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Cinco de Mayo Party Menu

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Cinco de Mayo Party Menu

Beer 'Garitas

Drink to a Mexican-inspired evening with these tasty beer cocktails. Limeade concentrate and orange liqueur add bright flavor. If you like your margaritas bold, make the drink with dark beer. Serve in mason jars for added summer flair.

Photo: William Dickey; Styling: Margaret Dickey Photo by: Photo: William Dickey; Styling: Margaret Dickey

Ingredients

  • 1 cup frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
  • 1 cup tequila
  • 1/2 cup orange liqueur
  • Crushed ice
  • 1/2 to 1 cup cold beer

Preparation

1. Stir together first 3 ingredients until well blended. Fill 4 medium glasses with crushed ice. Pour limeade mixture evenly into glasses. Add beer to taste.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used Minute Maid Frozen Concentrate for Limeade, José Cuervo Especial tequila, and Triple Sec for orange liqueur.

Southern Living MAY 2006

Smoky Hot Sauce

If you prefer a milder sauce, remove the chipotle pepper before pureeing the tomato mixture.

Photo: Ralph Anderson; Styling: Buffy Hargett Photo by: Photo: Ralph Anderson; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 5 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 lb.)
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube
  • 1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
  • 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from can
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Tortilla chips

Preparation

1. Sauté onion in hot olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until softened; add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and next 7 ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 25 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool slightly.

2. Remove chipotle pepper, if desired. Process tomato mixture in a food processor or blender until smooth. Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Serve at room temperature with tortilla chips.

Southern Living MAY 2006

Tomatillo Sauce

Make a tangy dip for chips with tomatillos, or Mexican green tomatoes, that are firm with tight-fitting, papery green skins.

Photo: Ralph Anderson; Styling: Buffy Hargett Photo by: Photo: Ralph Anderson; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 pounds small tomatillos (about 30)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, minced
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Tortilla chips

Preparation

1. Remove husks from tomatillos; wash thoroughly.

2. Sauté onion in hot olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomatillos, 1 cup water, and jalapeño; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes or until tomatillos are softened. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

3. Process tomatillo mixture, cilantro, lime juice, and salt in a food processor or blender until smooth. Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Serve at room temperature with tortilla chips.

Southern Living MAY 2006

Tortilla chips

Smoked Lemon-Chipotle Chickens

On a chilly day, the chicken will take longer to cook–up to 45 minutes more. Don't skip the step of tying the chicken with string; the more compact the chicken, the better the smoking results will be, according to Kevin.

Photo: Ralph Anderson; Styling: Buffy Hargett Photo by: Photo: Ralph Anderson; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Ingredients

  • 1 small sweet onion, quartered
  • 8 large garlic cloves, peeled
  • 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 3 chicken bouillon cubes
  • 3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
  • 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from can
  • 2 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 3 (4 1/2-lb.) whole chickens
  • Kitchen string
  • 2 1/2 cups hickory or oak wood chips

Preparation

1. Process sweet onion, next 7 ingredients, and 3/4 tsp. salt in a food processor or blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Set mixture aside.

2. Remove excess skin from necks and cavities of chickens, if desired. Starting at large cavities, loosen skin from breasts and legs by inserting fingers and gently pushing between skin and meat. (Do not completely detach skin.)

3. Place chickens in a large roasting pan. Using a bulb baster, squeeze lemon-chipotle mixture evenly into chicken cavities and under skin on breasts and legs.

4. Sprinkle chickens evenly with remaining 1 1/4 tsp. salt. Tuck wings under, if desired. Position the center of a 3-foot piece of kitchen string under back of one chicken near tail. Wrap string around legs and around body of chicken. Tie securely at neck. Repeat with remaining chickens.

5. Soak wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes. Set aside.

6. Prepare smoker according to manufacturer's directions. Bring internal temperature to 225° to 250°, and maintain temperature for 15 to 20 minutes. Place chickens on upper cooking grate; cover with smoker lid.

7. Cook chickens, maintaining the temperature inside the smoker between 225° and 250°, for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Drain reserved wood chips, and place on coals. Cover with smoker lid; smoke chickens 2 hours to 2 hours and 30 minutes more or until a meat thermometer inserted into thighs registers 175°. Remove chickens from smoker; cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let stand 10 minutes or until thermometer registers 180° before slicing.

Southern Living MAY 2006

Wheat Berry Tabbouleh

Find hard red or white wheat berries at health food stores, specialty grocery stores, and some supercenters. Visit www.bobsredmill.com to locate a store near you or to order the berries online. This fabulous side dish is great cold, warm, or at room temperature.

Photo: Ralph Anderson; Styling: Buffy Hargett Photo by: Photo: Ralph Anderson; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Ingredients

  • 3 cups hard wheat berries*
  • 12 cups water
  • 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 1 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 2/3 cup chopped dried apricots
  • 2/3 cup chopped dried mango
  • 2/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries
  • 2/3 cup golden raisins
  • 2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/3 cup diced celery
  • 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • Garnish: fresh parsley sprigs

Preparation

1. Soak wheat berries in 12 cups water in a large Dutch oven 24 hours.

2. Bring wheat berries and soaking water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 45 to 50 minutes or until tender. Drain wheat berries, and cool.

