During last year's Cinco De Mayo celebration, I was in the midst of a juice feast, unable to enter into the fullness of the cultural cuisine scene that I've always loved so much. Although I'm a very pale complected redhead, there must be something south of the border flowing through my veins. Even though I was juicing, I tried my luck at creating some juicy combinations that satisfied my palate for spice and you can find them here. But honestly, as good as the juices were, they weren't as fulfilling as a real MEAL of seriously good Mexican food.Since I've been pursuing a high raw food diet, I've tried tried many dishes that remind me of my love for Mexican cuisine. Cinco De Mayo is a perfect time to share a few of these recipes with you.
If you're going to be seriously raw, then you'll likely need to find a substitute for tortilla chips. When I went raw, I knew that I would fail miserably if I couldn't eat my chips, guac and salsa. I was so happy to find a savory and satisfying raw recipe which I've shared on a previous blog.
When I was in San Francisco years ago, I went to a new, highly rated, nationally reviewed Mexican restaurant near the wharf. Once we were finally seated, this elegant but trendy hot spot did not disappoint. Somehow I was able to convince our wait person to have the chef write down what was in the guacamole, as it was the absolute best I'd ever tasted. He wouldn't share the amounts, but here's what was in it (I still have the original copy in my recipe book!) So simple and sooooo delicious:Fresh Avocados
Cilantro
Serrano Chiles
Diced Tomatoes
Lime juice
Res Onions
Sea Salt
Cilantro
Serrano Chiles
Diced Tomatoes
Lime juice
Res Onions
Sea Salt
other Cinco De Mayo favorite from days past is when I was seeing Kyle Young, a dashingly hip gent who is now the director of the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, TN. Although the long distance relationship didn't last, his Bobby Flay recipe for Cinco De Mayo salsa has remained a very special food memory for me:
Mango Tomatilla Salsa
courtesy of Bobby Flay's Bold American Food
1 large mango, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
4 med. tomatillos, husked and chopped
2 Tbsp. finely diced red onion
1 Tbsp. minced jalapeno
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilatro
1 Tbsp. raw honey
sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
courtesy of Bobby Flay's Bold American Food
1 large mango, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
4 med. tomatillos, husked and chopped
2 Tbsp. finely diced red onion
1 Tbsp. minced jalapeno
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilatro
1 Tbsp. raw honey
sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
I also have the most amazing raw "refried bean" recipe, but my husband is tapping his foot, waiting for me to log off and go celebrate. I'll be sure to finish my Cinco De Mayo post tomorrow with another recipe or two to tantalize your palate!
