Cinco De Mayo: Taco Time

Pull out your sombreros, bust out those maracas, and put on your dancing shoes.  Tomorrow is Cinco De Mayo, which means it’s time to celebrate!

But before you pop a bottle in the name of Cinco De Mayo, please at least become familiar with the meaning of the holiday, other than just its literal translation, the “the 5th of May”.  Cinco De Mayo is a Mexican holiday that celebrates the victory of the Mexican army over the French army during the Battle of Puebla that took place on May 5, 1862.  Although the French army eventually re-invaded Mexico and succeeded in taking over for a period of time beginning the following year, Cinco De Mayo remains a regionally celebrated holiday in Mexico.  It honors the the underdog capabilities of the Mexican militia in unpredictably defeating the French army in 1862, which ensued a needed sense of national unity.

Today, the holiday has been carried over into the U.S. and has transformed into a time to honor Mexican music, food, drinks, and culture.  Numerous cities across the U.S. will hold parades tomorrow in commemoration of Cinco De Mayo and to gather people together to take part in the corresponding festivities.

Why not get down and have a little fun by bringing your own celebration to your house tomorrow?  Put on some fiesta music, do a little cha cha chaing, and work up an appetite for some hearty Mexican eats.

Here’s what I’ll be having tomorrow evening:  Vegetarian Tacos with Homemade Guacamole.  An incredibly simple and delicious meal.  No need to worry, this recipe cooks up quick so the kitchen won’t need to steal you from the dance floor for too long.

The first step  is picking your choice of beans.  I have two go-to bean recipes with which I like to fill my tortillas.  One utilizes black beans, and the recipe can be found here.  The other utilizes pinto beans, which can be seen below.  For both recipes, simply fill a warm tortilla, heated in the oven or microwave, with about 1/2 cup or so of the bean mixture.

Grace’s Vegetarian Refried Beans
(Serves 3)

• -1-15.5 oz can of pinto beans, drained or about 2 cups cooked beans
• -1 yellow onion, diced
• -2 garlic cloves, minced
• -1 Tbsp. olive oil
  
• -1 1/2 tsp. cumin
• -Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add onion and saute 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cumin, sauteing another 2-3 minutes until onions become translucent.  Stir in beans.  Using a masher or a fork, begin to mash the beans in the pan, mashing as smooth as desired.  Add salt and pepper, to taste.  (Note:  Canned beans can be salty, so if you chose not to rinse the beans, less salt will need to be added.)

The next step is building the taco.  The following are key toppings:

*Salsa
*Shredded lettuce
*Guacamole (recipe below)
*Optional add-ins:  Hot sauce, cheese, sour cream, sauteed mushrooms and red peppers

Easy Guacamole
(Serves 3)

-1 avocado
-1/3 lemon
-Salt and pepper, to taste

Cut avocado in half and remove pit.  Place in bowl, and mash with juice of 1/3 lemon.  Stir in salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve this meal with chips and salsa and a salad.  Happy Cinco De Mayo to everyone tomorrow!