Today Amy from A Little Nosh, is sharing her Cinco de Mayo menu with us! But before we get started with that, just a reminder that we have ONE package of GreenLine Green Beans left to give away. All you have to do is leave a comment on my Facebook page!
I live outside of Washington, D.C., a veritable melting pot of cultures. My son goes to a preschool with kids from many different nationalities, backgrounds, religions, and skin colors. I love to see him experiencing the diversity that I didn’t have growing up. I love that my son is exposed to a beautiful cross-section of people. To me, an important part of parenting him includes exposing him to different cultural celebrations.
Cinco de Mayo is a perfect opportunity to discuss Mexican culture, and what better way to start the lesson then with a delicious meal? But first, I needed to find out what exactly Cinco de Mayo is.
Did you know that, contrary to popular belief, it’s NOT the Mexican day of independence? Nor is it a holiday created by the good folks at Corona. It’s actually a celebration of the victory of the Mexicans over the French in 1862. Who knew??
Anyway, we like to keep things pretty simple here at A Little Nosh. Some bean dip and quesadillas are a perfect backdrop for discussing and celebrating this important day in Mexican history.
Bean Dip
Half of a 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper
1. Put black beans in a Magic Bullet or food processor and process, adding water as needed, until desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Does it get any easier? Also, I ran out of tortilla chips so I just made my own by cutting tortillas into triangles, spraying with cooking spray, dusting with salt, and baking at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. This works best with corn tortillas.
1. Combine taco seasoning and water, and toss with chicken to coat.
2. While chicken is marinating, heat 1 Tbsp oil in a saute pan and add veggies, cooking until peppers and onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
3. Using a grill or a grill pan, cook chicken 2 minutes on each side, or until cooked all the way through.
4. Heat 1 tsp oil in a nonstick skillet. Place a tortilla in pan, and sprinkle with about 1/4 cup cheese. Add some chicken and veggies and top with more cheese. Place another tortilla on top. Place a lid on the pan and heat quesadillas for about 5 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until tortillas are golden and cheese is melted.
5. Top with salsa, sour cream, more cheese, whatever floats your boat. I like to use a pizza cutter to cut the quesadilla into quarters.
This recipe is meant mainly as a guide, as quesadillas can be personalized in a zillion different ways. Instead of taco seasoning, marinate your chicken in salsa. Instead of peppers and onions, substitute broccoli. Add more cheese, less cheese, more filling, less filling. Experiment and see what you like. You can’t do this wrong.
