When most people think of Cinco De Mayo they think of calories, fat, cheese, debochery {headaches}, and well, good times! Trust me. I hear this all of the time and I never quite understand why. At my house Mexican food is one of our healthiest cuisines.
And let me tell you, you really don't have to have all the bad food to enjoy the taste of Mexico. Plus, who says more than one margarita {or two 😉 } is essential to a good time?
For many reasons you'll be thankful that you chose to not over indulge on this holiday.
Mexican food is not about cheese and dairy but rather certain spices and ingredients that are traditionally used in this type of cuisine. One being SALT of course and HEAT {chili peppers and jalapeno}. We also can't forget cilantro, onions, limes and tomatoes. And my favorite is of course AVOCADOS!
None of the ingredients I just mentioned are bad for you. In fact, they are so rich in vitamins, nutrients and vital to optimal nutrition.
Using such simple ingredients above you can create some awesome dishes with tons of flavor. You can have a margarita too if you really want one, but be sure to use ONLY my recipe when doing so - click here for my recipe for amazing simple margaritas {nobody can tell they are healthy}.
Here are a few beautiful photos I found and I will share my the most simplest of recipes with you.
Note: For dipping you can buy baked corn chips instead of the fried ones. Of course you can use crunchy veggies if you wanna stay on the raw food route. But I also make my own chips at home sometimes using corn tortillas, spray olive oil, sea salt and the oven. The end result is super easy and crunchy and tasty. A much better alternative to the fried stuff.
Enjoy! And Happy Cinco De Mayo.
For the guacamole {my own recipe. images via loveandbistro & flickr}
3 or 4 avocados
1 lime or ½ lemon
sea salt, pinch
Mash everything together in a bowl. You can add anything else you'd like to this. Maybe onions, tomatoes, cilantro, garlic or even tabasco or hot chili powder.
For the salsa {I found this recipe online. image via freerecipes}
2 seeded (don't have to) and diced tomatoes
½ small sweet onion
2 tbsp.of freshly squezed lime juice
1 tsp. of olive oil
1-3 chopped jalapeno
2 tbsp.of chopped cilantro
1 clove of chopped garlic
½ tsp. of cumin
¼ tsp. of black pepper
¾ tsp. of salt
First combine all the ingredients. Let this chill for 2 hours before serving with chips.
Note: The cilantro makes this dish!
For the Beans {image via thekitchn}
2 jars black beans, strain out most of the water and warmed in a saucepan
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1 Tbls tabasco
1 Tbls xylitol or honey
¼ c chopped onion
Sea Salt, to taste
Fresh herbs like cliantro or parsley
Blend all of the ingredients in a large bowl except for the hebs. Once cooled a bit, add herbs.
For more bean recipes check out the kitchn.
Now the fun messy part! If you have friends coming over you can pile these onto fresh warm corn tortillas. Or layer them into a saucepan like a 7 layer dip.
If you aren't a strict vegan you can mix Amy's Cultured Sour Cream with hot sauce in a bowl. Use this on top of the the dish to add some more fat and spice. If you are vegan, try a non-dairy substitute from your local health food store. It's so good.
For the Margaritas {image via primer}
try my recipe
or
try the recipe you see here
Please - use high end tequilla.
Leave a Reply