Happy Cinco De Mayo!

So what is everyone doing this Cinco de Mayo? I have got a big day planned filled with betting on horses, cocktails and a picnic with some close friends.

I have been waiting all winter for Cinco de Mayo to finally come around. Why? Because I get to go back to my most favorite place here in the suburbs of Chicago, the Arlington Race Track. What started as just going to the track and admiring how beautiful it was and watching all the horses, has now become me going there, getting the betting guide and actually studying it . Then placing a few dollars on this horse, a few dollars on that horse. And, yes I do win!

This Saturday I invited a bunch of my friends to tag along with me to the tracks. The Arlington Race Track allows us to bring whatever food we want so we all decided to bring a picnic basket full of finger foods instead of spending money on food there. (More money to bet with.) I decided to bring my favorite dip, Guacamole and also Hummus.

Guacamole
Ingredients
1-1/2 C. frozen peas 1 small ripe avocado, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks 1 Tbs. reduced-fat mayonnaise 2 tsp. lemon juice 1/2 tsp. cumin 1/2 tsp. chili powder 1 garlic clove, minced 1/2 C. mild or medium low-sodium or regular salsa

Directions
In a small saucepan, combine the peas and 1/4 C. boiling water. Cover, bring to a boil, and simmer 2 minutes. Cool in a colander until cold running water. Drain well. In a food processor container, combine the peas, avocado, mayonnaise, lemon juice, cumin, chili powder, and garlic. Process until blended but not absolutely smooth, stopping and scraping the container sides, if necessary. Stir in the salsa. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or up to 24 hours to allow the flavors to blend. The dip will keep in the refrigerator 1 to 2 days. Serve with fat-free tortilla chips. Yield: 14 servings (2 Tbs. each).

Hummus
Ingredients
2 medium cloves garlic, roughly chopped 1/4 C. lemon juice 1/4 C. water 1 14 oz. can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained 1/2 C. tahini (sesame seed paste) 1 tsp. sea salt (or table salt to taste)

Directions
Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth, scraping the sides occasionally. It can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 1 week and frozen for up to 3 months.

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!