chicken thighs on top
Cover and continue simmering for 20-25 more minutes until thighs and rice are cooked
If needed, add more stock or water until rice is done
Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving with finely chopped parsley
(recipe courtesy 5WPR)
Tequila Drinks: (all of the below drinks call for Milagro Tequila, but you can use
The Freshest Margarita
Ingredients:
2 parts Milagro Silver Tequila
0.75 parts Milagro Agave Nectar
1 part Fresh Lime Juice
Combine all three ingredients in a shaker
Shake vigorously with ice and strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice
Garnish with a thin lime wheel
Salt optional
Veracruzana
(FYI: This cocktail is an ode to Mexico’s oldest and largest port, and is also home of the sweet Veracruz pineapple)
Ingredients:
2 parts Milagro Reposado Tequila
0.75 parts Milagro Agave Nectar
1 part Fresh Lime Juice
4 Pineapple Chunks
2 Basil Leaves
Muddle pineapple and basil leaves in a Boston shaker glass
Add remaining ingredients and shake vigorously with ice
Strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice and garnish with pineapple and basil
Carpe Dia
(This is an inspiration to “sieze the day” with this fruity and fresh cocktail)
Ingredients:
2 parts Milagro Añejo Tequila
0.75 parts Milagro Agave Nectar
1 part Fresh Lime Juice
5 Blackberries
2 Sage Leaves
Muddle fruit and herbs in a Boston shaker glass
Add other ingredients and shake vigorously with ice
Strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice and garnish with blackberry and a sprig of sage
Have a great Cinco de Mayo and wear your big hats for the Kentucky Derby tomorrow!
Stay hungry!