There are lots of things to celebrate on this day, May 1—and all the month of May including May Day, the flowers, spring, Mother’s Day and wedding showers. But my favorite for food is Cinco de Mayo.
Mexican food ranks right up there with Italian for America’s favorite foreign cuisine. But unlike some ethnic cuisines, Mexican or Tex-Mex is inherently healthy. That’s a big plus for me, especially now that we have finally gotten serious about our health.
Healthy you say? All that cheese, rice, fried tortillas? Yes, if you use a little prudence. For one thing, beans, corn and squash are some of the basic foods in Mexican cooking. Our Americanized versions have lost some of the simplicity of those foods; for instance we prefer flour tortillas over stone-ground corn. We tend to pile on the high-fat American type cheeses when the queso cheese most often used by Mexicans is low in fat. We prefer red meats, especially beef, when chicken and seafood are mainstays south of the border.
The variety of produce and the spirited flavor of Mexican cooking make it perfect for maintaining health and slimness. I read a lot about healthy nutrition and some of the foods that are considered “super-foods” are beans, whole grains (stone-ground corn), vegetables, capsicum (hot chile peppers), fish, fruit and monounsaturated fat foods like olives and avocados. Sounds like a great Mexican dinner in the making.
You could start your celebration with a Pomegranate Margarita and some healthy Nachos. A great first course would be Roasted Garlic Soup which has just over 100 calories a bowl and garlic is one of the major health-boosters around.
The entrée could be soft fish tacos or creamy chicken enchiladas. Add a green salad with Mexican dressing and Natillas for dessert and you have a low-fat, delicious and festive meal for Cinco de Mayo. (Recipes adapted from Mexican Light Cooking by Kathi Long).
Pomegranate Margarita- 8 (5-oz) servings
In a blender, combine one 12-ounce can frozen pink lemonade concentrate, 1 cup bottled pomegranate juice, ¾ cup tequila and 2 tablespoons Triple Sec. With blender running add 4 cups ice cubes through opening in lid, blending until mixture is slushy.
Roasted Garlic Soup -8 first course servings
2 large heads of garlic, cut in half crosswise, plus 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh garlic
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large white onion, finely chopped
6 cups chicken broth
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
Preheat oven to 375. Place the halves of the garlic in a small baking pan, cut sides up and drizzle ¼ tsp. oil over each half. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake 60 minutes. Remove foil and let stand until cool. Squeeze garlic out of skins and reserve. Heat remaining 2 tsp oil in large skillet. Add onion and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often about 7 minutes. Add chopped fresh garlic and cook until garlic is beginning to color, 2 minutes. Scrape mixture into blender or food processor. Add reserved garlic and 2 cups chicken broth. Puree until smooth. Pour the puree into a large saucepan. Whisk in remaining 4 cups chicken broth and season with remaining salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Serve hot with chopped cilantro.
Chicken Enchilada Casserole-8 servings
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup reduced-fat ricotta cheese
1/3 cup crema/fat-free yogurt mixture
2 (7-oz.) cans diced green chiles
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 flour tortillas (7-8 inch)
Cooking spray
2 cans mild enchilada sauce
1 ½ cups shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
2 scallions, sliced (white and green)
5 large black olives, sliced
Preheat oven to 350. Poach chicken in water. Let stand in liquid until cool and then shred. Cook onion in olive oil in large skillet about 5 minutes, stirring often. Transfer to medium bowl. Add ricotta, crema mixture, green chiles and scallions and blend well. Add salt and pepper. Spray tortillas lightly on both sides with cooking spray. Cut in half. Arrange in single layer on 2 baking sheets and bake until warm and softened (6 to 8 minutes). Stack warm tortillas on a plate. Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray and line the bottom with 5 halves of tortillas. Spread with half of the ricotta cheese mixture over the tortillas. Scatter half of the shredded chicken over filling. Spoon 1/3 enchilada sauce over. Sprinkle ½ cup cheese over sauce. Make another layer of 5 tortillas and repeat with ricotta cheese, chicken, enchilada sauce and cheese. Cover with remaining tortillas, ladle on the remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup cheese. Bake 45 minutes until bubbly.
