Happ!y Cinco De Mayo - Recipes for a healthy gathering!

Happy Cinco De Mayo! If you don't know what Cinco De Mayo is, you can read about it here. Basically, the 5th of May is the day the Mexican Army beat the French Army in the Battle of the Puebla. While I recognize this is not a huge holiday for many people, we celebrate it here in Texas with parties and family gatherings.

Every Cinco De Mayo I plan a traditional family gathering filled with awesome foods with a Tex-Mex flare. While Tex-Mex food can be very unhealthy with all of the cheese and fatfilled sauces, it doesn't have to be. With a little planning, our family get together doesn't have to be unhealthy.

We're starting the night off with a healthy guacamole, served with baked torillias instead of chips, follow with chicken fajtas served with a healthy corn and tomato salsa.

Guacamole

• 4 avocados
• 2 home-grown or vine ripened tomatoes, sliced
• 1 whole chile ortega (canned)
• 1/8 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• salt to taste
• hot sauce to taste

Chicken fajitas

• 1 - 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 medium yellow onions sliced into 1/4 inch strips
• 1 large red bell pepper sliced into 1/4 inch strips
• 2 medium zucchini, sliced into strips

Marinade

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp. liquid smoke
• 2 tbs apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tbs. fresh lime juice
• 1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. oregano leaves
• 1 tsp. soy sauce

Toppings

• salsa
• quacamole
  
• a bowl of low-fat sour cream
• 2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
• lime wedges, optional
• fajita size flour tortillas

Grill as usual over medium heat till the juices run clear. You can baste with the marinade while the chicken is cooking. Toss the marinade out after you are done basting.

Corn and Tomato salsa

• 2 cups fresh corn kernels
• 1/2 Roma tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped purple onion
• 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 small hot chile pepper, finely chopped - skip the chile if you don't like the heat
  
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• dash ground cumin

Mix and chill for at least three hours before serving.

This awesome meal will be a healthy alternative to the usual cheese/fat laden fare Mexican food is famous for, but it will please the family and me with it's great taste and it's high nutritional value.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

While enjoying the food, you might also enjoy the salsa workout music I've put in my IPod to celebrate this holiday. You can preview the Mp3 on the right of this post.