I love to host parties. This Friday is Cinco de Mayo and time to have friends over for dinner. Spice up your Cinco de Mayo with delicious and easy-to-make recipes – Get inspired now!
My go to Guacamole:
Ingredients:
- 3 medium ripe Hass avocados
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- 1 small jalapeno, minced, seeds removed
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 large lime, juiced
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Or use homemade Pico
Instructions:
- Cut avocados in half lengthwise. Remove the pits from the avocados. Squeeze the avocado flesh into a medium bowl or scoop the flesh out with a spoon and discard the skins.
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Add the onion, jalapeño, and lime juice. Mash with a fork, until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Serve immediately with tortilla chips or your favorite Mexican meal.
from: Two Peas and Their Pod
Pico de Gallo
Ingredients:
- 2 cups medium diced tomatoes, seeds removed (about 1 ½ pounds)
- 1/2 large white onion, diced
- 1-2 large jalapeño peppers, seeds removed and minced
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- Juice of 1 large lime, 2 tablespoons
- Kosher salt, to taste
Instructions:
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In a large bowl, combine diced tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Stir and let the salsa sit for 30 minutes for the best flavor. Stir again and serve with tortilla chips or with any Mexican meal.
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Note-you can serve the salsa right away, but I think it is best after it sits for awhile and the flavors have time to meld. This pico de gallo is best the day it is made, but you can keep it in a container in the fridge and enjoy the next day.
Queso
Deliciously creamy Queso Dip is easy to make from scratch and a crowd favorite every time! Serve with salty tortilla chips for the best appetizer ever!
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil, can use butter
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 oz cream cheese, cut into cubes
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
- 8 oz Monterey Jack, shredded
- 4 oz mild green chiles
- 1 Roma tomato, finely diced
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, from can, seeds removed and finely chopped, optional
- For garnish: pico de gallo, diced avocado, and cilantro
- Tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions:
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In a large saucepan, heat the oil or butter over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeno and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for one more minute.
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Add the cream cheese and 1 cup of the milk and stir until melted, this will take about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
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Turn the heat to low and add the shredded cheese, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly, until all of the cheese is added and melted. Make sure the heat isn’t too high, you want it to melt slowly. Once all of the cheese is melted, add the remaining ¼ cup of milk.
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Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the green chiles, tomato, and cilantro. If you are using the chipotle in adobo pepper, stir that in as well. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
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Pour the queso into a serving bowl and garnish with a little pico de gallo, diced avocado, and fresh cilantro. Serve immediately with tortilla chips.
Notes
Don’t use pre-shredded cheese. Buy block cheese and grate it for best results.
Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients:
For the Chicken and Vegetables:
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- Grated zest and juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut lengthwise into 1 1/2-inch thick strips
- Cooking spray
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch-wide slices
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch-wide slices
- 1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch-wide slices
- Freshly ground black pepper
For Assembly:
- 8 corn tortillas
- 1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
- Toppings: guacamole, pico de gallo, plain Greek yogurt, lettuce, cilantro
Instructions:
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For the chicken and vegetables: In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the pineapple juice, lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and ½ teaspoon of the salt.
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Place the chicken in a large zip-top plastic bag and add the marinade. Massage the marinade into the chicken, making sure to evenly coat all the pieces. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or as long as overnight.
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Adjust an oven rack in the center and another 4 to 6 inches from the broiler and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a large rimmed sheet pan with oil and set aside (you can also line it with foil, then spray).
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Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off any excess, and place it on the prepared pan. Pour the marinade into a large bowl, add the bell peppers and onion, and toss well. Spread the vegetables evenly on the pan around the chicken and sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat and spread out evenly in the pan.
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Bake on the center rack until the chicken is almost cooked through, about 15 minutes.
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Switch the oven to high broil. Give the vegetables and chicken a good toss, move to the top rack, and broil until the vegetables and chicken are slightly charred and the chicken is cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Place the tortillas directly on the top oven rack and broil until warm and slightly charred, about 1 minute. Slice the chicken into small pieces and mix with the vegetables.
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To assemble, evenly distribute the chicken and vegetables among the tortillas. Top cheese and desired toppings. Serve warm.
For more information on creating this meal, go to: Two Peas and Their Pod
Have some fun and send pictures if you use these recipes
to my Instagram account.
Thank you in advance.
Take good care, Cyndi
Finish your meal with a chocolate cookie. Rich and chocolaty cookies that are made with avocado! These vegan cookies are divine! You will never know there is no butter in these babies! Yum!
Vegan Chocolate Avocado Cookie
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup mashed avocado
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper and set aside.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa. Set aside.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the coconut oil, avocado, and sugars together until creamy and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the vanilla extract.
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With the mixer on low, add half of the flour mixture. Add the milk and then add the remaining dry ingredients. Mix until the flour disappears. Stir in the chocolate chips.
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Form cookie dough into tablespoon balls and place on prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Slightly flatten the cookies with the palm of your hand or a spatula. Bake cookies for 10 minutes, or until set around the edges, but still soft in the center. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for two minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.
