Cinco De Mayo Recipe

Nate and I make most of our meals at home- going out to eat is a rare occasion for us. I try to keep our meals interesting by experimenting with new recipes. My goal is always to try at least one new recipe a week (most weeks it ends up being more than that though). This is how I enjoyed drinking my coffee on Saturday morning.

I decide what to make for the week and make a shopping list. It seems like a lot of work, but it actually ends up saving me time because I only have to make one trip to the grocery store each week (usually) and I don't have to take time figuring out what to make for dinner every night. Believe me, when I first started thinking about doing this I thought it was not very realistic for me, since I'm not much of a planner. But now I LOVE it and never skip making a menu plan for the week :) I have discovered SO many new delicious recipes because of this, most likely, recipes I may have never tried if I hadn't planned ahead and searched through my cookbooks. I also throw less food out, because I know exactly what food I need to buy for each week. I only plan dinners and our lunch is always the left overs from the night before.

One of my new favorite recipes that Nate and I tried for the first time last week, will be perfect for Cinco De Mayo. I am looking forward to making it on Thursday.

Grilled Yuca Tortillas

(Print Recipe)

Adapted from Veganomicon

Yuca Filling:

1 pound yuca, peeled, chopped into 4-inch chunks, and each chunk quartered

1 Tablespoon safflower oil

5 cloves garlic

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 fresh jalapeno, minced

2 teaspoons lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

pinch white pepper

1/2 cup sauteed corn kernels

Boil 3 quarts of water in a large, lidded pot. Add the yuca and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the yuca is tender and flakes easily when pierced with a fork. Drain and allow to cool. When yuca is cool enough to touch, remove any thick rubbery skin or fibrous core if present. Gently mash with potato masher.

Place the oil and garlic in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the red pepper and jalapeno pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers are very soft, 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat, pour over mashed yuca. Stir in the lime juice, salt, and white pepper, mashing the mixture even more, until everything is combined. Stir in the sauteed corn kernels. 

To assemble: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spray pan with oil. Spread a generous 1/2 cup of filling over half the tortilla, fold in half, gently pressing the tortilla together. Place in heated skillet and grill each side until nicely toasted. Remove from heat, cut in thirds, and serve with guacamole and salsa.

Nate made us delicious fresh salsa and I made a super simple guacamole by mashing an avocado and adding a little salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

Fresh Salsa

(Print Recipe)

Adapted from Skinny Bitch

2/3 cup diced cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup diced red pepper

1 minced garlic clove

1/4 teaspoon diced jalapeno pepper

3 teaspoons lime juice

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

Mix together all the ingredients, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

The perfect Cinco De Mayo meal... maybe pair it with a Skinny Girl Margarita? I do love Bethenny Frankel... But I haven't tried her drinks or drink recipes yet.

Enjoy!