Cinco De Mayo - Mexico's May 5th Holiday Celebration | Mexican Recipes | Fiesta Party Planning

Whether you are of Mexican descent or simply want to have a party with lots of good food and entertainment, a Cinco de Mayo party is always great fun.

There are no special foods associated with the Cinco de Mayo celebrations other than good quality classic Mexican dishes. The big hits are usually enchiladas, fajitas, burritos, guacamole, and tacos. The beverages are usually pitchers of Margaritas, Corona or other Mexican beer, and soft drinks for the kids. Don't forget to set out the tortilla chips and guacamole and salsa.

This lens has lots of recipes and party planning ideas to help you plan your own Cinco de Mayo fiesta.

Did you know that May is National Salsa Month? Check out our Salsa Month Lens and find out all about it plus get more salsa recipes!

Send a Free Cinco de Mayo Greeting Card!

Blue Mountain has thousands of personalized eCards for birthdays, holidays and every occasion. Visit now and send a free Cinco de Mayo greeting!

Do you have a family favorite Mexican recipe to share?
Visit The Mexican Recipe Circle at http://mexican.recipecircle.com and submit your recipe.

Mexican food is easy and fun to prepare as well as being healthy. Most dishes can be made ahead of time leaving you free to enjoy your own party! Create a Mexican food buffet and let your guests serve themselves. Even people who don't like spicy foods or vegetarians can be catered to.

Set out the following items for a Mexican Food Buffet

In individual bowls - chopped onions, tomatoes, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, guacamole, jalapeno peppers, black olives, sour cream, quartered limes, chopped green chiles, and various salsas

Serve warm - pinto beans, refried beans, rice, taco filling such as seasoned beef or chicken, sauted onions and bell peppers, grilled chicken or beef strips for Fajitas, flour and corn tortillas

From the ingredients above your guests will be able to make their own burritos, tacos, and fajitas.

Quesadillas are similar to a grilled cheese sandwich - except that flour tortillas are used instead of bread. When you use an electric Quesadilla maker to create them there is nothing easier. For a party, your guests can prepare their Quesadillas and grill them on the spot.

The assemble a Quesadilla lightly butter a flour tortilla and place on a plate. Then place any of the ingredients mentioned above for the Mexican food buffet. Top with another flour tortilla, butter lightly and then cook in the Quesadilla maker until the tortillas are slightly brown. The Quesadilla maker will seal the tortillas together and divide them into six sections. Remove the Quesadilla to a plate, cut into sections and garnish with toppings such as sour cream, guacamole, or salsa.

Featured on the right is the Sensio Fajita Quesadilla Grill.
The grill can be used to make Fajitas and Quesadillas as well using it as a warmer for tortillas.

Fajitas are made by grilling marinated beef, chicken or shrimp along with onions, pepper strips, and tomatoes. The mixture is then served in warm flour tortillas and garnished to taste.

Fajita Marinade Recipe Ingredients
1/2 cup water                            1 tbs vegetable oil
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce       1/4 lime juice
1 clove of garlic, crushed            1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried cilantro                      2 tsp brown sugar
Directions - Combine the ingredients in a glass bowl and blend. Cut the beef or chicken in strips and marinate for at least one hour before grilling.

True Tequila comes from the Mexican city of Tequila. It is made by fermenting the sap of the wild mescal plant (a plant similar to a cactus). Margaritas are made with Tequila, Orange liqueurs (Triple Sec or Cointreau) and lemon or lime juice. Pitchers of Margaritas are a great way to liven up a party!

How to drink a shot of Tequila: Hold a shot glass of Tequila in your right hand. Hold a lemon slice in your left hand. Place salt on your left hand by your thumb. Lick the salt, drink the Tequila, and then bite into the lemon.

Classic Margarita
4 lime slices
Coarse salt (opt.)
2 c. ice cubes
1 (6 oz.) can (3/4 c.) frozen limeade, thawed
3/4 c. tequila
1/4 c. triple sec or other orange liqueur
Rub lime slice around rim of 4 glasses. Reserve lime slice. Dip rims of glasses into salt if desired. Combine ice and next 3 ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and garnish with lime.

