Treinta Recipes for Cinco de Mayo

 

Cinco de Mayo. It's a Mexican holiday celebrated on the 5th of May (duh) commemorating Mexico's defeat of the Second French Empire back in the 1860s in a battle over debt.

You'd think, by the big deal we here in America make over Cinco de Mayo, that it's a major Mexican holiday, even their Independence Day, but in fact, it's not, it's not even an official federal holiday. Mexico's call for Independence was on September 16th, back in 1810, starting an 11 year battle culminating in their formal independence on August 24, 1821. Their federal independence holiday is celebrated on September 16th.

But we Americans? Who can blame us for grabbing any excuse to celebrate any Mexican holiday. Because we all know that any celebration includes food, and Mexican cuisine is a favorite. In fact, I think we should celebrate Cinco de Mayo, August 24th, September 16th, and Taco Tuesday.

For any and all of those dates you choose to observe, I've put together a collection of 30 (plus a couple of bonuses) of my family's favorite foods. From breakfast to lunch, cocktails and appetizers, dinners, side dishes, and all the way through dessert.

I've broken down the recipes into bite sized pieces, so to speak (sorry). Below you'll find 3 graphics, underneath you'll see the name of each recipe (starting at the top left and ending at the bottom right), a short description, and a link for you to click on that will take you to post where, at the end, I share that recipe.

I'll start the recipes where we all start the day, with breakfasts and breads (first row), then soup, salad and sandwiches (second row), and a cocktail and appetizers (bottom row):

 

Breakfasts and Breads

1) Breakfast Nachos with Buttery Tortillas

Homemade buttery tortilla chips are the base to this fun bacon and eggs breakfast dish, perfect for sharing.

2) Fiesta Quick Bread

A little smoky, a little spicy, this bread is packed with flavor. Delicious as is, or toasted. And pair it wih my Green Chili Chicken Soup with Taco Rice for lunch.

3) Tex-Mex Breakfast Casserole

This casserole is a one pan breakfast dish with a little bit of a kick.

4) Cinnamon Hojaldras Crisps

My interpretation of the light and crispy traditional Hojaldras Fry Bread.

Soup, Salad and Sandwiches

5) Steak Fajita Quesadillas

Thin sliced steak, vegetables, and cheese are sandwihed between crispy pan fried tortillas. They work as well as an appetizer as they do as a meal.

6) Green Chili Chicken Soup with Taco Rice

A hearty soup with a little kick (or a big kick, you decide how hot). Pair it with my Fiesta Quick Bread and you've got lunch.

7) Summer Salad Tostada

Fresh crisp vegetables and a flavorful con and black bean salsa in a homemade tortilla shell. Muy bueno!

8) Taco Chicken Quesadillas

Taco flavored chicken, vegetables, and cheese are pan grilled between flour tortillas for a flavorful lunch, dinner, or snack.

Cocktails and Appetizers

9) Raspberry Orange Margaritas

You can make them individually. we make them by the pitcher. The fruity flavors of raspberry, orange, and lime hit the spot on a warm day.

10) BBQ Pork Corn Chip Nachos

Great as an appetizer, but also for a snack, lunch, or dinner. The barbecue flavor goes so well with the melted cheese and a little bit of heat. And the warm corn chips are perfect for dipping.

11) Taco Roll Casserole

A shared savory appetizer inspired by Monkey Bread. Fill thes little rolls, allow to rise, bake, and wait till you see what you get!

12) Jalapeno Popper Rollups

Don't have a lot of time but want a delicious, quck, and easy appetizer (side dish or snack)? Try this option to slicing and filling whole jalapenos.

Main Dishes

13) Stuffed Taco Pork Tenderloin

Stuffed with salsa rice, rubbed with taco seasoning, this dinner isn't difficult to make, but it sure looks (and tastes) impressive. Taco night isn't just about tacos any more.

