Cindy Kennedy's Posts Tagged 'Tex-Mex' (18)

When you hit the city limits of Austin, you can sense a certain buildup of energy. The Texas capital is a diverse place - it's frenetic in some sectors and laid back in others. Geeks and hipsters mingle when it comes to entertainment, which some say is the heart and soul of this city. While most will agree, those who love food always offer a strong reminder that it's more than music - it's migas!



Breakfast migas…

Camarones Brochette is a highly popular item on Mexican/Tex-Mex restaurant menus. Grilled shrimp infused with jalapeno and bacon flavors makes a mouth-watering appetizer that may compel you to turn it into a meal. The term "brochette," which means skewer, is actually French (as in "en brochette") and no one knows exactly how that became the description of choice. Go further south and you might find them called pinchos, although that…

Burritos get a downsizing while going upscale with a steak strip filling. Appetizer sizes are typically six inches in diameter, but these are even smaller at four inches. They're still extra hearty bites with their super-sized fillings. Really, the only way to get them this small is to use homemade flour tortillas. I've included a quick and easy recipe below that will produce 18 of these little two-bite…

If you were to go in search of down-home cooking at a Tex-Mex restaurant, steak picado should top the…

Tex-Mex Deep Dish Appetizer Pie has been around for decades, yet it has no real history. Its roots, however, are tacos – the easy Tex-Mex kind, of course, with an added all-American boost from a puffy crescent roll crust.



With…

Enchiladas are a great dish for your family or a crowd. Beef often takes a backseat to chicken, but you have so many options, whether it's ground beef, a shredded roast or steak strips. All are bathed in a rich red sauce and loaded with cheese. So perfect when they come out of the oven, bubbling over with a Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese overload.



The word…

Molotes – little cigars or torpedoes – are a delight to make and eat in any form. As a popular Oaxacan street food, they often take a back seat to many of the more popular foods, including mole poblano. Some call theses masa concoctions quesadillas; others will say they're empanadas. But I don't think so. These should have their own shape, as mentioned above, and their own distinctive ingredients if desired. They can be sweet or…

When crisp mornings arrive and temperatures start to dip at night, it's time for Chile Colorado! This is not your classic "Texas" chili (note the spelling difference) with its tomato base (and no beans). Chile Colorado translates to red chile sauce and that's just what it is, with its color derived from a blend of dried chiles. When you see this on a Mexican or Tex-Mex menu, it's served con carne. I've added stew beef chunks to…

Calabacitas con puerco is a traditional comfort food with many variations, especially along the Mexico/Texas border. As a hearty stew in its authentic form, you can make it, freeze it, and keep it ready for a cold wintry day. When you start to crave it during warmer months, however, it's time to change it up a little - all Tex-Mex, of course!



By breaking out some of the ingredients for a grill, you can have both fresh air…

When the heat is on outside, it's time to cool down the kitchen with a crisp Mexican style salad. I'm turning this one into a full fiesta with tomatoes, black beans, and charred corn. Adding chunks of chicken grilled with a lime fajita marinade makes it feast-worthy when you're feeding a crowd. It's easy to put together and pretty when you're ready to serve it.



This recipe can become a full lunch meal or served as a side with…

Closer to Mexico's northern border and on into Texas, you're entering a carnivore's paradise. It's cattle country through and through, which also has led to some fine beef dishes, both Mexican and Tex-Mex. Think sizzling fajitas, burritos and tacos to name just a few.



My stuffed steak with tequila cheese sauce is relatively simple to make. Roasted jalapenos add their little kick and the Tex-Mex slips in with grated cheddar as…

I'm breaking out the Velveeta for queso cups, so if you're a cheese "aficionado," read no further. It's a classic recipe, but taken down to individual serving sizes in baked tortilla cups. When you've dipped out all the cheese, just eat the container! They're great little single-portion appetizers when you want to do something a little different, but still want to serve comfort food.…

Tacos pop up around the world in so many variations; many of them far from the authentic versions you'd find in Mexico. A warm, soft corn tortilla with fillings of any kind is hard to beat, that's for sure. For a change, though, here's a fun way to use flour tortillas, cut to size, and pressed into a muffin tin. Filled with taco meat and topped off, they're a great little baked appetizer or a tasty meal with favorite…

Taquitos - those crunchy rolled-up corn tortillas with tasty fillings - are the perfect snack food. They're easy to make and you can serve them as dippers and appetizers or turn them into a full meal buried underneath lettuce, salsa, and sour cream. Even better, you can use beef, turkey, chicken and pork as fillers - that means a great way to utilize leftovers!



Their exact origin…

Here's a hearty Tex-Mex dish that you can make in a hurry or go all-out and feed a crowd. It has all the best in Mexican ingredients: pinto beans, salsa, and tortillas. For the "Tex" side, there's beef and the chili sauce, or gravy. When you see this brown sauce on any plate, you know you're north of the border and south of the Red River. It's about as "authentic" Tex-Mex as you can get. Without it gracing an entree at a…

No Tex-Mex Tapas platter would be complete without grilled shrimp. In a medium size, they're another two-bite appetizer that pairs beautifully with sauces and favorite after-work beverages. This recipe calls for my "Fab Five" of Tex-Mex seasonings for a marinade. My dipping sauce utilizes guajillo peppers for their tangy taste and a little heat that builds with each bite. What a pairing! Baked flour tortilla chips add…

Crimini mushrooms, also known as "baby bellas," are just the right size for hearty tapas. Featuring a nice earthy color with equally robust flavors, they're more rustic than button mushrooms. These perfectly sized appetizers really are young portabellas (portobellos/portobellas) - or as most experts will state, portabellas are just overgrown criminis.



To top them off, I'm…

Just as Texans have adapted many of Mexico's popular dishes, it seems only natural to borrow from Spain as well. Tapas make after-work gatherings and pre-dinner drinks even more enjoyable. In fact, every get-together should kick off with this little bite-size ritual. In the next few blog postings, I'll provide a few favorites so you'll always have ideas for a "small plate" filled with "great flavor" ready for your…