Gluten Free Cinco de Mayo Recipes!

Our family loves Mexican food so much we have it several times a week. It has always been a favorite of mine and is something that is so easily adaptable to gluten free life.

This year we are combining a Cinco de Mayo fiesta and Mother's Day so I have a few days to figure out our menu. It will be Aiden's first fiesta and while avocados are the only part of a fiesta he can partake in this time I'm sure by the next fiesta there will be more. 

We'll make it easy so none of the moms have much to do. While I haven't decided what I'm making yet, here are some of my favorites:

These tamales are the easiest tamales you can make and also vegetarian. Once you make your first batch you'll have fun making your own fillings to suit your tastes.

You can literally stuff the masa with anything your family loves from refried beans to sauteed and seasoned veggies to shredded and seasoned meats.

Even really simple meals are so much more flavorful topped with salsa. A simple meal of beans and rice is a fiesta when you add salsa like the bowl at the top of this post.

Salsas come in many different colors and flavors but our family tends to love these two basics. 

The red has my name but since Gabby loves the green version more than anyone I had to name it for her. 

The red is a fresh, medium-hot salsa that takes under five minutes in the blender. Follow the directions for a fast and chunky salsa or puree longer for a smoother version.

The green is a lot hotter, but not a typical green salsa at all. Totally pureed in the blender it's a combination of jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice. Hot but really flavorful. Made in my Vitamix its a smooth and pour-able sauce but made in a food processor or regular blender it will have gorgeous green flecks of cilantro.

Have you ever tried Enfrijoladas? If you haven't you are in for a treat! Instead of enchilada sauce I use a black bean sauce. It's easy peasy and great if you have to avoid things that are too spicy. I fill them just like enchiladas so feel free to use any filling your family enjoys. 

Check out this link for Gabby's cheesy rice, too. Gabby makes massive amounts of it when we get together and it always vanishes!

Fiesta Chicken and Rice Salad is one of my personal favorites. It's fresh and crunchy and so flavorful. It's great for a buffet and makes a wonderful light dinner on hot summer nights.

Another salad favorite is this one! A Creamy Cilantro and Pepita Salad Dressing is so refreshing over a bowl of mixed greens and is really nice and cooling with a spicy meal.

While not Mexican in any way shape or form, after a big meal it's nice to have something sweet but not too heavy. A square of my Praline Blondies are a quick to fix treat we all love.

And for more ideas, please check out Shirley's Cinco de Mayo recipes, too. That Sangria might just make it to our table!

Enjoy!

Creamy Cilantro Avocado Salsa

This morning I received an email with a new recipe from Herbivoracious.com. I love most everything on the site but this one really caught my eye. Michael's recipe for Avocado and Tomatillo Salsa reminds me of going up to Olvera Street in Los Angeles as a kid. There were the most amazing taquitos in little paper bowls that were drizzled with an avocado salsa that sounds really similar. I can practically taste it if I think about it all these years later. I cannot wait to make a batch soon.

At lunch time today it was still on my mind as I was pulling things out of the fridge. I was heating up some taquitos, black beans and making a salad and wanted to make some fresh salsa or guacamole to serve with lunch. That's when I realized that I had a lot of ingredients for both but not all for either without running to the store.

What I did have was a perfectly ripe avocado, a really large bunch of cilantro and lots of fresh Habanero Peppers in the garden.

So I pulled out the trusty Vitamix and made a combination of guacamole and Gabby's Green Sauce in about three minutes from start to finish. It's nothing like Michael's but his recipe certainly inspired it and brightened up lunch.

Creamy Cilantro Avocado Salsa

1 Large Bunch Cilantro, washed, stems included
1 Ripe Haas Avocado
1 Habanero Pepper, seeds and white membrane removed
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
Pinch of Sea Salt

While I used my Vitamix I think a food processor would work just as well. Put all ingredients in and blend (using tamper to push cilantro down and mix) at a medium speed until smooth - just a minute or two.

Enjoy

Meatless Monday Burritos & Siesta Sunday Pics!

Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous and we were able to enjoy a Siesta Sunday with our favorite neighbors.  The Feks came over for dinner and it was nice enough to eat outside and too early in the season to be bothered with bugs!  

Olive's first Fiesta meal!

I think she likes it!

Big brother Ev had his very own Ev sized table and enjoyed Chris' special salad!

We love this boy!

We grilled chicken for tacos, made a huge pot of beans, fresh salsa, green sauce and guacamole. 

After dinner spinners were flying from the maple (with help from Chris and Joe).... 

Ev & Mike did their best to catch them!

Joe helped Ev shake the tree.

Chris helped, too!

Olive and Chris contemplated the garden for a while.

Ev with the beautiful garden stake he surprised me with yesterday!  I am the luckiest ChaCha ever!

Olive and Gabby had some girl time.

Olive is SO BIG!

It really was a great, relaxing way to spend the last part of our weekend.

~~~~~

I have to admit that the second best part of our fiesta and siesta meals with the Feks are the leftovers!  The point of this Meatless Monday post is reinventing leftovers into a satisfying vegetarian meal. These burritos are one example.

The Tortilla Factory Gluten Free Wraps make great burritos.  They are the closest we’ve found to large flour tortillas.  I soften them quickly on a large cast iron skillet, fill with our favorite burrito filling and roll.  We went more than a little crazy with these when we found them – it was so nice to have a “real” burrito texture and flavor. 

Joe, being the burrito purist prefers beans (or beans and meat but not on a Meatless Monday) and cheese.  Any and all veggies on the side.

I, on the other hand, like to stuff mine full of veggies and beans and spoon some of Gabby Green Sauce and dollop some ChaCha’s Salsa and Guacamole on the side.

I cooked up some kale and carrots in a bit of olive oil to add to my burrito- maybe not for everyone - but I loved it.

Burritos can be filled with anything you want and really don’t need a recipe but here are our two favorite Fiesta Friday/Siesta Sunday sauce/salsas to top your own burritos.

Gabby’s Green Sauce

Gabby’s Green Sauce is best freshly made.  It gives a fresh, hot blast to any Mexican food.

1 large bunch Cilantro, wash carefully but just tear into pieces, stems are okay

1 Serrano Chili, sliced down the center and deseeded

4 ounces Lime Juice

½ teaspoon Cumin Powder

½ teaspoon Salt

Dash of Garlic Powder

Blend on high until completely liquefied.  Store in fridge until ready to serve, shake before pouring.  Keeps about two days if it lasts that long.  The cilantro and lime cut the heat of the chili a bit so it isn't as hot as you’d think.  

ChaCha’s Salsa

2 cans (14 – 15 ounce size) Organic diced tomatoes or equivalent fresh tomatoes in season (divided)

1 large onion, chopped (divided)

1 Serrano Chili sliced down the center and divided

1 ½ ounces Lime Juice

1/ teaspoon Cumin Powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 to 2 cups Cilantro, chopped

In order to get the texture I like I put most of the ingredients into the blender (reserve one can of tomatoes, half of the onion and all of the cilantro) and totally puree them.  This will ensure the spices and chili are evenly dispersed.  Then I add, in this order, the other can of tomatoes, the chopped onion and the chopped cilantro and barely mix it on low.  I stop it as soon as the cilantro moves down to the bottom of the blender container.  Any longer and it will be pureed.  It will still taste great but we prefer a little more chunky salsa.  Vary your chilies from Jalapeno to Habanero to vary the heat.