The best place to celebrate Cinco de Mayo is, of course, at one of Mexico’s unbeatable beach resorts with a feast, a fiesta, and fireworks adding bright colors to the starry sky. Unfortunately, everyone can’t jet to paradise for the festivities, so your amigos at the ocean-front resort Hacienda Encantada on "Millionaire's Row" in Los Cabos decided to share a taste of their hospitality with some easy recipes from their team of culinary masters. It’s the next best thing to the resort’s en suite guacamole chef service (which should totally be a thing everywhere). Nothing beats fresh guac at your doorstep—except maybe a dinner at sunset on the clifftop patio of the hotel’s Las Marias or Los Riscos mesquite grill, both overlooking the Sea of Cortez.
These recipes will do nicely though, especially since all four of them can be prepared in less than 60 minutes, leaving you plenty of time to focus on the most important aspect of any proper Cinco de Mayo celebration: margaritas.
Empanadillas de Camaron (Shrimp Empanadas)
This is Hacienda Encantada’s delicious appetizer version of the popular Empanadillas found throughout Mexico, but made healthier with fresh ingredients that are baked instead of fried, and wrapped in light filo layers instead of soft dough.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups minced shrimp
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3/4 cup red pepper
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- Filo pastry dough
- Butter
Directions:
Mince shrimp, garlic, red pepper, and cilantro. Combine and set aside. Prepare filo by stacking two sheets on top of each other, brushing the top of each with melted butter. Cut into three strips, about three inches by 12 inches. Place a teaspoon of the shrimp mixture at one end. Fold filo dough over the filling, working back and forth from side to side to make a triangle. Seal the end closed with a dab of water or butter. Place triangle on an ungreased baking sheet.
Repeat with remaining filo sheets and filling. Bake 10 minutes in preheated oven at 250 degrees until tops are golden brown.
Sea Bass Ceviche
Baja de Sur’s famous fish dishes are served fresh from the sea, so this quick, no-cook dish is ideal for a summery Cinco de Mayo fiesta.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup fresh sea bass
- 1/3 cup onion
- 3 tablespoons serrano pepper
- 3 tablespoons cilantro
- 1 cup red tomato
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons oregano (fresh)
- 2/3 cup lemon juice
Directions:
Cut fresh fish (avoid frozen) into small cubes and marinate in lemon juice for eight minutes. While fish is “cooking” in the marinade, chop the tomatoes, pepper, and cilantro. Drain fish, add vegetable mixture, and serve.
Serves one; simply multiply ingredients to serve as needed.
Guacamole
Ingredients:
- 1-2 avocados
- 1/3 cups tomatillos (green tomatoes AKA Husk Tomatoes, used for Salsa Verde)
- 3 tablespoons serrano pepper
- 3 tablespoons cilantro
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
The secret to Hacienda Encantada’s wonderful guacamole is their blended veggies with a touch of virgin olive oil. Simply cut a ripe avocado in half and remove the pulp with a spoon, placing it in a bowl. Soften with a whisk. In a blender, combine cilantro, tomato, cilantro, pepper, and olive oil until smooth. Add to the avocado and stir. Add salt to taste.
Serve with fresh tortilla chips.
Tangy Tortilla Chips
Ingredients:
- 1 package fresh corn tortillas
- 3-4 cups oil
- Tajin seasoning or salt to taste.
Directions:
Heat oil. Cut a stack of corn tortillas into triangles or strips. One handful at a time, drop cut tortilla pieces into the oil and quickly fry until crisp. Use slotted spoon to remove promptly when light golden color. Drain chips on towel and then sprinkle with Tajin seasoning. (Tajin is a tangy, savory Mexican seasoning from Jalisco, containing chile peppers, dehydrated lime, and salt. It’s magic to season chips with and to circle the rim of margarita glasses.)
Serve fresh with guacamole and call us when it's ready.
