When I was a teenager, my parents took me on a trip to California. We did the tourist thing in Los Angeles and then decided to drive down to San Diego. While there we went to the famous zoo but what I remember most vividly was an outdoors market that we stopped at for lunch. They served authentic Mexican food that was so incredibly fresh and flavorful – unlike any other. It was the first time I experienced eating cilantro and I loved the indescribable taste that it added to the tacos and salsa I ate that day.
Fast forward to today. I love making Mexican dishes for my family that have fresh ingredients like I experienced that day in San Diego – lots of cilantro, avocado, lime, corn, tomatoes, etc. In honor of today being Cinco de Mayo I thought it was the perfect time to share my favorite Classic Margarita and Mango Guacamole recipes that have many of these ingredients in them.
Classic Margarita
I have tried many different recipes for margaritas but I always go back to the tried and true. What I love about this recipe is that you can change it up according to your preference. Do you like a margarita a bit sweeter – add more agave. Do you like it a bit more sour – add more lime juice. The choice is yours.
Once you have your ingredients ready, add a small amount of water to a bowl and pour a bit of either salt or sugar depending on your preference onto a plate. I used sugar on my glass only for looks. Dip your glass into the water and then into the sugar or salt. If it is uneven or too much, just use a paper towel and wipe off the excess.
Set aside your glass to dry. Begin cutting your limes and squeezing out the juice – this is the hardest part. You will need about 1/4 cup of fresh lime juice for the recipe. You could purchase freshly squeeze lime juice but let’s be honest – what fun is that?!?!
Once you have your lime juice ready, using a 2 oz. jigger, add 2 shots to your shaker along with 2 shots of tequila, 2 shots of water and 1 shot of agave. Add ice to the shaker and shake!
Pour into your sugared-rim glass, add a fun straw and you are done making my favorite margarita!
Remember that you can change it up any way you want to – add more tequila, less tequila, more agave OR if you are daring, substitute the agave for a homemade blueberry simple syrup or watermelon puree. Mix it up! That is the great thing about making margaritas – the choice is yours!
Fredericksburg Living Classic Margarita
Ingredients
- 11 Limes - give or take a few
- Water
- Cold Tequila
- Agave Nectar
- Sugar or Salt for Rim of Glass
- 4 glasses
- Shaker
- 2 oz. capacity jigger
- ice
Directions
- Step 1 Pour water into a bowl. Pour sugar or salt (your taste preference) onto a small plate. Dip your 4 glasses into either the sugar or salt. Wipe any excess off with a wet paper towel. Put glasses to the side.
- Step 2 Squeeze the juice from 11 limes into a measuring cup. You will want at least a cup of lime juice. If you need more, juice a few more limes.
- Step 3 To make one margarita at a time: add 2 – 2 oz. shots of lime juice, 2 – 2 oz. shots of water, 2 – 2 oz. shots of tequila and 1 – 2 oz. shot of agave to a shaker. Add ice and shake.
- Step 4 Pour ice and cold margarita into sugar/salt rimmed glass.
- Step 5 Enjoy!
Mango Guacamole
Guacamole is again all about taste preference – some like it smooth, some like it chunky, some add pico de gallo while others do not. It is one of the main reasons why Mexican cuisine is one of my favorites to make – you can let your creativity run pretty wild.
My “go to” guacamole always has the same base and then I add to it. RVA Living gave me this recipe years ago. The base consists of avocados, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper. For this recipe I added in the mango for a light sweetness that blends perfectly with a bit sour classic margarita. Together the two – mango guacamole and a classic margarita – are a perfect appetizer or starter on a warm summer night outside on the patio.
Once you have gathered your ingredients, chop a handful of your cilantro into small pieces and set aside. Remove the pit from your avocado and set aside. Score each half of the avocado and then spoon each half into a bowl. Cut the mango into bite size pieces and add to the avocado.
Add the chopped cilantro to the avocado and mango. Dice garlic or use a garlic press and add to the bowl. Squeeze the juice from one lime into the bowl and sprinkle with salt/pepper.
Using a spoon, mix together breaking down some of the larger chunks of avocado.
If you are ready to eat, place on a plate with your favorite tortilla chip.
Tip: If you are saving it to serve later, add the seed from the avocado to the guacamole. It will help to keep it from browning. Cover and put in the fridge.
Salud!!!
Mango Guacamole
Ingredients
- 1 avocado
- 1 mango
- 1 lime
- 1 large clove of garlic
- handful of cilantro
- salt
- pepper
Directions
- Step 1 Gather ingredients.
- Step 2 Chop a handful of cilantro removed from the stem into small bite size pieces. Set aside.
- Step 3 Remove the seed from the avocado and set aside.
- Step 4 Score each half of the avocado in different directions. Spoon the avocado into a bowl.
- Step 5 Cut the mango into bite size pieces and add to the diced avocado.
- Step 6 Add the chopped cilantro to the bowl with avocado and mango.
- Step 7 Dice 1 clove of garlic or use a garlic press, then add to the bowl.
- Step 8 Squeeze the juice from one lime into the bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Step 9 Using a spoon, mix together while breaking down some of the larger chunks of avocado.
- Step 10 If you are ready to eat, place on a plate with your favorite tortilla chip.
- Step 11 Enjoy!
- Step 12 Tip: If you are saving it to serve later, add the seed from the avocado to the guacamole. It will help to keep it from browning. Cover and put in the fridge.
What is your favorite margarita on Cinco de Mayo – or anytime?
