Celebrate Cinco de Mayo – May 5 – with these easy recipes for food and drink.
The day is important to our Mexican friends, as they celebrate the triumph over invading forces back in May 5, 1862.
But these days that means guacamole, churros and margaritas! Hint: Using a Vitamix mixer or high-quality blender will make things much easier to prepare. And, our friends at Casamigos Tequila have provided us with a few cocktail recipes to add a little kick to your fete. Olé!
Guacamole (pictured above)
Yield: 1½ cup (360 g)
This traditional Mexican avocado dip, now an international favorite, combines tomato, onion, and fresh cilantro for zesty flavor. Served with tortilla chips, it makes a quick and easy appetizer for guests.
Ingredients
1 tomato, quartered
½ cup (20 g) fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
¼ cup (40 g) onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
2 avocados, halved, pitted, peeled
Method
Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.
Select Variable 1 (or the lowest speed on your blender). Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to Variable 3.
Blend for 15-20 seconds, using the tamper to press the ingredients into the blades. You may need to stop the machine and run a spatula around the inside of the container to integrate ingredients.
Do not over mix. Leave chunky. Serve with tortilla chips.
Notes: When doubling recipe, increase avocados to 4 and increase onion to 1/2 cup (80 g).
Mexican Street Corn with Homemade Mayonnaise
Yield: 6 servings, 1¾ cups of mayonnaise (6 servings, 400 ml mayonnaise)
Corn is amazing any way you prepare it, but this rendition offers a playful handheld treat. The homemade mayo is so simple and great to have on hand for a variety of dishes.
Ingredients
5 large pasteurized egg yolks
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1½ teaspoon dry mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup (240 ml) canola oil
6 ears of corn, grilled
¼ cup (45 g) crumbled queso cheese
Method
Place egg yolks, lemon juice, lime juice, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper into the Vitamix or other blender container in the order listed and secure lid.
Select Variable 1 (or the lowest speed on your blender), start the machine, and slowly increase speed to Variable 5. Blend for 10 seconds.
Reduce speed to Variable 3 and remove the lid plug. Slowly pour oil through the lid plug opening. Secure lid plug.
Slowly increase to machine’s highest speed and blend for 15 to 20 seconds, or until emulsified.
Brush mayonnaise mixture onto warm grilled corn and sprinkle heavily with crumbled cheese.
Churros
Yield: 24 churros + 2½ cups chocolate sauce (24 churros + 600 ml chocolate sauce)
You will want to prepare these churros as often as possible once you try them out. Try making them savory for a fun variation by omitting the cinnamon sugar and chocolate, and opting for an oozy cheese sauce to dip into.
Churros
Ingredients
1 cup (240 ml) water
½ cup (110 g) unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
2 quarts (1.9 l) vegetable oil, for frying
Method
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine water, butter and salt. Bring to a simmer. As soon as you reach a simmer, whisk in the flour and continue to whisk until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pot. Turn off the heat.
Place the dough into the blender container and secure the lid. Remove the lid plug.
Crack the eggs into a measuring cup.
Select variable 6 (or medium speed on your blender) and begin to pulse, adding the eggs through the lid plug opening one at a time. Do not add another egg until the first one is incorporated. Continue to pulse until all 3 eggs are fully incorporated (18-20 times)
Remove the dough from the container into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
Heat the vegetable oil in a high sided frying pan, or a fryer to 350°F (175°C) .
Fry the churros by pushing the dough out through the piping bag carefully into the fryer oil, using kitchen shears to cut each churro about 2 inches in length. Cut 5-6 churros into the oil, and fry for 6-8 minutes, or until golden brown, and no longer doughy.
Cinnamon Sugar
Ingredients
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Method
While the churros are frying, combine the cinnamon and ½ cup sugar into a large mixing bowl and place next to the fryer.
Chocolate Sauce
Ingredients
2½ cup (590 ml) cashew milk
2/3 cups (55 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (135 g) dried dates, pitted, halved
Method
Use a slotted spatula to carefully remove the cooked churros from the oil, and place in the cinnamon sugar (be careful to allow a majority of the oil drip off the churro over the frying pan.)
Toss the churros in the mixture.
In the meantime, in the Vitamix or blender container combine the ingredients for the chocolate sauce and secure the lid. Select the hot soup program if available and run to completion or start machine on Variable 1 (or the lowest speed on your blender) and ramp up to Variable 10 (the highest speed) and allow to blend on it’s highest speed for about 5 minutes.
