Hola Amigos! It’s warming up for a fabulous Cinco de Mayo, and instead of waiting for hours at my fave Mexican restaurant, I’ll be whipping up a batch of margaritas and cooking at home.
The Mexican Corn and Rice Salad below is inspired by Mexican Street Corn. Don’t skip the Cotija cheese and bacon…it makes the dish.
If you love Chinese fried rice, you’ll LOVE this Mexican-flavored fried rice recipe. The Simple Truth Organic 90-second rice pouches makes this a dish that comes together in under 10 minutes. Serve with tacos or fajitas to round out your meal.
Need a great entrée to serve to a crowd? Try the Chicken Fajita Kabobs or the Build Your Own Shrimp Bowls. Both allow for mixing in your favorite ingredients so guests can create a dish to their liking. Be sure to provide plenty of hot sauces, chopped avocado and crema for toppings!
Ingredients:
Directions:
Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant but not brown, 30 seconds. Add bell pepper and red onion and cook, stirring often until starting to soften, about 3 minutes.
Add frozen corn, chili powder and salt and cook, stirring occasionally until steaming hot all the way through and the pepper is crisp tender, 4 to 6 minutes.
Remove from the heat and serve on top of cooked rice with additional toppings, if desired.
Ingredients:
Bowl Ingredients:
Directions:
Place the shrimp in bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil, juice and taco seasoning. Massage the ingredients into the shrimp and let the shrimp rest on the counter for 15 minutes.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Spread the shrimp across the pan and discard any remaining marinade. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side or until they've turned lightly pink on the outside and the insides are turning white.
Assemble the bowls with the rice, black beans, veggies and sprinkle with cilantro. Drizzle with more hot sauce and a squeeze of lime, if desired.
Kabob Ingredients:
Fajita Chicken:
Directions:
Place cut red onion and bell pepper in a large, gallon-sized zip-top bag with 2 Tbsp. olive oil, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Toss to coat and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the Fajita Chicken Marinade:
Combine lime juice, ⅓ cup olive oil, soy sauce, and taco seasoning in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk to combine. In another large, gallon-sized zip-top bag place chicken cubes and pour marinade on top. Shake well and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes.
For the Kabob Assembly:
Once chicken is done marinating, thread alone on skewers, then thread veggies, alternating between onion, bell pepper and mushrooms on other skewers.
Heat grill to medium-high. Cook skewers for 3-4 minutes per side, totaling about 10-12 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender and nicely charred. Serve these kabobs with cilantro and enjoy over rice.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Add two tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion, and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, corn, and green chiles, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the liquid has cooked out.
Add the seasoning and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant. Turn the heat down to medium, add the remaining olive oil and the rice, directly from the package. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently to blend the rice and seasonings. Remove from heat and top with the remaining green onions.
Katie Harding is the publisher of Forks and Folly . A self-taught cook and die-hard foodie, Katie lives in Charlotte with her husband and three boys. Besides cooking and eating, she loves craft beers, running, and napping.
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