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Tuesday, April 27, 2010

My Offerings for Cinco de Mayo

Tex-Mex meets The Keys - a Cinco de Mayo menu offering from Deep South Dish

My Offerings for Cinco de Mayo

Wow, it's right at the end of the month already isn't it? The Kentucky Derby, Cinco de Mayo and Mother's Day are all right around the corner! For Mother's Day, and from someone who cooks ALL the time, here's my menu for Mother's Day. Take your mother (or wife if that applies) OUT to eat to a very nice restaurant! As far as Cinco de Mayo, my menu suggestions may be pretty far from anything authentic and more like Tex-Mex meets the Keys, but that's okay, because it's a menu I like and I hope you do too. For a few more Tex-Mex offerings pop over to this link and scroll the page.





Cocktails

I have fallen in love with sangria - how can you not love a mixture of wine with seasonal fruit! This is a sassy blend of Mondavi Woodbridge Chardonnay with pineapple and lemon juices, and slices of fresh strawberries, oranges, lemons and chunks of Gala apples. It just tastes spring y'all! Why not start with one of these?



Or maybe you're more of a Mojito kind of person. Fresh lime juice, muddled mint fresh from your garden, and a good rum, I know I love them and they are just perfect for this time of year.


Salsa

Gotta have chips and salsa, no doubt. Just have to decide which one to make!

My collection of salsas, from the top left, Texas Caviar - Mississippi style, with red beans stepping in for pintos, Corn and Black Bean Salsa, under that, Garden Fresh Salsa, to its left, Kickin' Rotel Restaurant Style Salsa and at the bottom a simple Pico de Gallo mix of tomatoes, red onion, jalapenos, lime juice & cilantro.

Course there has to be some quick dips scattered about for guests to dive into.  How about some of this yummy jalapeno popper dip as a starter? It's like a deconstructed jalapeno popper. I love it!

 

This classic dip has been around since the 70s but it's as big a hit as it ever was. I don't think I've ever been to a party where this dish wasn't wiped clean. It's a party favorite!


Or maybe you're a purist and you prefer the jalapeno poppers themselves instead of in a dip? Don't buy the frozen, store-bought kind when you can make them so easily at home. These are delicious and super easy to make ahead, but gotta warn ya... a bit addictive. Make lots!


Maybe you like a soup to start? This one is nice and spicy and feeds a crowd!


A taco bar is an ideal lineup for Cinco de Mayo and this shredded beef makes a wonderfully flavorful and authentic beef taco. The meat is amazing! Set up a station with all the favorite toppers - freshly chopped tomatoes, chopped avocado (lightly tossed with lime juice), fresh sweet onions, shredded white and yellow cheeses, shredded lettuce, sliced black olives, sour cream and fresh salsa.


Burritos are always a winner and made from scratch and fresh from your kitchen, I think these have a wonderful flavor combination you'll love. Make them ahead into minis if you like and wrap them in foil to freeze them now, or make them the day before and line them up on a baking sheet and refrigerate. Your guests will not be disappointed.

 

I love these tasty white chicken enchiladas for a change of pace and much of the work for these can also be done ahead. If you prefer, use your favorite red enchilada sauce instead.


Feel like breaking out the grill? These Grilled Chili Lime Drumsticks are a new favorite of mine that I've adapted from the brand new, Martha Stewart cookbook, Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast {affil link} I think they've got just the right kick to be included here!


Migas are good anytime - breakfast, brunch, lunch or party! Fast and easy to make up a batch too.


After all of that spicy goodness, how about some nice, tender cookies to cool things down a bit? These are my Mama's "finger" cookies that we make traditionally around Christmas time shaped into a roll, but roll them into balls and press them into round cookies and it's the same a basic Mexican wedding cookie. These will melt in your mouth.


Not exactly Mexican in its origins, but maybe a slice of this delicious pie will help cool things down?  A combination of cream cheese, condensed milk and Key Lime juice, nestled in a graham cracker and coconut crust and topped with homemade minty whipped cream. Why not? Refreshing.






Are you on Facebook? If you haven't already, come and join the party! We have a lot of fun & there's always room for one more at the table.

Posted by on April 27, 2010
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