Mexican food ranks right up there with Italian for America’s favorite foreign cuisine. But unlike some ethnic cuisines, Mexican or Tex-Mex is inherently healthy. That’s a big plus for me, especially now that we have finally gotten serious about our health.
Healthy you say? All that cheese, rice, fried tortillas? Yes, if you use a little prudence. For one thing, beans, corn and squash are some of the basic foods in Mexican cooking. Our Americanized versions have lost some of the simplicity of those foods; for instance we prefer flour tortillas over stone-ground corn. We tend to pile on the high-fat American type cheeses when the queso cheese most often used by Mexicans is low in fat. We prefer red meats, especially beef, when chicken and seafood are mainstays south of the border.
The variety of produce and the spirited flavor of Mexican cooking make it perfect for maintaining health and slimness. I read a lot about healthy nutrition and some of the foods that are considered “super-foods” are beans, whole grains (stone-ground corn), vegetables, capsicum (hot chile peppers), fish, fruit and monounsaturated fat foods like olives and avocados. Sounds like a great Mexican dinner in the making.
You could start your celebration with a Pomegranate Margarita and some healthy Nachos. A great first course would be Roasted Garlic Soup which has just over 100 calories a bowl and garlic is one of the major health-boosters around.
The entrée could be soft fish tacos or creamy chicken enchiladas. Add a green salad with Mexican dressing and Natillas for dessert and you have a low-fat, delicious and festive meal for Cinco de Mayo. (Recipes adapted from Mexican Light Cooking by Kathi Long).
Pomegranate Margarita- 8 (5-oz) servings
In a blender, combine one 12-ounce can frozen pink lemonade concentrate, 1 cup bottled pomegranate juice, ¾ cup tequila and 2 tablespoons Triple Sec. With blender running add 4 cups ice cubes through opening in lid, blending until mixture is slushy.
Roasted Garlic Soup -8 first course servings
2 large heads of garlic, cut in half crosswise, plus 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh garlic
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large white onion, finely chopped
6 cups chicken broth
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
Preheat oven to 375. Place the halves of the garlic in a small baking pan, cut sides up and drizzle ¼ tsp. oil over each half. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake 60 minutes. Remove foil and let stand until cool. Squeeze garlic out of skins and reserve. Heat remaining 2 tsp oil in large skillet. Add onion and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often about 7 minutes. Add chopped fresh garlic and cook until garlic is beginning to color, 2 minutes. Scrape mixture into blender or food processor. Add reserved garlic and 2 cups chicken broth. Puree until smooth. Pour the puree into a large saucepan. Whisk in remaining 4 cups chicken broth and season with remaining salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Serve hot with chopped cilantro.
Chicken Enchilada Casserole-8 servings
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup reduced-fat ricotta cheese
1/3 cup crema/fat-free yogurt mixture
2 (7-oz.) cans diced green chiles
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 flour tortillas (7-8 inch)
Cooking spray
2 cans mild enchilada sauce
1 ½ cups shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
2 scallions, sliced (white and green)
5 large black olives, sliced
Preheat oven to 350. Poach chicken in water. Let stand in liquid until cool and then shred. Cook onion in olive oil in large skillet about 5 minutes, stirring often. Transfer to medium bowl. Add ricotta, crema mixture, green chiles and scallions and blend well. Add salt and pepper. Spray tortillas lightly on both sides with cooking spray. Cut in half. Arrange in single layer on 2 baking sheets and bake until warm and softened (6 to 8 minutes). Stack warm tortillas on a plate. Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray and line the bottom with 5 halves of tortillas. Spread with half of the ricotta cheese mixture over the tortillas. Scatter half of the shredded chicken over filling. Spoon 1/3 enchilada sauce over. Sprinkle ½ cup cheese over sauce. Make another layer of 5 tortillas and repeat with ricotta cheese, chicken, enchilada sauce and cheese. Cover with remaining tortillas, ladle on the remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup cheese. Bake 45 minutes until bubbly.
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