Friday, May 4, 2012

Some Favorites for Cinco De Mayo

 

Just some of my all-time favorites to celebrate Cinco De Mayo. I love a good celebration, maybe not authentic but delicious!  

Wishing everyone a great weekend.




Chevy's Fire-Roasted Salsa
from Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2 by Todd Wilbur
Source: Perrys' Plate 

6 medium tomatoes
6-8 jalapenos (I use 2-3)
1/4 medium Spanish or Yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons salt

Preheat grill on high. Remove stems from tomatoes, then rub some oil over each. Leave stems on jalapenos and rub oil on them, too.

Place tomatoes on grill. After about 10 minutes, add the jalapenos. In about 10 minutes, turn the tomatoes and peppers. When almost all of the surface of the peppers are black, remove them from the grill. The tomatoes will turn partially black, but when the skin begins to come off they are done. Remove from grill to a bowl.

Remove skin from tomatoes and place in a food processor. Pinch the stem end from each pepper, remove any skin that has burned, and place into food processor with tomatoes.

Add remaining ingredients and puree on high for 5-10 seconds. Chill for several hours or overnight before serving. Makes about 2 cups.




 Fish Tacos
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Source: Epicurious, May 2009 – recipe by Lourdes Castro, Simply Mexican
Printable Recipe

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
About 1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar (I used 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar, a little less than 1/4 cup simple syrup and some water)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano (I used Mexican oregano)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, plus more for garnish
1 jalapeño, stemmed and chopped
1 pound flaky white fish (such as mahi mahi or cod), cut into 4 pieces
salt and pepper
8 fresh corn tortillas (I used whole wheat)
Mexican crema, homemade or store-bought (I mixed 1 cup sour cream with the zest and juice of one lime, jalapeno, a little salt and pepper)
Fresh Tomato Salsa
2 limes, cut into quarters

Put the onion in a small bowl and pour in the vinegar to cover well. Set aside for at least 30 minutes or up to several weeks.

Pour the olive oil into a small bowl and add the ancho chile powder, oregano, cumin, chopped cilantro, salt, pepper and jalapeño. Mix well. Place the fish on a dish and pour the marinade over it, making sure to coat the fish well on both sides. Allow to marinate for 20 minutes. (I put it in a Ziploc bag to marinate)

Heat a nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Place the fish in the pan, no need for more oil. Cook the fish for about 4 minutes, then turn over, and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and flake the fish into the pan with a fork, making sure to mix in all the marinade that has stuck to the bottom of the pan. Check if it needs more salt and pepper. I cooked it on the grill, in a disposable aluminum pan and left the pieces whole!

Place four of the tortillas on a plate and sandwich them between two slightly dampened sheets of paper towel. Microwave on high for about 45 seconds. Place the warm tortillas in a towel-lined basket or plate and cover. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

To assemble the tacos, place a big spoonful of the fish onto the center of a tortilla. Top with the marinated onions. I also added a sort of cole slaw to the taco's. Serve with salsa.

Fish Taco Cole Slaw
1 bag shredded green cabbage
1 cup sour cream
juice and zest of one lime
minced fresh jalapeno (half of one jalapeno)
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the sour cream with the lime juice, zest, jalapeno, salt and pepper. Mix shredded green cabbage in with the crema and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.




Mexican Black Bean Salad
Source: StacyS (gardenweb)

1 cup frozen (thawed) whole kernel corn, drained, or fresh cut from the cob
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 - 2 whole fresh jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, chopped in a very small dice or 1 4-oz can of chopped green chilies
1/2 pint or more grape tomatoes, sliced in half
chopped fresh cilantro, to taste
4 cups torn iceberg lettuce or romaine (or both)
2 avocado, diced
Shredded Monterrey Jack, Cheddar or Mexican Cheese blend

Tortilla chips for garnish

Dressing:
1 tablespoons honey (little bit more, I just poured about 2 tablespoons)
2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice (I used juice of one lime)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Whisk all the dressing ingredients in large bowl.

Add all salad ingredients except lettuce and cheese; stir until well coated. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors.

Toss the lettuce, avocado and cheese with the bean mixture a little while before you are ready to serve. Garnish with tortilla chips at the last minute.




 Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Source: Marilyn (DanaIN) - Gardenweb Cooking Forum
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 corn tortillas (regular or fried)
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with chilies (I used 2 10-ounce cans of Rotel tomatoes with chilies)
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon turmeric (I omitted)
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
juice from 1/2 fresh lime
1 cup diced, seeded Roma tomatoes or 1 cup salsa for garnish
Sour cream for garnish
Tortilla Chips for garnish

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; sauté onions and garlic for 3 minutes. Slice or break tortillas into small pieces and add to onions and garlic; sauté until they are soft. Add tomatoes, broth and spices and bring to a boil. Remove from heat; allow to cool for 5 minutes. Puree soup base in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth, return soup to pot. (I used an immersion blender)

Add chicken, corn and cream and return to a boil then simmer for 5 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Reduce heat to medium-low and sprinkle in cheese and cilantro; stir to melt cheese. Add lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with tomatoes and a dollop of sour cream.






Joining 
 Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.
 

AND



AND
 
Souper Sundays (soups, salads and sandwiches) @ Kahakai Kitchen

with the


 
SouperSundays


61 comments:

  1. The soup and the salad sound and look so good! Enjoy your weekend!

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  2. What a fantastic post; you are giving me all kinds of good recipes for Mexican food. I have never had fish tacos and now I want to try your recipe.
    Rita

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  3. Fiesta then Siesta!!! My first thought at 6-8 jalapenos was "OMG, that's serious", I like your amount better. Happy Cinco de Mayo:@)

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  4. I can't wait to try the soup. I just love a smooth creamy soup. Great variety of south of the border yummies.

