America’s Salute to Mexico has graced Chewing The Fat for years…
Right after today’s story, you can read all about Cinco de Mayo. This year we’re making it easier than ever to celebrate. Here are 4 ready-eat recipes that Cinco and every Taco Tuesday a snap from now on. “Casa Verde” is made by Ilinel Food Company. “Ilinel” directly translates to “The Plants That Nurture Us” in the Mayan Language. Each one is 100 percent plant-based, organic, sustainably sourced, and non G.M.O. They’re even Kosher! We used them to make the Taco Extravaganza above. We loved the whole premise: Re-invented traditional Latin dishes that are usually heavily meat-based. The four flavors are Garbanzos Al Pastor, Lentil Mole, Coconut Chowder, and Red Bean Pozole. All their vegetables, beans, spices, and herbs are sourced from Mexico’s fruit and vegetable markets. They’re cooked in kettles and sealed. Then you cook them in just 60 seconds– on the stove or in the microwave.
Iron Chef, Ecuadorian American Jose Garces helped créate the first four meals.
Garces says “It’s been quite a journey exploring and reinventing Latin cuisine using a plant-based format. I was challenged to not only make something delicious, but healthy and affordable. I’ve had such a great time learning about different flavors and ingredients and bringing them together to make something truly special and remarkable. You don’t need to eat meat to get the traditional Latin cuisine feel. You can eat plant-based foods, feel really good about it, and still have something delicious to enjoy.”
Here’s what we did to pair our Tacos with some of our favorite add-ons.
We’re big fans of Flour Tortillas. In keeping with the healthy message of Casa Verde*, we used the Whole Wheat version from Trader Joe’s. We also liked the whole idea of keeping both cooking and prep time to a minimum. So we went with store-bought Fresh Salsa and Guacamole. We diced mangoes, red onion, and bell peppers. Grated some Queso Fresco. Dolloped a lot of Sour cream into a dish. And we used canned Kidney Beans. The results: A terrific trio of tacos all with authentic Latin American flavor. No recipe necessary!
*The ready-to-eat meals are convenient and accessible to all and can be purchased through Casa Verde’s direct-to-consumer site https://eatcasaverde.com/
Here are some links that will explore Cinco de Mayo and all the ways we’ve celebrated it on Chewing The Fat:
It’s Cinco de Mayo! Time to break out the Arrachera al Carbon! (That’s Mexican for Beef Fajitas)
