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| Cinco de Mayo The 5th of May is not Mexican Independence Day. We celebrate this day because 4,000 Mexican soldiers smashed the French and traitor Mexican army of 8,000 at Puebla, Mexico, 100 miles east of Mexico City on the morning of May 5, 1862. The French invaded Mexico to collect debts from the newly elected government of democratic President (and Indian) Benito Juarez. Since the French were busy in Mexico, Napolean III was unable to provide the US Confederacy troops to fight in the US Civil War. After crushing the Confederates at Gettysburg, Union forces were then rushed to the Texas/Mexican border to ensure that the Mexicans got all the weapons and ammunition they needed to expel the French. South-of-the-Border Chowder, serves 10, from Taste of Home
1/2 cup chopped onion 4 bacon strips, diced 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1 package (32 ounces) frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth 1 can (14-3/4 ounces) cream-style corn 1 can (11 ounces) Mexi-corn, drained 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies 1/4 cup pearl onions Sour cream and minced fresh cilantro, optional
In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, sauté onion and bacon until onion is tender and bacon is crisp. Stir in the flour, cumin, chili powder and garlic powder. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened.
Stir in the hash browns, broth, cream corn, Mexi-corn, chilies and pearl onions. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until heated through. Garnish with sour cream and cilantro if desired. Mexican Chicken Sandwiches, serves 4, from Taste of Home
3 tablespoons Olive Oil 4 teaspoons chili powder 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each) 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded taco or Mexican cheese blend, divided 1/3 cup mayonnaise (Reduced-fat or fat-free mayonnaise is not recommended for this recipe.) 8 slices sourdough bread 1/2 cup salsa
In a small bowl, combine the oil and seasonings. Rub over both sides of chicken. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or a meat thermometer reaches 170°.
Meanwhile, combine 1 cup cheese and mayonnaise; set aside. Grill bread slices on one side until lightly browned. Spread with cheese mixture; grill until cheese is melted.
Place chicken on cheese side of each of 4 slices of toasted bread, top with salsa, remaining shredded cheese and remaining toasted bread, cheese side down. Salmon with Sweet Salsa, serves 4, from Taste of Home
4 salmon fillets (6 ounces each) 4 teaspoons Creole seasoning 2 tablespoons olive oil 3/4 cup salsa 1/2 cup apricot preserves
Sprinkle one side of salmon fillets with Creole seasoning. In a large skillet, cook salmon, seasoned side down, in oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Turn salmon; reduce heat to medium and cook 8-10 minutes longer or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine salsa and preserves. Serve with salmon.
Mexican-Style Ravioli, serves 4, from Taste of Home
1 package (20 ounces) refrigerated cheese ravioli 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained 1 cup beef broth 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste 1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained 1 tablespoon Domino® or C&H® Pure Cane Dark Brown Sugar 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 4 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
Cook ravioli according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, combine the tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, beans, brown sugar, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes or until heated through.
Drain ravioli; add to tomato mixture. Stir in spinach; cook and stir for 4-5 minutes or until wilted. Enchilada Stuffed Shells, serves 5, from Taste of Home
15 uncooked jumbo pasta shells 1 pound lean ground turkey 1 can (10 ounces) enchilada sauce 1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion 1/4 teaspoon dried basil 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 cup fat-free refried beans 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. In a nonstick skillet, cook turkey over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in enchilada sauce and seasonings; set aside.
Place a rounded teaspoonful of refried beans in each pasta shell, then fill with turkey mixture. Place in an 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Cover and bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. White Chicken Enchiladas, serves 6, from Taste of Home
12 white or yellow corn tortillas (6 inches) 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese 1 tablespoon plus 1 cup fat-free milk, divided 1 teaspoon ground cumin 4 cups cubed cooked chicken breast 1/2 cup chopped green onions 1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) reduced-fat reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted 1 cup (8 ounces) fat-free sour cream 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
Wrap tortillas in foil. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until softened. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, 1 tablespoon milk and cumin until smooth. Stir in chicken. In a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, sauté onions and red pepper until softened. Stir into chicken mixture.
