It’s always fun to have an excuse to eat Mexican food and drink margaritas. I think that’s why so many Americans love to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. But does anybody know what we are celebrating? Many people think that it is Mexico’s Independence Day, but it is not (that’s on September 16th). I knew that much, and knew that it commemorated some sort of battle victory, but couldn’t remember what – so, I looked it up. On May 5th, 1862, the French army began to invade Mexico, with soldiers marching toward Mexico City. A smaller militia of men in the city of Puebla was able to defeat the French soldiers and prevent France’s invasion of Mexico. Of course, they came back shortly thereafter and successfully invaded the country, but we won’t go there. The Mexican state of Puebla celebrates the victory on el Cinco de Mayo, but I think it’s more of a regional thing there. Ironically, it seems that more Americans now celebrate Cinco de Mayo than Mexicans.
Of course, our household is no exception. I love cooking Mexican or Tex-Mex style food. Normally, I need no excuse, but I did get some inspiration to try something new this year. I make my grandma’s tacos quite often, and sometimes do enchiladas. I like to make tostadas, nachos and quesadillas. But I wanted something a little different for Cinco de Mayo. So, here’s what I came up with:
Shrimp Tacos with Mango-Jalapeno Sauce
Ingredients:
1 cup rice, cooked
1 bag of large shrimp, fully cooked
White corn tortillas
1 Tbsp. butter
Garlic powder
Sauce:
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1 jalapeno, seeded
1 green onion, diced
1/8 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. honey
Dash of salt
Directions:
- Cook rice according to package directions.
- While that’s cooking, make the sauce by pureeing all ingredients in a food processor.
- Remove tails from shrimp, if necessary, place in a large pan and sprinkle with garlic powder. Sauté shrimp in butter over medium heat until heated all the way through.
- Warm tortillas in microwave.
- Serve rice, shrimp and sauce in separate bowls to allow others to make their own tacos. Make your taco by putting desired amount of rice, shrimp and sauce on a tortilla. Roll and eat!
I had made a similar shrimp recipe before on the grill, but thought this would be fun to do as tacos. Tom and I both enjoyed it! Plus, I tried my hand at some frozen peach margaritas! Yum! If you want that recipe, I found it here.
ABOUTME
Hi there! My name is Dana and I live in West Michigan with my husband, Tom and our dog Copernicus. I created this space as a place to share the things I learn along this journey I call life. I work in marketing and I'm a sort of Jane of All Trades, interested in all things nature, gardening, cooking, exploring and learning new things. This blog is a conglomeration of my interests, hobbies, life and life lessons. Thanks for stopping by!