Growing up in the Southwest imparts a strong mixture of cultural influences and appreciation for the celebrations within those cultures. Cinco de Mayo is no different, celebrated in our streets as well as in our homes.
In southwestern Colorado, that little piece that makes up our part of the Four Corners region (including Arizona, New Mexico and Utah), residents are influenced by Latino and Native American cultures, as well as the “old west” culture that can be seen walking through the streets in cowboy hats and true cowboy boots; right down to the mud, scuffs, and general wear that is the mark of a true cowboy straight off the ranch.
I never thought much about how much these cultures affect our food until my husband first arrived from Georgia. And the more I thought about it, the more I came to realize that the foods we serve are as much a part of our “southwestern culture” as anything else. A true blend of all cultures, traditional Cinco de Mayo meals are something that are served in all types of households here.
Presented here is a series of traditional Cinco de Mayo recipes that will take you – quicker and easier than you could imagine – from appetizer to dessert, complete with presentation ideas. Every recipe is designed to create a meal that will feed a family of 4-6.
Cinco de Mayo Appetizer Recipe: Biscuits de Fiesta (Fiesta Biscuits)
Biscuits may not be the first thing you think of when you imagine good Mexican Food, but I assure you that they are. South-of-the-border cooks love taking American mixes and adding their own special touches to them, creating a dish that is mouth-watering.
Ingredients:
• 2 cups Bisquick™ Biscuit Mix
• 2 tbsp. butter or margarine
• 2 tbsp. finely-chopped onion
• 1 tbsp. finely-chopped chives
• 1-3 tbsp. (to taste – these can be hot) finely-chopped jalapeño
• 2 tsp. powdered cayenne pepper
Cut butter into the Bisquick™ biscuit mix. One at a time, add all remaining ingredients and blend into a stiff dough. Lightly flour your rolling surface and roll the dough out. Keep in mind that biscuits do not rise very much, so you want to roll the dough to almost the thickness your biscuit should be (totally up to you, but most biscuits are 2-3 inches thick). Cut your biscuits using a biscuit cutter (1-2 inches around) or, if you don’t have one, use the opening of a cup or glass to make the circular shape. Set biscuits aside. Left-over dough can be re-rolled and used to create more biscuits.
At this point, you can easily freeze your biscuits for baking later on – they’ll last about 6 months in the freezer.
If you’re baking your biscuits now, preheat oven to 450 degrees F and melt about 3 tbsp. butter or margarine in a pan. Once fully melted, flip each biscuit in the melted butter before placing in your baking pan. Place each biscuit about ½ inch apart. Cover with foil and bake for 7 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until biscuits are lightly browned, about 5 minutes longer. Immediately spread a thin layer of butter over the top of the biscuits. Alternatively, sprinkle with shredded cheese for extra flavor.
Cinco de Mayo Salad Recipe: Ensalada de Papaya con Aguacate (Papaya and Avocado Salad)
Salads aren’t served as frequently in Mexico as they are in the U.S. but they’re perfect for the warmer days of May and traditionally are served with the main course. This combination salad, a mixture of fruits and vegetables, makes for fabulous and almost exotic flavor and texture.
Ingredients:
• 1 head of Romaine lettuce or about 10 cups leaf lettuce
• 1 ripe papaya (a good, ripe papaya is almost yellow and will have a light, sweet scent. If it’s not ripe, it will have very little to no scent – an overripe papaya will smell overpoweringly sweet)
• 2 ripe avocados (a ripe avocado is dark green, neither squishy nor hard – you should be able to make a small indentation with your finger, but not a deep one)
• ¼ cup lime juice
• ½ cup olive oil
• Salt, pepper, and ground chile pepper to taste
For the best presentation, arrange lettuce directly on salad plates (up to 6) and do not cut the papaya or avocado until you’re ready to serve. After arranging your lettuce, peel and slice papaya and avocados and place on the lettuce, alternating fruit and vegetable in a circular pattern around the plate. Combine remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and spread over each finished plate as a tart (and delicious!) dressing.
Cinco de Mayo Main Course Recipe: Pechugas de Rey (Chicken Breasts fit for a King)
Seriously fancy looking, nestled in white rice and garnished with parsley, just don’t let anyone know how easy this Cinco de Mayo recipe was to make – take the praise and grin.
Ingredients:
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pre-cook these in olive oil or bake)
• ¼ cup butter or margarine
• 1 (4 oz.) can of green chile
• 2 tbsp. jalapeno
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can evaporated milk
• 1 cup shredded cheese of choice (“Mexican Food” shredded cheese blends are perfect)
• Salt, pepper, and finely chopped onions to taste
• Parsley sprigs for garnish
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Melt butter in a shallow baking dish. Coat both sides of the cooked chicken breasts in the butter, allow to sit in the baking dish and set aside. Combine green chile, milk, salt, pepper, and onions in a bowl. Mix well and pour over chicken breasts, taking care to coat the breasts evenly. Sprinkle cheese evenly over all and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese has completely melted and the green chile mixture is hot. Serve on top of about 1 cup white rice and garnish with parsley.
Cinco de Mayo Dessert Recipe: Natilla (Caramel Coated Custard – much like Flan)
No Cinco de Mayo meal is complete without dessert. Something sweet at the end of the meal just tops everything off, and Flan is probably the most famous of all the traditional Cinco de Mayo desserts. Natilla is a caramel custard very much like flan, but easier to make.
Ingredients:
• 3 cups whole or 2% milk
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 cup whole or 2% milk (separate)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (use real vanilla, not the imitation flavoring, for the best and most traditional taste)
• Additional brown sugar for caramelizing
Unlike most desserts, Natilla isn’t baked. Instead, we’ll be using the stove top and the broiler.
First, heat 2 cups milk in the top of a double boiler until scalded.
If you don’t have a double boiler, don’t panic. You can still make this Cinco de Mayo recipe. A double boiler substitute can be made using tools you already have around your kitchen, and the recipe will never know what you’ve done.
Essentially, a double boiler is a set of two saucepans or pots that are fitted to stack together with a small space between them. Easy to fake. First, select a large pot and find a pyrex or stainless steel bowl that will be used as the upper pot; the perfect bowl will have a diameter just slightly larger than your pot. Fill the large pot with about 2-3 inches of water (check that your bowl won’t touch the water when it’s set on the pot) and place on medium heat until the water starts to simmer – don’t allow it to actually boil. Set your bowl on the pot and add the milk to let the steam from the pot heat it.
Beat egg yolks with the separate cup of milk, then add to scalded milk with the sugar and flour. Continue cooking over boiling water, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes before adding vanilla. Pour the custard onto a large platter or in a shallow glass baking dish. When the custard has cooled completely, sprinkle additional brown sugar evenly – and generously – over the top.
To caramelize, fire up the broiler and place the custard in just long enough for the sugar to caramelize over the top of the custard. Let stand in the fridge for several hours so that the caramelized sugar forms a sauce on top of the custard before serving.