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  5. Now this is a feast,Carol!I love Mexican!Everything looks really good,I especially liked the fish taco!!Thanks for sharing all these nice recipes,have a great weekend!

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  6. What yummy goodies for Cinco de Mayo!

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  7. Everything sounds good but think I'll skip the fish tacos! Not posting this week just visiting.

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  8. OMG I love it all!! The fish tacos sound awesome and I wonder if Wegman's has mahi-mahi this week. I love how many Mexican recipes I'm gathering up today.

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  9. Everything looks great, Carol. I would like to start off with a plate of those fish tacos with a spoonful of salsa on top. Happy Day!

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  10. oh no, I am so, so hungry now. I make a very good Tortilla Soup, but not a creamy one...I have to check that out!

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  11. Happy Cinco de Mayo! The recipes look amazing.

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  12. Thanks for sharing all the great Cinco de Mayo recipes, the Fish Tacos look particularly divine.

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  13. Wow! What a great post! I love fish tacos. :)

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  14. I forgot it was Cinco de Mayo! I need to try the fish tacos.

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  15. This is a wonderful post for cinco de mayo. Each and every dish sounds great.

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  16. This all looks really yummy.

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  17. These recipes all look fabulous - I'm having a delightful meal in my mind! LOVE that salsa!

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  18. Oh all of these look fantastic! I'm especially drawn to the black bean salad.

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  19. I've neer made my own salsa; I'm going to try this!

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  20. This is a beautiful spread! I'd go for the creamy torilla soup.

    Just got back from taking wildflower photos. Did you consider taking shots of the moon tonight? It will be awesome in an hour or so.

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    1. It's cloudy here :( Can't get a shot. I look forward to yours!

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  21. What a great way to spread the Cinco De mayo love :D
    Yummy recipes all round!

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

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  22. That looks like a wonderful menu for Cinco de Mayo. We managed chili -- next year I should work at this a bit more.

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  23. I don't know anyone who celebrates Cinco de Mayo. This would be an awesome feast to share!

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  24. That black bean salad looks amazing! Hope you enjoyed the day.

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  25. I could be happy all day with this tempting array of good food. YUM!

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  26. love this absolutely:) look yummy!

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  27. Carol, Looks like you had everything ready for a party! We have been working on the house...I would rather have been partying with you.

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  28. What a delicious post,dear Carol!Have a lovely week!

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  29. Carol, wonderful foods! I have never tried a fish taco and yours looks delicious. I must try to find one in a restaurant first. Looks like the Cinco De Mayo party was at your house. Thanks for sharing the recipes. Have a wonderful week ahead.

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  30. I love Mexican food...especially good salsa! I've never tried a fish taco but everyone always says they are wonderful! I should try one!

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  31. It looks like quite the perfect feast. Yum! Thanks for sharing your soup and salad with Souper Sundays this week. ;-)

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  32. Yummmmmm! This all looks so delicious. I love fish tacos and especially want to try the soup! Thank you for sharing your feast.

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  33. Ole! For Cinco de Mayo we were busy doing house projects so we went to a Mexican restaurant instead of making our favorites at home. Your recipes and food look real good!

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  34. Muchas gracias! What a delicious selection of recipes, Carol. I missed celebrating Cinco de Mayo this weekend :(

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  35. Whoo Hoo love the hot stuff. A beautiful post and great photos.
    QMM

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  36. Each and every one of those yummy recipes would have been perfect for Cinco de Mayo or absolutely any day at mi casa. Hope you had a lovely weekend!

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    1. Very nice, thanks! Hope you had a nice weekend as well!

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  37. Hmmmm, makes me wish I had celebrated. Perhaps it is not too late!

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    1. It's never too late for Mexican food :) I could eat it every day!

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  38. Thanks for the nice comments! It was a very nice weekend with good food and good friends. Went by way too fast!
    Hope everyone has a great week.

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  39. Thanks for the round-up, tons of delicious food here. Have a great week ahead!

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  40. Sounds good! Hope ypu enjoyed all that spicy food! It would kill me! :)

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  41. Wow, Carol you had a wonderful Cinco de Mayo feast. I love fish tacos and taco soup. In fact, I like everyhting you made!

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  42. Que delicioso! I love fish tacos and made them for my family today. But I was disappointed with the marinade I used, not enough flavour. Next time I'll try yours.

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  43. I'd like to enjoy your fish tacos with a margarita! Looks delicious :)

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  44. And now I'm...right back to craving mexican food. These look great!

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  45. Now this is a meal for me! I love Mexican and and all these plates just reminded me how many days have passed since I last enjoyed a good Mexican food!

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  46. Yummy! That food looks so delicious!

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  47. Wow Carol, these are fabulous...not only for Cinco de Mayo but all year round...
    Thanks for these recipes and hope you have a wonderful week ahead :)

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  48. I have a sudden craving for Mexican food... everything looks awesome!

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  49. Great round up, Carol! I'm still smiling at the first recipe...6-8 jalapenos? Yikes!

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  50. Some of my very favorite foods---homemade salsa, fish tacos and bean salad. Yum. I want some right now! Great Cinco de Mayo round up.. although I'd eat these foods any day of the year!

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  51. i'm making the black bean salad for my weekend! i need lots of salad ideas as i tweak my hubby's diet for a healthier one.

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