Healthy Mexican-Style Favorites for Cinco de Mayo

Do you know Emily?  Please allow me to introduce you!  A fellow blogger at Emily Bites has quite a few amazing and mostly healthy recipes.  Since today is Cinco de Mayo I'll share a few mexican-style recipes.

Taco "cupcakes"

by Emily

Ingredients:
1 ½ t chili oil (found near the Asian ingredients)
½ lb 95% lean ground beef
1 T taco seasoning
¾ c canned black beans, drained and rinsed
16 wonton wrappers (found in the produce section)
5 T + 1 t of queso dip or salsa con queso
1 c chunky salsa 

 1 c reduced fat shredded Mexican cheese

Directions:
1.    Pre-heat the oven to 375. Lightly mist 8 cups in a muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.
2.    Heat chili oil in a sauté pan or large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and taco seasoning and brown beef, breaking it up with a spoon. Add black beans and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes until warm.
3.    Push a wonton wrapper into the bottom of each of the eight sprayed cups in the muffin tin. Spoon a teaspoon of queso dip into each wonton wrapper and spread across the bottom. Follow by spooning some of the meat/beans mixture into each cup (using about half the total mixture) and then splitting ½ cup of the salsa evenly into each cup. Sprinkle about half the shredded Mexican cheese evenly over the top of each cup. Press another wonton wrapper on top and repeat the layering steps with the remaining ingredients.
4.    Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes before removing from muffin tin.

Yields 8 taco cupcakes.

Spicy Black Bean Veggie Burgers

by Emily

Ingredients:
1 jalapeno pepper
2 garlic cloves
2 (15 oz) cans of black beans, drained and rinsed, separated

OR use Homemade Beans
2 t cumin
1 ¼ t salt
½ c panko bread crumbs 

2 T tomato sauce
½ c corn (fresh, frozen or canned)
1-2 eggs
4 t extra virgin olive oil
¾ of an avocado
3 t sriracha (Thai hot sauce)
6 whole wheat sandwich rolls

Directions:
1.    Cut open the jalapeno and remove the seeds. Chop and place in a food processor with the garlic cloves. Pulse until finely chopped. Add one can of drained & rinsed black beans to the food processor and pulse to mix. Add the cumin and salt and continue to run food processor until a chunky paste forms.
2.    Pour the black bean mixture from the food processor into a large mixing bowl. Add the bread crumbs, tomato sauce, corn and eggs. Stir together to combine. Add the remaining can of drained & rinsed black beans. Stir to combine. Form mixture into 6 patties.
3.    Bring 2 teaspoons of oil to medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add three of the patties to the skillet and cook on each side 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Use a large spatula to flip; patties are fragile. Repeat with remaining patties.
4.    Place each patty on a bun and top with 1/8 of an avocado (sliced) and ½ teaspoon of sriracha. Enjoy!

Yields 6 burgers.