Preparing for the Busy Weekend

Happy Friday from TMTG! The weekend is here yet again, and it is time to enjoy your time this weekend with family, friends, or by yourself. That is the great thing about weekends – you are the boss so you get to decide!

This weekend is BBQ weekend at my house. The marinated meats are going into the fridge, and last minute calls are going out to see who will make it and who will be a no show. However, there are a few more tips I keep in mind when preparing for a BBQ…

Make a Menu

I know, I know. A menu? Well, it will help! If you have ever been the hostess only to discover 6 people were not accounted for, than you know the importance of a menu. This will let you have a visual aid that says, “I need 5 pounds of beef, 3 pounds of chicken, and 4 jars of my favorite Tejano salsa.” A menu means you do not spend the time rushing to and fro trying to decide if you have enough.

Make More Than Enough

One of the great things about a BBQ is that it is a great time to make a lot of leftovers and send them home with family members. It is always better to have too much than not enough. Ugh!

Do Not Forget the Drinks

I never offer alcohol for my guests, but they do bring their own and enough for others. My responsibility is to insure there is punch, cold water, and ice cold tea. Of course, this may be the weekend to pull out some delicious raspberry lemonade.

Must Have Cookware in the Kitchen

If you appreciate superb Mexican food, you also appreciate awesome cookware. With so many top quality types of cookware on the market today, I often find the simple ones are the best for my needs. The same holds true for cookware you would use for Mexican food.

Take a look at a few of these awesome pieces of cookware I suggest for anyone! (These make super gifts too.)

Tortilla Bowl Maker

If you have ever had a taco salad, you will appreciate this piece of cookware. This is what they make those edible bowls out of! Most establishments fry them into shape, but these are much healthier and just as delicious. Place a tortilla inside of this bowl maker, and bake. If you like a nice flaky shell, try adding some olive oil to the outside before cooking. D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!

Taco Maker – Baked Taco Shells

I love a good taco. The shells, though, are either too small or too icky. Make your own! These make it easy to make crispy taco shells without adding the grease. Super taco shells and healthy to boot. So easy to make you will never buy those expensive store bought ones again.

Stainless Steel Spice Grater

This is a must for any kitchen! With 3 different sides, you will find it is easier than ever to have fresh spices, hard cheeses, and chocolate you made yourself – kind of. This is absolutely wonderful and actually stores the spice until you are done so no mess. Great idea and a definite must.

Cooking in the Kitchen with Children

One of my favorite reasons for loving Mexican food is the wonderful taste. Mm, nothing is as good as a delicious plate of Green Salsa & Chicken on a nice spring evening. The vibrant green color is amazing, and guess what? This gives us the perfect opportunity to spend some quality time with the children!

Preparing meals with children has many purposes. Mexican food is one of the easiest types of cuisines to fix with kids. Not only is it delicious but it is so much fun too!

Why cook with the children?

Health

Mexican food is healthy, and when you cook with your children you are teaching them not all food is purchased at the drive through of a local fast food establishment. This is a lesson your children will use the rest of their lives. In fact, they will also do this with their children.

Fun

Children live to have fun. Cooking is a blast! Mixing sour cream with guacamole… the colors are beautiful. Make a mess, and then clean it up together. You are teaching your children that, yes, even adults have to clean up after themselves!

Educational

Children are likes sponges and are always picking up on new lessons. Be in charge of what your child is learning. Whether teaching them that you clean up after yourself or that two ¼ cups of salsa equals ½ cup! The lessons are there, and all you have to do is baby them.

Do you cook with your children?

What Makes Our Salsa so Special?

Recently at Tex-Mex To Go, I received a wonderful message from a person who was curious about what makes our salsa so special. The taste is divine, and the quality is evident just by looking at the salsa. Once upon a time, I can remember where my life consisted of store salsa, and I can understand why people would be curious about what makes ours so special. Let me explain.

If you were to do a test, you would get a bowl with our Tejano salsa in it and one of the popular store bought salsas. Then, you would proceed to take a taste. This is what you would find.

Looks are everything!

The first thing you would notice is the difference in looks. The fruits and vegetables used are so much brighter in our Tejano brand. The chunks are slightly larger and the colors are vibrantly alive. A lot of the time, I find store bought salsa look boring. But part of your taste is your sight!

Smell that aroma?

The smell of our Tejano salsa is exquisite. You smell the collage of ingredients, and each compliments the other. You will not smell the same vinegary smell you would smell with almost all store bought salsas. Instead, you smell the pureness – the goodness.