14) Shrimp Enchiladas

Large and small shrimp, spicy cheese, and rice rolled into a soft tortilla and baked. A delicious dinner ready in under an hour.

serve with:

Pineapple and Corn Salsa Fresco

A refreshing versatile accompaniment that comes together in minutes. Serve as an appetizer with tortilla chips, or as a complement to grilled firsh, chicken, or over enchiladas.

15) Taco Shrimp

Full of Tex-Mex flavors, shrimp is rubbed, pan sauteed, and served with Pico de Gallo and avocado slices.

serve with:

Pico de Gallo

This salsa is not cooked, it's served fresh. Great with chips as an appetizer, or as an accompniment to a meal. My boys love it on burgers too.

16) Sriracha Chipotle Ranch Chicken Nachos

These nachos are not an appetizer, they're a flavorful and hearty meal. Easy to make, fun to eat.

17) Taco Stuffed Potato Skins

A meal version of the classic potato skins appetizer. These meal worthy skins are stuffed with taco beef and vegetables, then topped with melted cheese.

18) Shrimp Alfredo Enchiladas

Spicy, creamy, these enchiladas are filled with taco shrimp, beans, and a whole lot more.

19) Taco Mac and Joe Casserole

Is this recipe Sloppy Joes? Tacos? Mac and cheese? Yes to all of them, a marriage made in the kitchen.

20) Chicken Enchilada Pot Pie

A family favorite, all the flavors of chicken enchiladas in a tortilla crusted pot pie.

21) Spicy Pulled Pork Pot Pie

Spicy pulled pork, cheese, and vegetables are topped with mashed potatoes for the ultimate pot pie comfort food.

22) Pepper Jelly Glazed Taco Meatloaf

Coomfort food at its best, baked with taco flavors and topped with a pepper jelly glaze.

Side Dishes

23) Street Corn Rice 

A side dish using a favorite summer treat as inspiration. Grilled corn, lime, cilantro, all the flavors are there. Goes really well with tacos or quesadillas.

24) Pina Colada Bread

This quick bread could be anything, breakfast, snack, served with lunch or brunch, even dessert. The flavors of a favorite cocktail baked into a bread.

25) Smoky Cornbread

This version of cornbread is infused with a little smoky flavor and a little heat.

26) Taco Rice

An easy, one pot side dish. This pairs well with Tex-Mex dishes.

Desserts

27) Strawberry Margarita Cake

Have your drink and eat it too

28) Frozen Strawberry Margarita Pie (no bake)
A fun summer cocktail in pie form. This refreshing dessert is no bake, so just assemble, freeze, and serve.

29) Strawberry Pina Colada Galette

A rustic tart inspired by the cocktail, made with strawberries, pineapple, an more.

30) Dessert Strata

Crisp homemade cinnamon sugar tortillas layered with chocolate vanilla, and strawberry shipped cream.

So let's get cooking (baking, drinking, and eating)!

And, as always, if you try any of my recipes, be sure to leave a comment here on my blog and/or stop by the Baking In A Tornado facebook page and let me know what you think.

Wishing you a delicious Cinco de Mayo.

The Nightmare Probability

  

 

 

I will not be sleeping in my bed tonight. Quite possibly never again. 

No, I'm not mad at Hubs. If so, we all know that he'd be the one not sleeping in the bed tonight.

 

Before I explain what happened last night, let me tell you of a previous experience I had, many years ago, back when Hubs and I had just moved into an apartment in Connecticut. 

 

Hubs was at work. I was unpacking boxes when I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. There, in the middle of the room was a spider. Now I don't like spiders in general, but this was a huge, grey, long legged, gargantuan spider, the size of which I'd never seen. I was terrified. There was no way I was touching that thing, I certainly wasn't going to try to squish something that huge {{gag}}, maybe I could put a plastic container over it, a paperweight on the container and let Hubs deal with it.

 

That was the plan.

 

I grabbed a container, and tried to convince myself to get anywhere near the monster. That's when it happened. It started to run, I threw the container at it and I started to run. I ended up standing on the arm of the couch. But where did it end up?

 

Three hours later, Hubs came home and there I was, standing on the arm of the couch, eyes the size of saucers, rotating and scanning the room like a human periscope.

