Howdy Friends….from Mexican Food and Gifts To Go
http://www.texmextogo.com
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Sorry we’ve not written in a while…we tried to get over the holidays by going shopping in Mexico and whipping up some new products for you…and it worked!
So many of you have asked us about Mexican hand blown glass so we took a long trip deep into Mexico to visit friends; we stopped and visited with artisan’s along the way, many of them as a matter of fact, until we came upon a small glass factory near Cuautitlán Izcalli . The owner invites us in and after listening to what items we were looking for, suddenly he says to me “draw it on paper”.  I did, in the style a 6 year old would, and they produced just what I wanted! Read about the history of Mexican hand blown glass which is still being made to this day totally by mouth and hand, also referred to as “bubble glass”:

http://www.texmextogo.com/mexican_hand_blown_glass.htm
We have a Tequila shot glass gift set which includes the hard-to-find Sangrita:
http://www.texmextogo.com/store/PPF/parameters/106_4/more_info.asp
Homemade salsa season is just around the corner, you’ll need these salsa bowls for presentation:
http://www.texmextogo.com/store/PPF/parameters/107_4/more_info.asp
Now set the perfect table with this confetti art carafe with a chili pepper stopper:
http://www.texmextogo.com/store/PPF/parameters/108_4/more_info.asp

All the blown glass items were made from my scratchy drawings. Fortunately I cook better than I can draw! These are heavy, thick and unique to Mexican Food  & Gifts.…a perfect gift for Easter, Mother’s Day or even graduation.
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Tex Mex Cowboy Trail Dust – the only seasoning you will need around the house! Shake it over meat, chicken, fruits, salads, breakfast, lunch or dinner! Try our cowboy trail dust on your beef just before hitting the grill….you will be hooked! http://www.texmextogo.com/store/PPF/parameters/101_3/more_info.asp
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Recipes

Mexican Chicken & Rice
1 Tbsp. oil
4 small chicken breast halves, boneless & skinless
2 cups water
1 cup Tejano salsa mild (click here)
2 cups Minute rice, uncooked
1 can (8oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken & cover, cook for 4 minutes on each side or until fully cooked. Remove chicken from skillet. Stir in water & salsa, bring to a boil. Add rice & corn. Top with the chicken. Sprinkle cheese over chicken, cover. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes, stir & serve. We use Minute rice in this recipe for speed. Ready in 15 minutes. Serves 4.

Chile Con Queso y Cerveza (Cheese dip with beer)
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
2 cups grated Jarlsberg
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 small onion, minced
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
¾ cup beer (not dark)
½ cup Tejano salsa drained (click here)
1 small can green chiles, chopped

Directions:
In a bowl, toss the cheeses with the flour and reserve the mixture. In a large heavy saucepan, cook the onion in the butter over moderate low heat, careful not to brown the onion, until softened, add the beer, salsa and chiles and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the reserved cheese mixture by ½ cupfuls to the beer mix, stirring after each addition (this will avoid clumping) until the cheeses are melted. Serve warm (and keep it warm) with plenty of tortilla chips…might need a cold Mexican beer alongside!

Stuffed potatoes with Cheese and Salsa Verde
4 large potatoes
1/2 cup Tejano salsa verde (click here)
1tbs. minced green chiles
2-3 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F. Scrub & pat dry the potatoes. Do not peel. Using a paring knife, pierce deeply into each potato before baking. Set potatoes directly on oven rack and bake for 1 hour or until tender. Remove from oven and let set for 10 minutes. Cut about 1/3 off the tops of the potatoes. Use a spoon to scoop out the pulp. Reserve the shells. Mash the pulp and stir in the chiles, salsa, butter, sour cream and cheese. Add salt & pepper at will. Increase oven temperature to 400F. Fill the shells generously with mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top of each potato and place in oven for 10minutes or until cheese is bubbling. Add a dollop of sour cream and serve immediately.
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Mexican Cuisine …..
Cazuelitas – these are thin tortillas molded into a shallow bowl and deep fried before being filled with
Chicharrones – these are deep fried pork rinds. They are a favorite snack (like potato chips) in Mexico.
Chilaquiles – these are made up of leftovers and is often called the poor man’s dish. Consisting of corn tortilla strips sautéed with other foods such as mild green chiles, cheese, chorizo and shredded beef or chicken.
Chimichangas – these are deep fried meat filled burritos.
Chorizo – this is a highly seasoned, coarsely ground pork sausage flavored with garlic, chile powder and more spices; widely used in Mexican and Spanish cookery.
Ceviche – this is made from raw fish, marinated until “cooked” in limejuice. It is then combined with tomatoes, onions, chiles and spices and served with tortilla chips or crackers as an appetizer.
Enchiladas – these are made from corn tortillas, lightly fried in oil, and then stuffed with cheese, onions and most frequently, shredded beef or chicken.
Fajitas – these are made with marinated steak, chicken, shrimp or mushrooms. They are then grilled on a sizzling hot skillet or comal with onions, tomatoes, bell peppers and other chiles and served with flour tortillas.
Flautas – these are made from either corn or flour tortillas, filled with shredded beef or chicken, rolled into a thin cylinder and deep fried, topped with guacamole.
Masa – this is made of dried corn kernels, ground and mixed with water and a little ground limestone. It is a thick dough that is then flattened into patties for tortillas or stuffed with meat and spices or fruit to make tamales.
Menudo – this is a robust, fairly spicy soup that is supposed to cure hangovers! The key ingredients are tripe, hominy, onions and spices.

Hope you have a great time with these recipes. If you are a die-hard recipe chaser, come on over to our recipe section…you’ll be there a while:
http://www.texmextogo.com/Recipes.htm
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If you think your friends and family might enjoy our information and recipes in this newsletter, go right ahead and pass it on, we love to spread the word about tex-mex style Mexican food and gifts…..we’ll find more to talk to you about next month.

We’re always glad to hear from ya’ll….we’ll be back…

Chef Annie
chef@texmextogo.com
www.texmextogo.com