Taste the difference!

Our Tejano salsas are not made with vinegar and utilize only the BEST in ingredients. We will never serve you a salsa we would not eat ourselves. We make you that guarantee.

Recipe of the Week: Green Salsa & Chicken

Happy Monday! Today is the beginning of a wonderful week, and nothing shows off that beauty more than our delicious and exquisitely gorgeous Recipe of the Week!

Tex-Mex To Go loves good food, and this is one we just have to share with all of you too. I love the vibrant colors as much as I do the taste. Definitely a favorite for anyone who likes something beautiful enough to be framed.

Green Salsa & Chicken

Ingredients:
4 chicken breast fillets
salt & pepper
flour for dredging
2-3 tbsp combo of butter & oil
16oz green salsa
1 cup chicken stock
1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3-5 tbsp cilantro, chopped (extra for serving)
half jalapeno, seeded & chopped
½ tsp ground cumin

Directions:
Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper to taste, dredge in flour and shake off excess. Melt butter in skillet, add chicken, cook over medium-high turning once, until golden brown but not cooked through. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Place salsa, stock, garlic, cilantro, chili and cumin in saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and add chicken. Cook for 30 minutes.

Serve over a bed of romaine lettuce or white rice accompanied with sour cream, scallions and fresh tomato wedges.

Tip:
This is a fragrant sauce, mild and delicate, a meal in itself, perfect for a dinner party (and easy to make)!
Try adding a few extra spices to suit your taste.
For a low sodium various, remove the salt or add Lite Salt!
Try adding last week’s fresh sour cream recipe for an added kick. Mm, mm, good.

Preparing for the Busy Weekend

Happy Friday from TMTG! Have you seen the weather forecast in your area for this weekend? If you are like majority of the US, you will be experiencing unusually hot temperatures this weekend. This can be the perfect time for a bit of relaxing and enjoying the weekend.

Let’s take a look at a few tips to insure you get the most out of your weekend!

Shop early…

Have you ever notice that after a busy day shopping, you need a vacation from your shopping experience? Shopping whether for ingredients to your favorite Mexican food dish or for clothing can be tiring business. Get that shopping out of the way Friday so you have all weekend to soak in the rays.

Get out of town…

While it may still be too chilly to spend the weekend camping in a tent, you will find that this is a great opportunity to get some good time away with the family or by yourself. Go on a nature hike; go on a guided tour of your favorite Tex-Mex food facility. You get the idea!

Play it safe…

With the weather warming up, some people are going to be headed for the nearest river, lake, or even ocean. Consider that the water may be a bit deceptive in looks. Check local forecasts for water conditions before playing. Remember playing it safe means playing it smart.

Do you have any plans for this weekend? What are you going to be doing? How do you play it smart?

El Paso Gourmet Gift Box

Choosing the best gift for the occasion is always easier when you explore the world of gift baskets and boxes. Whether creating your own masterpiece fit for a king or purchasing an elegantly unique masterpiece from your favorite Tex-Mex To Go, you can rest assured that the gift will be well received to the enjoyment of all.

The El Paso Gourmet Gift Box is an elegantly delicious example of what you can count on from Tex-Mex To Go!

Maybe you are curious at the kind of gift boxes you will be getting from TMTG. Well, if you have yet to experience our gift boxes, I can promise you, you are in for a real treat. These make great presents for just about any occasion, but my favorite occasion just happens to be the “just because” occasion.

If you have your own “just because” holiday just about everyday, chances are pretty good you will even enjoy giving these to yourself. Mm, mm, yummy!

With the El Paso Gourmet Gift Box you get 2 16 ounce jars of our world renowned Tejano salsa in either mild, medium, or hot – you can even choose 2 types of strengths. Then we add a deliciously green Tejano Salsa Verde just to spice things up. Then you get a beautiful, hand-written card with a burnt note look that is so western. Of course, we finish it off with some real hay just to give you that authentic look.

Definitely a must have for anyone wanting something unusual that will be enjoyed and appreciated by anyone.

Exploring the Wonders of Garlic

Allium sativum L., most commonly referred to as garlic, is considered by many one of the healthiest foods on the planet. Take a good smell of this pungent little bulbous plant and chances are good you will recognize what it is even if you are blindfolded. However, the pungent odor is only one part of what this wondrous plant can offer you and your family.

