Cinco de Mayo!

May 4, 2015  •  Menus

green-chiles-charred-croppedHere in Colorado, Cinco de Mayo tends to be one big excuse to party. Lots of bars and restaurants offer up big menus and even bigger cocktails. But do you even know the reason the day is celebrated? I’m not the expert, but Eder and Hanzel Yañez-Mota of Chili Verde in Denver explained the historical context in last week’s Denver Post. You’ll find several of their favorite recipes in the article, but I thought I’d share some of mine to help jumpstart your party.chicken mole mexican menuMole, real Mexican mole, is a complex red and chocolate sauce that is perfect for slow cooking chicken or lamb.chiles-stuffed-and-wrappedLove chile rellenos but not crazy about the health consequences? Follow this recipe for making a healthier version. Or go ahead and stuff them with cheese, batter them, and deep fry them – because May 5th only comes once a year, right?mexican-caesar-salad-with-limeMany people don’t realize that Caesar salad was actually conceived in Mexico, not Italy. This adapted recipe includes lime and queso fresco for a definite Mexican spin.Pico de GalloPico de Gallo – you can put this on just about everything from chips to tacos to one of my favorites, a topping for cornmeal crusted fish filets.choc chipotle cakeAnd for dessert, one of the all time favorites I’ve ever served at dinners I’ve catered, Chocolate Chipotle Pudding Cakes. Serve them either with fruit or make a sweet tomatillo sauce to spoon over. The recipe is adapted from the famous Rosa Mexicana restaurant in New York, and I promise it will be the perfect ending to your Cinco de Mayo celebration. Enjoy!

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