Cinco de Mayo

Recipe: The Mint Julep Margarita

Cinco de Mayo is the little observed (in Mexico anyway) anniversary of an improbable victory by the Mexican army over that of the French which occurred on May 5th, 18-something.  This particular May 5th is also the annual running of the Kentucky Derby.  So the good folks over at the Cooking Channel shared with me a libation that will help you celebrate both at the same time.  Dig it!

The Mint Julep Margarita
Recipe Type: Drink
Author: Food Network Kitchens
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 2 limes, each cut into 16 pieces
  • 2 teaspoons superfine sugar
  • 10 fresh mint leaves
  • 2 ounces bourbon
  • 1 ounce orange liqueur
  • 1/4 cup seltzer
Instructions
  1. Place the limes in a cocktail shaker.
  2. Sprinkle with the sugar and add the mint leaves.
  3. Muddle well, making sure the juice is really extracted from the limes and the sugar dissolves.
  4. Add the bourbon and orange liqueur.
  5. Add a couple of ice cubes, cover and shake well. Strain.
  6. Can be served over ice or straight. Top with seltzer.

Cinco de Mayo Recipe: Rachael Ray’s Super Nachos

Food Network is helping you prepare for Cinco de Mayo by pooling the talents of their chefs for an unbelievable Mexican menu.  Check out this recipe from Rachael Ray.

Super NachosSuper Nachos
Ingredients
2 bags corn tortilla chips in 2 colors or different flavors, such as blue corn, red corn, yellow corn, lime flavored, chili flavored or black bean chips — pick 2 favorites

Pico de Gallo Salsa:
4 vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped, for medium to hot heat level
1 small white onion, chopped
1/4 cup, 2 handfuls, cilantro leaves, finely chopped — substitute parsley if cilantro is not to your liking
Salt

Beef and Beans Topping:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground sirloin
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dark chili powder
1 1/2 ground cumin, half a palmful
2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper sauce, giving you medium to hot heat level
1 can black beans, 15 ounces, drained

Cheese Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
3/4 pound pepper jack cheese, shredded, about 2 1/2 cups

Additional toppings to choose from, optional:
Sour cream
Chopped scallions
Chopped black olives
Diced pimento
Sliced avocado, dressed with lemon juice
Hot pepper sauces

Directions

  1. Arrange a mixture of 2 varieties of corn chips on a very large platter or use your broiler pan as a platter.
  2. Combine salsa ingredients in a bowl and set aside for flavors to marry.
  3. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add oil, garlic, onion and peppers to the pan and saute 2 minutes, then add meat and crumble with wooden spoon. Season meat with salt, chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper sauce. Cook meat 5 minutes, then stir in beans and reduce heat to low.
  4. In a medium sauce pot, melt butter and add flour to it. Cook flour and butter 1 to 2 minutes over moderate heat, then whisk in milk. When milk comes to a bubble, stir in cheese with a wooden spoon. Remove cheese sauce from the heat.
  5. Pour cheese sauce evenly over the massive spread of chips and top evenly with beef and beans and the pico de gallo. UBER NACHOS! Serve immediately as is or, garnish with your choice of extra toppings from the toppings list.

 

Cinco de Mayo Recipes From Chef Rick Bayless

Mexico and the US share a coastline along the Gulf of Mexico which has resulted in several cross over recipes.  The jambalaya so popular in Cajun Country is actually a Louisiana spin on the classic Spanish dish paella.  West Indies Salad popular in and around the Mobile area is a variation on ceviche.  There is even an entire cuisine that sprang up along the border between Texas and Mexico called Tex-Mex.

Rick Bayless is perhaps the best Mexican cuisine chef in the United States which isn’t bad for an Irish kid from Oklahoma.  Ah, America.  Mexican food is Third Coast Cuisine and Rick Bayless knows Mexican food.

Rick, and his wife Deann, dedicated more than 6 years to culinary research in Mexico, culminating in 1987 with the publication of their now-classic cookbook Authentic Mexican (Morrow). They also opened the colorful, vivacious Frontera Grill in Chicago, specializing in regional Mexican cooking, that same year to instant success.  I was in Chicago just last week and I made a point to try Frontera first hand and I can assure you Bayless does not disappoint.