Serve the warm chocolate sauce alongside your churros to dip into.
Frozen Mezcal Paloma
Yield: 5 cups (1.2 l)
Tired of the traditional margarita? Try this refreshing take on that popular Mexican drink instead! With the blend of smoky mescal and tart grapefruit, you’re sure to impress all your guests!
Ingredients
⅔ cup (150 ml) mezcal
⅔ cup (150 ml) grapefruit juice
¼ cup (60 ml) lime juice
2 dashes hot sauce
2 Tablespoons (30 ml) agave
6 cups (680 g) ice cubes
1 lime lime
Method
Add mezcal, grapefruit juice, lime juice, Tabasco, agave syrup, and ice cubes into the Vitamix or blender container in the order listed and secure the lid.
Start the machine, slowly increase to its highest speed, and blend for 25 seconds.
Pour into glasses and garnish with lime slices.
Whole Fruit Margarita
Yield: 8 cups
You’ve never tasted a margarita until you’ve made one with whole fruit!
Ingredients
¼ cup (60 ml) water
6 ounces (180 ml) tequila
2 fluidounces (60 ml) Grand Marnier
1 orange, peeled, halved
1 lime, peeled, halved
1 lemon, peeled, halved
6 Tablespoons (75 g) granulated sugar
6 cups (600 g) ice cubes
Method
Place all ingredients into the blender container in the order listed and secure lid.
Select Variable 1 (or the lowest speed on your blender).
Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.
Blend for 45 seconds, using the tamper to press the ingredients into the blades.
Pour into salt-rimmed margarita glasses.
Café de Olla
Enjoy this sweet dessert coffee, steeped with Mexican cinnamon and piloncillo, a refined whole cane sugar, typically from Mexico.
Yield: 1 Serving
Ingredients
3½ cup (840 ml) water
½ stick Mexican cinnamon
200 g piloncillo
2 Tablespoons ground coffee beans
Method
Place water, cinnamon and piloncillo into the blender container in the order listed and secure the lid.
Select Variable 1 (or the lowest speed on your blender).
Switch machine to start and slowly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.
Blend for 6 minutes, or until heavy steam escapes from the vented lid.
Carefully transfer blended mixture into a saucepan and place over low heat. Add coffee grounds and allow to steep for 10 minutes.
Strain coffee into mugs and serve.
Casamigos Watermelon Mint Margarita
Ingredients
2 oz. Casamigos Blanco Tequila
1 oz. Fresh Watermelon Juice OR 4-5 Watermelon Chunks (1″)
.5 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
.5 oz. Simple Syrup
8-10 Mint Leaves
Optional: 2 Dashes Peychauds Bitters
Method
Combine all ingredients into a tin shaker. Muddle fruit/herbs and add ice. Shake vigorously for 8-10 seconds then fine strain into a rocks glass and add fresh ice. Garnish with a mint sprig and a watermelon chunk on skewer.
Pineapple Cilantro Margarita
Ingredients
2 oz. Casamigos Reposado Tequila
1 oz. Pineapple Juice
.5 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
.5 oz. Simple Syrup
8-10 Cilantro Leaves
Optional: 1/2 Thick Rim Sugar, Cilantro Salt (equal parts)
Method
Combine all ingredients into a tin shaker and add ice. Shake vigorously for 8-10 seconds then strain into a rocks glass and add fresh ice. Garnish with 2 pineapple leaves.
Strawberry Kiwi Smash (Punch)
Ingredients
1 Litre Casamigos Blanco Tequila
17 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
17 Strawberries (not including strawberries for garnish)
8 Whole Kiwis (not including kiwis for garnish)
10 oz. Simple Syrup
Method
Peel and slice kiwis into cubes. Blend strawberries and kiwis until liquefied then strain into a punch bowl. Add other ingredients and stir in 3-4 medium scoops of block ice to fill in and cool. Garnish with kiwi wheels with skin on and thin strawberry slices. Stir before each serving.
White Sangria
Ingredients
1.5 oz. Casamigos Blanco Tequila
1.5 oz. White Wine (Suggest Sauvignon Blanc)
1 oz. Simple Syrup
.5 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
.5 oz. Orange Juice
2 Pineapple Chunks OR .25 oz. Pineapple Juice
2 Mango Slices
Method
Combine all ingredients into a tin shaker. Muddle fruit and add ice. Shake vigorously for 6-8 seconds then fine strain into a wine glass and add block ice. Garnish with a large thin mango slice and thyme sprig.