 

Hubs checked that house, top to bottom, more than once. I stayed right where I was, micromanaging "pick up the couch, look under the rug." When he'd finally given up, he told me it had probably gotten out the sliding door.

 

Probably?

 

Probably?

 

I probably wouldn't end up living in the Midwest.

I probably wouldn't get pregnant in the early years of IVF.

I probably wouldn't have an FBI file.

I probably wouldn't have a kid light my car on fire.

I probably . . .

Not that I knew then all of the improbably probabilities I be living later on, but one thing I knew right then and there was that, in that particular moment, I wouldn't be doing "probably."

 

Hell-to-the-NO!

 

What I also knew is that I probably (more than probably) wouldn't, in the forseeable future, be in the laundry room, reaching into the washing machine. I wouldn't be in the kitchen reaching into cabinets. 

 

I'd be in the den. Standing on the couch. In perpetuity. Or at least for the life span of a gargantuan spider.

 

 

Garlic Ranch Orzo

 

Fast forward to last night. Or I should say this morning. It was actually about 5:30 am, I had been asleep when I suddenly heard fast galloping across my ceiling. Yes, it was that loud. I looked up and saw an enormous beetle, scurrying across the ceiling from the middle of the room, to over my bed. 

Terrified, I jumped out of bed and turned on the light. I was shaking, my heart beating a mile a minute. I looked up at the ceiling and saw nothing. Hubs, famous for sleeping through tornado sirens, was sleeping away.

 

 

 

I woke him up and we checked the ceiling again. Nothing. There's a vent there but it was closed, and honestly, this thing would have to lose about 20 pounds to fit in it anyway. We climbed up and checked behind the headboard. Nothing. We used flashlights to check under the bed. Nothing. 

Hubs was convinced I'd just heard something outside and scared myself awake, but it didn't matter, I was up. For the day. Maybe forever.

 

And face it, there's just no way I'm going back into that room, shut off the lights, and do anything other than picture an enormous beetle galloping its way towards my face. No, I'm going to have to turn my bedroom over to that thing.

 

Even though I've spent the better part of the day convincing myself that it had probably just been a nightmare.

Probably.

Garlic Ranch Orzo

                                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup ranch dressing

2 TBSP grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 TBSP dried parsley 

2 TBSP butter

1 cup orzo

3 cloves garlic, minced

 

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 X 8 baking dish.

*Whisk together the chicken broth, ranch dressing, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and parsley in a large bowl. Set aside.

*In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Once hot, add the orzo and garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, until the orzo starts to brown.

*Add the orzo to the bowl and mix. Pour into the prepared baking dish and cover tightly. Bake for 40 minutes. Uncover carefully, and stir.

Gaining Ps and Losing Qs

 

 

 

 

I remember, I bet you do too, singing the alphabet when I was young. The innocent days of learning to spell, to read, to write.

OK, maybe not so innocent. 

 

I also remember the alphabet song joke. Bet you remember this one too:

 

abcdedfghijklmno qrstuvwxyz

 

 

At which point our not-so-innocent co-conspirator asks, giggling."But where's the P?"

 

"Running down my leg," young you answers, laughing so hard you can barely get your assigned words out (despite having both heard and told this joke about a thousand times).

Ah, bathroom humor. The stuff of childhood. That and fart jokes. Although for the most part we no longer tend to sing the alphabet, on those rare occasions that we do (OK, I'll admit it, I do when alphabetizing a new recipe on this blog's Recipe Box page), all letters have returned to their rightful place.

Or not.

 

While P now stands for good things, like poems, pubs, and pasta . . .

 

 

 Pasta Salad Bites

. . . there's another letter that's in alphabet jeopardy. And it's no joke. It's the Q.

 

Long after my alphabet song joke years, I was probably in high school when I started learning about propositional logic. I loved the study of logic, took a number of college logic courses too. Being left brain dominant, I find comfort in the rational, so the absolutes of logic was my thing. You know what I'm talking about. If P = Q, then whenever P is true, Q is true as well (yes, I'm way oversimplifying). 

