Yummy Cinco De Mayo Recipes

Happy Cinco De Mayo! Whether you have Mexican roots or not, this is a great day to celebrate Mexican heritage and culture by indulging in some delicious Mexican cuisine!

Loaded Whole Food Nachos

This is such a fun meal that can be assembled in less than 15 minutes!

It feels like you are having a cheat dinner when it is really packed full of veggies, protein and fibre that your whole family will enjoy! You really only need about 1/4-1/2 lb of ground beef for a meal like this that can feed a family of 6. This leaves you with seasoned browned ground beef ready made in the fridge for other meals that week such as a pasta dish, quesadillas, tacos, omelette, etc. It also makes this a very cost effective organic whole food meal.

Ingredients

• 1/2 bag of Corn chips (We used Neal brothers blue flax chips)
• 1/2 lb Merryland organic ground beef
• 2tsp- 4tsp herbamare
• Cracked black pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded L’’Ancentre organic medium cheddar cheese

ARRAY OF TOPPINGS SUCH AS:

• Fresh corn
• Diced bell pepper
• Red onion
• Fresh tomatoes
• Diced avocados
• Organic black beans
• Fresh herbs (chives, basil, thyme, etc)

SAUCES OR DRIZZLES SUCH AS:

• Sunflower kitchen pesto
• Sour cream
• Salsa (La Hacienda has amazing authentic Mexican Salsas, made in Peterborough)!
• Barbecue sauce
• Guacamole

Instructions

1. Brown your ground beef in a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil, herbamare, and pepper.
2. Place corn chips onto a baking sheet and top with all your toppings excluding the fresh tomatoes and sauces which can make the nachos soggy.
3. Top it off with shredded cheese and broil till cheese is melted and bubbling. Drizzle with the sauces of your choice and sliced tomatoes, avocados, and fresh basil.
4. Enjoy!

Fresh & Simple Guacamole

A staple for snacking with tortilla chips or to use in recipes like the nachos above, tacos, and more! Makes about 4 servings.

Ingredients

• 3 ripe avocados
• ½ of a small yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lime, juiced
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions:

1. Slice your avocados in half, remove the pit, and scoop into a mixing bowl. 
2. Mash the avocado with a fork and make it as chunky or smooth as you’d like - you can also use a mortar and pestle for a creamy/smooth texture.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and stir together. Taste test and add more salt and/or lime as desired.
4. Serve!

For Dessert: Gluten-Free Churros

Who doesn't love a good churro? Now you can make them at home and gluten-free friendly!

Recipe adapted from GF Jules.

Ingredients

• 1 cup + 2 Tbsp milk of choice (dairy or non-dairy)
• 7 Tbsp of butter or vegan butter alternative
• 1 cup Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour (ex. Bob's Red Mill)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 ½ Tbsp sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• 2 eggs (or flax/chia egg)
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• Avocado oil
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ cup sugar (for coating)

Directions

1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and 1 ½ tablespoons sugar in a large mixing bowl.
2. In a large saucepan on the stove, melt together butter and milk. Remove from the heat as soon as the mixture starts to boil.
3. Pour into the large mixing bowl with the flour mixture. Stir until combined.
4. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then add eggs or substitute, one at a time with vanilla. Mix until incorporated. The dough should be thick and sticky with air pockets. If it is too thick, add more milk, 2 tablespoons at a time. If it's too thin, whisk in more flour, 2 tablespoons at a time. If the batter is very thin, it will cook like funnel cakes but won't hold its shape from being piped through the star-shaped tip of the piping bag.
5. Fill a deep saucepan with three inches of oil. Heat until it reaches 350°F. Cover a wire rack or tray with paper towels.
6. In a small bowl, mix the remaining sugar and cinnamon.
7. Fit a star tip onto a piping bag. If you don't have a piping bag or star tip, you can cut a triangle shape into the end of a large ziploc bag to get a more textured look.
8. Fill your bag with the dough, then pipe directly into the pan, cutting off each dough strip with a knife or scissors.
9. Fry them until light brown and crisp (about 1 minute per side), then remove sit on the paper towel covered rack to absorb excess oil.
10. Then transfer the cooked churros to a tray with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Toss gently when slightly cooled, then remove to parchment to finish cooling. Enjoy!

Vegan Three Bean Chili

Chili is said to originate around the Texas-Mexico border, and is thus a staple of Tex-Mex cuisine! Also be sure to check out our Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Recipe.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 large red bell peppers, chopped
• 4 medium carrots, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 8 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
• 4 tablespoons of chili powder
• 3 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 tsp of cumin
• 2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 large can (56 ounces) or 2 small cans (30 ounces each) of diced tomatoes
• 4 cans (15 oz each) of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) of navy beans
• 4 cups of vegetable broth (or water)

Toppings (optional)

• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro for serving – keep your remaining cilantro fresh by trimming the bottoms and placing in fresh water
• Sliced avocado for serving
• Shredded vegan cheese

Directions

1. In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil until simmering. Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, carrot, 1/4 tsp of salt. Stir to combine and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the onion is translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano. Cook until fragrant while stirring constantly, about 1 minute.
3. Add the diced tomatoes and their juices, drained beans, and vegetable broth. Stir to combine and let the mixture come to a simmer. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally and reducing heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, for 30 minutes.
4. Add any desired toppings and enjoy!

Virgin Raspberry Frozen Margarita

We love a good functional mocktail! Limes and raspberries are both great sources of antioxidants.

Recipe adapted from The Mindful Mocktail, a great resource for mocktail recipes!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• ¾ cup water or orange juice
• 1 teaspoon Stevia or monk fruit
• 1-2 drops organic vanilla extract (optional)
• Sugar or salt for rim (optional)
  

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients (except the sugar/salt for rim) in a blender until smooth.
2. Serve in a rimmed margarita glass and garnish with some raspberries and a lime wheel or spiral peel.

Ingredients available at Jo Anne's Place. To see store hours, click here.

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