Celebrating Cinco de Mayo

 

Cook's Notes: Well, I was naive to think I had escaped the winter since the calendar does say May 5th, but WRONG! Up north, 32 degrees this morning. Where oh where did Spring go?

Moving forward with my original post for 

Let's begin with the fun part -a must for your celebration.

Margarita

Cook's note: The recipe makes 2 large glasses.

Ingredients: 

• 6 shot glasses of plain ( no alcohol) margarita mix ( I like to use Jose Cuervo) 
• 2 shot glasses of Tequila
• 1/2 shot glass Cointreau
• 1/2 shot glass Grand Marnier
• 1 tray of ice cubes

Directions:

• In a blender, crush ice cubes.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and blend till smooth.
• Dip the rim of the glass in lime juice and then into salt.

Since we need a warm-up here in the northern part of the state, I thought a bowl of  Chicken Tortilla Soup would be perfect.  This Mexican soup is a fairly recent incarnation. The soup is named for the fried corn tortilla strips used. It can usually be found on Mexican and Tex-Mex menus. Toppings for the soup include sour cream, avocado, cilantro, and homemade tortilla chips.

Cook's notes: The soup turns up the heat with a bit of a kick, loaded with Mexican flavor from Mexican salsa, cumin, and chili powder. Using a rotisserie chicken is a time saver. Prepared tortilla chips can be substituted for making your own.  
Ingredients:

• 4 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chiles with juice
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1/2 cup each mini sweet red and yellow peppers 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 32 oz. low-sodium chicken broth 
• 1 (7.76 oz.) Mexican salsa
• 1/4 teaspoon each cumin and chili powder 
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups frozen corn or canned Mexicorn, drained
• 1/2 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro,  minced or parsley

Directions:

• In a large soup pot, saute onions and peppers in 1 tablespoon olive oil for 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes. 
• Add in the rest of the ingredients except lime juice and cilantro. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes, uncovered. Add lime juice and remove the bay leaf before serving. Garnish with cilantro. 

Optional Homemade Corn Tortillas Strips

Ingredients:

• 7 small corn tortillas
• Vegetable oil

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil.
• Cut into strips and place on a baking sheet. 
• Bake until crisp, about 10 minutes.
• To serve, sprinkle crisp tortilla strips over the soup.

"Worries go down better with soup."

Jewish Proverb