Now I know that all of that logic is . . . illogical. Based on a false premise, actually. Because I've learned in the past few years that although P can be a joke, Q is a disease.

Forever more known as the dreaded Q, not funny at all, QAnon (aka Q) is the stuff of lies, mind washing, hateful, harmful, and hurtful conspiracy theories.

 

 

We've all heard them, depraved lies, repeated ad nauseam, advanced with the deliberate goal of causing distress, harm, confusion, even violence. Absurd fabrications, like that Bill Gates is inserting microchips into us all via the covid vaccine. Or that mass shootings didn't happen, are just a hoax. Or that Hillary Clinton ran a child sex ring out of a DC pizza restaurant.

 

Seriously? These theories are so absurd they'd be funny if a significant number of Americans didn't actually believe them. I can't imagine a better example of a complete lack of logic.  

With maturity, we all (most of us, anyway) learn to mind our Ps and Qs (so to speak), when it comes to the bathroom jokes. So welcome back, P. I vow to never again make you the butt of a joke. 

 

But Q? Sorry, you're out.  

 

Pasta Salad Bites      

                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients: 

1 pint grape tomatoes

1/2 of a cucumber

1 can (about 2.25 oz) sliced black olives

1/3 cup + 2 TBSP light raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing, divided

12 - 14 jumbo pasta shells (about 1/2 of a 12 oz box)

1 cup fresh spinach 

1/4 cup bacon bits

 

Directions:

*NOTE: for a larger crowd you can double the recipe and use the entire 12 oz box of shells.
*Quarter the tomatoes. Peel, slice, and chop the cucumber. Tear the spinach. Drain the black olives.

*Mix the tomatoes, cucumber, and black olives in a bowl with 1/3 cup of the salad dressing. Cover and refrigerate.

*Boil the shells to al dente (about 8 - 10 minutes). Drain and rinse 2 - 3 times with cold water to stop the cooking process. Gently toss with the remaining 2 TBSP of the salad dressing.

*Remove the marinated vegetables from the refrigerator. Mix in the spinach and bacon bits, then gently fill the shells with the vegetables.

 

It's Like Christmas in Here: Funny Friday

Today’s post is this month’s Funny Friday, a regular feature published on the last Friday of every month. Funny Friday is a collaborative project. Each month one of the participants submits a picture, then we all write 5 captions or thoughts inspired by that month’s picture. Links to the other bloggers’ posts are below, click on them and see what they’ve come up with. I hope we bring a smile to your face as you start your weekend.

 Here’s today’s picture. It was submitted by Dawn of Cognitive Script.

1. Husband to his wife: I'd be happy to clean it out for you hon, but the vacuum cleaner won't fit in here.

2. Husband to his wife: I'm sure we have a wine opener somewhere . . .

3. Husband to his wife: Honey, are you SURE you saw a spider?
Wife (in a panicked voice): Do you think I'm standing on this table for my health?
Husband (sighing): Well, probably not. But I don't see anything.
Wife: Just so you know, you'll be there and I'll be here till you do. 
Husband: I was afraid of that.

4.Wife to Husband: I know I said to look everywhere, but under what set of circumstances would your car keys be down there?

5. Husband to Wife: Hey, we have a coffee grinder. Wait, and a juicer. Oh, and look, a panini press. I should have checked this out years ago, it's like Christmas in here.

And now for something yummy, a delicious grilled side dish: 

Italian Style Grilled Zucchini

Click on the links below and let some other bloggers make you smile:

Cognitive Script
Southern Belle Charm
The Bergham Chronicles

Italian Style Grilled Zucchini

                                                  ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 Zucchini
2 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP Italian Seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
3 large grape tomatoes
1 TBSP grated parmesan cheese 
1 tsp chopped parsley

Directions:
*Preheat your grill to the medium low setting.
*Rinse the zucchini, pat dry, cut off ends and slice in half lengthwise. Rinse the grape tomatoes, pat dry, slice and set aside.
*Place the zucchini, seed side up, on a plate. Brush with the olive oil, then sprinkle with the Italian Seasoning, salt and pepper. 
*Place the zucchini on the grill, seed side down. Cook for 3 minutes. Keeping the zucchini seed side down, turn them about 180 degrees. Cook another 4 - 5 minutes until they start to soften but still have some crunch. Remove from grill.
*Place the tomato slices on the zucchini slices. Sprinkle with the grated parmesan and chopped parsley.