3. Stir together wheat berries, tomatoes, and next 11 ingredients until well blended. Serve immediately, or cover and chill up to 2 days. Garnish, if desired.

*3 cups quick-cooking barley may be substituted for wheat berries. Sauté barley in 2 Tbsp. hot olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat 5 to 6 minutes or until barley is lightly browned. Stir in 6 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat, cover, and simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes. Drain barley, and cool. Stir together barley, tomatoes, and next 7 ingredients. Stir in lime juice and next 3 ingredients just before serving. Garnish, if desired.

Southern Living MAY 2006

Green salad

Avocado-Ranch Dressing

This avocado-ranch dressing recipe complements any Southwestern style salad. Try tossing with a salad of romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, and toasted sunflower seeds.

Avocado-Ranch Dressing

Ingredients

  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 1 cup Ranch dressing
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons hot sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Preparation

1. Cut avocados in half; scoop pulp into a food processor or blender.

2. Add 1 cup Ranch dressing and remaining ingredients to food processor. Process until avocado mixture is smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Cover and chill at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.

Southern Living MAY 2006

Lemon Chill With Raspberry Sauce

For a fancier presentation, freeze in lemon cups.

Photo: Ralph Anderson; Styling: Buffy Hargett Photo by: Photo: Ralph Anderson; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Ingredients

  • 2 (10-oz.) packages frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed
  • 2 cups whipping cream
  • 1 (12-oz.) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
  • 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • Garnish: fresh mint sprigs

Preparation

1. Process raspberries in a blender or food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Press mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a bowl, using the back of a spoon to squeeze out juice. Discard pulp and seeds. Cover sauce, and chill until ready to serve.

2. Place 12 foil baking cups in muffin pans; discard paper liners in cups.

3. Beat whipping cream at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to medium-low, and gradually add lemonade concentrate, sweetened condensed milk, and lemon juice, beating until blended. Increase speed to medium-high, and beat until stiff peaks form. Spoon into 12 foil baking cups in muffin pans by heaping 1/3 cupfuls. Freeze at least 1 hour or until whipped cream mixture is firm.

4. Place on serving plates, and let stand at room temperature 10 to 15 minutes or until slightly softened. Serve with Raspberry Sauce. Garnish, if desired.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used Minute Maid Frozen Concentrate for Lemonade. To make ahead, freeze as directed for 1 hour; cover whipped cream mixture in pans or lemon cups with plastic wrap. Wrap pans or lemon cups securely with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Freeze pans up to 4 days and lemon cups up to 1 day.

How to Make a Lemon Cup: Cut stem end off each lemon (top one-third of lemon). Save tops to garnish plates, if desired. Cut a small slice off bottoms of lemons to allow them to stand upright. Run a grapefruit knife around lemon between the peel and pulp, loosening pulp. Scoop out pulp with a spoon. Remove excess juice from inside shells by scraping against the sides with a spoon.

Southern Living MAY 2006

Formal Menu Top Cinco de Mayo Party Menu

Beer 'Garitas

Smoky Hot Sauce

Tomatillo Sauce

Tortilla chips

Smoked Lemon-Chipotle Chickens

Wheat Berry Tabbouleh

Green salad

Avocado-Ranch Dressing

Lemon Chill With Raspberry Sauce

Southern Living

Formal Menu Bottom

Shopping List for Cinco de Mayo Party Menu

Grab your sombreros, and bring on the flavor–it's time to party. (Serves 12)

Shopping List:

Baking

  • 1 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 2/3 cup chopped dried apricots
  • 2/3 cup chopped dried mango
  • 2/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries
  • 2/3 cup golden raisins

Canned

  • 1 chicken bouillon cube
  • 3 chicken bouillon cubes
  • 1 cup Ranch dressing

Dairy

  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 cups whipping cream

Frozen

  • 1 cup frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
  • 2 (10-oz.) packages frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed
  • 1 (12-oz.) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

Other

  • 1 cup tequila
  • 1/2 cup orange liqueur
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 cup water
  • 12 cups water

Produce

  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 4 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 5 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 lb.)
  • 1 1/4 pounds small tomatillos (about 30)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 small sweet onion, quartered
  • 8 large garlic cloves, peeled
  • 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 2 ripe avocados

Special

  • 3 cups hard wheat berries*

Spices

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons white vinegar

Recipe List

Beer 'Garitas

Smoky Hot Sauce

Tomatillo Sauce

Tortilla chips

Smoked Lemon-Chipotle Chickens

Wheat Berry Tabbouleh

Green salad

Avocado-Ranch Dressing

Lemon Chill With Raspberry Sauce

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Cinco de Mayo Party Menu
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