To help celebrate the Battle of Puebla Rick has offered up a few recipes perfect for the party:

Frisee Salad with Pumpkinseeds and Queso Fresco

  • 1 head frisee lettuce or curly endive, bottom trimmed, torn into 2 inch pieces (about 8 cups)
  • ½ cup toasted pumpkinseeds (pepitas)
  • 5 small radishes (about 4 ounces), trimmed, sliced in half lengthwise and then cut into very thin half moons
  • 1 1/2 cups crumbled Mexican queso fresco or salted farmers cheese
Dressing:
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • About ¼ teaspoon of salt
  • A small pinch of sugar
  1. Rinse the frisee and spin dry in a salad spinner or pat dry with clean towels.
  2. In a large salad bowl, combine the frisee, pumpkinseeds, radish slices and crumbled cheese.
  3. To make the dressing, simply whisk together the ingredients in a small bowl until well combined.
  4. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss well.

Green Chile Shrimp Enchiladas

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small white onion, diced
  • 1 poblano, seeded and diced
  • 1 pound shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined, cut into ½ inch pieces
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups shredded Chihuahua or Monterey Jack cheese
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • 2 pouches (8 ounces each) Frontera Green Enchilada Sauce
  1. Heat oven to 400º. For filling, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and poblano. Sauté until tender and golden, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add shrimp and salt. Cook, stirring often, until shrimp are just barely cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer shrimp mixture to a large plate. Cool completely in the refrigerator.  Once cooled, stir in 1 ½ cups of the shredded cheese.
  3. Wrap 4 tortillas in plastic wrap. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds. Repeat with remaining 4 tortillas.
  4. Working quickly so the tortillas stay hot and pliable, unwrap one stack of tortillas and roll a 1/8th portion of filling into each tortilla. Place seam-side down in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Repeat to use all tortillas and filling. Open sauce pouches at one corner and pour over tortillas so they are completely covered with sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese.
  5. Bake until the enchiladas are hot through and the cheese is golden, about 15 minutes.  Serve immediately.

For more of Chef Rick Bayless’ Cinco de Mayo recipes visit his web site HERE.

Cinco de Mayo Recipe: Tyler Florence’s Chicken Enchiladas

Food Network is helping you prepare for Cinco de Mayo by pooling the talents of their chefs for an unbelievable Mexican menu.  Check out this recipe from Tyler Florence.

Chicken Enchiladas
Recipe Type: main
Author: Tyler Florence
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 30 mins
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 teaspoons cumin powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican Spice Blend
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
  • 5 canned whole green chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
  • 4 canned chipotle chiles, seeded and minced
  • 1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
  • 1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
  • 16 corn tortillas
  • 1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, canned
  • 1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
  • Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, sour cream, chopped tomatoes
Instructions
  1. Coat large saute pan with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium heat, allow 7 minutes each side or until no longer pink. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, garlic powder and Mexican spices before turning. Remove chicken to a platter, allow to cool.
  2. Saute onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, saute 1 minute.
  3. Pull chicken breasts apart by hand into shredded strips. Add shredded chicken to saute pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.
  4. Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Using a large shallow bowl, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.
  5. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, sour cream and chopped tomatoes before serving. Serve with Spanish rice and beans.

Or, you know, just watch Tyler do it.

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Stuart is a celebrity chef, food activist and award-winning food writer. He penned the cookbooks Third Coast Cuisine: Recipes of the Gulf of Mexico, No Sides Needed: 34 Recipes To Simplify Life and Amigeauxs - Mexican/Creole Fusion Cuisine. He hosts two Internet cooking shows "Everyday Gourmet" and "Little Grill Big Flavor." His recipes have been featured in Current, Lagniappe, Southern Tailgater, The Kitchen Hotline and on the Cooking Channel.

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Stuart’s Honors & Awards

2015 1st Place Luck of the Irish Cook-off
2015 4th Place Downtown Cajun Cook-off
2015 2nd Place Fins' Wings & Chili Cook-off
2014 2015 4th Place LA Gumbo Cook-off
2012 Taste Award nominee for best chef (web)
2012 Finalist in the Safeway Next Chef Contest
2011 Taste Award Nominee for Little Grill Big Flavor
2011, 12 Member: Council of Media Tastemakers
2011 Judge: 29th Chef's of the Coast Cook-off
2011 Judge: Dauphin Island Wing Cook-off
2011 Cooking Channel Perfect 3 Recipe Finalist
2011 Judge: Dauphin Island Gumbo Cook-off
2011 Culinary Hall of Fame Member
2010 Tasty Awards Judge
2010 Judge: Bayou La Batre Gumbo Cook-off
2010 Gourmand World Cookbook Award Nominee
2010 Chef2Chef Top 10 Best Food Blogs
2010 Denay's Top 10 Best Food Blogs
2009 2nd Place Bay Area Food Bank Chef Challenge
2008 Tava: Discovery Contest Runner-up

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