Planning for Cinco De Mayo

May 5th is Cinco de Mayo and here are a few ideas if you plan of celebrating with friends and family to get a jump start on the festivities. Serve your food buffet style and let everyone help themselves.  

Scroll to the bottom of the page for an easy Corona Margarita recipe that everyone will enjoy.  

Easy Mexican salad you can throw together in no time.  Chopped Romaine lettuce, can of drained and rinsed black beans and corn, peeled and diced avocado, crushed tortilla chips, grape tomatoes, and an offering of an easy dressing made of 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons honey, pinch of fresh garlic (if desired) and tablespoons fresh minced cilantro.  Easy method is place all the dressing ingredients in a small jar, put on the lid, shake and serve. 

I like to serve steak fajitas, and always have an offering of flour tortillas and/or corn.  The corn is preferred and used if you are on a Gluten-Free restricted diet. 

Serve up your favorite salsa, Pico de Gallo, sour cream, taco sauce, shredded lettuce and grated cheese, black beans, and guacamole.

Don't forget to serve cut up limes!

~Corona Margarita~

Dampen the rim of the margarita glass and dip it into salt.  Pour the following ingredients into a blender and blend well.  Serve it with a lime wedge garnish.

6 ounces white or blanco tequila

12 ounce Corona

6 ounces frozen limeade concentrate

Ice cubes

Easy Entree' Salad for CInco De Mayo

 Cinco De Mayo is Thursday, May 5th and as we celebrate with our margaritas, serve this Mexican chopped salad entree. It is a favorite of mine and literally takes you minutes to prepare. Chop romaine lettuce, green and red pepper and avocado.  Place in a large bowl and top with fresh or drained canned corn and black beans. Crumble Queso Blanco cheese on top (found in the fresh cheese department at your grocer).  Break up and top with your favorite tortilla chips.  This salad is delicious if you want to add sliced grilled chicken or grilled shrimp on top. 

Cilantro-orange dressing is my dressing of choice for this salad but balsamic vinaigrette works well too. 

My recipe for this dressing comes from Eating Well.  Place 1 cup packed cilantro, 1/2 extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup lime juice, 1/4 cup orange juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and a pinch of minced garlic in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Let me know what you think of this recipe and I hope you enjoy it.

Check out Hello Fresh for your Cinco De Mayo

My daughter Kaitlyn of the blog Kaitlately recently invited me for dinner.  She  ordered meal plans from Hello Fresh, the meal kit delivery service that delivers the freshest ingredients to your home. The meal kits include everything you need from instructions to pre measured to make delicious meals for your family.  She cooked and served these amazing chicken cheddar fajitas with peppers for our dinner. They were nothing short of restaurant quality! This meal alone has convinced me to try Hello Fresh. These are perfect for your Cinco De Mayo get together with a side of store bought or homemade sangria topped with chopped fresh fruit.  Your gathering can be as simple as you would like it to be.  The idea is to be together and have fun.  If you like to cook like I do, check out Hello Fresh online today and give it a try.  Life is too short to spend the day in the kitchen.  Save time, eat well and have fun.

Check out Kaitlyn's blog Kait Lately It's a refreshing blog written with wellness, lifestyle, and recipe ideas. Kaitlyn is a new Mom and includes stories about her son and the life style changes she is experiencing with motherhood. 

Chicken Fajitas 

Homemade sangria made with cabernet and malbec wine

Don't these look delicious?