Mexican Recipes: Guilt-Free Cinco de Mayo Recipes

Filed in archive Holidays , Recipes on May 5, 2010

© Ryan Gessner

Though only celebrated voluntarily in Mexico and the United States, Cinco de Mayo is all bout food and family. Here are a few guilt-free Cinco de Mayo recipes (found via) developed by Elizabeth Edelman:

Portobello and Spinach Quesadilla

1 pound of spinach, washed

2 portobello mushroom caps, grilled or sauteed and sliced thinly

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 onion, sliced thin and caramelized

1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

4 (12 in.) flour tortillas

1/2 cup grated cheddar jack blend cheese, shredded

Salsa, guacamole and sour cream, for serving

» In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the garlic for 1 minute and then add the spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted and turn off the heat. Set aside.

» Lay out 2 of the flour tortillas on a flat surface. Top with 1/2 cup of the cheese, spreading evenly over the tortillas. Divide the portobello mushrooms, the onions and the spinach among the tortillas. Top with remaining tortillas and press to seal.

» Heat a large saute pan over high heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan and lower the heat to medium. Cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Repeat with the other quesadilla.

» Let cool for 5 minutes. Slice into 8 or 10 pieces. Garnish with salsa and cilantro sprigs. Serves 8 for appetizers.

Guacamole

5 ripe Hass avocados

2 limes, juiced

1 lemon, juiced

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 small tomato, chopped

1 big handful fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

» Halve and pit the avocados. With a tablespoon, scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl. Mash the avocados with a fork, leaving them still a bit chunky. Add all of the rest of the ingredients, and fold everything together. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with tortilla chips or fresh cut veggies. Serves 6.

Low-Carb Margarita

1 shot tequila

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon orange extract

1 tablespoon Splenda (or sweetener of your choice)

A small handful of ice

Kosher salt (for the rim of the glass, optional)

Lime wedges

» Combine the tequila, lime juice, water, orange extract, and Splenda in a cocktail shaker with ice in it. Shake to combine. Meanwhile, take a slice of lime and rub it around the rim of your margarita glass. Dip the glass in salt, if desired and place more ice in the glass. Pour the contents of the shaker into the glass and garnish with a lime wedge. Serves 1, but can easily be doubled.



Steak Fajitas

MARINADE:

1 orange, juiced

2 limes, juiced

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

3 chipotle chiles, in adobo sauce

3 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 pounds skirt steak, trimmed of fat and cut into thirds

Salt and pepper

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 large onion, thinly sliced

Lime juice

Olive oil

12 corn tortillas, warm

Guacamole

Bean dip

Good quality salsa

» In a small, 2-cup measuring cup, combine all the marinade ingredients. Using an immersion blender, puree the marinade until smooth. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag and add the steak, seal and shake to coat. Marinate for 2 to 4 hours.

» Preheat a ridged grill pan or grill on high heat.

» Drain the marinade from the beef. Lightly oil the grill or grill pan. Season liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Grill the steak over medium-high heat and cook for 4 minutes on each side and then transfer to a cutting board and let rest. Depending on the size of your grill pan you may need to cook in batches.

» Once the beef is off the grill pan and resting, add the bell peppers and onions tossed with lime juice and olive oil. Grill the mixture for 7 to 8 minutes until the vegetables are just barely limp.

» While the peppers and onions are cooking, heat up the tortillas in a microwave. Lightly dampen a tea towel with some water, wrap the tortillas in the damp towel and heat in the microwave for about 1 minute. Check to see if they are warm. If not, repeat the heating in 1-minute intervals until they are warm and pliable.

» Thinly slice the steak against the grain on a diagonal.

» Spread some guacamole and bean dip on a tortilla, top with a few slices of steak, peppers, onions and salsa. Top with sour cream and shredded cheese if desired. Roll up the tortilla to enclose the filling. Serves 6.

Mahi Mahi and Pineapple Skewers with Tomatillo Salsa

These kabobs can be made with any type of meat, tofu, pork, chicken or shrimp.

12 ounces Mahi Mahi, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 cup pineapple chunks

1 bell pepper (any color) cut into chunks

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Corn tortillas

Tomatillo salsa

» If you're using wooden skewers, soak for at least 30 minutes prior to grilling. Preheat a grill to high heat. Alternate fish, pineapple and peppers onto the skewers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the skewers on the grill and cook for 3-5 minutes, turning once. Do not overcook.

» Wrap the tortillas in foil and place on the grill to warm. Remove skewers from the grill. Assemble tacos with skewer contents and top with salsa. Serves four.

Have a fun and food-filled Cinco de Mayo celebrations!!!