I’m Funny, Dammit!

I’m funny, dammit.

Even though my kids do not get me. My own kids. Loved and tortured nurtured and joked with and teased all through the years, and they do not get me.

Granted my sense of humor is dry, sarcastic and often facetious, but it’s not like they haven’t known me their whole lives. At some point you catch on, right?

This must be some kind of divine punishment. I must have done something horrendous in a former life. Did I bear false witness against my neighbor? Tell the emperor he had no clothes? Design the shoulder pads?

I’ve got one son who not only doesn’t read social cues but is totally concrete and literal. I used to tell my friends that if I told him to sit at his desk and not get up until his homework was done and the house crashed down around him, when the dust had cleared he’d still be sitting at that desk finishing up his homework.

You see why I never say “someone shoot me, please.”

And the other son? Well, how can he think I’m funny when he’s never listed to anything I say. Ever. And that’s not sarcasm, that’s straight up truth.

I write a sort of-semi-sometimes-kinda funny humor blog. Of course my boys don’t read it. When I first started writing it I’d bribe them with baked goods. But it didn’t take them long to realize that they could eat the treats and just not read the blog. Guess the joke’s on me.

But obviously I think a sense of humor is important. I’ve learned that it’s much more functional as a life strategy than pulling the covers over my head and never getting out of bed again.

So I tried really hard to teach a sense of humor by showing my sense of humor.

When kids go on play dates, parents always admonish: “now be good” to their kids as they walk out the door. I’d always say “now be as naughty as you can, get it all out of your system before you come home.” And then I’d run. Possibly kicking my heels up in joy on my way out.

When at home during the day if the boys would cry, something that makes every mom crazy, I used to say to them “Hey, no crying. You know crying is for restaurants.”

If I made a new cookie and the kids asked what kind they were just before putting them in their mouths I’d say “Oh, it’s something new, hope you like it, it’s a spinach and mustard cookie.” Yeah, no one thought that was funny. Well, except me. I did. But then I get me.

Sweet Potato Pineapple Gratin

Sweet Potato Pineapple Gratin in the oven

I’m a Bostonian living in the Midwest. My kids were born here. When they were in high school whenever they’d talk about where they wanted to go to college and especially if they’d mention local schools I’d always say: “You’re going to college in Boston, bother your Grammy for a few years.”

One of my favorites, one that I still use today (well, we’ve outgrown play dates and crying in restaurants) is my favorite. I’d say to the boys, usually in a conversation at the dinner table when they were discouraged about something and I wanted them to feel supported: “Just remember that I love you. That dad guy doesn’t much care for you but I love you.”

See, I’m funny, dammit.

You get me, right?

Someone?

Anyone?

Sweet Potato Pineapple Gratin

                                                ©www.BakingInATornado.com
 
Printable Recipe
 
Ingredients:
3 sweet potatoes
½ stick butter
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple
2 TBSP pineapple juice (reserved from the crushed pineapple)
2 TBSP maple syrup
2 TBSP brown sugar
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 cup chopped pecans
Salt and pepper to taste
 
Directions:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 X 13 baking pan with non-stick spray.
*Drain the pineapple being sure to reserve 2 TBSP of the juice.
*Melt the butter. Mix in the reserved pineapple juice, maple syrup, brown sugar, cumin and cayenne.
*Peel the sweet potatoes and slice into approximately 1/4 inch slices.
*Evenly spread out one half of the sweet potatoes onto the bottom of the prepared pan.
*Sprinkle with salt and pepper, top with all of the crushed pineapple then half of the pecans.
*Pour half of the butter mixture over the pineapples.
*Layer with the other half of the sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and top with the rest of the pecans.
*Pour the rest of the butter mixture over the top. Cover with tin foil and bake for one hour or until the sweet potatoes and tender.
 