Frozen Margaritas

1 (6 oz.) can frozen limeade
6 oz. Tequila
3 oz. Triple Sec
1/2 tbsp. lime juice
10 ice cubes
Lime wedge
Salt
Combine limeade, Tequila, Triple Sec, lime juice and ice cubes in a blender bowl. Blend for about 20 seconds or until ice cubes become slushy. At this point the Margarita may be stored in freezer. When ready to serve, rub lime wedge on rims of chilled glasses. Invert glasses on a generously salted surface so that salt adheres to the moistened rims. Yields 4 glasses.

Mockaritas - Mock Margaritas

Here is a recipe for Margaritas sans the alcohol.

Ingredients

1 can (6 oz) frozen lemonade concentrate
1 can (6 oz) frozen limeade concentrate
2 cups of chilled club soda
1/4 cup powdered sugar
3 cups crushed ice

Directions
With the exception of the club soda, place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until the mixture is slushy. Then, gently stir in the club soda. Serve as would the regular Margaritas above.     

This recipe for Guacamole is from the Youtube video above. Courtesy of DaniSpies.com

Ingredients
3 fat cloves of garlic, minced
4 scallions, minced
1/2 jalapeno chile, minced
A handful of cilantro, chopped up
Juice of 1/2 a lime
2 avocados, halved & pitted
Fat pinch of salt

Directions
Combine garlic, scallions, and jalapeno in a medium bowl. Add avocado and lime and mash with a fork until you have a nice chunky consistency. Stir in cilantro and season with salt to taste.

Mexican breweries are second to none in producing some truly fine beers. But to make a great Mexican drink, try a Michelada. This drink is a mixture of beer, tabasco sauce, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and lime.

You can find a variety of brands of bottled Mexican beers in any liquor store. Popular brands are Corona and XX (Dos Equis). Fill a bucket with ice and set out the beer to chill.

Mexican Papel Picado is perforated or punched tissue paper. It is an art form in Mexico.



Cinco de Mayo Papel Picado


Because the colors of the Mexican national flag are green, white, and red, most people decorate using these colors for their Cinco de Mayo celebrations.
Click here to find Mexican Fiesta Party Supplies

Margarita Pie This frozen pie can be made very quickly. If you're making Margaritas you already have the limes, Tequila and Triple Sec!

Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
1 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
5 tbs Tequila
5 tbs Triple Sec
1 9 inch Graham Cracker Crust
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (takes about 5 limes)
Zest of one lime
Lime slices for garnish

Directions - Beat the whipped cream until stiff. In another bowl blend together the condensed milk, Tequila, Triple Sec, and lime juice. Fold in the whipped cream and lime zest. Pour the mixture into the Graham cracker pie shell. Freeze for at least four hours. Garnish with thin lime slices.

Flan is a Mexican dessert custard made with eggs and flavored with vanilla. It is topped with a caramelized sugar topping. Make it the night before you plan to serve it because after baking it needs to chill.

Ingredients
1/3 cup Sugar
2 Large eggs
1 can Sweetened condensed milk (1 2/3 cups)
1/4 cup Sugar

Directions - Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To caramelize the sugar: in a small skillet heat and stir 1/3 cup of sugar over medium heat until is melts and becomes golden brown. Pour the caramelized sugar into a three cup ring mold and cover the bottom and sides of ring by tilting it.

To prepare the custard mixture: in a mixing bowl beat the eggs and then stir in the milk, sugar and vanilla. Blend well.

Pour mixture into the ring mold. Place the mold in a baking pan deep enough to hold one inch of water. Pour one inch of hot water into the baking pan. Bake, uncovered at 325 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a knife halfway between the center and the edge of the custard. It should come out clean when it is done. You may also pour the mixture into six custard cups for individual servings; then follow the directions above for cooking.

Cool completely and chill in the refrigerator overnight. To serve, invert the custard on a serving platter. The caramelized sugar will be liquid. Spoon over the custard to evenly cover it. Serves 4-6.

