Hosted by: Nicole & Jerel
Theme: South of the Border Fiesta
Sunday Bites may have decided to celebrate Cinco De Mayo a month late this year, but what a celebration it was! We broke out our favorite Mexican-inspired dishes, and of course, put our own twist on them.
We started off right- with a big bowl of homemade guacamole. It was hard to take a picture of it, as we scarfed it down within minutes of it being placed on the table....
What fiesta would be complete without a citrusy drink? These beverages were a simple combination of organic limeade and fresh limes.
The first side dish was a citrus black bean and corn salsa brought by Matt and Erin. It was a refreshing and colorful complement to the other citrus-inspired flavors of the rest of the meal.Black Bean and Citrus Salsa
3 cups cooked black beans (two 15 ounce cans)
1 cup fresh, frozen or canned corn kernels
1 tomato cubed
½ cup chopped red onion (we used a sweet onion, which worked well)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 oranges, peeled, sectioned and cut into small pieces
1 grapefruit, peeled, sectioned and cut into small pieces
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup cooked rice (optional)
1 ripe hass avocado cubed
(to cube: slice around the avocado lengthwise, twist the halves apart and remove the pit. Carefully cut the flesh into cubes right in the skins and then scoop out with a spoon).
Dressing
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt
Rinse and drain the beans. Blanch the corn in boiling water to cover for 3 to 5 minutes, until just tender. Drain well. In a large bowl, toss together the beans, corn, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, orange and grapefruit pieces, avocado cubes, cilantro, and rice, if using. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Toss the salad with the dressing.
Serve right away or refrigerate. It will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
From Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates
Brad and Sarah brought us a dish from the past- Tortilla Chip Casserole. It's oozy, cheesy goodness reminded us that sometimes, you just shouldn't question the culinary genius of the mid-century.Tortilla Chip Casserole
1 package (6.25 oz) tortilla chips
1 large onion, chopped
2 T butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c small-curd cottage cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
dash of pepper
1 can (4 oz) diced green chilies
3 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 3/4 lb)
1 c sour cream
1 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 1/4 lb)
ripe jalapeno peppers, optional
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Crust enough of the tortilla chips to make 1/2 cup; reserve. Saute onion in butter in small skillet until light brown, about 3 minutes. Combine eggs, cottage cheese, salt, cumin, and pepper in small bowl.
Place half of the remaining tortilla chips in buttered 12x8x1.75 inch baking dish; layer with half of the onion, half of the egg mixture, half of the chilies and half of the Monterey Jack cheese. Repeat layers. Bake covered 25 minutes.
Spread sour cream over casserole. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and reserve crushed tortilla chips. Bake uncovered 5 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Garnish with peppers.
From 1979 July-August issue of Cuisine
The main course was a fantastic taco bar, prepared by Nicole and Jerel. Spicy grilled shrimp provided the base, with homemade salsa, red cabbage slaw, and red rice, atop grilled tortilla shells.
The finished product- yum!
We capped off our night with a sweet and spicy treat. Toasted coconut and fresh whipped cream sat atop a scoop of Jeni's Ice Cream's Queen City Cayenne ice cream- chocolate ice cream with a hint of cayenne pepper that had us all saying "Oh!" in surprise and delight as it hit the back of our throats.
It was a festive occasion and by the end we were all satiated and happily full of delicious food. Even our honorary supper club members of the night, Leo and Vinny, were ready for a nap!