In another bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, jalapenos, cayenne and remaining milk. Stir 2 tablespoons soup mixture into chicken mixture. Place 1/3 cup of chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla; roll up.
Place seam side down in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with remaining soup mixture. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until heated through. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Mexican Corn & Bean Salad, serves 6, from the Ontario White Bean Producers
3 cups cooked white beans 2 cups frozen corn, rinsed 3/4 cup red sweet pepper, diced 3/4 cup medium or hot chunky salsa Juice of one lime 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (such as canola) 1 stalk celery, diced 2 green onions, finely chopped 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
In a large non-reactive bowl, combine all ingredients except the coriander. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight. Berry Empanadas, serves 12, from Oregon Raspberry & Blackberry Commission
1 16.5-ounce can blackberries, raspberries or boysenberries, drained 1 cup finely chopped pared apple (about 1 medium, tart variety such as Granny Smith) 1/4 cup chopped walnuts 1/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla Dash salt 3 single pastry crusts for 9-inch pie, ready-to-use, mix or homemade 1 tablespoon butter Cinnamon-sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 400º. Combine apple, walnuts, sugar, flour, cinnamon, vanilla and salt in medium bowl and mix well. Gently fold in berries. Roll out pastry and cut into twelve 4 1/2-inch rounds. Place 2 tablespoons berry filling on half of round, leaving about 1/2 inch along edges. Fold the other half of pastry over filled half, moisten edges and seal by pressing with fork. Repeat this procedure until all rounds are folded and sealed. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar with 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Brush each empanadas with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Bake on greased cookie sheet 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Rice Con Queso, serves 6, from the National Pork Producers Council
2 cups hot cooked rice 3/4 cup canned black beans, drained 2 3-ounce cans chopped green chilies 1/2 red bell pepper, diced 1 1/2 cups unflavored nonfat yogurt 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon crushed oregano 1 cup shredded low-fat Cheddar cheese Mix together all ingredients well and turn into a greased 1 1/2-quart Casserole. Cover and refrigerate if made the day ahead. Bake, uncovered, in 350ºF oven for 45 minutes. Jalapeno Cheese Bread, serves 18, from Rhodes Bread
18 dinner rolls, Rhodes brand, thawed to room temperature 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 2 jalapeno, minced 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped 2 teaspoons garlic salt
Place rolls on a bread board. Top with cheese, jalapenos & cilantro. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Chop everything together, with a knife, until ingredients are mixed into rolls. Shape into a large round loaf. Place loaf on a large sprayed baking sheet. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap. Let rise until double. Remove wrap and bake at 350°F 25-30 minutes. Mexican Chocolate Mousse with Burnt Rum, serves 12 , from Bon Appetite
19 ounces Mexican chocolate, chopped 1/2 cup whole milk 3/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup white rum 4 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled, divided
Stir chocolate, milk, and salt in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until chocolate melts. Stir constantly until all sugar in chocolate is dissolved, about 13 minutes. Add rum to chocolate; using long match, immediately ignite rum. Carefully stir chocolate mixture with long spoon until flames subside. Transfer chocolate to large bowl. Cool to room temperature. Using an electric mixer, beat 3 cups cream in large bowl until peaks form. Working in 2 batches, fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture. Divide chocolate mousse among 12 glasses, about 3/4 cup for each. Chill mousse until set, at least 3 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.) Beat remaining 1 cup cream until peaks form. Place dollop of whipped cream atop mousse in each glass. Slow-Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken, serves 4, from Kraft Foods
1 pound chicken breast half without skin, cut into strips 2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix 2 tablespoons flour 1 green bell pepper, cut into strips 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips 1 cup corn 1 1/2 cups salsa 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, or Mexican blend
Toss chicken with seasoning and flour in slow cooker. Stir in vegetables and salsa; cover. Cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours (or on HIGH 3 to 4 hours); stir. Top with cheese. Serve over hot cooked rice topped with sliced green onions and chopped cilantro.
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