Cinco de Mayo is just a few days away! In Episode 2 of Season 6, we shared a few recipes and presentations ideas that are perfect for your Cinco de Mayo celebration! Here are our tips to make your party a success:
1.) Remember the history! It’s always a good idea to have some idea of the holiday’s history when you’re celebrating.
Cinco de Mayo commemorates the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla. On May 5, 1862, in an incredibly unlikely turn of events, Mexican forces defeated the French army at the Battle of Puebla. The victory slowed Napoleon and the French’s advances to Mexico City and provided a much-needed morale boost for Mexican forces. Today, it is still celebrated in Puebla, the site of the unlikely victory.
2.) Enjoy the food! Below, we’ve shared recipes for a Fried Chicken Taco, Mexican Street Corn Salad, and Mexican Wedding Cookies. If you’re not up to cooking, patronize one of your favorite, locally-owned Mexican restaurants. (Chipotle doesn’t count.)
3.) Decorate accordingly! For this episode’s presentation, we chose a vibrant color scheme to mimic the bright colors traditionally used in Mexican celebrations. We also stopped by our local Mexican grocery store to grab candy for the table and some Mexican sodas and sparkling water to enjoy.
Use these guidelines and you’ll be celebrating Cinco de Mayo to the fullest!
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 2-3 strips each
- 4 tbsp. butter
- 1 c flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. seasoning salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 2 tsp. paprika
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the butter in a large baking dish and place it in the oven to melt.
- Combine the flour, salt, seasoning salt, pepper, and paprika in a ziplock bag and toss to mix. Add the chicken and toss to coat all the chicken pieces.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and place the chicken pieces in the melted butter, making sure the chicken pieces are not touching or overlapping.
- Return the baking dish to the oven and cook 10-12 minutes.
- Flip the chicken using tongs and return to the oven to cook an additional 10-12 minutes on the other side.
- When the chicken is cooked through, remove the baking dish from the oven and move the chicken to paper towels to drain any excess grease. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/4 c mayonnaise
- 1/2 tsp. chipotle powder
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tbsp. lime juice
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Salad
- 3 c corn kernels
- 1/2 c red onions, diced
- 1 large avocado, diced
- 1 jalapeno, seeds/ ribs removed and diced
- 1/2 c chopped cilantro
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 c queso fresco cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- DRESSING: Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
- ASSEMBLY: Combine the ingredients for the salad in a large bowl. When ready to serve, add the dressing and stir until the dressing is evenly distributed with the salad ingredients. Check for seasonings, add additional chipotle powder, garlic, or salt and pepper if desired. Allow to cool if you’d like to serve cold. Salad ingredients and dressing can be prepared and kept separate until ready to serve.
Ingredients
- 1 c unsalted butter
- 1/2 c confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
- 1 c confectioners' sugar
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.
- In a medium bowl, cream together 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar and butter until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Combine flour, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture to form a stiff dough. Refrigerate for at least an hour or until firm.
- Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Mix together 1 cup confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon; roll balls in cinnamon mixture.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in preheated oven, or until nicely browned. Cool cookies on wire racks.