Ever Ready: Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for the fifth of May) it's a celebration/holiday that commemorates the Mexican's army unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It is interesting to note that it's not a Mexican holiday but an American Civil War holiday that celebrates Mexican and Latino American heritage and pride. On June 7, 2005, the President of the U.S. issued a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe Cinco de Mayo. It is a date not to be confused with Mexico's Independence Day which is the most important national holiday in Mexico. Cinco de Mayo celebrations vary from region to region.

Respect for the rights of others means peace.

Benito Juarez

I got a jump start on the Cinco de Mayo festivities with my drink order Tipsy Shark. It came complete with a gummy shark floating in the blue sea. Of course, the restaurant would not divulge the exact recipe but I can give you the ingredients and you could experiment. I must say just delicious. Applebees currently has a drink special of $5.00!!!

Cook's Notes: Just a guess on measurements

Ingredients:

Reposado Tequila-1 oz.
Blue Curacao-1 oz.
Pineapple juice-2 oz.
Margarita mix-3 oz.
Crushed ice

Beef Tamale Casserole

Cook's Notes: A comfort food casserole that's a real winner in my book. Besides being kid-friendly, layers of spiced beef, enchilada, and tomato sauce, cheesy goodness topped with sweet cornbread is an irresistible dish. I skipped making cornbread from scratch and went for easy using a box mix. I substituted buttermilk for the milk. If you're a family of cheese lovers reserve some of the cheese and sprinkle over the cornbread before baking. Suggested cornbreads in my order of preference include Famous Daves Cornbread, Krusteaz Honey Cornbread, 2 boxes of Jiffy Cornbread.
You can vary the "hotness" of this recipe by increasing the spices or using hot enchilada sauce over mild.
Recipe serves 6.
Ingredients:

1 box cornbread mix (I used Famous Daves Cornbread product-it adds just a bit of sweetness to the savory dish)
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup each diced onions and mini sweet red and yellow peppers
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon each chili powder, cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 can (10 oz.) enchilada sauce mild or hot
1 can (10 oz.) Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 cup frozen corn (no need to thaw) or canned corn, drained
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
2-3 cups shredded Mexican Cheese (pre-packaged)

Directions:

Brown ground beef with onions, peppers, garlic, and spices.
Drain and return the mixture back to the pan. Make sure beef is crumbled and add in enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes, corn, beans, and cheese. Cook for 1-2 minutes until cheese melted.

Pour into greased casserole dish.
Make cornbread according to the manufacturer's directions. Place large spoonfuls of cornbread over beef mixture covering as much of the baking pan as possible.
It will spread during baking time.