Cinco de Mayo~¡Buen apetito!

5/1/13 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

Americans love a celebration. We don’t care what we’re celebrating as long as there’s fun, food and drink involved. May is the month that we celebrate the famous Cinco de Mayo. On this weekend most of us will gather together to toast our Mexican neighbor’s victory over the French in 1862 and eat Americanized Mexican food.

You’ll notice that I said, “Americanized Mexican food.” Authentic Mexican food is healthier than we think. Our version of Mexican food generally means fat-laden meals of tacos, enchiladas, burritos and fajitas i.e. deep fried flour (not corn) tortillas and meat dishes smothered in a couple of pounds of cheese.

The primary food in the original Mexican food culture was dried corn, ground to make masa paste. This was patted into tortillas and cooked on a flat disk. Tortillas were (and are) the basis for every meal. Dried and cooked beans were the other staple along with fresh produce. Tortillas and beans, combined and spiced with tomatoes, dried chiles and salsa, are filling and nutritious. We call them burritos.

I understand that most native Mexican meals still start with corn tortillas and beans. Meat and fish are grilled and topped with salsa. Light soups are simmered full of vegetables. Big plates of beans and vegetables are garnished with small amounts of dairy or meat. Meat is expensive and used sparingly.

Three out of four of today’s recipes call for fish. The first two are quesadilla appetizers suggested by the folks at Tabasco. They are quick to put together and won’t break the bank. The fish taco recipe looks long and complicated but it’s not. Finally, the crab and avocado enchiladas are rich and company good. Pair them with a salad of crisp romaine, sliced oranges and black olives.

¡Buen apetito!

SHRIMP QUESADILLAS

4 (7-inch) flour tortillas

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1 medium green onion, sliced

2 tablespoons Green Jalapeño Pepper Sauce, divided

1/2 pound medium shrimp, cooked, peeled, deveined and chopped

1 small tomato, chopped

1/2 cup shredded Muenster cheese

Preheat oven to 450°F. Combine ricotta cheese, green onion and 1 tablespoon Green Sauce in a small bowl. Spread on 2 tortillas and sprinkle with half of the chopped shrimp.

Top with remaining tortillas, remaining half of shrimp, tomato and cheese; sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon Green Sauce. Bake until cheese is melted. Cut into wedges to serve. Serves 4

QUICKIE QUESADILLAS

8 (6-inch) flour tortilla

1 (16-ounce) can refried beans

3 tablespoons Green Jalapeño Pepper Sauce

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsley

8 ounces (2 cups) shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 450°F. Combine refried beans and Green Sauce in a bowl and mix well. Spread bean mixture over each tortilla and sprinkle with bell pepper, cilantro, and cheese. Place tortillas on 2 large cookie sheets and bake 5 minutes or until cheese melts and tortillas are golden around edges. To serve, cut each quesadilla into quarters. Makes 8 appetizer servings

FISH TACOS with CILANTRO COLESLAW

Taco ingredients:

12 (7-inch) corn tortillas

1 1/2 pounds red snapper fillets (or your choice)

1 lime

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Cooking spray

Garnish: Chunky Salsa

Cilantro Crema Coleslaw ingredients:

2 cups shredded cabbage, covered with water and refrigerated

1 teaspoon lime zest

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1/4 cup red onion, finely diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup sour cream

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 garlic clove, minced

Dash or two green hot sauce

Mix the Cilantro Crema ingredients in a small bowl. Taste for seasonings. Adjust as needed and refrigerate.

 Fish Marinade ingredients:

Grate rind from lime, and squeeze juice to measure 3 tablespoons. Place rind and juice with oil and other spices in a 1-gallon zip-top freezer bag. Seal bag, and shake to combine. Add fish to marinade. Reseal bag, and turn to coat fish. Chill several hours.

To prepare tacos preheat oven to 425° F.

Drain cabbage, mix with a couple of tablespoons of crema and set aside. Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 9 min. or until fish flakes easily. Place fish in a bowl and break into large pieces with a fork.

Toast tortillas in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cover with a clean dishtowel and keep warm. Divide fish evenly among tortillas; top each with 1/4 cup cabbage and 1 tablespoon each crema and salsa. Serves 6 (2 tacos each)

Crab and Avocado Enchiladas

6 flour tortillas, 8-inch

1 cup mild salsa

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 cup minced green onions

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 ounce lump crab meat

1 avocado, diced

1 avocado, sliced

1 1/4 cup green enchilada sauce (more if desired)

1 tomato, diced

1 1/2 cup shredded jack cheese

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray a 13x9x2-inch-baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Put 1/4-cup enchilada sauce on bottom of pan with few drops water. Warm the tortillas in microwave.

Combine the salsa, 1/2 cup sour cream, cilantro, 1/2 cup green onions, salt, crab and 3/4 cup cheese.

Lay each tortilla on a flat surface and spread 1/6 of the filling in a line down the center. Divide the diced avocado into six portions and spread on top of the filling; roll up the tortillas and place seam side down in pan. Pour the enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle remaining cheese over the enchiladas. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until piping hot.

Serve topped with sliced avocados, diced tomato and remaining green onions. Top with a dollop of sour cream. Serves 6

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal! 

Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes

 that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.