May brings great spring weather and many fresh vegetables along with the opening of local farm stands. Cinco de Mayo a holiday, which is not widely celebrated in Mexico, marks – not, as is commonly believed, Mexican independence – but the country’s victory over France in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

Here are some recipes for that holiday along with others to celebrate spring.

Guacamole

Guacamole, a simple dish that can be eaten as a snack or with your food, is one of my all-time favorite foods.

Use a sweet Hass avocado (with bumpy skin) for this recipe.

1-2 large fresh Hass avocados

1 clove garlic

Juice of 1 lime

1 jalapeno chopped (use to your liking)

1 tbsp chopped onion

1 tsp salt

1 large tomato, drained, seeded and chopped finely

2 tbsp chopped cilantro for garnish

In a bowl, mash the avocado. Add garlic, juice of a lime, jalapeno, onion, and salt. Gently fold in tomato and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with tortillas or as an appetizer.

Homemade Tortillas or Tacos

I always make my own taco seasoning. I keep it in a small Ball jar to use anytime I have leftover chicken. It has three tablespoon each of chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, and cumin. Salt and pepper go into the pan depending on what the leftovers are.

I keep tortillas in the fridge as well to use with leftovers. However, I do buy the sauce (although Martha Stewart would make that).

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups leftover cooked chicken (cut up)

2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp taco seasoning

Dash of salt and pepper

Jarred chunky taco sauce

Toppings

Sliced onion

Chopped tomato

Chopped jalapeno

Black olives

Shredded lettuce

4-6 soft tortillas

Place tortillas wrapped in foil in the oven at 250 degrees while making the filling.

In a saucepan, heat oil and add chicken and spices. Pour three tablespoons of sauce in the chicken to moisten. Brown on low heat until warmed through. Add cheese over the top until melted.

Serve with toppings and more sauce.

Jim’s Eggplant Parmesan

My friend made eggplant parmesan recently. It was delicious. He makes a simple recipe and gave it to me to share in the paper. I like to salt the eggplant first on paper towels, but Jim told me it is not necessary.

2 pounds eggplant (three medium, peeled and cut into 1/3 inch thick rounds.)

3 large eggs

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ cup seasoned Italian panko breadcrumbs

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Vegetable oil for frying

32 oz good quality tomato sauce, store-bought or homemade

16 oz shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese

Cut and peel the eggplant, place on a sheet pan and salt lightly. Allow to sit for 1 hour. Brush off salt and dry thoroughly. Using two bowls, dip the eggplant in egg then breadcrumbs. Place on a sheet plan until you complete the process.

Add oil to a skillet, about a third of an inch deep and set over medium heat. Fry the eggplant in batches in a single layer. The eggplant should sizzle when it touches the oil. Fry for three minutes per side or until golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate or baking sheet to drain excess oil.

Add a half cup sauce to the bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole dish. Add half of the eggplant slices, overlapping as needed. Pour over half of your sauce, and sprinkle half of your cheese over the eggplant slices. Add the second layer of eggplant, followed by your remaining sauce and cheese. Bake uncovered at 375F for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbling. Garnish with basil. Serve with the following salad.

Note: this can be made with chicken as well.

Pasta Salad with Asparagus and Snow Peas

1 pound asparagus, cut into ½ inch pieces

2 or 3 large radishes sliced (leave raw)

½ pound rotelle pasta, cooked al dente and cooled

¼ pound snow peas cooked al dente with strings removed

Dressing

1 small shallot or ½ large shallot, finely chopped.

1/3 cup oil

¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls.

3 tablespoons vinegar (whatever you have in the house)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Parmesan cheese if desired

Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Cool.

Quickly cook asparagus and snow peas, cut asparagus into half-inch pieces, and drain.

In your salad bowl, mix dressing. Add vegetables and add pasta. Toss gently. Add parmesan cheese.

Tequila Sunrise

For adults, I suddenly remembered a cocktail that I haven’t made in years. I learned many years ago to add ice to your drink by freezing the juice and use that as ice. This way your drink won’t be diluted. This can be made without alcohol for those that do not drink.

2 jiggers tequila

4 oz orange Juice

1 jigger sweet cranberry juice

Orange slices

Add tequila to a glass with ice cubes and then orange juice. Gently add cranberry juice. Decorate with sliced orange.

Affogato

This is another lovely drink that can be made with or without liquor.

2 scoops vanilla ice cream, high quality

1 shot espresso

1 tbsp hazelnut nut or coffee liqueur (optional)

dark chocolate, for grating on top

Brew an espresso (one per person). Scoop 1-2 scoops of vanilla ice cream into a wide glass cup and pour over a shot of espresso.

Pour 1 tbsp of hazelnut liqueur or your liqueur of choice over the ice cream and grate over a little dark chocolate.