Garlic is a mainstay ingredient in many cuisines including both Mexican and Tex-Mex. Perhaps garlic is not used because of its many medicinal uses, but one thing is for sure, the taste it offers any dish will definitely leave you remembering the power of garlic is undeniable.

So what can garlic offer you?

Other than a great taste, people since the dawn of man have used garlic medicinally. Whether fighting heart disease or cancer, garlic is a wonder food that can be eaten in meals, or if you are brave, you can eat a clove all by itself.

High in many of the minerals and vitamins we need to maintain a healthy life, garlic gives us more of the good stuff – plain and simple.

Many people do not like handling fresh garlic because the oil will get on your fingers. The oil is sticky, and quite honestly, does not have the best of smells unless you are accustomed to such things. To make this easier, I get the clove still in its sheath, and place a knife sideways over the clove and press down. This separates the sheath from the clove making your life a lot easier!

Do you like your garlic? How do you store your garlic?

The Deliciously Delectable History of Chicken Wings

When it comes to sinful delights, I must admit, I love chicken wings! Whether you call them Buffalo wings, hot wings, or chicken wings, they all equal an absolutely delicious addition to any day.

The traditional name of these delicacies is Buffalo wings. No, wild buffalo are not involved with this dish. Instead, these were first made popular in the Buffalo New York area sometime between to 60s and the 80s, and hence forth they would be called Buffalo wings.

Chicken wings are a great, healthy addition to just about any form of Mexican food or Tex-Mex cuisine. The wing part of the chicken is split leaving the small drumstick and the flat part. Me, I prefer the flat part while my husband prefers the drumstick. This is a copacetic relationship at its best!

Today, all forms of popular restaurants and fast food establishments have some sort of chicken wing on the menu. Whether dipped and grilled with barbecue sauce or breaded, there are few people that can deny that the popularity of the chicken wing is not waning anytime soon.

Healthy thinking individuals will want to insure that the chicken is not processed in its own fat which would add to the fat and caloric factors of the dish. Instead, go for baking and grilling with a lot less breading. Depend on the wonderful and yummy flavor of hot sauce and salsa to make your next meal divine.

Do you like chicken wings? What are you favorites?

Tequila-Marinated Chicken Wings: Recipe of the Week!

There are few dishes as popular or endearing to our lives as chicken wings. Whether eaten as an appetizer or a main meal, chicken wings are a great crowd pleaser. Combine the deliciousness of Tex-Mex cuisine with old-fashioned tequila and you have a dish that is sure to turn heads. The best thing is that these are super easy to make!

Tequila-Marinated Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

2lb chicken wings

11 garlic cloves, finely chopped

juice of 2 fresh limes

juice of 1 fresh orange

2 tbsp Tequila

1 tbsp mild chili powder

2 tsp chipotle salsa

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp sugar

¼ tsp ground allspice

pinch ground cinnamon

pinch dried oregano

grilled tomato halves (for serving)

Directions:

Split or cut the chicken wings at the joint; place in a nonmetallic dish and add all the other ingredients; toss well to coat evenly, then cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight (never marinate longer than 24 hours).

Preheat your grill. Cook the wings for 15-20 minutes or until crisply browned. Serve at once along with grilled tomatoes.

Tip:

The Tequila tenderizes these tasty chicken wings and adds a delicious flavor. Serve with corn tortillas, refried beans, salsa and a good chilled beer.

Why not add your favorite veggies to the grill i.e. zucchini, corn, onions, tomatoes, peppers and serve on a platter along with the chicken wings.

Make plenty! This is a great summertime feast!

Personal Note:

2 pounds of chicken is never enough for my crowds. However, you can simply multiply up for larger quantities.

Do not worry about leftovers! These will vanish from the fridge in no time.

Use a good quality tequila. It makes all the difference in the world.

Preparing for the Busy Weekend

Happy Friday! This week has been an interesting collection of delicious ideas and histories of Mexican food and sour cream, onions, and enchiladas. Hopefully, you had the opportunity to try the delicious recipe of the week this week: Sour Cream Enchiladas. If not, now is the time to prepare this delicious, mouth watering dish for your family.

With the wonderful weather this past week, the weekend has promises of testing the waters of a favorite swimming hole or having a barbecue with family and friends. There are also plenty of festivals rearing their head this weekend. What is available in your area?

Another great activity in full swing this time of year is the family garden. Preparing those onions, tomatoes, and even jalapeños is a great way to keep you and your family healthy. These wonderfully crisp and diverse foods will provide a lot of benefits not found when you choose store bought equivalents.

