Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

Today is Cinco de Mayo – Spanish for the fifth of May.  It is a day widely celebrated in Mexico and the USA as a day of celebration for Mexican heritage and pride and to commemorate a day of freedom and democracy during the first years of the civil war.

As my dad is now an American citizen and I have spent a lot of time in California, I feel a certain affiliation for Cinco de Mayo as it’s always a great time of celebration, PLUS, Mexican food is my absolute favourite food to eat - Vegetarian Fajitas are a weekly tradition in our house, closely followed by nachos, quesadillas, burritos and all things Mexican.

Mexican food over here doesn’t compare to Mexican food in the Americas.  I personally don’t rate Chiquitos, but I used to frequently visit Chiljis in Hatfield, which served good food until it closed down .  So if anyone knows of an amazing Mexican restaurant please let me know!!!

I am under the impression that once you have sampled great Mexican food, the dishes served in England don’t compare.  My mouth salivates every time I think of sitting in the Californian sun, sipping a cold, fresh margarita and eating a vegetarian quesadilla made with jack cheese and served with freshly made Pico de Gallo, guacamole and sour cream – Heaven.

For now though (or at least until the youngest is old enough to handle a twelve hour plane ride), to pay homage to the humble Quesadilla, here is my home-made vegetarian version of Quesadillas.

To make 4 Quesadillas:

Ingredients

8 Tortillas

1 Onion

1 Red pepper

1 Green Pepper

150g Cheeses – whatever you like – cheddar, red Leicester, Edam, jack – whatever you have

Refried Beans (Optional – we love them, the kids hate them!)

Method:

1) Peel, deseed and finely chop the onions and peppers

2) Grate the cheeses into a bowl

3) Add the vegetables and mix together in the bowl

4) Take 2 tortillas for each quesadilla and spread a thin layer of the refried beans (if using) on each.  (Alternatively, you could fill half the tortilla and fold it over rather than using 2 tortillas for each).

5) Split the mixed cheese and vegetable mixture between the 4 quesadillas, using it to sandwich the tortillas together

6) Place the quesadilla in a dry, non stick frying pan and fry for about a minute and a half each side until the inside is warm and the cheese is melted, but the outside is still crispy

7) Serve with Sour Cream, Guacamole, Salsa and maybe even a Margarita or two!