While our Cinco de Mayo celebrations have certainly tamed down since the college bestie C’s birthday combo Rio Grande days of yore (remember that, gals?), we still make a point to always enjoy a little Mexican fare every May fifth. And we definitely wash it down with a ‘gita or three.
After Tuesday’s escapades, today kind of sneaked right up on me. But new friend A (every time I write that I wonder when she’ll drop the “new” title and what she’ll become) came to the rescue, helping to plan out a festive last minute fiesta menu.
My new “thing” is to try an entire meal from one of my go-to magazine reads each month. In March it was Cooking Light’s St. Patrick’s Day feast and in April it was a Southern Living brunch. As soon as we discussed our plan, I knew I was going to turn to the May Southern Living for their Mexico meets the South fiesta menu. Everything we tried was beyond delish – and a great change up from our stand-by taco bar.
Tostados(slightly edited to serve 4)
10 tostado shells
1 can refried beans
2lb. shredded pork or chicken
Mole Barbecue Sauce
Chipotle Sour Cream
Slaw
Spread tostada shells with beans. Top with meat, sauces and slaw. Serve immediately.
Mole Barbecue Sauce
Dissolve 1 T. mole sauce (Kroger) in 1/4 c. hot water, whisking until smooth. Whisk in 1 cup bbq sauce, 1 T. lime juice and 1 T. chopped fresh cilantro.
Chipotle Sour Cream
Stir together 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (minced) and a pinch of salt.
Slaw
Toss together all ingredients (edited):
2 c. shredded red cabbage
1/4 c. thinly sliced red onin
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantr
1 T. olive oil
1 T. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
Baked Churros
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry dough, frozen
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c melted butter
Preheat oven to 450. Unfold and cut pastry sheet in half length wise, and cut each half crosswise into 1 inch strips. Place on lightly greased parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, combine sugar and cinnamon. Remove pastry from oven and dip in butter. Roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Let stand on a wire rack until dry.
Iced Mexican Chocolate Sippers
2 c chocolate ice cream
1 c milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp orange zest
1/2 c bourbon
Pulse first four ingredients in a blender until smooth. Stir in bourbon. Serve immediately over ice.
The best thing about this particular fiesta feast is that the sauces, slaw, shredded chicken and churros can be made the day before for super easy execution the day of the soiree. Everything was quite divine but the churros and chocolate sippers stole the show. Such a great diversion from flan (which I can’t say I’ve ever actually had.)
And this was a fabulous excuse to dig up the napkins I had printed with FIESTA for some event or another eons ago.
It ended up a delightful evening, dining alfresco on delish eats while downing Skinny Margaritas with fab company. I’d say my week really turned around :-)
Feliz cinco de mayo y’all,
xoxo