Cinco de Mayo Inspiration

It should come as no surprise that I have a treasure trove of Mexican recipes.  We  have some variety of the cuisine nearly evey week and we frequent our favorite Mexican restaurant so often, the waiters all know and recognize us.  It's quick, inexpensive, and a crowd-favorite.  
In celebration of the upcoming Americanized holiday, Cinco de Mayo, I thought I'd share some of our favorite dishes to get you in the festive mood.  Whether you whip one of these up to celebrate the holiday or just because, I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!  Happy Cinco de Mayo!
From top left to right, starting from the top:
Creamy Chicken Taquitos
Nacho Potatoes
Grilled Stuffed Burritos
Taco Cupcakes
Farmers Market Salad
BBQ Beef Quesadilla Torta
Southwestern Egg Rolls
Shrimp Enchiladas with Sweet Corn Sauce
Slow Cooker Pork Tacos with Pickled Red Onions and Mango Salsa
Shrimp Cobb Salad
Mexican Chicken Pasta
Fish Tacos with Fruit Slaw and Avocado Cream

Weekly Menu Plan

For added inspiration to eat healthy and plan ahead, I thought I'd link up with Keeper of the Home and post my weekly menu as part of "Plan It - Don't Panic."  Stephanie is hosting a 6-week menu planning party to encourage everyone to plan their meals ahead of time and avoid unhealthy meals and hurried dinners.  Being a planner, I think this is great and look forward to seeing what everyone else has planned.  Even if you don't link up your menu, it's a great resource to find inspiration and a ton of recipes! 

Without further ado, here's my weekly menu:

Monday:  Turkey, Artichoke, & Swiss Paninis with Wedge Salads (bacon, tomatoes, ranch)

Tuesday:  Dinner at Mom's (breakfast)

Wednesday:  Beef and Pork Keema with Naan Bread

Thursday:  Creamy Chicken Taquios, Corn & Black Bean Salad(this is one of our favorites), chips and salsa

Friday & Saturday:  Kitchen closed!

Sunday:  Tasty Pork Tenderloin, Creamy Light Mac'n'cheese, chard/kale

Weekly Menu for December 14-19

I've decided to make an early New Year's resolution - to use the crock pot at least once a week. Seems like a simple enough plan but somehow I always seem to deviate. This may end up being a seasonal resolution though because I'm not a fan of the crock pot as much in the hot summer months. In keeping with this, I've utilized the appliance twice for my meal plan next week. (I was careful to not plan them back to back since Wes usually lets them soak overnight.) I feel like we had a couple of disappointments last week so I'm looking forward to redeeming myself this week!

Sunday: Rainy Season Chicken Soup (from the Review Lady's blog) and grilled cheese
Monday: Breakfast Enchiladas,Breakfast Baklava, and fruit
Tuesday/Wednesday: Sweet & Tangy Pot Roast, mashed potatoes, green beans
Thursday: Crock pot Salmon, Broccoli Rabe (see below), wild rice
Friday: Turkey wraps and tomato soup

Broccoli Rabe with Garlic, White Beans, Tomatoes, and Parmesan

3 T. olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 12oz bunches broccoli rabe, trimmed and coarsely chopped
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 14oz can white beans, rinsed and drained
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat 2 T. olive oil in wok over medium-high heat. Saute garlic until it sizzles, then add broccoli rabe and red pepper flakes. Season with salt, and saute 5-7 minutes, or until broccoli raab is wilted. Transfer to serving plate.
Add remaining 1 T. oil to wok. Add tomatoes, and cook 5-7 minutes, or until skins brown and tomatoes begin to split, stirring occasionally. Stir in white beans, and cook 2-3 minutes, or until heated through. Spoon tomato-bean mixture on top of broccoli rabe, and garnish with Parmesan.