Anyone have plans for Cinco de Mayo? It falls on a Sunday but who said you cannot celebrate it? We decided to invite some church friends to come over after church for some delicious comida. I am slowly getting back into the kitchen, wait, I am actually quickly getting back into the kitchen and creating. The recipes are flowing too fast with the little time I have to post. What did I decide to make for this Cinco de Mayo?

Well, what about a little recap on what Cinco de Mayo is all about? Here is what Wikipedia says:

“It originated with Mexican-American communities in the American West as a way to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War,^[8]^[9] and today the date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.”

We have not always celebrated Cinco de Mayo even though I am half Mexican, but this year I was inspired. It is, of course, another day to have delicious food especially when you have people over to share it with.

What recipes did I have in mind? Well I have a slew of them and Food Network Celebrity Chef of Simply Delicioso has a few to share as well! She is coming out with a new cookbook called Latin D’Lite and here is one she is sharing with us.

Photographer: Andrew Meade

Turkey Nachos

Makes 4 servings

pico de gallo:

4 small ripe tomatoes, diced

1 small white onion, diced

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped

½ cup packed cilantro leaves, chopped

¼ cup fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

filling:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound ground lean turkey breast

1½ teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon sweet paprika

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

¹∕8 teaspoon salt

¼ cup water

nachos:

4 8- to 10-inch whole-wheat or whole-grain tortillas, each cut into 6 wedges

cooking spray

1 8-ounce bag shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

½ cup ripe black olives, sliced

1 Hass avocado, peeled, halved, pitted, and diced

low-fat sour cream or nonfat plain Greek yogurt (optional)

2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped (½ cup)

1. To make the pico de gallo, combine the tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, cilantro, lime juice, and oil together in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

2. For the filling, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and the chili power, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, and salt. Cook, stirring often, breaking up the turkey with the side of a spoon, until the turkey begins to brown, about 5 minutes.Stir in the water and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the turkey is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with aluminum foil.

4. Spread the tortilla wedges on the baking sheets and spray with the nonstick spray. Bake until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven.

5. Spray a large, shallow baking dish with nonstick spray. Spread half of the tortilla wedges in the baking dish, and top with half of the cheese, half of the turkey mixture, half of the beans, and half of the olives. Top with remaining tortilla wedges, and repeat with the remaining cheese, turkey mixture, beans, and olives. Bake until the cheese melts, about 10 minutes.

6. Remove from oven and sprinkle with half of the pico de gallo and the avocado. Spoon a large dollop of the sour cream on top of the nachos. Sprinkle with the scallions. Serve immediately, with the remaining pico de gallo on the side.

Recipe from Ingrid Hoffman’s new cookbook called “Latin D’Lite

Even though I am planning on having fajitas on Cinco de Mayo we also like eating nachos and I decided to make a recipe to share with you all. It is vegetarian but can be easily made vegan.

These were so delicious and healthy since the chips were baked and the tomatillo sauce was fresh.It makes a great appetizer or a main meal for all to enjoy. I loved using mushrooms as the faux taco meat and using tomatillos instead of regular red salsa.

Here is the recipe:

Tomatillo Black Bean and Mushroom Nachos

by Noelle Kelly

Prep Time: 30-45 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients (2 servings)

Homemade Tortilla Chips

18 corn tortillas
olive oil spray
kosher salt

Tomatillo Salsa

1 1/2 lb. fresh tomatillos (green tomatoes with husks)
1 large jalapeno, seeded
1 can diced green chiles
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Salt to taste (1 tsp)
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp sugar

Mushroom Taco Faux Meat

16 large white button mushrooms
3 garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika

2/3 cup shredded cheese or vegan cheese

4 Tablespoons sour cream or vean sour cream

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1 cup Bush’s seasoned black beans or homemade black beans

Instructions

Homemade Corn Tortilla Chips

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

9 corn tortillas makes one serving. Cut the tortillas in wedges or triangle shapes. Spread evenly over a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake at 425 for 12 minutes. Repeat with the next 9 tortillas.

Tomatillo Salsa

Rinse tomatillos under warm water and cut in quarters. Slice and partially seed jalapeno. In a food processor, liquefy tomatillos, garlic, jalapeno, and green chiles.

Heat olive oil on medium skillet. Add sauce to hot oil and add lime juice, water, salt, sugar, vinegar and cumin. Boil the sauce for 10 to 15 minutes minutes. Add cilantro at the end and set aside.

Mushroom Taco Faux Meat

Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick pan. Place the quartered mushrooms and garlic cloves in a food processor and pulse until the mushrooms looks like meat. Place in the pan and add the seasonings. Mix well and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes or until the water in the mushrooms has evaporated.

Assembly

Add the chips to each plate and add 1/2 cup black beans and 1/2 the mushroom mix, then add 1/4-1/2 cup of tomatillo sauce and top with 1/3 cup cheese. Melt under the broiler. Top with 2 Tablespoons of sour cream and red onion.

Are you in the Philly area and want ideas?

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta in Kennett Square

Celebration of Mexican culture from noon to 5 p.m. Includes authentic Mexican food, music, entertainment, and children’s activities.