Think Outside The Glass-Mexican Recipes

Today in the Star Tribune newspaper (May 5th) there was an article creatively titled: Margaritas Think Outside The Glass. Of course it caught my interest pairing Margarita ingredients with a variety of other foods and then served in a Margarita glass with rim either dipped in salt or sugar depending on the recipe.

I thought you might enjoy adding these recipes to your Cinco de Mayo collection. Both looked quite easy to prepare.

Margarita Salad

Ingredients:

• 1-honeydew melon
• 1 quart strawberries
• 1 pint raspberries
• 1 pint blueberries
• 1- cantaloupe
• 2 oranges

Tequila Orange-Lime Dressing:

• 3 TB. tequila
• 3 TB. Grand Marnier or Cointreau
• 3 TB. orange marmalade
• Juice of 1 lime about 2 TB.
• lime zest

Directions:

• Cut up melon, cantaloupe, strawberries,fruit and peel oranges, section and cut up, add blueberries and raspberries
• In blender mix dressing
• Toss fruit with dressing and refrigerate several hours- serve in Margarita sugar rimmed glasses

Grilled Margarita Shrimp

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. shrimp peeled, deveined
• 2 TB. lime juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 TB. Cointreau
• 1 jalapeno
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup tequila

Directions:

• Mix all ingredients
• Marinate shrimp in a bag with liquid ingredients for 30 minutes
• Drain and thread shrimp on skewers
• Grill 5-6 minutes
• Serve as an appetizer in salt rimmed Margarita glasses

following adapted recipe is from the Internet

Tammy's Authentic Spanish Rice with Beans

can omit meat for a veggie option

Ingredients:

• 1 TB. butter
• 3/4 Basmati rice (do not substitute)
• 1 onion chopped
• 1-1/4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 3/4 tsp. turmeric
• 1 lb. ground beef cooked, drained and crumbled
• 1/4 tsp. lemon pepper
• 1-1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1-2 tsp. crushed fresh cumin or 1 tsp. ground
• 1/2 cup green pepper diced
• 2 large tomatoes chopped
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup cooked black beans or pinto or use kidney beans drained
• 1 TB. fresh cilantro
• 6 oz. cheddar cheese
• Optional green chiles

Directions;

• Saute onions in butter
• Add rice stir well till mixed
• Add chicken/vegetable broth and turmeric
• Cover and bring to a boil-once boiling stir and re-cover
• Cook on low 20 minutes
• In skillet brown meat with pepper, chili powder, cumin, bell pepper, tomatoes sugar, corn. and peas
• Stir till simmering, drain any grease
• Spray with PAM a 13 x 9 pan
• In a bowl mix cooked rice/onion, meat mixture, beans and cilantro
• Toss salt and pepper to taste
• Pour into pan top with shredded cheese
• Bake uncovered @ 350 for 30 minutes