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Navigating popular Cinco de Mayo party fare can be challenging for people focused on healthy-eating. So what’s a fiesta host or guest to do?
Elizabeth Edelman, resident culinary expert and healthy eating guru at Diabetes Daily (www.DiabetesDaily.com), has developed nutritious adaptations of some Cinco de Mayo favorites, including guacamole, veggie quesadillas, steak fajitas and delicious low-carb margaritas that are quick to make and easy to take to any Cinco de Mayo celebration. Full recipes are included below, as well as links where you can find more of Elizabeth’s healthy adaptations of Cinco de Mayo favorites.
Please provide credit for the recipes to Elizabeth Edelman of www.DiabetesDaily.com.
Guacamole
What You Need:
5 ripe Hass avocados
2 limes, juiced
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 small tomato, chopped
1 big handful fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
How to Make It:
Halve and pit the avocados. With a tablespoon, scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl. Mash the avocados with a fork, leaving them still a bit chunky. Add all of the rest of the ingredients, and fold everything together. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with tortilla chips or fresh cut veggies.
Serves 6.
Nutrition Facts per Serving:
Calories: 280
Carbohydrates: 18g
Fiber: 12g
Sugars: 2g
Total Fat: 25g
Saturated: 4g
Trans: 0g
Sodium: 200mg
Protein: 4g
Portobello and Spinach Quesadilla
What You Need:
1 pound of spinach, washed
2 portobello mushroom caps, grilled or sauteed and sliced thinly
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 onion, sliced thin and caramelized
1/2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
4 (12 in.) flour tortillas
1/2 cup grated cheddar jack blend cheese, shredded
Salsa, guacamole and sour cream, for serving
How to Make It:
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the garlic for 1 minute and then add the spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted and turn off the heat. Set aside.
Lay out 2 of the flour tortillas on a flat surface. Top with 1/2 cup of the cheese, spreading evenly over the tortillas. Divide the portobello mushrooms, the onions and the spinach among the tortillas. Top with remaining tortillas and press to seal.
Heat a large saute pan over high heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan and lower the heat to medium. Cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Repeat with the other quesadilla.
How to Serve It:
Let cool for 5 minutes. Slice into 8 or 10 pieces. Garnish with salsa and cilantro sprigs.
Serves 8 for appetizers.
Nutrition Facts per serving (not including toppings, i.e. salsa and sour cream):
Calories: 236
Carbohydrates: 33g
Fiber: 3g
Sugars: 2g
Total Fat: 8g
Saturated: 3g
Trans: 0g
Sodium: 434mg
Protein: 9g
Navigating popular Cinco de Mayo party fare can be challenging for people focused on healthy-eating. So what’s a fiesta host or guest to do?
Elizabeth Edelman, resident culinary expert and healthy eating guru at Diabetes Daily (www.DiabetesDaily.com), has developed nutritious adaptations of some Cinco de Mayo favorites, including guacamole, veggie quesadillas, steak fajitas and delicious low-carb margaritas that are quick to make and easy to take to any Cinco de Mayo celebration. Full recipes are included below, as well as links where you can find more of Elizabeth’s healthy adaptations of Cinco de Mayo favorites.
Please provide credit for the recipes to Elizabeth Edelman of www.DiabetesDaily.com.
Guacamole
What You Need:
5 ripe Hass avocados
2 limes, juiced
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 small tomato, chopped
1 big handful fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
How to Make It:
Halve and pit the avocados. With a tablespoon, scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl. Mash the avocados with a fork, leaving them still a bit chunky. Add all of the rest of the ingredients, and fold everything together. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with tortilla chips or fresh cut veggies.
Serves 6.
Nutrition Facts per Serving:
Calories: 280
Carbohydrates: 18g
Fiber: 12g
Sugars: 2g
Total Fat: 25g
Saturated: 4g
Trans: 0g
Sodium: 200mg
Protein: 4g
Portobello and Spinach Quesadilla
What You Need:
1 pound of spinach, washed
2 portobello mushroom caps, grilled or sauteed and sliced thinly
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 onion, sliced thin and caramelized
1/2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
4 (12 in.) flour tortillas
1/2 cup grated cheddar jack blend cheese, shredded
Salsa, guacamole and sour cream, for serving
How to Make It:
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the garlic for 1 minute and then add the spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted and turn off the heat. Set aside.
Lay out 2 of the flour tortillas on a flat surface. Top with 1/2 cup of the cheese, spreading evenly over the tortillas. Divide the portobello mushrooms, the onions and the spinach among the tortillas. Top with remaining tortillas and press to seal.
Heat a large saute pan over high heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan and lower the heat to medium. Cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Repeat with the other quesadilla.
How to Serve It:
Let cool for 5 minutes. Slice into 8 or 10 pieces. Garnish with salsa and cilantro sprigs.
Serves 8 for appetizers.