Ingredients
2 cups Canola oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions - Heat water, margarine and salt to rolling boil in 3-quart saucepan. Stir in flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Beat in eggs all at once and continue beating until smooth. Heat oil to 1-1/2 inch depth in heavy skillet to 360 degrees. 4. Spoon the dough into a decorator's tube with large star tip for authentic looking churros. Squeeze 4-inch strips of dough into hot oil. Fry 3 or 4 strips at a time until golden brown, turning once; about 2 minutes on each side. Drain. Mix sugar and cinnamon in brown paper bag. Shake the churros in the sugar mixture. Best served warm!

If there will be children attending your Cinco de Mayo celebration, a Pinata is something all kids love. You can find pinatas your local party store, Mexican foods store, or buy them online along with the rest of your party supplies and decorations.

Fill the piñata with coins and candy and let the children at the party take a swing and break it open. This can be a fun activity for children and adults alike.

Ingredients
3 Medium Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup Green Onions w/tops, sliced
1/2 cup Green Bell Pepper, chopped
2 tbs Lime Juice
2 tbs fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 tbs chopped Jalapeno Chiles
1 tsp Garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt

Directions: Mix all ingredients in a bowl, refrigerate to let flavors blend. Makes about 3 1/2 cups Salsa.

Pinatas have been used all around the world for hundreds of years to celebrate special occasions, mainly children's birthday parties. Although breaking a pinata at children's birthdays is very much a tradition among Hispanics, this fun kid party game has spread throughout the entire United States.


The tradition of breaking a pinata originated in Europe in ancient times. It was a simple painted clay pot decorated with colorful paper and filled with candy and coins. Today pinatas are made of paper Mache.

The traditional Mexican star-shaped pinata was part of early Christmas Mexican celebrations representing the Star of Bethlehem that guided worshippers to baby Jesus.

Today the pinata has come to replace the game of "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" as kids favorite party game. Nowadays it is even used as a party decoration: it makes a great centerpiece!

Pull string pinatas, a gentler version of this popular party activity, have been invented to allow toddlers enjoy the game as much as older kids do.

Visit Pinatas.com for a large array of great pinatas, supplies and many fun party ideas!

Start with the freshest possible dried pinto beans. Carefully inspect the beans, removing any small pieces of gravel or dirt, and rinse well in a colander. Yes, dried pinto beans will sometimes come packaged with small pieces of dirt or rock, depending on the source you buy them from. It needn't ruin the taste and it doesn't necessarily indicate poor quality beans.

Step one requires softening up the beans. You can soak the beans overnight, use a pressure cooker or boil the beans for about two and a half hours. To boil the beans place 2 1/2 cups (about 1 pound) of beans in about 3 quarts of water, ensuring that the water covers the beans a couple of inches. Boil for 2 1/2 hours stirring occasionally. Be sure that when soaking and boiling you skim off any gray scum that floats to the top as the beans are being prepared.

Examine the beans and look for the majority to have slightly split the skin. That indicates that the beans have absorbed a lot of water and the skin has softened enough for the added pressure to slightly break the skin. Then drain the beans in a colander and shake gently.

Add a small amount of water (about 1/4 cup) to a cold iron frying pan and pour in the beans. Add a pinch of salt or other seasonings as desired. Good choices are a bit of chili powder or a small amount of garlic. Then mash the beans slightly with a potato masher. They should be lumpy, not perfectly smooth. Think of mashed potatoes that have not been mashed enough. That's just about right.

Now drain any excess water and add a bit of canola oil to the pan. Heat the pan to a medium-high level. As the beans fry, continue mashing, but still not too vigorously. The beans should remain somewhat chunky. Too much mashing turns them into soup.

That's all there is to it! Of course, there are a hundred tasty alternative recipes.

Some frijoles refritos recipes call for adding chunks of onion to the pan and sauteeing them before adding the beans. Or, spice them up with some jalapeno chiles. For more spice, add more chili powder, but take care not to overwhelm the beans.

You can enjoy the beans by themselves, top them with salsa or cheese, or use them in tacos, burritos, or quesadillas.