Mexican Food Made Easy for Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is as good an excuse as any to overdose on guacamole and indulge in a margarita or two. It's a holiday that calls for celebration and entertaining!  According to History.com, “Cinco de Mayo is widely interpreted as a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage” and revelers in the United States “mark the occasion with parades, parties, mariachi music, Mexican folk dancing and traditional foods.” If you plan to celebrate this year, but need some inspiration for a crowd pleasing fiesta with true Mexican flare, you’re in luck!

Did you know?

• During the week of Cinco, 33,892,841 Million Pounds of avocados are consumed. That’s enough to fill over 45 million standard Margarita glasses.

• Over 66 million individual avocados are consumed during the week of Cinco. Enough for half of the entire Mexican population to get their own avocado.

• The amount of avocados consumed during Cinco week is 51 times the population of Denver, the city that holds one of the top Cinco De Mayo Festivals, “Celebrate Culture” and 6 times  that of the entire Colorado population

Chef Pati Jinich, host of the hit PBS series “Pati’s Mexican Table,” shares a few tips for her secret ingredient: avocados! They’re an extremely versatile fruit that adds creamy, rich texture and delicious flavor that will take your favorite Mexican dishes to the next level this Cinco de Mayo. Here are few tips Pati shares in the video below:

• Delicious dishes with authentic flavors for crowd pleasing and true Mexican flare
• How fresh Avocados from Mexico can be a nutritious addition to your Cinco de Mayo dishes and take them to the next level
• How to choose an avocado and determine if they are ripe

If you want more delicious recipes from Pati, you can pick up a copy of her book Pati's Mexican Table. Pati shares her favorite recipes for creating authentic Mexican food at home. From fresh salsas to soups to desserts, Pati covers all the bases in her book. Her recipes are simple and full of fresh ingredients that fit perfectly into the everyday lives of busy families.

Are you ready for Cinco De Mayo? Avocados From Mexico wants YOU to show how you're celebrating in our #CelebrateCinco contest!

The Assignment: Avocados From Mexico is looking for your best pictures of how you #CelebrateCinco in four categories: Decor, Mexican Fare, Spirits, and Guac.

To enter the contest, simply tag your photo with hashtag #CelebrateCinco beginning May 1^st on Twitter or Instagram or upload a pic from a Facebook album via this site: http://www.avocadosfrommexico.com/celebrate-cinco-contest/  (Remember to claim your entry with the submission form!)

The call for entries follows the schedule below — in the countdown to Cinco De Mayo! You can submit ONE pic each day of the contest.

• May 1 - Decor
• May 2 - Mexican Fare
• May 3- Spirits (don’t show any brand logos please!)
• May 4- Guac
• May 5 - All categories

Prizes: The top winner in each category  — chosen by a panel of judges —  gets a $500 cash gift card! Judging criteria based on: Fit to Contest / Category theme, Composition and Originality.

Get those phones and cameras out and start snapping!