My Top 5 Recipes For Cinco de Mayo

1.  Chorizo and Potato Flautas - These are addictive.  I made them last Friday for dinner and will make them again for Cinco de Mayo.  I even made a Vine while preparing these last week.  Needless to say these are crazy delicious.

I'm pretty much obsessed with Mexican culture and Cinco de Mayo is the perfect time to enjoy delicious Mexican food and of course some margaritas.  Here are my top 5 recipes for your ultimate Cinco de Mayo celebration. 

2.  Strawberry Mostachon - Don't forget to serve up something sweet this May 5th.  This meringue cake topped with fresh strawberries will have your guests raving.

3.  Turkey Tacos - These are more Tex Mex than authentic Mexican, but they sure are delicious.

4.  Lime Cotija Dip - This is the perfect appetizer for any Mexican fiesta.  Serve with plantain chips and save the tortilla chips for the salsa and guacamole.

5.  Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas - Serve these up with some yellow rice and refried beans for  a perfect Mexican dinner.

Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas

My first attempt at preparing chicken enchiladas a few years back was not a successful one.  I was left with a really messy kitchen and enchiladas that were definitely not worth all the trouble.  I vowed to give enchilada making another go.  This time with a much easier and tastier recipe.  In order to save time I bought  roasted chicken breast from the supermarket.  Also, the recipe calls for flour tortillas, but I went with the traditional corn tortillas.  Prep was a breeze and the results were beyond tasty. 

Fonda Nolita

 I'd heard about Fonda Nolita a few years back and have been meaning to pay them a visit for what seems like forever. This past weekend I got to experience the gourmet Mexican street food they have to offer. Fonda Nolita is a carbon copy of a beachside taquería that launched five years ago in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Once a garage, now a concrete-floored space lined with dozens of folding tin-top backgammon tables and a vintage VW bus in the middle which serves up amazingly delicious tacos, tamales, tortas, tostadas and more. My sisters and I ordered some tacos, fresh guacamole con totopos (chips), and the refreshing agua de sandía (fresh watermelon juice). I forsee another trip to Fonda Nolita in the VERY near future that's for sure!

Chorizo & Potato Flautas

 I'm a huge fan of Marcela Valladolid and her Food Network show Mexican Made Easy. When I saw her make this recipe I couldn't believe how easy it was and knew I had to give it a try. These delcious flautas consist of simple ingredients that create huge flavors. The perfect finishing touch to these crunchy snacks was a little Mexican crema.

Lime-Cotija Dip

This super simple dip is perfect for when you have unexpected guests.  It is ridiculously easy to make and has some of the same flavors notes of my favorite summer must have food.  You can be super fancy and make the plantain chips from scratch, but the store bought once are just as good. 

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens
Ingredients and Directions

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 cup grated Cotija cheese

Juice of 1/2 small lime (about 1 Tbsp)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp minced parsley

3 dashes of hot sauce (I prefer Tapatio)

Mix all ingredients let rest for 30 minutes serve with plantain chips

 

Food Porn of The Week: Papatzul's Baja Style Fish Taco Recipe

The friendly folks over at Papatzul were kind enough to share their recipe for Baja Style Fish Tacos with NY Mag.  Check it out...

Papatzul Tacos Baja
We use tilapia fillets, cut in four long pieces on the bias; one pound will make ten to twelve taquitos.

BATTER
We use a beer batter made with Negra Modelo.
About 1 cup of Negra Modelo (drink the rest while you're preparing — hehehe) mixed with 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour and ½ cup of water, salt, and pepper. The Batter must have the consistency of thick pancake batter, so adjust the flour accordingly and add enough salt that you are able to taste it.

CHIPOTLE CITRUS MAYO
1 ½ cup homemade mayonnaise
Juice of 1 orange and 2 limes
½ tablespoon orange zest
1 ½ teaspoon lime zest
1 chipotle en adobo pepper or 2 if you like it very spicy (a small can of Chipotle en Adobo La Morena, available in Whole Foods or most bodegas)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth
Season with salt and pepper

SLAW
½ Savoy cabbage sliced thinly in a mandolin
2 tomatoes small diced
½ red onion small diced
Juice of 2 limes
¼ cup olive oil

Heat enough vegetable oil in heavy medium-size stock pot; in the meantime, season the tilapia with salt and pepper, and coat with some all-purpose flour before adding them to the batter.

Once they are nicely battered, deep-fry the fillets until golden crispy (about eight to ten minutes). Combine all the ingredients for the slaw in a bowl; mix with the lime juice and the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Do this at the last minute so the cabbage remains crunchy.

Warm your tortillas on a comal or a cast-iron pan, but keep them nice and soft. You can cut the fried fillets a little and start making your tacos by adding the fish on a tortilla with some of the mayo, and then top with the slaw and a little more mayo. For a perfect meal, enjoy your tacos with a Pacifico!

I am all over this recipe!  It's perfect for the last few days of summer.  I definitely plan on enjoying this with the left over Negra Modelo from the batter.  Yum!

Food Porn of The Week: Charritos & Archetypus

{Stuffed poblano and chicken chilaquiles}

{Charritos handpainted menus}

{The fresh guacamole made tableside was soooo good}

{Enchiladas Suizas}

{our "cave" at Archetypus}

{Brownie a La Mode}

{Tiramisu w/Vanilla ice cream and ladyfingers}

My family and I went out to dinner for my b-day.  Since Mexican is my favorite we went to Charritos which is a local restaurant that opened a new location with spectacular views of the New York skyline.  The food was good, but the guacamole was insanely delicious.

Instead of birthday cake I just wanted to go out for dessert.  So, we went to Archetypus, which has been around for years.  They are well know for their "caves" and desserts.  The tiramisu was perfect.  After all that tasty food I think it's time for a long bike ride. ; )

Food Porn of The Week: Taqueria Downtown

Mexican food is my absolute favorite. Taqueria Downtown does Mexican right! We are talking the authentic stuff. There are not many words I can use to describe the insane deliciousness of this place. Just take a look for yourself...
{fish taco}

{carnitas aka pork taco}

{carnitas tacos with rice and beans}
The food is so good, it's addictive. You definitely want to try the pork tacos. They are to die for! If you are ever in Downtown Jersey City, NJ I highly recommend you check it out.