Do not worry! If you do not have the time for a garden reaming with fresh fruits and vegetables, you can find delicious and healthy alternatives at a favorite health food store or even a corner vegetable stand.

Enjoy the weekend, and come prepared. Have your family’s meals prepared before hand. You can have the fresh ingredients on hand allowing you to simply mix and bake, or you can prepare casseroles today that can be removed from the freezer and popped in the oven.

Keep your weekend fun and simple by preparing today!

How do you prepare for your weekend?

Onions, Onions, Everywhere

There are few things in this world as delicious as Mexican food, but I have to admit that a good onion ranks up there as one of my number one foods. Eating an onion is one of life’s little pleasures, and I had to share some of the interesting history of the onion will all of you.

Onions are definitely interesting, and the complex onion has been used from everything as a cure for osteoporosis to a delicious addition to our meals. There have been reported health benefits associated with an onion ranging from aiding in the common cold to reducing the effects of heart disease and diabetes.

How healthy is the common onion?

An onion is extremely high in Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Thiamin, and a multitude of other vitamins and minerals. This makes an onion extremely healthy, but the number one draw of the onion has to be the deliciously sweet, robust flavor.

When added to such cuisines as Mexican food, you have a wonderfully vibrant addition to any dish. For instance, a red onion can give beautiful color as well as taste to salsa.

There are many types of onions available commonly today: brown, white, yellow, and red onions are the most common. Each provides a unique taste and color to any meal. Onions can be diced, chopped, sliced, or used whole depending on the dish.

Regardless of how you feel about onions, the truth is that the common onion is used in many fine cuisines because of its diverse and unique flavor.

Do you like onions? What is your favorite way to use an onion? Which type is your favorite?

One Enchilada or Two?

Mexican food is a living organism always apt to change at the whim of the preparer. The ability to morph into the heart’s desire of the preparer is one of the reasons many people prefer Mexican food. With so many popular dishes, just adding, subtracting, or substituting one ingredient can change the whole dish.

If you are like me, an enchilada is a wonderful addition to any meal. Sometimes, a casserole filled with enchiladas and smothered in a delicious sauce definitely make any meal perfect.

But what exactly is an enchilada?

Authentic Mexican cuisine prepares an enchilada by dipping a corn tortilla in hot oil or lard, and then the tortilla is dipped in a sauce of choice. Finally, all sorts of filling can be added which range from chicken to olives and chopped onions. Once filled, the corn tortilla is rolled and placed in a casserole dish only to be covered by another sauce and finished off with toppings such as onions and/or cheese.

Of course, Tex-Mex cuisine is slightly different! Tex-Mex enchiladas generally do not pre-dip the corn tortilla in oil or lard.

Did you know enchilada means “in chili”? Red sauce is tomato based sauce using red chilies, and green sauce is tomatillo based with green chilies?

The enchilada is a popular dish around the world and, depending on the family and region of the world, the technique for preparing a dish of enchiladas will vary for taste and preference.

What do you like in your enchiladas?

How to Make Fresh Sour Cream

Making your own foods is a guaranteed way to stay healthy especially if you watch what your family eats. Even some of those popular condiments can be made easily at home giving you a healthy, personal touch to just about any meal. Sour cream just happens to be a popular condiment in many Mexican food and Tex-Mex food recipes.

Sour cream is a great condiment that is creamy and accents just about any meal perfectly. While store bought sour cream is easy, you will be shocked at the delicious flavor of sour cream you make yourself. The best thing is that it is not difficult to make either!

What do you need?

Heavy cream (1 cup)
Whole milk (1½ cups)
Fresh buttermilk (½ cup)
Cooking or candy thermometer
Bowl

Mix the cream, milk, and buttermilk in a bowl while the bowl is resting in a sink full of warm water. Allow the mixture to reach 69-degrees. Remove from the sink and allow to stand at room temperature for anywhere from 12 hours to a full 24 hours. If you place a spoon in the mixture, the mixture is ready once it will cling snugly to the spoon.

Keep this yummy mixture in the fridge until you are ready to use. I personally find that the sour cream mixture is perfect after sitting in the fridge for about 24 hours.

This is delicious with just about any Mexican food meal. There are even a lot of Mexican food recipes that call for sour cream. Just remember, there are live cultures in sour cream just as in yogurt. If your sour cream starts growing mold, you must discard at once for health reasons.

Do you make your own condiments?