Nutrition Facts per serving (not including toppings, i.e. salsa and sour cream):
Calories: 236
Carbohydrates: 33g
Fiber: 3g
Sugars: 2g
Total Fat: 8g
Saturated: 3g
Trans: 0g
Sodium: 434mg
Protein: 9g
Steak Fajitas
What You Need:
2 1/4 pounds skirt steak, trimmed of fat and cut into thirds
Salt
Pepper
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
Lime juice
Olive oil
12 corn tortillas, warm
Guacamole
(from recipe above)
Good quality store-bought salsa
Bean dip
Marinade:
1 orange, juiced
2 limes, juiced
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3 chipolte chiles, in adobo sauce
3 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
How to Make It:
In a small, 2-cup measuring cup, combine all the marinade ingredients. Using an immersion blender, puree the marinade until smooth. Transfer to a re-sealable plastic bag and add the steak, seal and shake to coat. Marinate for 2 to 4 hours.
Preheat a ridged grill pan or grill on high heat.
Drain the marinade from the beef. Lightly oil the grill or grill pan. Season liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Grill the steak over medium-high heat and cook for 4 minutes on each side and then transfer to a cutting board and let rest. Depending on the size of your grill pan you may need to cook in batches.
Once the beef is off the grill pan and resting, add the bell peppers and onions tossed with lime juice and olive oil, if using. Grill the mixture for 7 to 8 minutes until the vegetables are just barely limp.
While the peppers and onions are cooking, heat up the tortillas. Turn a burner on a medium-low flame. Place a tortilla on each flame and let it char about 30 seconds to 1 minute, flip the tortilla and repeat on the second side. Once heated and charred remove the tortilla to a clean tea towel and wrap to keep warm. Repeat until you have warmed all of your tortillas.
You can also heat your tortillas in a microwave, lightly dampen a tea towel with some water, wrap the tortillas in the damp towel and heat in the microwave for about 1 minute. Check to see if they are warm. If not, repeat the heating in 1-minute intervals until they are warm and pliable.
Thinly slice the steak against the grain on a diagonal.
How to Serve It:
Spread some guacamole and bean dip on a tortilla, top with a few slices of steak, peppers, onions, and salsa. Top with sour cream and shredded cheese if desired. Roll up the tortilla to enclose the filling.
Serves 6.
Nutrition Facts per Serving (not including salsa and guacamole):
Calories: 587
Carbohydrates: 29g
Fiber: 3g
Sugars: 2g
Total Fat: 33g
Saturated: 13g
Trans: 0g
Sodium: 552mg
Protein: 44g
Low-Carb Margarita
What You Need:
1 shot tequila
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp. orange extract
1 Tablespoon Splenda (or sweetener of your choice)
A small handful of ice
Kosher salt (for the rim of the glass, optional)
Lime wedges
How to Make It:
Combine the tequila, lime juice, water, orange extract, and Splenda in a cocktail shaker with ice in it. Shake to combine. Meanwhile, take a slice of lime and rub it around the rim of your margarita glass. Dip the glass in salt, if desired and place more ice in the glass. Pour the contents of the shaker into the glass and garnish with a lime wedge.
Serves 1, but can easily be doubled!
Nutrition Facts per Serving:
Calories: 103
Carbohydrates: 3g
Fiber: .1g
Sugars: .5g
Total Fat: 0g
Saturated: 0g
Trans: 0g
Sodium: .1mg
Protein: .1g
More Cinco de Mayo Favorites
You can find more healthy adaptations of Cinco de Mayo favorites by visiting www.DiabetesDaily.com:
Mexican Bean Dip: http://www.diabetesdaily.com/recipes/appetizers/mexican_bean_dip/
Steak Quesadilla: http://www.diabetesdaily.com/recipes/appetizers/steak_quesadilla/
Mahi Mahi and Pineapple Skewers with Tomatillo Salsa:http://www.diabetesdaily.com/recipes/appetizers/mahi_mahi_and_pineapple_skewers_with_tomatillo_salsa/
Turkey Tacos: http://www.diabetesdaily.com/recipes/entrees/turkey_tacos/
About Diabetes Daily
Founded by David and Elizabeth Edelman, Diabetes Daily is a leading online support network that helps people affected by diabetes live a better life. The online support network features one of the largest diabetes forums, as well as original recipes, meal plans, cookbooks, blogs, educational resources, online blood glucose tracking, health challenges and diabetes related news. Diabetes Daily’s mission is to connect people with diabetes, facilitate education and promote advocacy. Since its inception in 2005, the support network has grown to include more than 20,000 members. Consumers can join by visiting www.DiabetesDaily.com.
EDITOR’S NOTE: To speak with Elizabeth Edelman about her healthy Cinco de Mayo recipes or for product photography, contact Kayleigh Fitch at 440.333.0001 ext. 105 or kayleigh@sweeneypr.com.