Kitchen Don’ts

I’m often here showing you pictures and sharing recipes of my successes. Or what I consider to be my successes.

But before (during and after) some of the successes, there were many, many, many failures. Some equipment error, some ingredient error and some plain old pilot error. Yes, that means me.

I’ve made most of the mistakes that others tend to make. I’ve created pretty sparks by putting a container into the microwave without making sure all the tin foil was off. And I’ve spent the day cleaning “snow” out of every crevice of the kitchen after putting flour into the beater and turning it on too high.

But I’d be willing to bet I’ve had more kitchen don’t than the average person. So, for your amusement, the highlight reel:

*When I started cooking, I’d boil my pasta to death. Then I realized that al dente is so much better than pasta mush. But the first time I went for al dente, you could break a tooth on what I served.

*I found a great recipe for Coq Au Vin. But you really have to be careful of how you make it. You should end up with Chicken in a Wine Sauce. I ended up poaching chicken in red wine. It was not pretty, and I mean that literally. Any idea how hard it is to eat purple chicken?

*I once made the mistake of buying some “no name” heavy tin foil. Rick and I were having fish for dinner and it’s rare for me to do, but I bought the kids a frozen pizza to have instead of the fish. I put a layer of foil in the oven like I always do, put the pizza on and cooked. When the pizza was done I took it out of the oven, the tin foil disintegrated and the pizza dropped to the kitchen floor. My children were not amused.

*When I have leftovers, I wrap them in plastic wrap and then in tin foil and put them into the basement freezer. Once I defrosted some Potato Kugels but forgot to take the plastic wrap off of the food before putting the tin foil wrapped packet into the oven. I ended up with plastic wrap melted onto the Kugels.

Potato Kugels

*One year I was making my son’s birthday cake and for the frosting I needed to whip some heavy cream. I was tired and it had been a long day. When I pulled out the cream, I realized I’d bought half and half. I beat and beat and beat and beat, determined to win, but eventually had to concede that the half and half was not going to turn into whipping cream no matter how much I wanted it to.

*I had what I call the “three dozen egg fiasco”. I can separate eggs. It’s not that hard and I’ve been doing it for years. I make a cake that calls for 6 eggs, separated and there was one time that I just couldn’t do it. I kept getting yolk into the whites and having to start over. I went through a dozen eggs, sent my husband out for another dozen, then out for a third dozen before I finally accomplished the task. I actually ended up with a dozen eggs left over because when I sent him out for the third dozen, Rick actually bought two dozen more and left one in the car just in case. Smart guy.

*I once made a dish that calls for Sweet Red Chili Sauce. I used Hot Chili Sauce. There’s a difference between Sweet Chili Sauce and Hot Chili Sauce. In fact, there’s a big BIG difference. For the next month, I had to start every single dinner by looking my husband in the eye and promising that there was no Chili Sauce of any kind in that night’s dinner. I think he’s still traumatized.

*I’ve turned on the top oven and put the food into the bottom oven. It didn’t cook well. Or even at all, for that matter.

What are your kitchen don'ts? Care to share?

Potato Kugels
                                      ©www.BakingInATornado.com

  

Printable Recipe 

Ingredients:
1 package Simply Potatoes Hash Browns
1/2 cup frozen chopped onion, defrosted and remove the excess water
2 eggs
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour NOTE: To make these Kugels for Passover, replace the flour with 3/4 cup of matzo meal.

Directions:

*Grease all cups of a 12 cup muffin tin well. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
*Mix the potatoes, onion, eggs, salt and pepper well. Mix in the flour (or matzo meal), then the oil.
*Make 12 balls out of the mixture. Form them using your hands and add some pressure to help them hold together. Mixture will be wet and won't completely hold together.
*Place each ball into a muffin cup and flatten to distribute the mixture in the cup.
*Bake for 1 hour. Run a knife around the edge of the muffin cups to release.