Cinco de Mayo

   Last night was Cinco de Mayo.



Did you celebrate?


 I made one of Troy's favorite dishes; Smoky Beef Tacos which is not necessarily Mexican per se, but a good Tex Mex dish all the same!

After a long day, it was nice to sit down to a delicious meal and a cold glass of Limeade. Chloe was already tucked into bed, Peyton ate the rice but picked at everything else (I guess beef tacos are not his thing!) and Troy downed four consecutive tacos in a row all with a smile of contentment on his face.

The tacos were fantastic.

Really.

You should try some too; and soon!

 The recipe calls for up to 3 tablespoons of chipotle peppers in adobe seasoning; I usually just add two and scrape out the seeds really well or it can be a little too zesty {unless you are like Troy and could probably eat a whole jalapeno (seeds and all) completely unphased}.  

We've also got left overs in the fridge if you're too lazy to make your own. ;-) 

Smoky Beef Tacos

Ingredients
{Serves 8}

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo
1/2 cup ketchup
8 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 boneless beef chuck roast (about 3 pounds), excess fat trimmed
16 corn tortillas (6-inch), lightly toasted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, stir together chiles, ketchup, 1 cup water, garlic, oregano, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.


Cut beef into 4 equal pieces. Add to pot, and turn to coat. Cover, and bring to a boil; transfer pot to oven. Bake, covered, until beef is fork-tender, about 2 1/2 hours.


Transfer beef to a bowl. With a large spoon, skim off and discard fat from cooking liquid. Shred beef with two forks; moisten with cooking liquid as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve beef with tortillas and desired toppings. {Serves 8.}
 
 

Avocado-Red Onion Relish

 Ingredients
{Makes 3 cups}

2 diced avocados
1 finely chopped medium red onion
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Salt and pepper

Directions

Combine avocados, red onion, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Corn-and-Tomato Salsa

Ingredients
{Makes 3 cups}

1 10-ounce box thawed frozen corn
1 cup quartered grape tomatoes
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Directions

Combine corn, grape tomatoes, vegetable oil, and red-wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Cilantro-Lime Crema

Ingredients
{Makes 2 cups}

16 ounces reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper

Directions

Stir together sour cream, lime juice, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.

Cumin Rice and Beans

Ingredients
{Serves 8}

Coarse salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 can (19 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Directions

In a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, bring 1 1/2 cups salted water and cumin to a boil. Add rice; cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook 15 minutes; remove pan from heat, and add beans. Cover, and let stand 1 minute. Fluff rice with a fork.

Eat up! :-0

[All Recipes Courtesy of the March 2009 issue of Everyday Food Magazine]