DRINKS FOR CINCOC de MAYO

This my favorite Margarita Drink

Margarita Sunrise

Make any size batch of this recipe by simply multiplying the ingredient measurements by the desired number of servings. For larger batches, stir together all ingredients in a pitcher until powdered sugar is dissolved. Chill and serve over ice. For a sweeter drink, use 1/2 cup powdered sugar instead of 1/3 cup.

Yield: Makes 1 serving
Ingredients
Fresh lime wedge (optional)
Margarita salt (optional)
1/3 cup fresh lime juice*
3 tablespoons orange liqueur
3 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons tequila
1/3 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Ice
3 tablespoons club soda or lemon-lime soft drink
2 teaspoons grenadine

Preparation
1. Rub rim of a chilled margarita glass with lime wedge, and dip rim in salt to coat, if desired.
2. Pour lime juice, liqueur, orange juice, tequila, and powdered sugar over ice in a cocktail shaker. Cover with lid, and shake until thoroughly chilled. Strain into prepared glass. Add club soda or lemon-lime soft drink for a little fizz, if desired. Top with grenadine. Serve immediately.
*1/3 cup thawed frozen limeade concentrate may be substituted for fresh lime juice. Omit powdered sugar, and proceed with recipe as directed.

Note: I used Cointreau for orange liqueur and Jose Cuervo Especial for tequila.

I multiplied this recipe by eight on everything, but only added 1 cup of lime juice for an entire recipe for eight. Use the lesser sugar amount. Add 1/3 of club soda to each one. It really makes a difference.


Make a Mocktail

Non-drinking and the guests on diet will love tangy Fresh Ginger Beer. Garnish with a sugar rim and lime slices to give it a pretty cocktail presentation.
If you like ginger ale, you'll love this tangy beverage. Add your favorite rum to create a memorable cocktail. If you can't find superfine sugar, place granulated sugar in a blender, and process until fine. You can find bottled ground fresh ginger in the produce section of the supermarket.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients
2 cups cold water
1 cup fresh lime juice
4 teaspoons bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
3/4 cup superfine sugar
3 cups sparkling water
Lime slices (optional)

Preparation
Combine water, juice, and ginger in a blender; process until blended.
Line a strainer with cheesecloth. Strain mixture over a pitcher; discard solids. Add sugar to pitcher; stir until dissolved.
Add sparkling water just before serving. Serve over ice. Garnish with lime slices, if desired.

Calories:
81 (0.0% from fat)

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

Tex-Mex Beef Tacos
This recipe satisfies my craving for Mexican food, and it's low in fat, easy to prepare,fast and it's under 300. 10 servings (serving size: 1 taco)

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground sirloin
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 to 3 drained canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped
10 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas

Preparation
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, garlic, and beef; cook 6 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble beef. Stir in corn and next 6 ingredients (corn through chiles). Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon 1/2 cup beef mixture into each tortilla.

Calories:
266 (25% from fat)

Turkey Enchilada Casserole

Try this tasty turkey enchilada recipe for a quick and easy Mexican-style dinner and it Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano leaves or 1 tablespoon dried
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salad oil
2 cans tomato soup
1 jar (8oz) salsa
1/4 cup water
Salt
12 corn tortillas (6 in. wide)
2 cups shredded reduced-fat jack cheese (8 oz.)
Chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation
1. Mix soup, water and salsa and set aside.
2. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, stir turkey, onion, garlic, oregano, and cumin in oil until turkey is crumbly and no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Stir in 1 cup sauce. Add salt to taste.
3. Meanwhile, cut tortillas in half. Arrange a fourth of the halves evenly over the bottom of a shallow 3-quart casserole, overlapping to fit. Sprinkle a fourth of the cheese evenly over the tortillas, then top with a third of the turkey mixture and a fourth of the remaining sauce, spreading each level. Repeat to make two more layers of tortillas, cheese, turkey mixture, and sauce; top with another layer of tortillas and sauce, then cheese.
4. Bake in a 425° regular or convection oven until cheese is melted and casserole is hot in the center, 18 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Calories:
249 (20% from fat

WHAT’S COOKIN' VEGETABLE SOUP

WHAT’S ON HAND VEGETABLE SOUP

Here is a simple recipe for chunky vegetable soup using ingredients that you have on hand. This is easy to make and can be served as a starter or as a main course. Don’t worry if you don’t have every vegetable listed; this soup recipe is very flexible. Use whatever you have on hand.

1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons oil
8 cups water or vegetable stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 sweet potato or rutabaga, diced
1 white potato, diced
1 cup green beans, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup fresh peas
1 cup chopped cabbage, kale, collards, or other green
1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried herbs (thyme, rosemary, tarragon, savory, etc.)
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
salt and black pepper to taste

Place onion, celery, carrots, and oil in large soup pot. Sauté 10 minutes over medium heat until onions are soft.

