Needless to say, this year’s Cinco de Mayo festivities will be very different from what we’re used to. Public gatherings are out of the question, and seeing our friends is tough with social distancing measures in place. Whether you’re partying solo, serving your family, or celebrating with your besties on a video call, we hope you’ll give these recipes, courtesy of Casey Easton of Food Lab Boulder, a try. Enjoy!
Black Bean and Corn Salad
1 cup corn
½ cup black beans
5 green onions, sliced
½ tsp cumin
1 lime, juices and zest
3 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP queso or feta
Handful cilantro
Salt
Mix oil, lime, cumin and salt in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Chill until served.
Chile Rellenos
8 green chiles… Anaheim or Hatch chiles, roasted
1 cup masa or fine cornmeal
4-6 cups sharp cheddar, shredded, some for stuffing and some for topping
1 onion, diced small
2 eggs
Salt
High heat oil
Red or green chile sauce
Preheat your oven to 375. Place beaten eggs in a bowl and masa in another bowl. Skin the roasted chiles, then cut them a bit down the side to pull out seeds. Stuff with onion and cheese and salt. Do this until all are stuffed. Take each one and try to seal with hands, dip through egg wash and through masa and repeat with all. Heat a large pan with canola or other high heat oil to medium high. When hot, carefully place the rellenos in, 3-4 at a time, as to not overcrowd the pan. Fry on each side, not letting them break open. Remove from the pan when done and set in a shallow casserole or sheet pan. When all are done, cover with a choice of chile sauce, top with more cheese and place in the oven until the cheese is melted. Serve hot.
Quick Red Chili Sauce
1 12 oz can Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes
¼ cup hot or mild or mix of New Mexican Red Chile Powder
1 small white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
Tsp each cumin and oregano
Sea Salt
2 cups broth or water
Tbsp olive oil
Heat a medium sized pot to medium-high. Add oil. Add onions, garlic. Let cook for 5-10 minutes, and then add cumin and oregano. Slowly add the package of chile while stirring. It will just start to kind of stick to the onions and garlic. In a couple minutes, you will smell the chile strongly. Add the tomatoes, broth and salt. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring every few. When cooled, (or right away if you have a hand blender) blend until smooth.
Perfect Margarita
3 parts tequila
1 part cointreau
1 part fresh lime juice
½ part honey or sugar (honey must be heated and melted into lime juice, it will not dissolve easily into cold liquid!)
Splash of elderflower liqueur
Ice
Mix all ingredients together and serve over lots of ice! 🍹