Cinco de Mayo Mexican Food Roundup

We just got back from our first trip to Mexico! We had a relaxing beach vacation with some fun activities and amazing food and I'll tell you all about it soon. 

I was looking through my archives and I think Mexican food is the kind of food I cook the most. Matt loves it and so do I, so I have a lot of Mexican and Mexican-inspired recipes on this blog, and I thought I'd do a round-up for Cinco de Mayo this week.  

Salsa Verde

First a fantastic salsa verde that's great with chips but even better as a sauce or condiment with grilled or braised meats. We made our own from tomatillos in our garden, which grow amazingly well in our climate, but you can easily buy tomatillos in the summer, or even buy pre-made salsa verde for a tangy change from red salsa. 

Home Made Corn Tortillas

These tortillas are so easy to make, and masa is widely available now. It really makes sense to make your own tortillas if you like them as fresh as possible.

Tortilla Soup

And if you have leftover tortillas, this soup is a great way to use them up. The crisp tortillas take the place of noodles to thicken and add body to the soup. You can make it as spicy as you like. 

Chilaquiles

This simple, cheesy casserole uses both leftover tortillas and salsa verde. You can add whatever leftover meat and veggies you like to make it your own.

Tostadas

And one more use for leftover tortillas as lunch, dinner or a snack is these great tostadas. Once again you can add whatever you like. You can fry up tortillas yourself or buy pre-fried tostadas in most grocery stores. 

Carne Adovada

Dried chilis have so much rich, deep flavour. They're really highlighted in this pork stew that's great over rice or served in tortillas.

Beef Barbacoa

This is another stewed meat dish. This time beef is simmered with dried chilis to create a wonderful, spicy taco filling.

Fish Tacos

There are unlimited variations you can try with fish tacos. Delicate fish can be grilled, fried or baked and added to corn or flour tortillas with a variety of toppings. Cabbage slaw is always a winner with fish.  

Chiles Rellenos

And finally, these cheese-stuffed chilis with a charred tomato salsa are a bit of a challenge to pull together, but the effort is worth it for a rich, delicious vegetarian meal.