Add water or stock, garlic, potatoes, beans, and vegetables. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes until potatoes are tender.

Add remaining ingredients except parsley, and seasonings. Simmer 10 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Remove from heat. Stir in parsley. Season with salt and black pepper.

Don’t forget the corn bread.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

WHAT'S COOKIN' EASTER DESSERT

OLD-FASHIONED CARROT CAKE

Carrot cakes first became commonly available in restaurants and cafeterias in the United States in the early 1960s. It was at first a novelty item, but people liked them so much that carrot cake became standard dessert fare. In 2005, Food Network listed carrot cake, with its cream-cheese icing, as number five of the top five fad foods of the 1970. My mother added carrot cake to or family Easter Dinner in the late 60th and my sister and I add the cream-cheese icing to my mother recipe in 1972.

CARROT CAKE

1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups shredded raw carrots
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained well
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Combine oil, sugar, and eggs. Mix well. Add cinnamon, vanilla, carrots, and pineapple. Add dry ingredients mixing well.
Pour in 9x13 grassed pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon margarine, softened
1/3 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
Mix cream cheese, sugar, and margarine, until fluffy. Add pineapple and pecans mix well.

WHAT'S COOKIN' BAKE LEG OF LAMB

Lamb is flavorful enough on its own that it doesn't need much seasoning, but conversely, lamb's flavor is robust enough that it pairs beautifully with any number of herbs.

Seasoning the Meat
You can do this right before you begin roasting, or do it a day ahead of time for a more intense flavor.
Season the lamb however you like--but don't salt it until just before cooking, as salt can draw moisture out of the meat.

 Before seasoning the lamb, trim some of the excess fat if you like, in addition to any silver skin.
 Make small incisions in the surface of the meat and push slivers of garlic and sprigs of *herbs into the slits. Chop up herbs/seasonings and rub the mixture evenly over the surface of the meat.
 Wrap the coated meat tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight for the best flavor.
Roasted to Perfection
Before roasting your lamb, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to sit for 30 minutes. A piece of meat at room temperature will roast more evenly, and using a roasting rack will ensure even browning and heat circulation.
The amount of fat that your piece of lamb has surrounding the outside and marbled through the middle will determine the cooking time and temperature you use:
 For a lean piece of meat, cook at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for the first 15 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) to continue roasting--the meat will take about 25 minutes per pound to reach medium rare.
Using a hot oven in this manner will allow leaner cuts of meat to get nicely browned on the outside before they become overcooked and dry in the middle.
 For a fattier piece of meat, roast at 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) for a longer period of time, allowing the fat to slowly melt and bathe the roast in its own juices. Meat cooked with this method will take about 30 minutes per pound to reach medium rare.
Avoid cooking your lamb beyond this temperature as the meat can become dried out and tough.
Rest Your Roast
Once your roast is within 10 degrees F (5 degrees C) of its ideal cooked temperature, remove from the oven, place a foil tent loosely over it, and allow the meat to rest for 15-20 minutes. As the meat rests, the internal temperature will increase by several degrees, the muscle fibers will relax, and the juice that has come to the surface of the meat during cooking will begin to return to the center. A well-rested piece of meat will be tenderer, and will retain its juices better when you slice it.
*Some additions that complement lamb well are rosemary, oregano, marjoram, thyme, lemon zest, cumin, coriander, mint,

THE BAKE HAM

Almost all hams have either been partially or fully cooked before they are packaged.
A partially cooked ham has been brought to an internal temperature of 137 degrees F, which kills any bacteria. This ham still need to be cooked more before serving in order to make it more tender and delicious.
A fully cooked ham is one that has been brought to an internal temperature of 148 degrees F and needs no further cooking. You can eat it directly out of the package, but heating will enhance the flavor.

Baking Your Ham

The most traditional way to prepare a whole ham is to bake it.
For a ham that has only been partially cooked, you will need to allow about 20 minutes per pound in a moderate (350 degrees F/175 degrees C) oven.
A fully cooked ham will require about 10 minutes per pound in order to be heated all the way through.
Although ham is perfectly delicious all by itself, you can make it extra-special by using a glaze. The most popular glaze recipes contain combinations of fruit juice, wine or whiskey, honey, mustard, brown sugar, fruit preserves and spices. Brush some of the glaze over the surface of the ham before placing it in the oven.
To help keep your ham moist and juicy:
Place the ham cut-side down in a baking pan. If it's going to be in the oven for more than an hour, you also may want to place a foil "tent" over your ham in order to keep it from drying out.
Continue to brush the ham with glaze and baste it with the pan juices every 20 minutes or so, until it is heated through.
To finish the ham and give it a deliciously caramelized coating, remove the foil tent, brush it with glaze and pan juices one more time, and then turns your oven to the broiler setting. Allow the outside of the ham to get nice and browned-this should only take about 5 minutes, but watch it closely so it doesn't get too dark.
When the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F (80 degrees C), the ham is ready for serving.